Henry VI, Part I by William Shakespeare
Act 1 - Scene 2
France. Before Orleans.
Charles, King of France : Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens
[p]So in the earth, to
this day is not known:
[p]Late did he shine upon the English
side;
[p]Now we are victors; upon us he smiles.
[p]What towns of any
moment but we have?
[p]At pleasure here we lie near
Orleans;
[p]Otherwhiles the famish'd English, like pale
ghosts,
[p]Faintly besiege us one hour in a month.
Duke of Alencon : They want their porridge and their fat bull-beeves:
[p]Either they
must be dieted like mules
[p]And have their provender tied to their
mouths
[p]Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice.
Reignier : Let's raise the siege: why live we idly here?
[p]Talbot is taken, whom
we wont to fear:
[p]Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury;
[p]And
he may well in fretting spend his gall,
[p]Nor men nor money hath he
to make war.
Charles, King of France : Sound, sound alarum! we will rush on them.
[p]Now for the honour of
the forlorn French!
[p]Him I forgive my death that killeth me
[p]When
he sees me go back one foot or fly.
[p][Exeunt]
[p][Here alarum; they
are beaten back by the English]
[p]with great loss. Re-enter CHARLES,
ALENCON, and REIGNIER]
Charles, King of France : Who ever saw the like? what men have I!
[p]Dogs! cowards! dastards! I
would ne'er have fled,
[p]But that they left me 'midst my enemies.
Reignier : Salisbury is a desperate homicide;
[p]He fighteth as one weary of his
life.
[p]The other lords, like lions wanting food,
[p]Do rush upon us
as their hungry prey.
Duke of Alencon : Froissart, a countryman of ours, records,
[p]England all Olivers and
Rowlands bred,
[p]During the time Edward the Third did reign.
[p]More
truly now may this be verified;
[p]For none but Samsons and
Goliases
[p]It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten!
[p]Lean,
raw-boned rascals! who would e'er suppose
[p]They had such courage and
audacity?
Charles, King of France : Let's leave this town; for they are hare-brain'd slaves,
[p]And hunger
will enforce them to be more eager:
[p]Of old I know them; rather with
their teeth
[p]The walls they'll tear down than forsake the siege.
Reignier : I think, by some odd gimmors or device
[p]Their arms are set like
clocks, stiff to strike on;
[p]Else ne'er could they hold out so as
they do.
[p]By my consent, we'll even let them alone.
Duke of Alencon : Be it so.
Bastard of Orleans : Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him.
Charles, King of France : Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.
Bastard of Orleans : Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appall'd:
[p]Hath the late
overthrow wrought this offence?
[p]Be not dismay'd, for succor is at
hand:
[p]A holy maid hither with me I bring,
[p]Which by a vision sent
to her from heaven
[p]Ordained is to raise this tedious siege
[p]And
drive the English forth the bounds of France.
[p]The spirit of deep
prophecy she hath,
[p]Exceeding the nine sibyls of old Rome:
[p]What's
past and what's to come she can descry.
[p]Speak, shall I call her in?
Believe my words,
[p]For they are certain and unfallible.
Charles, King of France : Go, call her in.
[p][Exit BASTARD OF ORLEANS]
[p]But first, to try her
skill,
[p]Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place:
[p]Question her
proudly; let thy looks be stern:
[p]By this means shall we sound what
skill she hath.
Reignier : Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wondrous feats?
Joan la Pucelle : Reignier, is't thou that thinkest to beguile me?
[p]Where is the
Dauphin? Come, come from behind;
[p]I know thee well, though never
seen before.
[p]Be not amazed, there's nothing hid from me:
[p]In
private will I talk with thee apart.
[p]Stand back, you lords, and
give us leave awhile.
Reignier : She takes upon her bravely at first dash.
Joan la Pucelle : Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's daughter,
[p]My wit untrain'd in
any kind of art.
[p]Heaven and our Lady gracious hath it pleased
[p]To
shine on my contemptible estate:
[p]Lo, whilst I waited on my tender
lambs,
[p]And to sun's parching heat display'd my cheeks,
[p]God's
mother deigned to appear to me
[p]And in a vision full of
majesty
[p]Will'd me to leave my base vocation
[p]And free my country
from calamity:
[p]Her aid she promised and assured success:
[p]In
complete glory she reveal'd herself;
[p]And, whereas I was black and
swart before,
[p]With those clear rays which she infused on me
[p]That
beauty am I bless'd with which you see.
[p]Ask me what question thou
canst possible,
[p]And I will answer unpremeditated:
[p]My courage try
by combat, if thou darest,
[p]And thou shalt find that I exceed my
sex.
[p]Resolve on this, thou shalt be fortunate,
[p]If thou receive
me for thy warlike mate.
Charles, King of France : Thou hast astonish'd me with thy high terms:
[p]Only this proof I'll
of thy valour make,
[p]In single combat thou shalt buckle with
me,
[p]And if thou vanquishest, thy words are true;
[p]Otherwise I
renounce all confidence.
Joan la Pucelle : I am prepared: here is my keen-edged sword,
[p]Deck'd with five
flower-de-luces on each side;
[p]The which at Touraine, in Saint
Katharine's
[p]churchyard,
[p]Out of a great deal of old iron I chose
forth.
Charles, King of France : Then come, o' God's name; I fear no woman.
Joan la Pucelle : And while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man.
Charles, King of France : Stay, stay thy hands! thou art an Amazon
[p]And fightest with the
sword of Deborah.
Joan la Pucelle : Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak.
Charles, King of France : Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me:
[p]Impatiently I burn
with thy desire;
[p]My heart and hands thou hast at once
subdued.
[p]Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,
[p]Let me thy
servant and not sovereign be:
[p]'Tis the French Dauphin sueth to thee
thus.
Joan la Pucelle : I must not yield to any rites of love,
[p]For my profession's sacred
from above:
[p]When I have chased all thy foes from hence,
[p]Then
will I think upon a recompense.
Charles, King of France : Meantime look gracious on thy prostrate thrall.
Reignier : My lord, methinks, is very long in talk.
Duke of Alencon : Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock;
[p]Else ne'er could he
so long protract his speech.
Reignier : Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean?
Duke of Alencon : He may mean more than we poor men do know:
[p]These women are shrewd
tempters with their tongues.
Reignier : My lord, where are you? what devise you on?
[p]Shall we give over
Orleans, or no?
Joan la Pucelle : Why, no, I say, distrustful recreants!
[p]Fight till the last gasp; I
will be your guard.
Charles, King of France : What she says I'll confirm: we'll fight it out.
Joan la Pucelle : Assign'd am I to be the English scourge.
[p]This night the siege
assuredly I'll raise:
[p]Expect Saint Martin's summer, halcyon
days,
[p]Since I have entered into these wars.
[p]Glory is like a
circle in the water,
[p]Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself
[p]Till
by broad spreading it disperse to nought.
[p]With Henry's death the
English circle ends;
[p]Dispersed are the glories it included.
[p]Now
am I like that proud insulting ship
[p]Which Caesar and his fortune
bare at once.
Charles, King of France : Was Mahomet inspired with a dove?
[p]Thou with an eagle art inspired
then.
[p]Helen, the mother of great Constantine,
[p]Nor yet Saint
Philip's daughters, were like thee.
[p]Bright star of Venus, fall'n
down on the earth,
[p]How may I reverently worship thee enough?
Duke of Alencon : Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege.
Reignier : Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours;
[p]Drive them from
Orleans and be immortalized.
Charles, King of France : Presently we'll try: come, let's away about it:
[p]No prophet will I
trust, if she prove false.
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