(When others sleep upon their quiet beds,) Constrain'd to watch in darkness, rain, and cold.

Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BURGUNDY, and Forces, with scaling ladders; their drums beating a dead march.

Tal. Lord Regent,

and redoubted Burgundy,

By whose approach, the regions of Artois,
Walloon, and Picardy, are friends to us,
This happy night the Frenchmen are secure
Having all day carous'd and banqueted:
Embrace we then this opportunity;
As fitting beet to quittance their deceit,
Contriv'd by art, and baleful sorcery.

Bed. Coward of France! - how much he wrongs his fame, Despairing of his own arm's fortitude,

To join with witches, and the help of hell.
Bur. Traitors have never other company.
But what's that Pucelle, whom they term so pure?
Tal. A maid, they say.

Bed. A maid! and be so martial!

Bur. Pray God, she prove not masculine ere

long;

If underneath the standard of the French,
She carry armour, as she hath begun.

Tal. Well, let them practise and converse with spirits:

God is our fortress; in whose conquering name, Let us resolve to scale their flinty bulwarks. Bed. Ascend, brave Talbot; we will follow thee.

Tal. Not all together: better far, I guess, That we do make our entrance several ways;

That, if it chance the one of us do fail,
The other yet may rise against their force.
Bed. Agreed; F'll to yon corner.

Bur. And I this.

Tal. And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave

Now, Salisbury! for thee, and for the right
Of English Henry, shall this night appear
How much in duty I am bound to both.

[The English scale the walls, crying St.
George! a Talbot! and all enter
by the town.

Sent. [Within.] Arm, arm! the enemy doth make assault!

The French leap over the walls in their shirts... Enter, several ways, BASTARD, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, half ready, and half unready. Alen. How now, my Lords? what, all unready so?

Bast. Unready? ay,

Reig. 'Twas time,

Hearing alarums at our

and glad we 'scap'd so well.

I trow, to wake, and leave our beds, chamber doors.

Alen. Of all exploits, since first I follow'd

arins,

Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterprize

More venturous, or desperate than this.

Bast. I think, this Talbot is a fiend of hell. Reig. If not of hell, the heavens, sure favour him.

Alen. Here cometh Charles; I marvel, hove he sped.

Enter CHARLES and LA PUCELLE.

Bast. Tut! holy Joan was his defensive guard. Char. Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame? Didst thou at first, to flatter us withal,

Make us partakers of a little gain,

That now our loss might be ten times so much? Puc. Wherefore is Charles impatient with his friend?

At all times will you have my power alike?
Sleeping, or waking, must I still prevail,
Or will you blame and lay the fault on me? -
Improvident soldiers! had your watch been
good,

This sudden mischief never could have fall'n, Char. Duke of Alençon, this was your default;

That, being captain of the watch to-night,
Did look no better to that weighty charge.
Alen. Had all your quarters been as safely
kept,

As that whereof I had the government,
We had not been thus shamefully surpriz❜d.
Bast. Mine was secure.

Reig. And so was mine, my Lord.

Char. And, for myself, most part of all this night,

Within her quarter, and mine own precinct,
I was employ'd in passing to and fro,
About relieving of the sentinels:

Then how, or which way, should they first break in?

Puc. Question, my Lords, no

the case,

further of

How, or which way; 'tis sure they found some

place

But weakly guarded where the breach was made.
And now there rests no other shift but this,`
To gather our soldiers, scatter'd and dispers'd,
And lay new platforms to endamage them.

Alarum. Enter an English Soldier crying, a Talbot! a Talbot! They fly, leaving their clothes behind..

Sold. I'll be so bold to take what they have left. The cry of Talbot serves me for a sword; For I have loaden me with many spoils, Using no other weapon but his name.

SCENE H..

Orleans. Within the town.

[Exit.

Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BURGUNDY, a Captain, and Others.

Bed. The day begins to break, and night is fled, Whose pitchy mantle over-veil'd the earth. Here sound retreat, and cease our hot pursuit. [Retreat sounded. Tal. Bring forth the body of old Salisbury; And here advance it in the market-place, The middle centre of this cursed town. Now have I pay'd my vow unto his soul; For every drop of blood was drawn from him, There hath at least five Frenchmen dy'd to-night, And, that hereafter ages may behold. What ruin happen'd in revenge of him, Within their chiefest temple I'll erect

A tomb, wherein his corpse shall be interr'd;

Upon the which, that every one may read,
Shall be engrav'd the sack of Orleans;
The treacherous manner of his mournful death,
And what a terror he had been to France.
But, Lords, in all our bloody massacre

I muse, we met not with the Dauphin's grace; His new-come champion, virtuous Joan of Arc; Nor any of his false confederates.

Bed. "Tis thought, Lord Talbot, when the fight began,

Rons'd on the sudden from their drowsy beds, They did, amongst the troops of armed men, Leap o'er the walls for refuge in the field.

Bur. Myself (as far as I could well discern, For smoke, and dusky vapours of the night,) Am sure, I scar'd the Dauphin, and his trull, When arm in arm they both came swiftly running,

Like to a pair of loving turtle-doves,

That could not live asunder day or night.
After that things are set in order here,

We'll follow them with all the power we have.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. All hail, my Lords! which of this princely train Call ye the warlike Talbot, for this acts

So much applauded through the realm of France? Tal. Here is the Talbot; Who would speak

with him?

Mess. The virtuous Lady, Countess of Au

vergne,

With modesty admiring thy renown,

By me entreats, great Lord, thou wouldst vouchsafe

To visit her poor castle where she lies;