In complete glory she reveal'd herself; Char. Thou hast astonish'd me with thy high terms; Only this proof I'll of thy valour make, In single combat thou shalt buckle with me, Puc. I am prepar'd here is my keen-edg'd sword, Deck'd with five flower-de-luces on each side; yard, Out of a great deal of old iron I chose forth. Char. Then come o' God's name: I fear no woman. Puc. And, while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man. [They fight. 8 That is, be convinced of it. Thus in "Tis Pity She's a Whore: "This banquet is a harbinger of death To you and me; resolve yourself it is." This is taken from the chronicler: "Then at the Dolphins sending by hir assignement, from saint Katharins church of Fierbois in Touraine, where she never had beene, in a secret place there among old iron, appointed she hir sword to be sought out and brought hir, that with five floure delices was graven on both sides, wherewith she fought, and did manie slaughters by hir owne hands." R. Char. Stay, stay thy hands! thou art an Amazon, And fightest with the sword of Deborah. Puc. Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak. Char. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me : Impatiently I burn with thy desire; My heart and hands thou hast at once subdued. Let me thy servant, and not sovereign, be: Char. Mean time, look gracious on thy prostrate thrall. Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk. Alen. Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock; Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech. Reig. Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean? Alen. He may mean more than we poor men do know: These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues. Reig. My lord, where are you? what devise you on? Shall we give over Orleans, or no? Puc. Why, no, I say, distrustful recreants! Fight till the last gasp; I will be your guard. Char. What she says, I'll confirm: we'll fight it out. Puc. Assign'd am I to be the English scourge. This night the siege assuredly I'll raise: Expect St. Martin's summer,10 halcyon days Glory is like a circle in the water, Till, by broad spreading, it disperse to nought. Now am I like that proud insulting ship, Char. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove?" Alen. Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege Reig. Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours: Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd. Char. Presently we'll try: - Come, let's away about it: No prophet will I trust, if she prove false.13 [Exeunt. 10 That is, expect prosperity after misfortune, like fair weather at Martlemas, after winter has begun. The French have a proverbial expression, Est de St. Martin, for fine weather in winter 11 Mahomet had a dove which he used to feed with wheat out of his ear; which dove, when it was hungry, lighted on Ma. homet's shoulder, and thrust its bill in to find its breakfast, Mahomet persuading the rude and simple Arabians that it was the Holy Ghost."— Raleigh's History of the World. 12 Meaning the four daughters of Philip mentioned in Acts xxi. 9. 13 The matter of this scene is thus related by Holinshed: "In time of this siege at Orleance, French stories saie. unto Charles the Dolphin at Chinon was caried a yoong wench of an eighteene yeeres old, called Joan Arc, borne at Domprin upon Meuse in SCENE III. London. Hill before the Tower. Enter, at the Gates, the Duke of GLOSTER, with his Serving-men. Glo. I am come to survey the Tower this day: Since Henry's death, I fear there is conveyance.' Where be these warders, that they wait not here? Open the gates! 'tis Gloster that calls. [Servants knock. 1 Ward. [Within.] Who's there that knocks so imperiously? 1 Serv. It is the noble duke of Gloster. 2 Ward. [Within.] Whoe'er he be, you may not be let in. 1 Serv. Villains, answer you so the lord protector? I Ward. [Within.] The Lord protect him! so we answer him: We do no otherwise than we are will'd. Glo. Who willed you? or whose will stands but mine ? There's none protector of the realm but I. Loraine. Of favour was she counted likesome, of person strong. lie made and manlie, of courage great, hardie, and stout withall, an understander of counsels though she were not at them, great semblance of chastitie both of bodie and behaviour, the name of Jesus in hir mouth about all hir businesses, humble, obedient, and fasting diverse daies in the weeke. Unto the Dolphin in his al lerie when first she was brought, and he shadowing himselte behind, setting other gaie lords before him to trie hir cunning, she pickt him out alone, who thereupon had her to the end of the gallerie, where she held him an houre in secret and private talke, that of his privie chamber was thought verie long, and therefore would have broken it off; but he made them a sign to let hir saie on." H. 1 Conveyance anciently signified any kind of furtive knavery or privy stealing. See King Richard II., Act iv. sc. 1, note 24. 2 Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize: Servants rush at the Tower Gates. Enter, to the Wood. [Within.] What noise is this? what traitors have we here? Glo. Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear? Open the gates! here's Gloster that would enter. Wood. [Within.] Have patience, noble duke: I may not open; The cardinal of Winchester forbids: From him I have express commandment, me? Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate, 1 Serv. Open the gates unto the lord protector; Or we'll burst them open, if that you come not quickly. Enter WINCHESTER, attended by Servants in tawny Coats. Win. How now, ambitious Humphrey! what means this? 3 Glo. Pill'd priest, dost thou command me to be shut out? "They have To break up was the same as to break open. broken up and have passed through the gate." Micah ii. 13. "He would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up." Matthew xxiv. 43. "The lusty Kentishmen, hoping on more friends, brake up the gautes." Hall's Chronicle. 3 That is, bald, alluding to his shaven crown. Pield and pild or pilled, are only various ways of spelling peeled. |