Char. Stay, stay thy hands! thou art an Amazon, And fightest with the sword of Deborah. Puc. Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak. Char. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me: Impatiently I burn with thy desire ; My heart and hands thou hast at once subdu'd. Puc. I must not yield to any rites of love, Char. Meantime look gracious on thy prostrate thrall. Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk. Alen. Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock; Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech. Reig. Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean? Alen. He may mean more than we poor men do know: These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues. Reig. My lord, where are you? what devise you on? Shall we give over Orleans, or no? Puc. Why, no, I say, distrustful recreants! Fight till the last gasp; I will be your guard. Char. What she says, I'll(26) confirm: we'll fight it out. This night the siege assuredly I'll raise: Expect Saint Martin's summer, halcyon(27) days, Till, by broad spreading, it disperse to naught. Now am I like that proud-insulting ship Which Cæsar and his fortune bare at once. Char. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove? Thou with an eagle art inspirèd, then. Nor yet Saint Philip's daughters, were like thee. Bright star of Venus, fall'n down on the earth, Alen. Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege. Char. Presently we'll try:-come, let's away about it:— No prophet will I trust, if she prove false. [Exeunt. SCENE III. London. Before the gates of the Tower. Enter the Duke of GLOSTER, with his Serving-men in blue coats.(29) [Servants knock. First Warder. [within] Who's there that knocketh(31) so imperiously? First Serv. It is the noble Duke of Gloster. Second Warder. [within] Whoe'er he be, you(32) may not be let in. First Serv. Villains, answer you so the lord protector? First Warder. [within] The Lord protect him! so we answer him: We do no otherwise than we are will'd. Glo. Who willed you? or whose will stands but mine? There's none protector of the realm but I.— Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize : Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms? [Gloster's Serving-men rush at the Tower-gates. Woodville. [within] What noise is this? what traitors have we here? Glo. Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear? Open the gates; here's Gloster that would enter. Woodville. [within] Have patience, noble duke; I may not open; The Cardinal of Winchester forbids: From him I have express commandment(33) That thou nor none of thine shall be let in. Glo. Faint-hearted Woodville, prizest him 'fore me,—. Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate, Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne'er could brook? Thou art no friend to God or to the king: Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly. Serving-men. Open the gates unto the lord protector: We'll burst them open, if you come not quickly.(34) [Gloster's Serving-men rush again at the Tower-gates. Enter WINCHESTER, with his Serving-men in tawny coats. And not protector, of the king or realm. Glo. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator, Win. Nay, stand thou back; I will not budge a foot: To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt. Glo. I will not slay thee, but I'll drive thee back: Thy scarlet robes as a child's bearing-cloth I'll use to carry thee out of this place. Win. Do what thou dar'st; I beard thee to thy face. Blue-coats to tawny-coats.-Priest, beware your beard; Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down. (36) Win. Gloster, thou wilt answer this before the Pope. Here GLOSTER and his Serving-men attack the other party; and enter in the hurly-burly the Mayor of London and Officers. May. Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates, Thus contumeliously should break the peace! Glo. Peace, mayor! thou know'st little of my wrongs: Here's Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king, Hath here distrain'd the Tower to his use. Win. Here's Gloster, a foe to citizens ;(37) One that still motions war, and never peace, O'ercharging your free purses with large fines; That seeks to overthrow religion, Because he is protector of the realm; And would have armour here out of the Tower, Glo. I will not answer thee with words, but blows. Come, officer; as loud as e'er thou canst. (38) Off. [reads] "All manner of men assembled here in arms this day against God's peace and the king's, we charge and command you, in his highness' name, to repair to your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, handle, or use any sword, weapon, or dagger, henceforward, upon pain of death." Glo. Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law: But we shall meet, and break our minds at large. Win. Gloster, we'll meet; to thy dear(39) cost, be sure: Thy heart-blood I will have for this day's work. May. I'll call for clubs, if you will not away : This cardinal's more haughty than the devil. Glo. Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou mayst. For I intend to have it ere long. (40) [Exeunt, severally, Gloster and Winchester with May. See the coast clear'd, and then we will depart.- [Exeunt. SCENE IV. France. Before Orleans. Enter, on the walls, the Master-Gunner and his Son. M. Gun. Sirrah, thou know'st how Orleans is besieg'd, And how the English have the suburbs won. Son. Father, I know; and oft have shot at them, Howe'er, unfortunate, I miss'd my aim. M. Gun. But now thou shalt not. Be thou rul'd by me: Chief master-gunner am I of this town; Something I must do to procure me grace. The prince's 'spials have informèd me How th' English, in the suburbs close intrench'd, And thence discover how with most advantage A piece of ordnance 'gainst it I have plac'd ; And even these three days(43) have I watch'd, if I 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. Son. Father, I warrant you; take you no care; I'll never trouble you, if I may spy them. [Exit. Enter, in an upper chamber of a tower, the Lords SALISBURY and TALBOT, Sir WILLIAM GLANSDALE, Sir THOMAS GARGRAVE, and others. Sal. Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd! How wert thou handled being prisoner, Or by what means gott'st thou to be releas'd, Tal. The Duke of Bedford had a prisoner Once, in contempt, they would have barter'd me: |