| ACT I SCENE IV | Orleans. | |
| [Enter, on the walls, a Master Gunner and his Boy] |
| Master-Gunner | Sirrah, thou know'st how Orleans is besieged, |
| And how the English have the suburbs won. |
| Boy | Father, I know; and oft have shot at them, |
| Howe'er unfortunate I miss'd my aim. |
| Master-Gunner | But now thou shalt not. Be thou ruled by me: | 5 |
| Chief master-gunner am I of this town; |
| Something I must do to procure me grace. |
| The prince's espials have informed me |
| How the English, in the suburbs close intrench'd, |
| Wont, through a secret grate of iron bars | 10 |
| In yonder tower, to overpeer the city, |
| And thence discover how with most advantage |
| They may vex us with shot, or with assault. |
| To intercept this inconvenience, |
| A piece of ordnance 'gainst it I have placed; | 15 |
| And even these three days have I watch'd, |
| If I could see them. |
| Now do thou watch, for I can stay no longer. |
| If thou spy'st any, run and bring me word; |
| And thou shalt find me at the governor's. | 20 |
| [Exit] |
| Boy | Father, I warrant you; take you no care; |
| I'll never trouble you, if I may spy them. |
| [Exit] |
| [
Enter, on the turrets, SALISBURY and TALBOT,
GLANSDALE, GARGRAVE, and others
] |
| SALISBURY | Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd! |
| How wert thou handled being prisoner? |
| Or by what means got'st thou to be released? | 25 |
| Discourse, I prithee, on this turret's top. |
| TALBOT | The Duke of Bedford had a prisoner |
| Call'd the brave Lord Ponton de Santrailles; |
| For him was I exchanged and ransomed. |
| But with a baser man of arms by far | 30 |
| Once in contempt they would have barter'd me: |
| Which I, disdaining, scorn'd; and craved death, |
| Rather than I would be so vile esteem'd. |
| In fine, redeem'd I was as I desired. |
| But, O! the treacherous Fastolfe wounds my heart, | 35 |
| Whom with my bare fists I would execute, |
| If I now had him brought into my power. |
| SALISBURY | Yet tell'st thou not how thou wert entertain'd. |
| TALBOT | With scoffs and scorns and contumelious taunts. |
| In open market-place produced they me, | 40 |
| To be a public spectacle to all: |
| Here, said they, is the terror of the French, |
| The scarecrow that affrights our children so.
|
| Then broke I from the officers that led me, |
| And with my nails digg'd stones out of the ground, | 45 |
| To hurl at the beholders of my shame: |
| My grisly countenance made others fly; |
| None durst come near for fear of sudden death. |
| In iron walls they deem'd me not secure; |
| So great fear of my name 'mongst them was spread, | 50 |
| That they supposed I could rend bars of steel, |
| And spurn in pieces posts of adamant: |
| Wherefore a guard of chosen shot I had, |
| That walked about me every minute-while; |
| And if I did but stir out of my bed, | 55 |
| Ready they were to shoot me to the heart. |
| [Enter the Boy with a linstock] |
| SALISBURY | I grieve to hear what torments you endured, |
| But we will be revenged sufficiently |
| Now it is supper-time in Orleans: |
| Here, through this grate, I count each one | 60 |
| and view the Frenchmen how they fortify: |
| Let us look in; the sight will much delight thee. |
| Sir Thomas Gargrave, and Sir William Glansdale, |
| Let me have your express opinions |
| Where is best place to make our battery next. | 65 |
| GARGRAVE | I think, at the north gate; for there stand lords. |
| GLANSDALE | And I, here, at the bulwark of the bridge. |
| TALBOT | For aught I see, this city must be famish'd, |
| Or with light skirmishes enfeebled. |
| [Here they shoot. SALISBURY and GARGRAVE fall] |
| SALISBURY | O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners! | 70 |
| GARGRAVE | O Lord, have mercy on me, woful man! |
| TALBOT | What chance is this that suddenly hath cross'd us? |
| Speak, Salisbury; at least, if thou canst speak: |
| How farest thou, mirror of all martial men? |
| One of thy eyes and thy cheek's side struck off! | 75 |
| Accursed tower! accursed fatal hand |
| That hath contrived this woful tragedy! |
| In thirteen battles Salisbury o'ercame; |
| Henry the Fifth he first train'd to the wars; |
| Whilst any trump did sound, or drum struck up, | 80 |
| His sword did ne'er leave striking in the field. |
| Yet livest thou, Salisbury? though thy speech doth fail, |
| One eye thou hast, to look to heaven for grace: |
| The sun with one eye vieweth all the world. |
| Heaven, be thou gracious to none alive, | 85 |
| If Salisbury wants mercy at thy hands! |
| Bear hence his body; I will help to bury it. |
| Sir Thomas Gargrave, hast thou any life? |
| Speak unto Talbot; nay, look up to him. |
| Salisbury, cheer thy spirit with this comfort; | 90 |
| Thou shalt not die whiles-- |
| He beckons with his hand and smiles on me. |
| As who should say 'When I am dead and gone, |
| Remember to avenge me on the French.' |
| Plantagenet, I will; and like thee, Nero, | 95 |
| Play on the lute, beholding the towns burn: |
| Wretched shall France be only in my name. |
[Here an alarum, and it thunders and lightens] |
| What stir is this? what tumult's in the heavens? |
| Whence cometh this alarum and the noise? |
| [Enter a Messenger] |
| Messenger | My lord, my lord, the French have gathered head: | 100 |
| The Dauphin, with one Joan la Pucelle join'd, |
| A holy prophetess new risen up, |
| Is come with a great power to raise the siege. |
| [Here SALISBURY lifteth himself up and groans] |
| TALBOT | Hear, hear how dying Salisbury doth groan! |
| It irks his heart he cannot be revenged. | 105 |
| Frenchmen, I'll be a Salisbury to you: |
| Pucelle or puzzel, dolphin or dogfish, |
| Your hearts I'll stamp out with my horse's heels, |
| And make a quagmire of your mingled brains. |
| Convey me Salisbury into his tent, | 110 |
| And then we'll try what these dastard Frenchmen dare. |
| [Alarum. Exeunt] |
The Essential Student History Quiz (with answers and illustrations)