Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs, And to sun's parching heat display'd my cheeks, God's mother deigned to appear to me And in a vision full of majesty Will'd me to leave my base vocation And free my country from calamity:
Her aid she promised and assured success:
In complete glory she reveal'd herself;
And, whereas I was black and swart before, With those clear rays which she infused on me That beauty am I bless'd with which you see.
Ask me what question thou canst possible, And I will answer unpremeditated:
My courage try by combat, if thou darest, And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.
Resolve on this, thou shalt be fortunate, If thou receive me for thy warlike mate. CHARLES 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, And if thou vanquishest, thy words are true;Otherwise I renounce all confidence. JOAN LA PUCELLE I am prepared: here is my keen-edged sword, Deck'd with five flower-de-luces on each side;The which at Touraine, in Saint Katharine's churchyard, Out of a great deal of old iron I chose forth. CHARLES Then come, o' God's name; I fear no woman. JOAN LA 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 And fightest with the sword of Deborah. JOAN LA PUCELLE Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak. CHARLES 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.
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so, Let me thy servant and not sovereign be:
'Tis the French Dauphin sueth to thee thus. JOAN LA PUCELLE I must not yield to any rites of love, For my profession's sacred from above:
When I have chased all thy foes from hence, Then will I think upon a recompense. CHARLES Meantime look gracious on thy prostrate thrall. REIGNIER My lord, methinks, is very long in talk. ALENCON Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock;Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech. REIGNIER Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean? ALENCON He may mean more than we poor men do know:
These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues. REIGNIER My lord, where are you? what devise you on?
Shall we give over Orleans, or no? JOAN LA PUCELLE Why, no, I say, distrustful recreants!
Fight till the last gasp; I will be your guard. CHARLES What she says I'll confirm: we'll fight it out. JOAN LA PUCELLE Assign'd am I to be the English scourge.
This night the siege assuredly I'll raise:
Expect Saint Martin's summer, halcyon days, Since I have entered into these wars.
Glory is like a circle in the water, Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself Till by broad spreading it disperse to nought.
With Henry's death the English circle ends;Dispersed are the glories it included.
Now am I like that proud insulting ship Which Caesar and his fortune bare at once. CHARLES Was Mahomet inspired with a dove?
Thou with an eagle art inspired then.
Helen, the mother of great Constantine, Nor yet Saint Philip's daughters, were like thee.
Bright star of Venus, fall'n down on the earth, How may I reverently worship thee enough? ALENCON Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege. REIGNIER Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours;Drive them from Orleans and be immortalized. CHARLES Presently we'll try: come, let's away about it:
No prophet will I trust, if she prove false.
Exeunt 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:
Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance.
Where be these warders, that they wait not here?
Open the gates; 'tis Gloucester that calls. 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:
We do no otherwise than we are will'd. GLOUCESTER Who willed you? or whose will stands but mine?
There's none protector of the realm but I.
Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize.
Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms?
Gloucester's men rush at the Tower Gates, and WOODVILE the Lieutenant speaks within WOODVILE What noise is this? what traitors have we here? GLOUCESTER Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear?
Open the gates; here's Gloucester that would enter. WOODVILE Have patience, noble duke; I may not open;The Cardinal of Winchester forbids:
From him I have express commandment That thou nor none of thine shall be let in. GLOUCESTER Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizest him 'fore me?
Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate, Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne'er could brook?
Thou art no friend to God or to the king:
Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly.
Serving-Men Open the gates unto the lord protector, Or we'll burst them open, if that you come not quickly.
Enter to the Protector at the Tower Gates BISHOP OF WINCHESTER and his men in tawny coats BISHOP OF WINCHESTER How now, ambitious Humphry! what means this? GLOUCESTER Peel'd priest, dost thou command me to be shut out?
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER I do, thou most usurping proditor, And not protector, of the king or realm. GLOUCESTER Stand back, thou manifest conspirator, Thou that contrivedst to murder our dead lord;Thou that givest whores indulgences to sin:
I'll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal's hat, If thou proceed in this thy insolence.
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER Nay, stand thou back, I will not budge a foot:
This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain, To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt. GLOUCESTER I will not slay thee, but I'll drive thee back:
Thy scarlet robes as a child's bearing-cloth I'll use to carry thee out of this place.
BISHOP OF WINCHESTER Do what thou darest; I beard thee to thy face. GLOUCESTER What! am I dared and bearded to my face?
