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Henry VI, Pt. 1: Act I, Scene 2

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Henry VI, Pt. 1
Act I, Scene 2

France. Before Orléans.

Joan of Arc at the Siege of Orléans

Joan of Arc at the Siege of Orléans

Jules Eugène Lenepveu, circa 1888

Dauphin of France

1 - 8
  1. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens,
  2. So in the earth, to this day is not known.
  3. Late did he shine upon the English side;
  4. Now we are victors, upon us he smiles.
  5. What towns of any moment but we have?
  6. At pleasure here we lie near Orléans;
  7. Otherwhiles the famish’d English, like pale ghosts,
  8. Faintly besiege us one hour in a month.

Duke of Alanson

9 - 12
  1. They want their porridge and their fat bull-beeves:
  2. Either they must be dieted like mules
  3. And have their provender tied to their mouths,
  4. Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice.

Duke of Anjou

13 - 17
  1. Let’s raise the siege; why live we idly here?
  2. Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear;
  3. Remaineth none but mad-brain’d Salisbury,
  4. And he may well in fretting spend his gall—
  5. Nor men nor money hath he to make war.

Dauphin of France

18 - 21
  1. Sound, sound alarum! We will rush on them.
  2. Now for the honor of the forlorn French!
  3. Him I forgive my death that killeth me,
  4. When he sees me go back one foot or fly.
  1. Exeunt.
  1. Here alarum; they are beaten back by the English with great
  2. loss.
  1. Enter Charles, Alanson, and Reignier.

Dauphin of France

22 - 24
  1. Who ever saw the like? What men have I!
  2. Dogs! Cowards! Dastards! I would ne’er have fled,
  3. But that they left me midst my enemies.

Duke of Anjou

25 - 28
  1. Salisbury is a desperate homicide,
  2. He fighteth as one weary of his life.
  3. The other lords, like lions wanting food,
  4. Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.

Duke of Alanson

29 - 36
  1. Froissard, a countryman of ours, records
  2. England all Olivers and Rolands bred
  3. During the time Edward the Third did reign.
  4. More truly now may this be verified,
  5. For none but Samsons and Goliases
  6. It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten!
  7. Lean raw-bon’d rascals! Who would e’er suppose
  8. They had such courage and audacity?

Dauphin of France

37 - 40
  1. Let’s leave this town, for they are hare-brain’d slaves,
  2. And hunger will enforce them to be more eager.
  3. Of old I know them; rather with their teeth
  4. The walls they’ll tear down than forsake the siege.

Duke of Anjou

41 - 44
  1. I think by some odd gimmors or device
  2. Their arms are set, like clocks, still to strike on;
  3. Else ne’er could they hold out so as they do.
  4. By my consent, we’ll even let them alone.

Duke of Alanson

45
  1. Be it so.
  1. Enter the Bastard of Orléans.

Bastard of Orléans

46
  1. Where’s the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him.

Dauphin of France

47
  1. Bastard of Orléans, thrice welcome to us.

Bastard of Orléans

48 - 59
  1. Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appal’d.
  2. Hath the late overthrow wrought this offense?
  3. Be not dismay’d, for succor is at hand:
  4. A holy maid hither with me I bring,
  5. Which by a vision sent to her from heaven
  6. Ordained is to raise this tedious siege,
  7. And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
  8. The spirit of deep prophecy she hath,
  9. Exceeding the nine sibyls of old Rome:
  10. What’s past and what’s to come she can descry.
  11. Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words,
  12. For they are certain and unfallible.

Byam Shaw, 1901

Dauphin of France

60 - 64
  1. Go call her in.
  2. Exit Bastard.
  3. But first, to try her skill,
  4. Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place;
  5. Question her proudly, let thy looks be stern.
  6. By this means shall we sound what skill she hath.
  1. Enter Joan de Pucelle and Bastard.

Duke of Anjou

65
  1. Fair maid, is’t thou wilt do these wondrous feats?

Joan de Pucelle

66 - 71
  1. Reignier, is’t thou that thinkest to beguile me?
  2. Where is the Dauphin? Come, come from behind,
  3. I know thee well, though never seen before.
  4. Be not amaz’d, there’s nothing hid from me;
  5. In private will I talk with thee apart.
  6. Stand back, you lords, and give us leave a while.

Duke of Anjou

72
  1. She takes upon her bravely at first dash.

Joan de Pucelle

73 - 93
  1. Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd’s daughter,
  2. My wit untrain’d in any kind of art.
  3. Heaven and our Lady gracious hath it pleas’d
  4. To shine on my contemptible estate.
  5. Lo, whilest I waited on my tender lambs,
  6. And to sun’s parching heat display’d my cheeks,
  7. God’s Mother deigned to appear to me,
  8. And in a vision full of majesty
  9. Will’d me to leave my base vocation
  10. And free my country from calamity.
  11. Her aid she promis’d, and assur’d success;
  12. In complete glory she reveal’d herself;
  13. And whereas I was black and swart before,
  14. With those clear rays which she infus’d on me
  15. That beauty am I blest with which you may see.
  16. Ask me what question thou canst possible,
  17. And I will answer unpremeditated;
  18. My courage try by combat, if thou dar’st,
  19. And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.
  20. Resolve on this: thou shalt be fortunate
  21. If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.

Dauphin of France

94 - 98
  1. Thou hast astonish’d me with thy high terms.
  2. Only this proof I’ll of thy valor make,
  3. In single combat thou shalt buckle with me;
  4. And if thou vanquishest, thy words are true,
  5. Otherwise I renounce all confidence.

Joan de Pucelle

99 - 102
  1. I am prepar’d; here is my keen-edg’d sword,
  2. Deck’d with five flower-de-luces on each side,
  3. The which at Touraine, in Saint Katherine’s church-yard,
  4. Out of a great deal of old iron I chose forth.

Dauphin of France

103
  1. Then come a’ God’s name, I fear no woman.

Joan de Pucelle

104
  1. And while I live, I’ll ne’er fly from a man.
  1. Here they fight, and Joan de Pucelle overcomes.

Dauphin of France

105 - 106
  1. Stay, stay thy hands! Thou art an Amazon,
  2. And fightest with the sword of Deborah.

Stay, stay thy hands! Thou art an Amazon,
And fightest with the sword of Deborah.

Felix Octavius Carr Darley, 1885

Joan de Pucelle

107
  1. Christ’s Mother helps me, else I were too weak.

Dauphin of France

108 - 113
  1. Whoe’er helps thee, ’tis thou that must help me:
  2. Impatiently I burn with thy desire;
  3. My heart and hands thou hast at once subdu’d.
  4. Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,
  5. Let me thy servant and not sovereign be.
  6. ’Tis the French Dauphin sueth to thee thus.

Joan de Pucelle

114 - 117
  1. I must not yield to any rites of love,
  2. For my profession’s sacred from above.
  3. When I have chased all thy foes from hence,
  4. Then will I think upon a recompense.

Dauphin of France

118
  1. Mean time look gracious on thy prostrate thrall.

Duke of Anjou

119
  1. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk.

Duke of Alanson

120 - 121
  1. Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock,
  2. Else ne’er could he so long protract his speech.

Duke of Anjou

122
  1. Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean?

Duke of Alanson

123 - 124
  1. He may mean more than we poor men do know:
  2. These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues.

Duke of Anjou

125 - 126
  1. My lord, where are you? What devise you on?
  2. Shall we give o’er Orléans, or no?

Joan de Pucelle

127 - 128
  1. Why, no, I say. Distrustful recreants,
  2. Fight till the last gasp; I’ll be your guard.

Dauphin of France

129
  1. What she says I’ll confirm. We’ll fight it out.

Joan de Pucelle

130 - 140
  1. Assign’d am I to be the English scourge.
  2. This night the siege assuredly I’ll raise:
  3. Expect Saint Martin’s summer, halcyons’ days,
  4. Since I have entered into these wars.
  5. Glory is like a circle in the water,
  6. Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself,
  7. Till by broad spreading it disperse to nought.
  8. With Henry’s death the English circle ends,
  9. Dispersed are the glories it included.
  10. Now am I like that proud insulting ship
  11. Which Caesar and his fortune bare at once.

Dauphin of France

141 - 146
  1. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove?
  2. Thou with an eagle art inspired then.
  3. Helen, the mother of great Constantine,
  4. Nor yet Saint Philip’s daughters, were like thee.
  5. Bright star of Venus, fall’n down on the earth,
  6. How may I reverently worship thee enough?

Duke of Alanson

147
  1. Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege.

Duke of Anjou

148 - 149
  1. Woman, do what thou canst to save our honors;
  2. Drive them from Orléans and be immortaliz’d.

Dauphin of France

150 - 151
  1. Presently we’ll try; come, let’s away about it.
  2. No prophet will I trust, if she prove false.
  1. Exeunt.
Margaret Mather as Joan of Arc

Margaret Mather as Joan of Arc

William George Clark, William Aldis Wright, circa 1899

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