And with them scourge the bad revolting stars, His brandish'd sword did blind men with his beams; Than mid-day sun, fierce bent against their faces. What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech: He ne'er lift up his hand, but conquered. Exe. We mourn in black; Why mourn we not in blood? Henry is dead, and never shall revive: Upon a wooden coffin we attend; And death's dishonourable victory Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of Kings. So dreadful will not be, as was his fight. The battles of the Lord of Hosts he fought: The church's prayers made him so prosperous. Glo. The church! where is it? Had not churchmen pray'd, His thread of life had not so soon decay'd: None do you like but an effeminate prince, Whom, like a school-boy, you may overawe. Win. Gloster, whate'er we like, thou art protector; And lookest to command the prince, and realm, Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe, More than God, or religious churchmen, may. Glo. Name not religion, for thou lov'st the flesh! And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st, Except it be to pray against thy foes. Bed. Cease, cease these jars, and rest your minds in peace! Let's to the altar-Heralds, wait on us : Instead of gold, we'll offer up our arms; Since arms avail not, now that Henry 's dead. Posterity, await for wretched years, When at their mothers' moist eyes babes shall suck; Our isle be made a marish* of salt tears, And none but women left to wail the dead. Henry the fifth! thy ghost I invocate; Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils! * Marsh. Combat with adverse planets in the heavens! Enter a MESSENGER. Mess. Right honourable lords, health to you all! Bed. What say'st thou, man, before dead Henry's corse? Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns Will make him burst his lead, and rise from death. If Henry were recall'd to life again, These news would cause him once more yield the ghost. Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was used? Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money. Among the soldiers this is muttered, That here you maintain several factions; And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought, One would have lingering wars, with little cost; Let not sloth dim your honours, new-begot: * Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, These tidings would call forth her* flowing tides. Bed. Me they concern; regent I am of France:Give me my steeled coat, I'll fight for France.Away with these disgraceful wailing robes! Wounds I will lend the French, instead of eyes, To weep their intermissive miseries.t Enter another MESSENGER. 2 Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischance, France is revolted from the English quite; Except some petty towns of no import: The Dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims; Reignier, duke of Anjou, doth take his part; The duke of Alençon flieth to his side. Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him! O, whither shall we fly from this reproach? Glo. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats: Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out. * England's. + Having only short intermissions. Bed. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my forwardness? An army have I muster'd in my thoughts, Wherewith already France is over-run. Enter a third MESSENGER. 3 Mess. My gracious lords,-to add to your laments, Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearse,I must inform you of a dismal fight, Betwixt the stout lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't so? 3 Mess. O, no; wherein lord Talbot was o'erthrown: The circumstance I'll tell you more at large. The tenth of August last, this dreadful lord, To keep the horsemen off from breaking in. Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand him; A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace, Whom all France, with their chief assembled strength, Durst not presume to look once in the face. Bed. Is Talbot slain ? then I will slay myself, For living idly here, in pomp and ease, 3 Mess. Ono, he lives; but is took prisoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford: Most of the rest slaughter'd, or took, likewise. Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall pay I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne, His crown shall be the ransom of my friend; Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.- And hardly keeps his men from mutiny, Since they, so few, watch such a multitude. Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn; Either to quell the Dauphin utterly, Or bring him in obedience to your yoke. Bed. I do remember it; and here take leave To go about my preparation. To view the artillery and munition; [Exit. Glo. I'll to the Tower, with all the haste I can, And then I will proclaim young Henry king. [Exit. [Exit. And for his safety there I'll best advise. Win. Each hath his place and function to attend: I am left out; for me nothing remains. [Exit. Scene closes. SCENE II.-France. Before Orleans. Enter CHARLES, with his Forces; ALENÇON, REIGNIER, Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens, So in the earth, to this day is not known: Late did he shine upon the English side; Now we are victors, upon us he smiles. What towns of any moment, but we have? At pleasure here we lie, near Orleans; Otherwhiles, the famish'd English, like pale ghosts, Faintly besiege us one hour in a month. Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat bull-beeves: Either they must be dieted like mules, And have their provender tied to their mouths, Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice. Reig. Let's raise the siege; Why live we idly here? Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear: Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury; And he may well in fretting spend his gall, Char. Sound, sound alarum; we will rush on them. Him I forgive my death, that killeth me, [Exeunt. Alarums; Excursions; afterwards a Retreat. Reig. Salisbury is a desperate homicide; He fighteth as one weary of his life. The other lords, like lions wanting food, Alen. Froissard, a countryman of ours, records, It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten! Lean raw-boned rascals! who would e'er suppose They had such courage and audacity? Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hair-brain'd slaves, And hunger will enforce them to be more eager: Of old I know them; rather with their teeth The walls they'll tear down, than forsake the siege. Their arms are set, like clocks, still to strike on; Enter the BASTARD of Orleans. Bast. Where's the prince Dauphin? I have news for him. Bast. Methinks, your looks are sad, your cheer appall'd; Be not dismay'd, for succour is at hand: A holy maid hither with me I bring, Which, by a vision sent to her from heaven, And drive the English forth the bounds of France. Exceeding the nine sibyls of old Rome; What's past, and what's to come, she can descry. Char. Go, call her in [Exit BASTARD]: But, first, to try her skill, Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place : [Retires. + Countenance. |