The First Part Of Henry The Sixth

1 Enter, on the walls, a Master Gunner and his Boy.
2 MASTER GUNNER.
3 Sirrah, thou know’st how Orleans is besieged,
4 And how the English have the suburbs won.
5 BOY.
6 Father, I know; and oft have shot at them,
7 Howe’er unfortunate I miss’d my aim.
8 MASTER GUNNER.
9 But now thou shalt not. Be thou ruled by me.
10 Chief master-gunner am I of this town;
11 Something I must do to procure me grace.
12 The Prince’s espials have informed me
13 How the English, in the suburbs close intrench’d,
14 Wont, through a secret grate of iron bars
15 In yonder tower, to overpeer the city,
16 And thence discover how with most advantage
17 They may vex us with shot or with assault.
18 To intercept this inconvenience,
19 A piece of ordnance ’gainst it I have placed
20 And even these three days have I watch’d,
21 If I could see them.
22 Now do thou watch, for I can stay no longer.
23 If thou spy’st any, run and bring me word;
24 And thou shalt find me at the Governor’s.
25 [_Exit._]
26 BOY.
27 Father, I warrant you; take you no care;
28 I’ll never trouble you if I may spy them.
29 [_Exit._]
30 Enter, on the turrets, Salisbury and Talbot, Sir William Glansdale, Sir
31 Thomas Gargrave and others.
32 SALISBURY.
33 Talbot, my life, my joy, again return’d!
34 How wert thou handled, being prisoner?
35 Or by what means got’st thou to be releas’d?
36 Discourse, I prithee, on this turret’s top.
37 TALBOT.
38 The Duke of Bedford had a prisoner
39 Call’d the brave Lord Ponton de Santrailles;
40 For him was I exchanged and ransomed.
41 But with a baser man of arms by far
42 Once in contempt they would have barter’d me,
43 Which I disdaining scorn’d, and craved death
44 Rather than I would be so vile-esteem’d.
45 In fine, redeem’d I was as I desired.
46 But O, the treacherous Fastolf wounds my heart,
47 Whom with my bare fists I would execute
48 If I now had him brought into my power.
49 SALISBURY.
50 Yet tell’st thou not how thou wert entertain’d.
51 TALBOT.
52 With scoffs and scorns and contumelious taunts.
53 In open market-place produced they me
54 To be a public spectacle to all.
55 Here, said they, is the terror of the French,
56 The scarecrow that affrights our children so.
57 Then broke I from the officers that led me,
58 And with my nails digg’d stones out of the ground
59 To hurl at the beholders of my shame.
60 My grisly countenance made others fly;
61 None durst come near for fear of sudden death.
62 In iron walls they deem’d me not secure;
63 So great fear of my name ’mongst them were spread
64 That they supposed I could rend bars of steel
65 And spurn in pieces posts of adamant.
66 Wherefore a guard of chosen shot I had,
67 That walk’d about me every minute while;
68 And if I did but stir out of my bed,
69 Ready they were to shoot me to the heart.
70 Enter the Boy with a linstock.
71 SALISBURY.
72 I grieve to hear what torments you endured,
73 But we will be revenged sufficiently.
74 Now it is supper-time in Orleans.
75 Here, through this grate, I count each one
76 And view the Frenchmen how they fortify.
77 Let us look in; the sight will much delight thee.
78 Sir Thomas Gargrave and Sir William Glansdale,
79 Let me have your express opinions
80 Where is best place to make our battery next.
81 GARGRAVE.
82 I think, at the north gate, for there stand lords.
83 GLANSDALE.
84 And I, here, at the bulwark of the bridge.
85 TALBOT.
86 For aught I see, this city must be famish’d,
87 Or with light skirmishes enfeebled.
88 Here they shoot, and Salisbury and Gargrave fall down.
89 SALISBURY.
90 O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners!
91 GARGRAVE.
92 O Lord, have mercy on me, woeful man!
93 TALBOT.
94 What chance is this that suddenly hath cross’d us?
95 Speak, Salisbury; at least, if thou canst speak!
96 How far’st thou, mirror of all martial men?
97 One of thy eyes and thy cheek’s side struck off!
98 Accursed tower, accursed fatal hand
99 That hath contrived this woeful tragedy!
100 In thirteen battles Salisbury o’ercame;
101 Henry the Fifth he first train’d to the wars;
102 Whilst any trump did sound, or drum struck up,
103 His sword did ne’er leave striking in the field.
104 Yet liv’st thou, Salisbury? Though thy speech doth fail,
105 One eye thou hast to look to heaven for grace.
106 The sun with one eye vieweth all the world.
107 Heaven, be thou gracious to none alive,
108 If Salisbury wants mercy at thy hands!
109 Sir Thomas Gargrave, hast thou any life?
110 Speak unto Talbot; nay, look up to him.
111 Bear hence his body; I will help to bury it.
112 [_Exeunt some with the body of Gargrave._]
113 Salisbury, cheer thy spirit with this comfort,
114 Thou shalt not die whiles—
115 He beckons with his hand and smiles on me,
116 As who should say “When I am dead and gone,
117 Remember to avenge me on the French.”
118 Plantagenet, I will; and, like thee, Nero,
119 Play on the lute, beholding the towns burn.
120 Wretched shall France be only in thy name.
121 [_Here an alarum, and it thunders and lightens._]
122 What stir is this? What tumult’s in the heavens?
123 Whence cometh this alarum and the noise?
124 Enter a Messenger.
125 MESSENGER.
126 My lord, my lord, the French have gather’d head.
127 The Dauphin, with one Joan la Pucelle join’d,
128 A holy prophetess new risen up,
129 Is come with a great power to raise the siege.
130 [_Here Salisbury lifteth himself up and groans._]
131 TALBOT.
132 Hear, hear how dying Salisbury doth groan;
133 It irks his heart he cannot be revenged.
134 Frenchmen, I’ll be a Salisbury to you.
135 Pucelle or puzel, dolphin or dogfish,
136 Your hearts I’ll stamp out with my horse’s heels
137 And make a quagmire of your mingled brains.
138 Convey we Salisbury into his tent,
139 And then we’ll try what these dastard Frenchmen dare.
140 [_Alarum. Exeunt._]