Printable version of this page

King Henry VI, Part 1: Act 2 Scene 1

Scene I Before Orleans.

[Enter a Sergeant of a band with two Sentinels]

SERGEANT

Sirs, take your places and be vigilant:

If any noise or soldier you perceive

Near to the walls, by some apparent sign

Let us have knowledge at the court of guard.

FIRST SENTINEL

Sergeant, you shall.

[Exit Sergeant]

Thus are poor servitors,

When others sleep upon their quiet beds,

Constrain'd to watch in darkness, rain and cold.

[Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BURGUNDY, and Forces, with

scaling-ladders, their drums beating a dead march]

TALBOT

Lord Regent, and redoubted Burgundy,

By whose approach the regions of Artois,

Wallon and Picardy are friends to us,

This happy night the Frenchmen are secure,

Having all day caroused and banqueted:

Embrace we then this opportunity

As fitting best to quittance their deceit

Contrived by art and baleful sorcery.

BEDFORD

Coward of France! how much he wrongs his fame,

Despairing of his own arm's fortitude,

To join with witches and the help of hell!

BURGUNDY

Traitors have never other company.

But what's that Pucelle whom they term so pure?

TALBOT

A maid, they say.

BEDFORD

A maid! and be so martial!

BURGUNDY

Pray God she prove not masculine ere long,

If underneath the standard of the French

She carry armour as she hath begun.

TALBOT

Well, let them practise and converse with spirits:

God is our fortress, in whose conquering name

Let us resolve to scale their flinty bulwarks.

BEDFORD

Ascend, brave Talbot; we will follow thee.

TALBOT

Not all together: better far, I guess,

That we do make our entrance several ways;

That, if it chance the one of us do fail,

The other yet may rise against their force.

BEDFORD

Agreed: I'll to yond corner.

BURGUNDY

And I to this.

TALBOT

And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave.

Now, Salisbury, for thee, and for the right

Of English Henry, shall this night appear

How much in duty I am bound to both.

Sentinels

Arm! arm! the enemy doth make assault!

[Cry: 'St. George,' 'A Talbot.']

[The French leap over the walls in their shirts.

Enter, several ways, the BASTARD OF ORLEANS,

ALENCON, and REIGNIER, half ready, and half unready]

ALENCON

How now, my lords! what, all unready so?

BASTARD OF ORLEANS

Unready! ay, and glad we 'scaped so well.

REIGNIER

'Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds,

Hearing alarums at our chamber-doors.

ALENCON

Of all exploits since first I follow'd arms,

Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterprise

More venturous or desperate than this.

BASTARD OF ORLEANS

I think this Talbot be a fiend of hell.

REIGNIER

If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour him.

ALENCON

Here cometh Charles: I marvel how he sped.

BASTARD OF ORLEANS

Tut, holy Joan was his defensive guard.

[Enter CHARLES and JOAN LA PUCELLE]

CHARLES

Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame?

Didst thou at first, to flatter us withal,

Make us partakers of a little gain,

That now our loss might be ten times so much?

JOAN LA PUCELLE

Wherefore is Charles impatient with his friend!

At all times will you have my power alike?

Sleeping or waking must I still prevail,

Or will you blame and lay the fault on me?

Improvident soldiers! had your watch been good,

This sudden mischief never could have fall'n.

CHARLES

Duke of Alencon, this was your default,

That, being captain of the watch to-night,

Did look no better to that weighty charge.

ALENCON

Had all your quarters been as safely kept

As that whereof I had the government,

We had not been thus shamefully surprised.

BASTARD OF ORLEANS

Mine was secure.

REIGNIER

And so was mine, my lord.

CHARLES

And, for myself, most part of all this night,

Within her quarter and mine own precinct

I was employ'd in passing to and fro,

About relieving of the sentinels:

Then how or which way should they first break in?

JOAN LA PUCELLE

Question, my lords, no further of the case,

How or which way: 'tis sure they found some place

But weakly guarded, where the breach was made.

And now there rests no other shift but this;

To gather our soldiers, scatter'd and dispersed,

And lay new platforms to endamage them.

[Alarum. Enter an English Soldier, crying 'A

Talbot! a Talbot!' They fly, leaving their

clothes behind]

SOLDIER

I'll be so bold to take what they have left.

The cry of Talbot serves me for a sword;

For I have loaden me with many spoils,

Using no other weapon but his name.

[Exit]