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Henry VI, Part 1 - Act 3, scene 3
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Henry VI, Part 1 - Act 3, scene 3Act 3, scene 3
Scene 3
Synopsis:
As Talbot and Burgundy march separately to Paris for the coronation of Henry VI, Pucelle entices Burgundy to join the French forces led by the Dauphin.
Enter Charles, Bastard, Alanson, Pucelle, ⌜and Soldiers.⌝PUCELLE
1450 Dismay not, princes, at this accident,
1451 Nor grieve that Roan is so recoverèd.
1452 Care is no cure, but rather corrosive
1453 For things that are not to be remedied.
1454 5 Let frantic Talbot triumph for a while,
1455 And like a peacock sweep along his tail;
1456 We’ll pull his plumes and take away his train,
1457 If dauphin and the rest will be but ruled.
CHARLES
1458 We have been guided by thee hitherto,
1459 10 And of thy cunning had no diffidence.
1460 One sudden foil shall never breed distrust.
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129
BASTARD, ⌜to Pucelle⌝ 1461 Search out thy wit for secret policies,
1462 And we will make thee famous through the world.
ALANSON, ⌜to Pucelle⌝
1463 We’ll set thy statue in some holy place
1464 15 And have thee reverenced like a blessèd saint.
1465 Employ thee then, sweet virgin, for our good.
PUCELLE
1466 Then thus it must be; this doth Joan devise:
1467 By fair persuasions mixed with sugared words
1468 We will entice the Duke of Burgundy
1469 20 To leave the Talbot and to follow us.
CHARLES
1470 Ay, marry, sweeting, if we could do that,
1471 France were no place for Henry’s warriors,
1472 Nor should that nation boast it so with us,
1473 But be extirpèd from our provinces.
ALANSON
1474 25 Forever should they be expulsed from France,
1475 And not have title of an earldom here.
PUCELLE
1476 Your honors shall perceive how I will work
1477 To bring this matter to the wishèd end.
Drum sounds afar off.
1478 Hark! By the sound of drum you may perceive
1479 30 Their powers are marching unto Paris-ward.
Here sound an English march.
1480 There goes the Talbot with his colors spread,
1481 And all the troops of English after him.
French march.
1482 Now in the rearward comes the Duke and his.
1483 Fortune in favor makes him lag behind.
1484 35 Summon a parley; we will talk with him.
Trumpets sound a parley.
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131
CHARLES 1485 A parley with the Duke of Burgundy!
⌜Enter Burgundy.⌝
BURGUNDY
1486 Who craves a parley with the Burgundy?
PUCELLE
1487 The princely Charles of France, thy countryman.
BURGUNDY
1488 What say’st thou, Charles?—for I am marching hence.
CHARLES, ⌜aside to Pucelle⌝
1489 40 Speak, Pucelle, and enchant him with thy words.
PUCELLE
1490 Brave Burgundy, undoubted hope of France,
1491 Stay; let thy humble handmaid speak to thee.
BURGUNDY
1492 Speak on, but be not over-tedious.
PUCELLE
1493 Look on thy country, look on fertile France,
1494 45 And see the cities and the towns defaced
1495 By wasting ruin of the cruel foe.
1496 As looks the mother on her lowly babe
1497 When death doth close his tender-dying eyes,
1498 See, see the pining malady of France:
1499 50 Behold the wounds, the most unnatural wounds,
1500 Which thou thyself hast given her woeful breast.
1501 O, turn thy edgèd sword another way;
1502 Strike those that hurt, and hurt not those that help.
1503 One drop of blood drawn from thy country’s bosom
1504 55 Should grieve thee more than streams of foreign gore.
1505 Return thee therefore with a flood of tears,
1506 And wash away thy country’s stainèd spots.
BURGUNDY, ⌜aside⌝
1507 Either she hath bewitched me with her words,
1508 Or nature makes me suddenly relent.
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133
PUCELLE 1509 60 Besides, all French and France exclaims on thee,
1510 Doubting thy birth and lawful progeny.
1511 Who join’st thou with but with a lordly nation
1512 That will not trust thee but for profit’s sake?
1513 When Talbot hath set footing once in France
1514 65 And fashioned thee that instrument of ill,
1515 Who then but English Henry will be lord,
1516 And thou be thrust out like a fugitive?
1517 Call we to mind, and mark but this for proof:
1518 Was not the Duke of Orleance thy foe?
1519 70 And was he not in England prisoner?
1520 But when they heard he was thine enemy,
1521 They set him free, without his ransom paid,
1522 In spite of Burgundy and all his friends.
1523 See then, thou fight’st against thy countrymen,
1524 75 And join’st with them will be thy slaughtermen.
1525 Come, come, return; return, thou wandering lord.
1526 Charles and the rest will take thee in their arms.
BURGUNDY, ⌜aside⌝
1527 I am vanquishèd. These haughty words of hers
1528 Have battered me like roaring cannon-shot,
1529 80 And made me almost yield upon my knees.—
1530 Forgive me, country, and sweet countrymen;
1531 And, lords, accept this hearty kind embrace.
⌜He embraces Charles, Bastard, and Alanson.⌝
1532 My forces and my power of men are yours.
1533 So, farewell, Talbot. I’ll no longer trust thee.
PUCELLE, ⌜aside⌝
1534 85 Done like a Frenchman: turn and turn again.
CHARLES
1535 Welcome, brave duke. Thy friendship makes us fresh.
BASTARD
1536 And doth beget new courage in our breasts.
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ALANSON 1537 Pucelle hath bravely played her part in this
1538 And doth deserve a coronet of gold.
CHARLES
1539 90 Now let us on, my lords, and join our powers,
1540 And seek how we may prejudice the foe.
They exit.