a Exceeding the nine Sibyls of old Rome : Dau. Go call her in; but first to try her skill, SCEN E VI. Enter Joan la Pucelle. M Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wond'rous feats? Be not amaz'd: there's nothing hid from me: Stand back, you Lords, and give us leave a while. Heav'n, and our Lady gracious hath it pleas'd Lo, whilft I waited on my tender lambs, And (a) Though the Sibyls were reckon'd more than nine, yet the books of their oracles which were brought to Rome were but nine. Warburton. And I will anfwer unpremeditated. Dau. Thou haft aftonish'd me with thy high terms: In fingle combat thou shalt buckle with me; Pucel. I am prepar'd; here is my keen-edg'd fword, Deck'd with fine Flow'r-de-luces on each fide, The which at Tourain in St. Catharine's church Dau. Then come o' God's name, for I fear no woman. Here they fight, and Joan la Pucelle overcomes. Dau. Stay, ftay thy hands, thou art an Amazon, And fighteft with the fword of Debora. Pucel. Chrift's mother helps me, elfe I were too weak. Dau. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me: Impatiently I burn with thy defire, My heart and hands thou haft at once fubdu'd; Let me thy fervant and not Sovereign be, Pucel. I muft not yield to any rites of love, For my profeffion's facred from above: Dau. Mean time look gracious on thy proftrate thrall. Elfe ne'er could he fo long protract his speech. Reig. Shall we disturb him fince he keeps no mean? Alan. He may mean more than we poor men do know: Thefe women are threwd tempters with their tongues. Reig. My Lord, where are you? what devise you on? Shall we give over Orleans or no? Pucel. Why, no, I fay; diftrustful recreants! a Alan. Leave off delays, and let us raise the fiege. Reig. Woman, do what thou canft to fave our honours, Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd. Dau. Prefently try: come, let's away about it. No prophet will I truft if fhe proves falfe. [Exeunt. (a) Meaning the four daughters of Philip, mention'd in the 21ft chap. of the Acts of the Apofiles, who had all the gift of prophesying: He being there also called Philip the Evangelist SCENE Before the Tower-Gates in LONDON. ou.IA Glou. Am this day come to furvey the Tower; I Ward. Who's there that knocketh fo imperiously? Glou. Who willed you? or whofe will ftands but mine? There's none Protector of the realm but I. Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize; Gloucester's men rush at the Tower gates, and Woodvile the Lieutenant fpeaks within. Wood. What noife is this? what traitors have we here? Glou. Lieutenant, is it you whofe voice I hear? Open the gates, here's Glo'fter that would enter. Wood. Have patience, noble Duke; I may not open; The Cardinal of Winchester forbids; From him I have exprefs commandment, That thou, nor none of thine fhall be let in. Glou. Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizeft him 'fore me? Arrogant Winchester, the haughty Prelate, Whom Henry our late Sovereign ne'er could brook? Serv. (a) By Conveyance is meant Theft, a clandeftine conveyance of things away. Serv. Open the gates there to the Lord Protector, We'll burft them open if you come not quickly. Enter to the Protector at the Tower gates, Winchester and bis men in tawny coats. I Win, How now, ambitious 'Humphry, what means this? Glou. Piel'd Priest, doft thou command me be shut out? Win. I do, thou moft ufurping Proditor, And not Protector of the King or realm. Glou. Stand back, thou manifeft confpirator, Win. Nay, ftand thou back, I will not budge a foot: This be Damafcus, be thou curfed Cain, To flay thy brother Abel if thou wilt. d Here (a) Peel'd, alluding to his fhaven crown, a metaphor from a peet d crange. Pope. (b) The publick fews were formerly under the diftri&t of the Bishop of Winchester. Pope. (c) Damafcus. N. B. About four miles from Damafcus is a high bill, reported to be the fame on which Cain flew his brother Abel, Maundr. Trav. p. 131. (d) if thou wilt, Glou. I will not flay thee, but I'll drive thee back: Thy fcarlet robes, as a child's bearing cloth, I'll ufe to carry thee out of this place. Win. Do what thou dar'ft, I beard thee to thy face. Blue coats to tawny. Prieft, beware thy beard, Here Gloucefter's --- 1 Umpire, . . . old edit. Theob. emend. VOL. IV. B Pope. |