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Henry VI, Part 1 - Act 3, scene 2
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Henry VI, Part 1 - Act 3, scene 2Act 3, scene 2
Scene 2
Synopsis:
Pucelle and four soldiers, disguised as peasants, enter Roan. From a tower within the city, Pucelle signals to the French army where to enter. The French take the city, but the English, led by Burgundy and Talbot and observed by a dying Bedford, recapture it.
Enter Pucelle disguised, with four Soldiers with sacksupon their backs.
PUCELLE
1311 These are the city gates, the gates of Roan,
1312 Through which our policy must make a breach.
1313 Take heed. Be wary how you place your words;
1314 Talk like the vulgar sort of market men
1315 5 That come to gather money for their corn.
1316 If we have entrance, as I hope we shall,
1317 And that we find the slothful watch but weak,
1318 I’ll by a sign give notice to our friends,
1319 That Charles the Dauphin may encounter them.
SOLDIER
1320 10 Our sacks shall be a mean to sack the city,
1321 And we be lords and rulers over Roan;
1322 Therefore we’ll knock.
Knock.
WATCH, ⌜within⌝
1323 Qui là?
PUCELLE 1324 Paysans la pauvre gens de France:
1325 15 Poor market folks that come to sell their corn.
WATCH
1326 Enter, go in. The market bell is rung.
PUCELLE, ⌜aside⌝
1327 Now, Roan, I’ll shake thy bulwarks to the ground.
They exit.
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Enter Charles, Bastard, Alanson, ⌜Reignier,and Soldiers.⌝
CHARLES
1328 Saint Dennis bless this happy stratagem
1329 And once again we’ll sleep secure in Roan.
BASTARD
1330 20 Here entered Pucelle and her practisants.
1331 Now she is there, how will she specify
1332 “Here is the best and safest passage in”?
REIGNIER
1333 By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower,
1334 Which, once discerned, shows that her meaning is:
1335 25 No way to that, for weakness, which she entered.
Enter Pucelle on the top, thrusting out a torch burning.
PUCELLE
1336 Behold, this is the happy wedding torch
1337 That joineth Roan unto her countrymen,
1338 But burning fatal to the Talbonites.
BASTARD
1339 See, noble Charles, the beacon of our friend;
1340 30 The burning torch, in yonder turret stands.
CHARLES
1341 Now shine it like a comet of revenge,
1342 A prophet to the fall of all our foes!
REIGNIER
1343 Defer no time; delays have dangerous ends.
1344 Enter and cry “The Dauphin!” presently,
1345 35 And then do execution on the watch.
Alarum. ⌜They exit.⌝
An Alarum. ⌜Enter⌝ Talbot in an excursion.
TALBOT
1346 France, thou shalt rue this treason with thy tears,
1347 If Talbot but survive thy treachery.
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119
1348
Pucelle, that witch, that damnèd sorceress,1349 Hath wrought this hellish mischief unawares,
1350 40 That hardly we escaped the pride of France.
He exits.
An alarum. Excursions. Bedford brought in sick in
a chair, ⌜carried by two Attendants.⌝ Enter Talbot
and Burgundy without; within, Pucelle ⌜with a sack
of grain,⌝ Charles, Bastard, ⌜Alanson,⌝ and Reignier
on the walls.
PUCELLE, ⌜to those below⌝
1351 Good morrow, gallants. Want you corn for bread?
⌜She scatters grain on those below.⌝
1352 I think the Duke of Burgundy will fast
1353 Before he’ll buy again at such a rate.
1354 ’Twas full of darnel. Do you like the taste?
BURGUNDY
1355 45 Scoff on, vile fiend and shameless courtesan!
1356 I trust ere long to choke thee with thine own,
1357 And make thee curse the harvest of that corn.
CHARLES
1358 Your Grace may starve, perhaps, before that time.
BEDFORD
1359 O, let no words, but deeds, revenge this treason.
PUCELLE
1360 50 What will you do, good graybeard? Break a lance
1361 And run a-tilt at Death within a chair?
TALBOT
1362 Foul fiend of France and hag of all despite,
1363 Encompassed with thy lustful paramours,
1364 Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age
1365 55 And twit with cowardice a man half dead?
1366 Damsel, I’ll have a bout with you again,
1367 Or else let Talbot perish with this shame.
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PUCELLE 1368 Are you so hot, sir? Yet, Pucelle, hold thy peace,
1369 If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.
⌜Those below⌝ whisper together in council.
1370 60 God speed the Parliament! Who shall be the Speaker?
TALBOT
1371 Dare you come forth and meet us in the field?
PUCELLE
1372 Belike your Lordship takes us then for fools,
1373 To try if that our own be ours or no.
TALBOT
1374 I speak not to that railing Hecate,
1375 65 But unto thee, Alanson, and the rest.
1376 Will you, like soldiers, come and fight it out?
ALANSON 1377 Seigneur, no.
TALBOT
1378 Seigneur, hang! Base muleteers of France,
1379 Like peasant footboys do they keep the walls
1380 70 And dare not take up arms like gentlemen.
PUCELLE
1381 Away, captains. Let’s get us from the walls,
1382 For Talbot means no goodness by his looks.—
1383 Goodbye, my lord. We came but to tell you
1384 That we are here.They exit from the walls.
TALBOT
1385 75 And there will we be too, ere it be long,
1386 Or else reproach be Talbot’s greatest fame.—
1387 Vow, Burgundy, by honor of thy house,
1388 Pricked on by public wrongs sustained in France,
1389 Either to get the town again or die.
1390 80 And I, as sure as English Henry lives,
1391 And as his father here was conqueror,
1392 As sure as in this late-betrayèd town
1393 Great Coeur-de-lion’s heart was burièd,
1394 So sure I swear to get the town or die.
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BURGUNDY 1395 85 My vows are equal partners with thy vows.
TALBOT
1396 But, ere we go, regard this dying prince,
1397 The valiant Duke of Bedford.—Come, my lord,
1398 We will bestow you in some better place,
1399 Fitter for sickness and for crazy age.
BEDFORD
1400 90 Lord Talbot, do not so dishonor me.
1401 Here will I sit, before the walls of Roan,
1402 And will be partner of your weal or woe.
BURGUNDY
1403 Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade you—
BEDFORD
1404 Not to be gone from hence, for once I read
1405 95 That stout Pendragon, in his litter sick,
1406 Came to the field and vanquishèd his foes.
1407 Methinks I should revive the soldiers’ hearts
1408 Because I ever found them as myself.
TALBOT
1409 Undaunted spirit in a dying breast,
1410 100 Then be it so. Heavens keep old Bedford safe!—
1411 And now no more ado, brave Burgundy,
1412 But gather we our forces out of hand
1413 And set upon our boasting enemy.
He exits ⌜with Burgundy.⌝
⌜Bedford and Attendants remain.⌝
An alarum. Excursions. Enter Sir John Fastolf
and a Captain.
CAPTAIN
1414 Whither away, Sir John Fastolf, in such haste?
FASTOLF
1415 105 Whither away? To save myself by flight.
1416 We are like to have the overthrow again.
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CAPTAIN 1417 What, will you fly and leave Lord Talbot?
FASTOLF 1418 Ay,
1419 All the Talbots in the world, to save my life.
He exits.
CAPTAIN
1420 110 Cowardly knight, ill fortune follow thee.
He exits.
Retreat. Excursions. Pucelle, Alanson, and Charles
⌜enter, pursued by English Soldiers, and⌝ fly.
BEDFORD
1421 Now, quiet soul, depart when heaven please,
1422 For I have seen our enemies’ overthrow.
1423 What is the trust or strength of foolish man?
1424 They that of late were daring with their scoffs
1425 115 Are glad and fain by flight to save themselves.
Bedford dies, and is carried
in by two in his chair.
An alarum. Enter Talbot, Burgundy, and the rest.
TALBOT
1426 Lost and recovered in a day again!
1427 This is a double honor, Burgundy.
1428 Yet heavens have glory for this victory.
BURGUNDY
1429 Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy
1430 120 Enshrines thee in his heart, and there erects
1431 Thy noble deeds as valor’s monuments.
TALBOT
1432 Thanks, gentle duke. But where is Pucelle now?
1433 I think her old familiar is asleep.
1434 Now where’s the Bastard’s braves and Charles his
1435 125 gleeks?
1436 What, all amort? Roan hangs her head for grief
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1437
That such a valiant company are fled.1438 Now will we take some order in the town,
1439 Placing therein some expert officers,
1440 130 And then depart to Paris to the King,
1441 For there young Henry with his nobles lie.
BURGUNDY
1442 What wills Lord Talbot pleaseth Burgundy.
TALBOT
1443 But yet, before we go, let’s not forget
1444 The noble Duke of Bedford late-deceased,
1445 135 But see his exequies fulfilled in Roan.
1446 A braver soldier never couchèd lance,
1447 A gentler heart did never sway in court.
1448 But kings and mightiest potentates must die,
1449 For that’s the end of human misery.
They exit.