Free from oppression, or the stroke of war,
My daughter shall be Henry's, if he please.
Suff. That is her ransom, I deliver her;
And those two counties, I will undertake,
Your grace shall well and quietly enjoy.
Reig. And I again,-in Henry's royal name,
As deputy unto that gracious king,

Give thee her hand, for sign of plighted faith.

Suff. Reignier of France, I give thee kingly thanks, Because this is in traffic of a king:

And yet, methinks, I could be well content

To be mine own attorney in this case.

[Aside.

I'll over then to England with this news,

And make this marriage to be solemnized;

So, farewell, Reignier! Set this diamond safe
In golden palaces, as it becomes.

Reig. I do embrace thee, as I would embrace

Suff Farewell, sweet madam! But hark you, Margaret;

Mar. Such commendations as become a maid,

The Christian prince, king Henry, were he here.

Mar. Farewell, my lord! Good wishes, praise, and prayers, Shall Suffolk ever have of Margaret.

No princely commendations to my king?

A virgin, and his servant, say to him.

[Going.

Suff. Words sweetly placed and modestly directed.

But, madam, I must trouble you again,

No loving token to his majesty ?

Mar. Yes, my good lord; a pure unspotted heart,

Never yet taint with love, I send the king.
Suff. And this withal.

Mar. That for thyself;-I will not so presume,
To send such peevish tokens to a king.

[Kisses her.

[Exeunt REIGNIER and MARGARET.

Suff. O, wert thou for myself!-But, Suffolk, stay;
Thou mayst not wander in that labyrinth;
There Minotaurs, and ugly treasons, lurk.
Solicit Henry with her wondrous praise:
Bethink thee on her virtues that surmount;"
Mad,+ natural graces that extinguish art;
Repeat their semblance often on the seas,
That, when thou com'st to kneel at Henry's feet,

Thou mayst bereave him of his wits with wonder.

[Exit.

SCENE IV-Camp of the Duke of YORK, in Anjou.

Enter YORK, WARWICK, and others.

Fork. Bring forth that sorceress, condemn'd to burn.

Enter LA PUCELLE, guarded, and a SHEPHERD. Shep. Ah, Joan! this kills thy father's heart outright! Have I sought every country far and near,

And, now it is my chance to find thee out,
Must I behold thy timeless* cruel death?
Ah, Joan, sweet daughter Joan, I'll die with thee!
Puc. Decrepit miser!+ base ignoble wretch!

I am descended of a gentler blood;

Thou art no father, nor no friend, of mine.

Shep. Out, out!-My lords, an please you, 'tis not so: I did beget her, all the parish knows:

Her mother liveth yet, can testify,

She was the first fruit of my bachelorship.

War. Graceless! wilt thou deny thy parentage?
York. This argues what her kind of life hath been;

Wicked and vile; and so her death concludes.

Shep. Fie, Joan! that thou wilt be so obstacle!

God knows, thou art a collop of my flesh;

And for thy sake have I shed many a tear:

Deny me not, I pr'ythee, gentle Joan.

Puc. Peasant, avaunt!-You have suborn'd this man,

Of purpose to obscure my noble birth.

Shep. 'Tis true, I gave a noble to the priest,

The morn that I was wedded to her mother.-
Kneel down and take my blessing, good my girl.
Wilt thou not stoop? Now cursed be the time
Of thy nativity! I would, the milk

Thy mother gave thee, when thou suck'dst her breast,
Had been a little ratsbane, for thy sake!

Or else when thou didst keep my lambs a-field,

I wish some ravenous wolf had eaten thee!

Dost thou deny thy father, cursed drab?

O, burn her, burn her; hanging is too good.

York. Take her away; for she hath lived too long,

To fill the world with vicious qualities.

Puc. First, let me tell you whom you have condemn'd:
Not me begotten of a shepherd swain,
But issued from the progeny of kings;
Virtuous and holy; chosen from above,
By inspiration of celestial grace,
To work exceeding miracles on earth.
I never had to do with wicked spirits:
But you, that are polluted with your lusts,
Stain'd with the guiltless blood of innocents,
Corrupt and tainted with a thousand vices,-
Because you want the grace that others have,
You judge it straight a thing impossible
To compass wonders, but by help of devils.
No, misconceived!§ Joan of Arc hath been
A virgin from her tender infancy,

Chaste and immaculate in every thought;
Whose maiden blood, thus rigorously effused,
Will cry for vengeance at the gates of heaven.

[Exit.

York. Ay, ayaway with her to execution.

War. And hark ye, sirs; because she is a maid,
Spare for no faggots, let there be enough:
Place barrels of pitch upon the fatal stake,

That so her torture may be shortened.

Puc. Will nothing turn your unrelenting hearts ?→ Then, Joan, discover thine infirmity;

That warranteth by law to be thy privilege.

I am with child, ye bloody homicides:

Murder not then the fruit within my womb,

Although ye hale me to a violent death.

York. Now heaven forfend! the holy maid with child?
War. The greatest miracle that e'er ye wrought:

Is all your strict preciseness come to this?

York. She and the Dauphin have been juggling:

I did imagine what would be her refuge.

War. Well, go to; we will have no bastards live: Especially, since Charles must father it.

Puc. You are deceived; my child is none of his; It was Alençon, that enjoy'd my love.

York. Alençon, that notorious Machiavel!

It dies, an if it had a thousand lives.

Puc. O, give me leave, I have deluded you; Twas neither Charles, nor yet the duke I named, But Reignier, king of Naples, that prevail'd.

Wor. A married man! that's most intolerable.

York. Why, here's a girl! I think, she knows not well,

There were so many, whom she may accuse.

War. It's sign, she hath been liberal and free. York. And, yet, forsooth, she is a virgin pure.Strumpet, thy words condemn thy brat, and thee: Use no entreaty, for it is in vain.

Puc. Then lead me hence;-with whom I leave my curse: May never glorious sun reflex his beams

Upon the country where you make abode!

But darkness and the gloomy shade of death
Environ you; till mischief, and despair,

Drive you to break your necks, or hang yourselves!

[Exit, guarded. York. Break thou in pieces, and consume to ashes, Thou foul accursed minister of hell!

Enter CARDINAL BEAUFORT, attended.

*

Car. Lord regent, I do greet your excellence
With letters of commission from the king.
For know, my lords, the states of Christendom,
Moved with remorse of these outrageous broils,
Have earnestly implored a general peace
Betwixt our nation and the aspiring French;
And here at hand the Dauphin, and his train,
Approacheth, to confer about some matter.

Compassion.

York. Is all our travail turn'd to this effect?
After the slaughter of so many peers,
So many captains, gentlemen, and soldiers,
That in this quarrel have been overthrown,
And sold their bodies for their country's benefit,
Shall we at last conclude effeminate peace?
Have we not lost most part of all the towns,
By treason, falsehood, and by treachery,
Our great progenitors had conquered ?-
O, Warwick, Warwick! I foresee with grief
The utter loss of all the realm of France.

War. Be patient, York: If we conclude a peace,
It shall be with such strict and severe covenants

As little shall the Frenchmen gain thereby.

Enter CHARLES, attended; ALENÇON, BASTARD, REIGNIER, and others.

Char. Since, lords of England, it is thus agreed, That peaceful truce shall be proclaim'd in France, We come to be informed by yourselves

What the conditions of that league must be.

York. Speak, Winchester; for boiling choler chokes

The hollow passage of my poison'd voice,

By sight of these our baleful enemies.

Win. Charles, and the rest, it is enacted thus:

That-in regard king Henry gives consent,

Of mere compassion, and of lenity,
To ease your country of distressful war,
And suffer you to breathe in fruitful peace,-
You shall become true liegemen to his crown:
And, Charles, upon condition thou wilt swear
To pay him tribute, and submit thyself,
Thou shalt be placed as viceroy under him,
And still enjoy thy regal dignity.

Alen. Must he be then as shadow of himself?

Adorn his temples with a coronet:

And yet, in substance and authority,

Retain but privilege of a private man?
This proffer is absurd and reasonless.

Char. "Tis known already that I am possess'd
With more than half the Gallian territories,
And therein reverenced for their lawful king
Shall I, for lucre of the rest unvanquish'd,
Detract so much from that prerogative,
As to be call'd but viceroy of the whole ?
No, lord ambassador; I'll rather keep
That which I have, than, coveting for more,

Be cast from possibility of all.

York. Insulting Charles! hast thou by secret means

Used intercession to obtain a league;

And, now the matter grows to compromise,

Stand'st thou aloof upon comparison ?

Either accept the title thou usurp'st,
Of benefit proceeding from our king,
And not of any challenge of desert,

Or we will plague thee with incessant wars.
Reig. My lord, you do not well in obstinacy
To cavil in the course of this contract:
If once it be neglected, ten to one,
We shall not find like opportunity.

Alen. To say the truth, it is your policy,
To save your subjects from such massacre,
And ruthless slaughters, as are daily seen
By our proceeding in hostility:

And therefore take this compact of a truce,
Although you break it when your pleasure serves.

[Aside, to CHARLES. War. How say'st thou, Charles? shall our condition stand?

Char. It shall:

Only reserved, you claim no interest

In any of our towns of garrison.

York. Then swear allegiance to his majesty;

As thou art knight, never to disobey,

Nor be rebellious to the crown of England,

Thou, nor thy nobles, to the crown of England.

[CHARLES, and the rest, give tokens of fealty.

So, now dismiss your army when ye please;

Hang up your ensigns, let your drums be still,

For here we entertain a solemn peace.

SCENE V-London. A Room in the Palace.

[Exeunt.

Enter KING HENRY, in conference with SUFFOLK; GLOSTER and EXETER following.

K. Hen. Your wondrous rare description, noble earl,

Of beauteous Margaret hath astonish'd me:

Her virtues, graced with external gifts,

Do breed love's settled passions in my heart:

And like as rigour in tempestuous gusts
Provokes the mightiest hulk against the tide;
So am I driven, by breath of her renown,
Either to suffer shipwreck, or arrive
Where I may have fruition of her love.

Suff. Tush! my good lord! this superficial tale
Is but a preface of her worthy praise:
The chief perfections of that lovely dame
(Had I sufficient skill to utter them)
Would make a volume of enticing lines,
Able to ravish any dull conceit.

And, which is more, she is not so divine,
So full replete with choice of all delights,

• "Be content to live as the beneficiary of our king."