Enter to the gates, a French Sergeant, and Two Sentinels, SERG. 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". 1 SENT. 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. a Court of guard. Steevens says this is equivalent to the modern term "guard-room." This is rather a forced interpretation; for the word court indicates with sufficient precision the general place of guard-the enclosed space where a guard is held-in which the guard-room is situated. Enter TALBOT, Bedford, BURGUNDY, and Forces, with scaling ladders; their drums beating a dead march. TAL. Lord regent, and redoubted Burgundy,- BED. Coward of France!-how much he wrongs his fame, To join with witches, and the help of hell! BUR. Traitors have never other company. But what's that Pucelle, whom they term so pure? TAL. A maid, they say. Bed. A maid! and be so martial! BUR. Pray God she prove not masculine ere long; She carry armour, as she hath begun. TAL. Well, let them practise and converse with spirits: That we do make our entrance several ways; The other yet may rise against their force. BUR. And I to this. TAL. 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. [The English scale the walls, crying St. George! A Talbot! and all enter by the Town. SENT. [Within.] Arm, arm! the enemy doth make assault! The French leap over the walls in their shirts. Enter, several ways, BASTARD, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, half ready, and half unready. a ALEN. How now, my lords? what, all unready so? a Unready-undressed. So in Beaumont and Fletcher ( Island Princess') BAST. Unready? ay, and glad we 'scap'd so well. ALEN. Of all exploits, since first I follow'd arms, More venturous or desperate than this. BAST. I think this Talbot be a fiend of hell. REIG. If not of hell, the heavens sure favour him. Enter CHARLES and LA PUCELLE. BAST. Tut! holy Joan was his defensive guard. Make us partakers of a little gain, That now our loss might be ten times so much? REIG. And so was mine, my lord. About relieving of the sentinels: Then how, or which way, should they first break in? How, or which way; 't is sure they found some place a a Platforms-plans. A platform is a delineation of a form on a plain surface; and hence, a plan generally. In North's Plutarch,' platform is used in the sense of a plan, chart, or map:66 They were every one occupied about drawing the platform of Sicilia.” Alarum. Enter an English Soldier, crying A Talbot! A Talbot! They fly, leaving their clothes behind. SOLD. 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, [Exit. Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BURGUNDY, a Captain, and others. BED. The day begins to break, and night is fled, Whose pitchy mantle over-veil'd the earth. What ruin happen'd in revenge of him, But, lords, in all our bloody massacre, I muse we met not with the dauphin's grace, BED. "T is thought, lord Talbot, when the fight began, Like to a pair of loving turtle-doves, That could not live asunder day or night. After that things are set in order here, We'll follow them with all the power we have. [Retreat sounded. Enter a Messenger. MESS. All hail, my lords! which of this princely train So much applauded through the realm of France? With modesty admiring thy renown, By me entreats, great lorda, thou wouldst vouchsafe That she may boast she hath beheld the man When ladies crave to be encounter'd with. Yet hath a woman's kindness over-rul'd: I mean to prove this lady's courtesy. Come hither, captain. [Whispers.]-You perceive my mind. CAPT. I do, my lord; and mean accordingly. SCENE III.-Auvergne. Court of the Castle. Enter the COUNTESS and her Porter. [Exeunt. COUNT. Porter, remember what I gave in charge; And when you have done so, bring the keys to me. [Exit. PORT. Madam, I will. COUNT. The plot is laid: if all things fall out right, As Scythian Thomyris by Cyrus' death. Great is the rumour of this dreadful knight, And his achievements of no less account: a Great lord. So in the original copy, and in all subsequent editions, till those which are called variorum. The word great is then changed to good, probably by an error of the press. Lies-dwells. |