Act I
Scene I
Westminster Abbey.
Dead March. Enter the Funeral of King Henry the Fifth, attended on by Duke of Bedford, Regent of France; Duke of Gloucester, Protector; the Duke of Exeter, the Earl of Warwick, the Bishop of Winchester, Heralds, etc. | |
Bedford |
Hung be the heavens with black, yield day to night!
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Gloucester |
England ne’er had a king until his time.
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Exeter |
We mourn in black: why mourn we not in blood?
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Winchester |
He was a king bless’d of the King of kings.
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Gloucester |
The church! where is it? Had not churchmen pray’d,
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Winchester |
Gloucester, whate’er we like, thou art protector
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Gloucester |
Name not religion, for thou lovest the flesh,
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Bedford |
Cease, cease these jars and rest your minds in peace:
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Enter a Messenger. | |
Messenger |
My honourable lords, health to you all!
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Bedford |
What say’st thou, man, before dead Henry’s corse?
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Gloucester |
Is Paris lost? is Rouen yielded up?
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Exeter | How were they lost? what treachery was used? |
Messenger |
No treachery; but want of men and money.
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Exeter |
Were our tears wanting to this funeral,
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Bedford |
Me they concern; Regent I am of France.
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Enter to them another Messenger. | |
Messenger |
Lords, view these letters full of bad mischance.
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Exeter |
The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him!
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Gloucester |
We will not fly, but to our enemies’ throats.
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Bedford |
Gloucester, why doubt’st thou of my forwardness?
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Enter another Messenger. | |
Messenger |
My gracious lords, to add to your laments,
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Winchester | What! wherein Talbot overcame? is’t so? |
Messenger |
O, no; wherein Lord Talbot was o’erthrown:
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Bedford |
Is Talbot slain? then I will slay myself,
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Messenger |
O no, he lives; but is took prisoner,
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Bedford |
His ransom there is none but I shall pay:
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Messenger |
So you had need; for Orleans is besieged;
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Exeter |
Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn,
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Bedford |
I do remember it; and here take my leave,
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Gloucester |
I’ll to the Tower with all the haste I can,
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Exeter |
To Eltham will I, where the young king is,
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Winchester |
Each hath his place and function to attend:
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Scene II
France. Before Orleans.
Sound a flourish. Enter Charles, Alençon, and Reignier, marching with drum and Soldiers. | |
Charles |
Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens
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Alençon |
They want their porridge and their fat bull-beeves:
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Reignier |
Let’s raise the siege: why live we idly here?
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Charles |
Sound, sound alarum! we will rush on them.
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Here alarum; they are beaten back by the English with great loss. Reenter Charles, Alençon, and Reignier. | |
Charles |
Who ever saw the like? what men have I!
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Reignier |
Salisbury is a desperate homicide;
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Alençon |
Froissart, a countryman of ours, records,
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Charles |
Let’s leave this town; for they are hare-brain’d slaves,
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Reignier |
I think, by some odd gimmors or device
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Alençon | Be it so. |
Enter the Bastard of Orleans. | |
Bastard | Where’s the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him. |
Charles | Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. |
Bastard |
Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appall’d:
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Charles |
Go, call her in. Exit Bastard.
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Reenter the Bastard of Orleans, with Joan la Pucelle. | |
Reignier | Fair maid, is’t thou wilt do these wondrous feats? |
Pucelle |
Reignier, is’t thou that thinkest to beguile me?
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Reignier | She takes upon her bravely at first dash. |
Pucelle |
Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd’s daughter,
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Charles |
Thou hast astonish’d me with thy high terms:
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Pucelle |
I am prepared: here is my keen-edged sword,
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Charles | Then come, o’ God’s name; I fear no woman. |
Pucelle | And while I live, I’ll ne’er fly from a man. Here they fight, and Joan la Pucelle overcomes. |
Charles |
Stay, stay thy hands! thou art an Amazon
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Pucelle | Christ’s mother helps me, else I were too weak. |
Charles |
Whoe’er helps thee, ’tis thou that must help me:
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Pucelle |
I must not yield to any rites of love,
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Charles | Meantime look gracious on thy prostrate thrall. |
Reignier | My lord, methinks, is very long in talk. |
Alençon |
Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock;
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Reignier | Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean? |
Alençon |
He may mean more than we poor men do know:
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Reignier |
My lord, where are you? what devise you on?
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Pucelle |
Why, no, I say, distrustful recreants!
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Charles | What she says I’ll confirm: we’ll fight it out. |
Pucelle |
Assign’d am I to be the English scourge.
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Charles |
Was Muhammad inspired with a dove?
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Alençon | Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege. |
Reignier |
Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours;
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Charles |
Presently we’ll try: come, let’s away about it:
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Scene III
London. Before the Tower.
Enter Gloucester, with his Serving-men in blue coats. | |
Gloucester |
I am come to survey the Tower this day:
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First Warder | Within. Who’s there that knocks so imperiously? |
First Serving-man | It is the noble Duke of Gloucester. |
Second Warder | Within. Whoe’er he be, you may not be let in. |
First Serving-man | Villains, answer you so the lord protector? |
First Warder |
Within. The Lord protect him! so we answer him:
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Gloucester |
Who willed you? or whose will stands but mine?
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Woodvile | What noise is this? what traitors have we here? |
Gloucester |
Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear?
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Woodvile |
Have patience, noble duke; I may not open;
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Gloucester |
Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizest him ’fore me?
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Serving-men |
Open the gates unto the lord protector,
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Enter to the Protector at the Tower Gates Winchester and his men in tawny coats. | |
Winchester | How now, ambitious Humphry! what means this? |
Gloucester | Peel’d priest, dost thou command me to be shut out? |
Winchester |
I do, thou most usurping proditor,
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Gloucester |
Stand back, thou manifest conspirator,
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Winchester |
Nay, stand thou back; I will not budge a foot:
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Gloucester |
I will not slay thee, but I’ll drive thee back:
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Winchester | Do what thou darest; I beard thee to thy face. |
Gloucester |
What! am I dared and bearded to my face?
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Winchester | Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the pope. |
Gloucester |
Winchester goose, I cry, a rope! a rope!
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Here Gloucester’s men beat out the Cardinals’s men, and enter in the hurly-burly the Mayor of London and his Officers. | |
Mayor |
Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates,
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Gloucester |
Peace, mayor! thou know’st little of my wrongs:
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Winchester |
Here’s Gloucester, a foe to citizens,
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Gloucester | I will not answer thee with words, but blows. Here they skirmish again. |
Mayor |
Naught rests for me in this tumultuous strife
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Officer | All manner of men assembled here in arms this day against God’s peace and the king’s, we charge and command you, in his highness’ name, to repair to your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, handle, or use any sword, weapon, or dagger, henceforward, upon pain of death. |
Gloucester |
Cardinal, I’ll be no breaker of the law:
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Winchester |
Gloucester, we will meet; to thy cost, be sure:
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Mayor |
I’ll call for clubs, if you will not away.
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Gloucester | Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou mayst. |
Winchester |
Abominable Gloucester, guard thy head;
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Mayor |
See the coast clear’d, and then we will depart.
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Scene IV
Orleans.
Enter, on the walls, a Master-Gunner and his Boy. | |
Master-Gunner |
Sirrah, thou know’st how Orleans is besieged,
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Boy |
Father, I know; and oft have shot at them,
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Master-Gunner |
But now thou shalt not. Be thou ruled by me:
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Boy |
Father, I warrant you; take you no care;
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Enter, on the turrets, the Lords Salisbury and Talbot, Sir William Glansdale, Sir Thomas Gargrave, and others. | |
Salisbury |
Talbot, my life, my joy, again return’d!
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Talbot |
The Duke of Bedford had a prisoner
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Salisbury | Yet tell’st thou not how thou wert entertain’d. |
Talbot |
With scoffs and scorns and contumelious taunts.
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Enter the Boy with a linstock. | |
Salisbury |
I grieve to hear what torments you endured,
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Gargrave | I think, at the north gate; for there stand lords. |
Glansdale | And I, here, at the bulwark of the bridge. |
Talbot |
For aught I see, this city must be famish’d,
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Salisbury | O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners! |
Gargrave | O Lord, have mercy on me, woeful man! |
Talbot |
What chance is this that suddenly hath cross’d us?
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Enter a Messenger. | |
Messenger |
My lord, my lord, the French have gather’d head:
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Talbot |
Hear, hear how dying Salisbury doth groan!
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Scene V
The same.
Here an alarum again: and Talbot pursueth the Dauphin, and driveth him: then enter Joan la Pucelle, driving Englishmen before her, and exit after them: then reenter Talbot. | |
Talbot |
Where is my strength, my valour, and my force?
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Reenter La Pucelle. | |
Here, here she comes. I’ll have a bout with thee;
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Pucelle | Come, come, ’tis only I that must disgrace thee. Here they fight. |
Talbot |
Heavens, can you suffer hell so to prevail?
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Pucelle |
Talbot, farewell; thy hour is not yet come:
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Talbot |
My thoughts are whirled like a potter’s wheel;
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Scene VI
The same.
Enter, on the walls, La Pucelle, Charles, Reignier, Alençon, and Soldiers. | |
Pucelle |
Advance our waving colours on the walls;
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Charles |
Divinest creature, Astraea’s daughter,
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Reignier |
Why ring not out the bells aloud throughout the town?
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Alençon |
All France will be replete with mirth and joy,
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Charles |
’Tis Joan, not we, by whom the day is won;
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