More truly now may this be verified; Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hair brain'd slaves, And hunger will enforce them to be more eager: Reig. I think, by some odd gimmals or device, Enter the Bastard of Orleans. Bast. Where's the prince Dauphin, I have news for him. Char. Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. Bast. Methinks, your looks are sad, your cheer appall'd; our plain and sensible ancestors, of giving one a Rowland for his Oliver, to signify the matching one incredible lie with another. WARBURTON. Rather, to oppose one hero to another; i. e. to give a person as good a one as he brings. STEEVENS. gimmals-] A gimmal is a piece of jointed work, where one piece moves within another, whence it is taken at large for an engine. It is now by the vulgar called a gimcrack. " Bastard of Orleans,] That this in former times was not a term of reproach, see Bishop Hurd's Letters on Chivalry and Romance, in the third volume of his Dialogues, p. 233, who observing on circumstances of agreement between the heroick and Gothick manners, says that Bastardy was in credit with both." One of William the Conqueror's charters begins, " Ego Gulielmus cognomento Bastardus." Nor was bastardy reckoned a disgrace among the ancients. See the eighth Iliad, in which the illegitimacy of Teucer is mentioned as a panegyrick upon him, ver. 284. Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence? And drive the English forth the bounds of France. Char. Go, call her in: [Exit Bastard.] But, first, to try her skill, Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place: [Retires. Enter LA PUCELLE, Bastard of Orleans, and Others. Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wond'rous feats? Puc. Reignier, is't thou that thinkest to beguile me? Where is the Dauphin?-come, come from behind; My wit untrain'd in any kind of art. 오 nine sibyls of old Rome;) There was no nine sibyls of Rome; but he confounds things, and mistakes this for the nine books of Sibylline oracles, brought to one of the Tarquins. Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs, In complete glory she reveal'd herself; Char. Thou hast astonish'd me with thy high terms; Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,- Puc. I am prepar'd: here is my keen-edg'd sword, yard, Out of a deal of old iron I chose forth. Char. Then come o'God's name, I fear no woman. Puc. And, while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a man. [They fight. Char. Stay, stay thy hands; thou art an Amazon, And fightest with the sword of Deborah. Puc. Christ's mother helps me, else I were too Char. Whoe'er helps me, 'tis thou that must weak. 'Resolve on this:] i. e. be firmly persuaded of it. help me: Impatiently I burn with thy desire; My heart and hands thou hast at once subdu'd. Let me thy servant, and not sovereign, be; Char. Mean time, look gracious on thy prostrate thrall. Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk. Alen. Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock; Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech. mean? Alen. He may mean more than we poor men do know: These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues. Reig. My lord, where are you? what devise you on? Shall we give over Orleans, or no? Puc. Why, no, I say, distrustful recreants! Fight till the last gasp; I will be your guard. Char. What she says, I'll confirm; we'll fight it out. Puc. Assign'd am I to be the English scourge. Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself, 4 Expect Saint Martin's summer,] That is, expect prosperity after misfortune, like fair weather at Martlemas, after winter has begun. Till, by broad spreading, it disperse to nought. Char. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove? 5 Alen. Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege. Reig. Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours; Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd. Char. Presently we'll try: -Come, let's away about it: No prophet will I trust, if she prove false. SCENE III. London. Hill before the Tower. [Exeunt. Enter, at the Gates, the Duke of GLOSTER, with his Serving-men, in blue Coats. Glo. I am come to survey the Tower this day; Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance. Where be these warders, that they wait not here? Open the gates; Gloster it is that calls. [Servants knock. 1 Ward. [Within.] Who is there that knocks so imperiously? 1 Serv. It is the noble duke of Gloster. Nor yet Saint Philip's daughters,) Meaning the four daughters of Philip mentioned in the Acts. 6 - there is conveyance.] Conveyance means theft. |