Henry VI, Pt. 1
Act I, Scene 4
France. Before Orléans.
Sir Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury, and his wife Eleanor Holland
Wrythe Garter Book, Buccleugh Handschrift, 1450
- Enter the Master Gunner of Orléans and his Boy.
Master Gunner
1 - 2- Sirrah, thou know’st how Orléans is besieg’d,
- And how the English have the suburbs won.
Master Gunner’s Boy
3 - 4- Father, I know, and oft have shot at them,
- Howe’er unfortunate I miss’d my aim.
Master Gunner
5 - 20- 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 espials have informed me
- How the English, in the suburbs close intrench’d,
- Wont through a secret grate of iron bars
- In yonder tower to overpeer the city,
- And thence discover how with most advantage
- They may vex us with shot or with assault.
- To intercept this inconvenience,
- A piece of ord’nance ’gainst it I have plac’d,
- And even these three days have I watch’d
- If I could see them.
- 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.
- Exit.
Master Gunner’s Boy
21 - 22- Father, I warrant you, take you no care,
- I’ll never trouble you, if I may spy them.
- Exit.
- Enter Salisbury and Talbot, Sir William Glansdale, Sir
- Thomas Gargrave, on the turrets, with others.
Earl of Salisbury
23 - 26- Talbot, my life, my joy, again return’d?
- How wert thou handled, being prisoner?
- Or by what means gots thou to be releas’d?
- Discourse, I prithee, on this turret’s top.
Lord Talbot
27 - 37- The Earl of Bedford had a prisoner
- Call’d the brave Lord Ponton de Santrailles,
- For him was I exchang’d and ransomed.
- But with a baser man of arms by far
- Once in contempt they would have barter’d me;
- Which I, disdaining, scorn’d, and craved death
- Rather than I would be so pill’d esteem’d:
- In fine, redeem’d I was as I desir’d.
- But O, the treacherous Falstaff wounds my heart,
- Whom with my bare fists I would execute,
- If I now had him brought into my power.
Earl of Salisbury
38- Yet tell’st thou not how thou wert entertain’d.
Lord Talbot
39 - 56- With scoffs and scorns and contumelious taunts.
- In open market-place produc’d they me
- To be a public spectacle to all:
- Here, said they, is the terror of the French,
- The scarecrow that affrights our children so.
- Then broke I from the officers that led me,
- And with my nails digg’d stones out of the ground
- To hurl at the beholders of my shame.
- My grisly countenance made others fly,
- None durst come near for fear of sudden death.
- In iron walls they deem’d me not secure;
- So great fear of my name ’mongst them were spread
- That they suppos’d I could rend bars of steel,
- And spurn in pieces posts of adamant;
- Wherefore a guard of chosen shot I had
- That walk’d about me every minute while;
- And if I did but stir out of my bed,
- Ready they were to shoot me to the heart.
- Enter the Boy with a linstock.
Earl of Salisbury
57 - 65- I grieve to hear what torments you endur’d,
- But we will be reveng’d sufficiently.
- Now it is supper-time in Orléans:
- Here, through this grate, I count each one,
- And view the Frenchmen how they fortify.
- Let us look in, the sight will much delight thee.
- Sir Thomas Gargrave, and Sir William Glansdale,
- Let me have your express opinions,
- Where is best place to make our batt’ry next?
1581 map of Orléans, France
Georg Braun, Frans Hogenberg
Sir Thomas Gargrave
66- I think at the North Gate, for there stands lords.
Sir William Glansdale
67- And I here, at the bulwark of the bridge.
Lord Talbot
68 - 69- For aught I see, this city must be famish’d,
- Or with light skirmishes enfeebled.
- Here they shoot, and Salisbury falls down together with
- Gargrave.
Earl of Salisbury
70- O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners!
Sir Thomas Gargrave
71- O Lord, have mercy on me, woeful man!
Lord Talbot
72 - 99- What chance is this that suddenly hath cross’d us?
- Speak, Salisbury; at least, if thou canst, speak.
- How far’st thou, mirror of all martial men?
- One of thy eyes and thy cheek’s side struck off!
- Accursed tower! Accursed fatal hand
- That hath contriv’d this woeful tragedy!
- In thirteen battles Salisbury o’ercame;
- Henry the Fifth he first train’d to the wars;
- Whilst any trump did sound, or drum struck up,
- His sword did ne’er leave striking in the field.
- Yet liv’st thou, Salisbury? Though thy speech doth fail,
- One eye thou hast to look to heaven for grace;
- The sun with one eye vieweth all the world.
- Heaven, be thou gracious to none alive,
- If Salisbury wants mercy at thy hands!
- Bear hence his body, I will help to bury it.
- Sir Thomas Gargrave, hast thou any life?
- Speak unto Talbot, nay, look up to him.
- Salisbury, cheer thy spirit with this comfort,
- Thou shalt not die whiles—
- He beckons with his hand and smiles on me,
- As who should say, “When I am dead and gone,
- Remember to avenge me on the French.”
- Plantagenet, I will, and like thee, Nero,
- Play on the lute, beholding the towns burn:
- Wretched shall France be only in my name.
- Here an alarum, and it thunders and lightens.
- What stir is this? What tumult’s in the heavens?
- Whence cometh this alarum, and the noise?
- Enter a Messenger.
Fourth Messenger
100 - 103- My lord, my lord, the French have gather’d head.
- The Dauphin, with one Joan de Pucelle join’d,
- A holy prophetess new risen up,
- Is come with a great power to raise the siege.
- Here Salisbury lifteth himself up and groans.
Lord Talbot
104 - 111- Hear, hear how dying Salisbury doth groan!
- It irks his heart he cannot be reveng’d.
- Frenchmen, I’ll be a Salisbury to you.
- Pucelle or puzzle, dolphni or dogfish,
- Your hearts I’ll stamp out with my horse’s heels,
- And make a quagmire of your mingled brains.
- Convey me Salisbury into his tent,
- And then we’ll try what these dastard Frenchmen dare.
- Alarum. Exeunt bearing out the bodies.