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- $Unique_ID{SSP00055}
- $Title{King Henry VI, Part I: Act I, Scene V}
- $Author{Shakespeare, William}
- $Subject{}
- $Log{Dramatis Personae*00050.txt}
-
- Portions copyright (c) CMC ReSearch, Inc., 1989
-
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
-
- KING HENRY VI PART I
-
-
- ACT I
- ................................................................................
-
-
- SCENE V: The same.
- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-
- {Here an alarum again: and TALBOT pursueth the
- DAUPHIN, and driveth him: then enter JOAN LA
- PUCELLE, driving Englishmen before her, and exit
- after them then re-enter TALBOT.}
-
- TALBOT: Where is my strength, my valor, and my force?
- Our English troops retire, I cannot stay them:
- A woman clad in armor chaseth them.
-
- {Re-enter JOAN LA PUCELLE.}
-
- Here, here she comes. I'll have a bout with thee;
- Devil or devil's dam, I'll conjure thee:
- Blood will I draw on thee, thou art a witch,
- And straightway give thy soul to him thou servest.
-
- JOAN LA PUCELLE: Come, come, 'tis only I that must disgrace thee.
-
- [Here they fight.]
-
- TALBOT: Heavens, can you suffer hell so to prevail?
- My breast I'll burst with straining of my courage 10
- And from my shoulders crack my arms asunder.
- But I will chastise this high-minded strumpet.
-
- [They fight again.]
-
- JOAN LA PUCELLE: Talbot, farewell; thy hour is not yet come:
- I must go victual Orleans forthwith.
-
- [A short alarum; then enter the town with soldiers.]
-
- O'ertake me, if thou canst; I scorn thy strength.
- Go, go, cheer up thy hungry-starved men;
- Help Salisbury to make his testament:
- This day is ours, as many more shall be.
-
- [Exit.]
-
- TALBOT: My thoughts are whirled like a potter's wheel;
- I know not where I am, nor what I do; 20
- A witch, by fear, not force, like Hannibal,
- Drives back our troops and conquers as she lists:
- So bees with smoke and doves with noisome stench
- Are from their hives and houses driven away.
- They call'd us for our fierceness English dogs;
- Now, like to whelps, we crying run away.
-
- [A short alarum.]
-
- Hark, countrymen! either renew the fight,
- Or tear the lions out of England's coat;
- Renounce your soil, give sheep in lions' stead:
- Sheep run not half so treacherous from the wolf, 30
- Or horse or oxen from the leopard,
- As you fly from your oft-subdued slaves.
-
- [Alarum. Here another skirmish.]
-
- It will not be: retire into your trenches:
- You all consented unto Salisbury's death,
- For none would strike a stroke in his revenge.
- Pucelle is enter'd into Orleans,
- In spite of us or aught that we could do.
- O, would I were to die with Salisbury!
- The shame hereof will make me hide my head.
-
- [Exit TALBOT. Alarum; retreat; flourish.]
-