Henry VI, Part I by William Shakespeare
Act 2 - Scene 1
Before Orleans.
Sergeant : Sirs, take your places and be vigilant:
[p]If any noise or soldier you
perceive
[p]Near to the walls, by some apparent sign
[p]Let us have
knowledge at the court of guard.
First Sentinel : Sergeant, you shall.
[p][Exit Sergeant]
[p]Thus are poor
servitors,
[p]When others sleep upon their quiet beds,
[p]Constrain'd
to watch in darkness, rain and cold.
[p][Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD,
BURGUNDY, and Forces, with]
[p]scaling-ladders, their drums beating a
dead march]
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Lord Regent, and redoubted Burgundy,
[p]By whose approach the regions
of Artois,
[p]Wallon and Picardy are friends to us,
[p]This happy
night the Frenchmen are secure,
[p]Having all day caroused and
banqueted:
[p]Embrace we then this opportunity
[p]As fitting best to
quittance their deceit
[p]Contrived by art and baleful sorcery.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : A maid, they say.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Well, let them practise and converse with spirits:
[p]God is our
fortress, in whose conquering name
[p]Let us resolve to scale their
flinty bulwarks.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : Not all together: better far, I guess,
[p]That we do make our entrance
several ways;
[p]That, if it chance the one of us do fail,
[p]The
other yet may rise against their force.
Lord Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury : And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave.
[p]Now, Salisbury, for
thee, and for the right
[p]Of English Henry, shall this night
appear
[p]How much in duty I am bound to both.
Sentinels : Arm! arm! the enemy doth make assault!
[p][Cry: 'St. George,' 'A
Talbot.']
[p][The French leap over the walls in their
shirts.]
[p]Enter, several ways, the BASTARD OF ORLEANS,
[p]ALENCON,
and REIGNIER, half ready, and half unready]
Duke of Alencon : How now, my lords! what, all unready so?
Bastard of Orleans : Unready! ay, and glad we 'scaped so well.
Reignier : 'Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds,
[p]Hearing alarums at
our chamber-doors.
Duke of Alencon : Of all exploits since first I follow'd arms,
[p]Ne'er heard I of a
warlike enterprise
[p]More venturous or desperate than this.
Bastard of Orleans : I think this Talbot be a fiend of hell.
Reignier : If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour him.
Duke of Alencon : Here cometh Charles: I marvel how he sped.
Bastard of Orleans : Tut, holy Joan was his defensive guard.
Charles, King of France : Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame?
[p]Didst thou at first, to
flatter us withal,
[p]Make us partakers of a little gain,
[p]That now
our loss might be ten times so much?
Joan la Pucelle : Wherefore is Charles impatient with his friend!
[p]At all times will
you have my power alike?
[p]Sleeping or waking must I still
prevail,
[p]Or will you blame and lay the fault on me?
[p]Improvident
soldiers! had your watch been good,
[p]This sudden mischief never
could have fall'n.
Charles, King of France : Duke of Alencon, this was your default,
[p]That, being captain of the
watch to-night,
[p]Did look no better to that weighty charge.
Duke of Alencon : Had all your quarters been as safely kept
[p]As that whereof I had the
government,
[p]We had not been thus shamefully surprised.
Bastard of Orleans : Mine was secure.
Reignier : And so was mine, my lord.
Charles, King of France : And, for myself, most part of all this night,
[p]Within her quarter
and mine own precinct
[p]I was employ'd in passing to and
fro,
[p]About relieving of the sentinels:
[p]Then how or which way
should they first break in?
Joan la Pucelle : Question, my lords, no further of the case,
[p]How or which way: 'tis
sure they found some place
[p]But weakly guarded, where the breach was
made.
[p]And now there rests no other shift but this;
[p]To gather our
soldiers, scatter'd and dispersed,
[p]And lay new platforms to
endamage them.
[p][Alarum. Enter an English Soldier, crying
'A]
[p]Talbot! a Talbot!' They fly, leaving their
[p]clothes behind]
Soldier : I'll be so bold to take what they have left.
[p]The cry of Talbot
serves me for a sword;
[p]For I have loaden me with many
spoils,
[p]Using no other weapon but his name.
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Next: Act 2 - Scene 2
