John. O twice my father! twice am I thy son: Tal. When from the dauphin's crest thy sword struck fire, Of bold-fac'd victory. Then leaden age, Quicken'd with youthful spleen and warlike rage, Came in strong rescue. Speak, thy father's care; To hazard all our lives in one small boat. 'Tis but the short'ning of my life one day: In thee thy mother dies, our household's name, My death revenge, thy youth, and England's fame : All these, and more, we hazard by thy stay; All these are sav'd if thou wilt fly away. John. The sword of Orleans hath not made me smart ; These words of yours draw life-blood from my heart; On that advantage, bought with such a shame, (To save a paltry life, and slay bright fame,) An if I fly I am not Talbot's son: Then talk no more of flight, it is no boot; If son to Talbot, die at Talbot's foot. Tal. Then follow thou thy desperate sire of Crete, Thou Icarus; thy life to me is sweet: If thou wilt fight, fight by thy father's side; And, commendable prov'd, let's die in pride. [Exeunt. SCENE III. Another part of the same. Alarum: Excursions. Enter Talbot wounded, supported by a Servant. Tal. Where is my other life -mine own is gone ;- Enter Soldiers, bearing the body of John Talbot. Serv. O my dear lord! lo, where your son is borne ! Coupled in bonds of perpetuity, Two Talbots, winged through the lither sky, In thy despite shall 'scape mortality. O thou whose wounds become hard-favour'd death, Poor boy he smiles, methinks; as who should say, Now my old arms are young John Talbot's grave. [Dies. 133. THE SIEGE OF ORLEANS. SHAKSPERE. [The narrative of Holinshed of the first interview of Joan of Arc with Charles VII., is as follows: "In time of this siege at Orleans, unto Charles the Dauphin, at Chinon, as he was in very great care and study how to wrestle against the English nation, by one Peter Badricourt, captain of Vacouleur (made after marshal of France by the Dauphin's creation), was carried a yonng wench of an eighteen years old, called Joan Arc, by name of her father (a sorry shepherd), James of Arc, and Isabella her mother, brought up poorly in their trade of keeping cattle, born at Domprin (therefore reported by Bale, Joan Domprin), upon Meuse in Lorraine, within the diocese of Thoule. Of favour was she counted likesome, of person strongly made and manly, of courage great, hardy, and stout withal, an understander of counsels though she were not at them, great semblance of chastity both of body and behaviour, the name of Jesus in her mouth about all her businesses, humble, obedient, and fasting divers days in the week. A person (as their books make her) raised up by power divine, only for succour to the French estate, then deeply in distress, in whom, for planting a credit the rather, first the company that towards the Dauphin did conduct her, through places all dangerous, as held by the English, where she never was afore; all the way and by nightertale safely did she lead: then at the Dauphin's sending by her assignment, from Saint Katherine's church of Fierbois in Touraine (where she never had been and knew not), in a secret place there, among old iron, appointed she her sword to be sought out and brought her, that with five fleur-de-lis was graven on both sides, wherewith she fought and did many slaughters by her own hands. In warfare rode she in armour, cap-à-pie, and mustered as a man, before her an ensign all white, wherein was Jesus Christ painted with a fleur-de-lis in his hand. "Unto the Dauphin into his gallery when first she was brought, and he shadowing himself behind, setting other gay lords before him to try her cunning from all the company, with a salutation (that indeed was all the matter) she picked him out alone, who thereupon had her to the end of the gallery, where she held him an hour in secret and private talk, that of his privy chamber was thought very long, and therefore would have broken it off; but he made them a sign to let her say on. In which (among other), as likely it was, she set out unto him the singular feats (forsooth) given her to understand by revelation divine, that in virtue of that sword she should achieve, which were, how with honour and victory she would raise the siege at Orleans, set him in state of the crown of France, and drive the English out of the country, thereby he to enjoy the kingdom alone. Hereupon he hearkened at full, appointed her a sufficient army with absolute power to lead them, and they obediently to do as she bade them." SCENE. Before Orleans. Enter Charles, with his forces; Alençon, Reignier, and others. So in the earth, to this day is not known: Otherwhiles, the famish'd English, like pale ghosts Faintly besiege us one hour in a month. Alen. They want their porridge and their fat bull-beeves: Either they must be dieted like mules, And have their provender tied to their mouths, Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice. Reig. Let's raise the siege: Why live we idly here? Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear: Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury; And he may well in fretting spend his gall, Nor men nor money hath he to make war. Char. Sound, sound alarum; we will rush on them. Him I forgive my death that killeth me, Alarums. They are beaten back by the English, with great loss. Alençon, Reignier and others. Char. Whoever saw the like? what men have I ?— Night-time. The word is in Chaucer.— "So hote he loved, that by nightertalo He slept no more than doth the nightingale." Exeunt. Re-enter Charles, Tyrwhitt explains it as derived from the Saxon nightern dæl,―nocturna porti o. Reig. Salisbury is a desperate homicide; He fighteth as one weary of his life. The other lords, like lions wanting food, Do rush upon us as their hungry prey. Alen. Froissart, a countryman of ours, records, For none but Samsons and Goliasses, It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten! Lean raw-bon'd rascals! who would e'er suppose They had such courage and audacity ? Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hair-brain'd slaves, Enter the Bastard of Orleans. Bast. Where's the prince dauphin? I have news for him. Bast. Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appall'd ; Be not dismay'd. for succour is at hand: A holy maid hither with me I bring, Which, by a vision sent to her from heaven, Ordained is to raise this tedious siege, And drive the English forth the bounds of France. The spirit of deep prophecy she hath, Exceeding the nine sibyls of old Rome; What's past, and what's to come, she can descry. Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words, For they are certain and unfallible. Char. Go, call her in [Exit Bastard]: But, first, to try her skill, Reignier, stand thou as dauphin in my place: Question her proudly, let thy looks be stern:— By this means shall we sound what skill she hath. Enter La Pucelle, Bastard of Orleans, and others. Reig. Fair maid, is 't thou wilt do these wondrous feats? I know thee well, though never seen before. [Retires Puc. Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's daughter, Heaven, and our Lady gracious, hath it pleas'd Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs, And to sun's parching heat display'd my cheeks, 134.-BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MAID OF ORLEANS. PENNY CYCLOPEDIA. Joan of Arc, surnamed the Maid of Orleans,' from her heroic defence of that city, was born about the year 1410 or 1411, in the little hamlet of Domremy, near the Meuse, and about three leagues south of Vaucouleurs, on the borders of Champagne. Her parents were humble and honest peasants. The district was remarkable for the devout simplicity of its inhabitants, as well as for those romantic superstitions which in a rude age are so often allied with religion. It appears from the copious depositions of witnesses from the neighbourhood of Domremy, examined at Joan's trial, that she was unremitting in her prayers, and other religious exercises, and was strongly imbued, at a very early age, with the prevailing superstitions of her native place. During that period of anarchy in France, when the supreme power which had fallen from the hands of a monarch deprived of his reason was disputed for by the rival houses of Orleans and Burgundy, the contending parties carried on war more VOL. II. п |