Henry VI, Part I

Charles, Reignier, Alençon, and Soldiers. Pucelle

Advance our waving colours on the walls;
Rescued is Orleans from the English:
Thus Joan la Pucelle hath perform’d her word.

Charles

Divinest creature, Astraea’s daughter,
How shall I honour thee for this success?
Thy promises are like Adonis’ gardens
That one day bloom’d and fruitful were the next.
France, triumph in thy glorious prophetess!
Recover’d is the town of Orleans:
More blessed hap did ne’er befall our state.

Reignier

Why ring not out the bells aloud throughout the town?
Dauphin, command the citizens make bonfires
And feast and banquet in the open streets,
To celebrate the joy that God hath given us.

Alençon

All France will be replete with mirth and joy,
When they shall hear how we have play’d the men.

Charles

’Tis Joan, not we, by whom the day is won;
For which I will divide my crown with her,
And all the priests and friars in my realm
Shall in procession sing her endless praise.
A statelier pyramis to her I’ll rear
Than Rhodope’s or Memphis’ ever was:
In memory of her when she is dead,
Her ashes, in an urn more precious
Than the rich-jewel’d of Darius,
Transported shall be at high festivals
Before the kings and queens of France.
No longer on Saint Denis will we cry,
But Joan la Pucelle shall be France’s saint.
Come in, and let us banquet royally,
After this golden day of victory. Flourish. Exeunt.

Act II

Scene I

Before Orleans.

	Enter a Sergeant of a band with two Sentinels.
Sergeant	Sirs, take your places and be vigilant: If any noise or soldier you perceive Near to the walls, by some apparent sign Let us have knowledge at the court of guard.
First Sentinel	Sergeant, you shall. Exit Sergeant. Thus are poor servitors, 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.
Talbot	Lord Regent, and redoubted Burgundy, By whose approach the regions of Artois, Wallon and Picardy are friends to us, This happy night the Frenchmen are secure, Having all day caroused and banqueted: Embrace we then this opportunity As fitting best to quittance their deceit Contrived by art and baleful sorcery.
Bedford	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!
Burgundy	Traitors have never other company. But what’s that Pucelle whom they term so pure?
Talbot	A maid, they say.
Bedford	A maid! and be so martial!
Burgundy	Pray God she prove not masculine ere long, If underneath the standard of the French She carry armour as she hath begun.
Talbot	Well, let them practise and converse with spirits: God is our fortress, in whose conquering name Let us resolve to scale their flinty bulwarks.
Bedford	Ascend, brave Talbot; we will follow thee.
Talbot	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.
Bedford	Agreed: I’ll to yond corner.
Burgundy	And I to this.
Talbot	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.
Sentinels	Arm! arm! the enemy doth make assault! Cry: “St. George,” “A Talbot.”
	The French leap over the walls in their shirts. Enter, several ways, the Bastard of Orleans, Alençon, and Reignier, half ready, and half unready.
Alençon	How now, my lords! what, all unready so?
Bastard	Unready! ay, and glad we ’scaped so well.
Reignier	’Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds, Hearing alarums at our chamber-doors.
Alençon	Of all exploits since first I follow’d arms, Ne’er heard I of a warlike enterprise More venturous or desperate than this.
Bastard	I think this Talbot be a fiend of hell.
Reignier	If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour him.
Alençon	Here cometh Charles: I marvel how he sped.
Bastard	Tut, holy Joan was his defensive guard.
	Enter Charles and La Pucelle.
Charles	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?
Pucelle	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.
Charles	Duke of Alençon, this was your default, That, being captain of the watch to-night, Did look no better to that weighty charge.
Alençon	Had all your quarters been as safely kept As that whereof I had the government, We had not been thus shamefully surprised.
Bastard	Mine was secure.
Reignier	And so was mine, my lord.
Charles	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?
Pucelle	Question, my lords, no further of the case, 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 dispersed, And lay new platforms to endamage them.
	Alarum. Enter an English Soldier, crying “A Talbot! a Talbot!” They fly, leaving their clothes behind.
Soldier	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. Exit.

Scene II

Orleans. Within the town.

	Enter Talbot, Bedford, Burgundy, a Captain, and others.
Bedford	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.
Talbot	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 paid my vow unto his soul; For every drop of blood was drawn from him There hath at