SERGEANT
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.
FIRST SENTINEL
Sergeant, you shall.
FIRST SENTINEL
Thus are poor servitors,
When others sleep upon their quiet beds,
Constrain’d to watch in darkness, rain, and cold.
TALBOT
Lord Regent, and redoubted Burgundy,
By whose approach the regions of Artois,
Walloon and Picardy are friends to us,
This happy night the Frenchmen are secure,
Having all day caroused and banqueted.
Embrace we then this opportunity,
As fitting best to quittance their deceit
Contriv’d by art and baleful sorcery.
BEDFORD
Coward of France, how much he wrongs his fame,
Despairing of his own arm’s fortitude,
To join with witches and the help of hell!
BURGUNDY
Traitors have never other company.
But what’s that Pucelle whom they term so pure?
TALBOT
A maid, they say.
BEDFORD
A maid! And be so martial!
BURGUNDY
Pray God she prove not masculine long,
If underneath the standard of the French
She carry armour as she begun.
TALBOT
Well, let them practice and converse with spirits.
God is our fortress, in whose conquering name
Let us resolve to scale their flinty bulwarks.
BEDFORD
Ascend, brave Talbot; we will follow .
TALBOT
Not all together. Better far, I guess,
That we do make our entrance several ways,
That if it chance the one of us do fail,
The other yet may rise against their force.
BEDFORD
Agreed. I’ll to yond corner.
BURGUNDY
And I to this.
TALBOT
And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave.
Now, Salisbury, for , and for the right
Of English Henry, shall this night appear
How much in duty I am bound to both.
SENTINEL
Arm! Arm! The enemy make assault!
ALENÇON
How now, my lords? What, all unready so?
BASTARD
Unready! Ay, and glad we ’scap’d so well.
REIGNIER
time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds,
Hearing alarums at our chamber-doors.
ALENÇON
Of all exploits since first I follow’d arms
heard I of a warlike enterprise
More venturous or desperate than this.
BASTARD
I think this Talbot be a fiend of hell.
REIGNIER
If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour him.
ALENÇON
Here cometh Charles. I marvel how he sped.
BASTARD
Tut, holy Joan was his defensive guard.
CHARLES
Is this cunning, deceitful dame?
at first, to flatter us ,
Make us partakers of a little gain,
That now our loss might be ten times so much?
PUCELLE
is Charles impatient with his friend?
At all times will you have my power alike?
Sleeping or waking, must I still prevail,
Or will you blame and lay the fault on me?
Improvident soldiers, had your watch been good,
This sudden mischief never could have fall’n.
CHARLES
Duke of Alençon, this was your default,
That, being captain of the watch tonight,
Did look no better to that weighty charge.
ALENÇON
Had all your quarters been as safely kept
As that whereof I had the government,
We had not been thus shamefully surprised.
BASTARD
Mine was secure.
REIGNIER
And so was mine, my lord.
CHARLES
And for myself, most part of all this night,
Within her quarter and mine own precinct
I was employ’d in passing to and fro
About relieving of the sentinels.
Then how or which way should they first break in?
PUCELLE
Question, my lords, no further of the case,
How or which way; sure they found some place
But weakly guarded, where the breach was made.
And now there rests no other shift but this:
To gather our soldiers, scattered and dispersed,
And lay new platforms to endamage them.
SOLDIER
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,
Using no other weapon but his name.