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PUCELLE.

These are the city gates, the gates of Rouen,

Through which our policy must make a breach:

Take heed, be wary how you place your words;

Talk like the vulgar sort of market men

That come to gather money for their corn.

If we have entrance, as I hope we shall,

And that we find the slothful watch but weak,

I 'll by a sign give notice to our friends,

That Charles the Dauphin may encounter them.

FIRST SOLDIER.

Our sacks shall be a mean to sack the city,

And we be lords and rulers over Rouen;

Therefore we 'll knock. [Knocks.]

WATCH.

[Within] Qui est la?

PUCELLE.

Paysans, pauvres gens de France;

Poor market folks that come to sell their corn.

WATCH.

Enter, go in; the market bell is rung.

PUCELLE.

Now, Rouen, I 'll shake thy bulwarks to the ground.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter Charles, the Bastard of Orleans, Alencon,

Reignier, and forces.]

CHARLES.

Saint Denis bless this happy stratagem!

And once again we 'll sleep secure in Rouen.

BASTARD.

Here enter'd Pucelle and her practisants;

Now she is there, how will she specify

Here is the best and safest passage in?

REIGNIER.

By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower;

Which, once discern'd, shows that her meaning is,

No way to that, for weakness, which she enter'd.

[Enter La Pucelle, on the top, thrusting out a torch burning.]

PUCELLE.

Behold, this is the happy wedding torch

That joineth Rouen unto her countrymen,

But burning fatal to the Talbotites!

[Exit.]

BASTARD.

See, noble Charles, the beacon of our friend;

The burning torch in yonder turret stands.

CHARLES.

Now shine it like a comet of revenge,

A prophet to the fall of all our foes!

REIGNIER.

Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends;

Enter, and cry, 'The Dauphin!' presently,

And then do execution on the watch.

[Alarum. Exeunt.]

[An alarum. Enter Talbot in an excursion.]

TALBOT.

France, thou shalt rue this treason with thy tears,

If Talbot but survive thy treachery.

Pucelle, that witch, that damned sorceress,

Hath wrought this hellish mischief unawares,

That hardly we escaped the pride of France.

[Exit.]

[An alarum: excursions.]

[Bedford, brought in sick in a chair. Enter Talbot and Burgundy

without: within La Pucelle, Charles, Bastard, Alencon, and

Reignier, on the walls.]

PUCELLE.

Good morrow, gallants! want ye corn for bread?

I think the Duke of Burgundy will fast

Before he 'll buy again at such a rate:

'Twas full of darnel: do you like the taste?

BURGUNDY.

Scoff on, vile fiend and shameless courtezan!

I trust ere long to choke thee with thine own,

And make thee curse the harvest of that corn.

CHARLES.

Your Grace may starve perhaps before that time.

BEDFORD.

O, let no words, but deeds, revenge this treason!

PUCELLE.

What will you do, good graybeard? break a lance,

And run a tilt at death within a chair?

TALBOT.

Foul fiend of France, and hag of all despite,

Encompass'd with thy lustful paramours!

Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age,

And twit with cowardice a man half dead?

Damsel, I 'll have a bout with you again,

Or else let Talbot perish with this shame.

PUCELLE.

Are ye so hot? yet, Pucelle, hold thy peace;

If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow.

[The English party whisper together in council. ]

God speed the parliament! who shall be the speaker?

TALBOT.

Dare ye come forth and meet us in the field?

PUCELLE.

Belike your lordship takes us then for fools,

To try if that our own be ours or no.

TALBOT.

I speak not to that railing Hecate,

But unto thee, Alencon, and the rest;

Will ye, like soldiers, come and fight it out?

ALENCON.

Signior, no.

TALBOT.

Signior, hang! base muleters of France!

Like peasant foot-boys do they keep the walls,

And dare not take up arms like gentlemen.

PUCELLE.

Away, captains! let 's get us from the walls;

For Talbot means no goodness by his looks.

God be wi' you, my lord! we came but to tell you

That we are here.

[Exeunt from the walls.]

TALBOT.

And there will we be too, ere it be