书城公版King Henry IV Part 1
26098600000016

第16章 ACT III(5)

BURGUNDY.What say'st thou,Charles?for I am marching hence.CHARLES.Speak,Pucelle,and enchant him with thy words.PUCELLE.Brave Burgundy,undoubted hope of France!Stay,let thy humble handmaid speak to thee.BURGUNDY.Speak on;but be not over-tedious.PUCELLE.Look on thy country,look on fertile France,And see the cities and the towns defac'd By wasting ruin of the cruel foe;As looks the mother on her lowly babe When death doth close his tender dying eyes,See,see the pining malady of France;Behold the wounds,the most unnatural wounds,Which thou thyself hast given her woeful breast.O,turn thy edged sword another way;Strike those that hurt,and hurt not those that help!One drop of blood drawn from thy country's bosom Should grieve thee more than streams of foreign gore.Return thee therefore with a flood of tears,And wash away thy country's stained spots.BURGUNDY.Either she hath bewitch'd me with her words,Or nature makes me suddenly relent.PUCELLE.Besides,all French and France exclaims on thee,Doubting thy birth and lawful progeny.Who join'st thou with but with a lordly nation That will not trust thee but for profit's sake?When Talbot hath set footing once in France,And fashion'd thee that instrument of ill,Who then but English Henry will be lord,And thou be thrust out like a fugitive?Call we to mind-and mark but this for proof:Was not the Duke of Orleans thy foe?And was he not in England prisoner?But when they heard he was thine enemy They set him free without his ransom paid,In spite of Burgundy and all his friends.See then,thou fight'st against thy countrymen,And join'st with them will be thy slaughtermen.Come,come,return;return,thou wandering lord;Charles and the rest will take thee in their arms.BURGUNDY.I am vanquished;these haughty words of hers Have batt'red me like roaring cannon-shot And made me almost yield upon my knees.Forgive me,country,and sweet countrymen And,lords,accept this hearty kind embrace.My forces and my power of men are yours;So,farewell,Talbot;I'll no longer trust thee.PUCELLE.Done like a Frenchman-[Aside]turn and turn again.CHARLES.Welcome,brave Duke!Thy friendship makes us fresh.BASTARD.And doth beget new courage in our breasts.ALENCON.Pucelle hath bravely play'd her part in this,And doth deserve a coronet of gold.CHARLES.Now let us on,my lords,and join our powers,And seek how we may prejudice the foe.Exeunt

SCENE 4.Paris.The palace

Enter the KING,GLOUCESTER,WINCHESTER,YORK,SUFFOLK,SOMERSET,WARWICK,EXETER,VERNON,BASSET,and others.To them,with his soldiers,TALBOT

TALBOT.My gracious Prince,and honourable peers,Hearing of your arrival in this realm,I have awhile given truce unto my wars To do my duty to my sovereign;In sign whereof,this arm that hath reclaim'd To your obedience fifty fortresses,Twelve cities,and seven walled towns of strength,Beside five hundred prisoners of esteem,Lets fall his sword before your Highness'feet,And with submissive loyalty of heart Ascribes the glory of his conquest got First to my God and next unto your Grace.[Kneels]KING HENRY.Is this the Lord Talbot,uncle Gloucester,That hath so long been resident in France?GLOUCESTER.Yes,if it please your Majesty,my liege.KING HENRY.Welcome,brave captain and victorious lord!When I was young,as yet I am not old,I do remember how my father said A stouter champion never handled sword.Long since we were resolved of your truth,Your faithful service,and your toil in war;Yet never have you tasted our reward,Or been reguerdon'd with so much as thanks,Because till now we never saw your face.Therefore stand up;and for these good deserts We here create you Earl of Shrewsbury;And in our coronation take your place.Sennet.Flourish.Exeunt all but VERNON and BASSET VERNON.Now,sir,to you,that were so hot at sea,Disgracing of these colours that I wear In honour of my noble Lord of York Dar'st thou maintain the former words thou spak'st?BASSET.Yes,sir;as well as you dare patronage The envious barking of your saucy tongue Against my lord the Duke of Somerset.VERNON.Sirrah,thy lord I honour as he is.BASSET.Why,what is he?As good a man as York!VERNON.Hark ye:not so.In witness,take ye that.[Strikes him]BASSET.Villain,thou knowest the law of arms is such That whoso draws a sword 'tis present death,Or else this blow should broach thy dearest blood.But I'll unto his Majesty and crave I may have liberty to venge this wrong;When thou shalt see I'll meet thee to thy cost.VERNON.Well,miscreant,I'll be there as soon as you;And,after,meet you sooner than you would.Exeunt