The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 177

Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly.

SERVING-MEN. Open the gates unto the Lord Protector, Or we'll burst them open, if that you come not quickly.

Enter to the PROTECTOR at the Tower gates WINCHESTER and his men in tawny coats

WINCHESTER. How now, ambitious Humphry! What means this?

GLOUCESTER. Peel'd priest, dost thou command me to be shut out?

WINCHESTER. I do, thou most usurping proditor, And not Protector of the King or realm.

GLOUCESTER. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator, Thou that contrived'st to murder our dead lord; Thou that giv'st wh.o.r.es indulgences to sin.

I'll canva.s.s thee in thy broad cardinal's hat, If thou proceed in this thy insolence.

WINCHESTER. Nay, stand thou back; I will not budge a foot.

This be Damascus; be thou cursed Cain, To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.

GLOUCESTER. I will not slay thee, but I'll drive thee back.

Thy scarlet robes as a child's bearing-cloth I'll use to carry thee out of this place.

WINCHESTER. Do what thou dar'st; I beard thee to thy face.

GLOUCESTER. What! am I dar'd and bearded to my face?

Draw, men, for all this privileged place Blue-coats to tawny-coats. Priest, beware your beard; I mean to tug it, and to cuff you soundly; Under my feet I stamp thy cardinal's hat; In spite of Pope or dignities of church, Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down.

WINCHESTER. Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the Pope.

GLOUCESTER. Winchester goose! I cry 'A rope, a rope!'

Now beat them hence; why do you let them stay?

Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array.

Out, tawny-coats! Out, scarlet hypocrite!

Here GLOUCESTER'S men beat out the CARDINAL'S men; and enter in the hurly burly the MAYOR OF LONDON and his OFFICERS

MAYOR. Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates, Thus contumeliously should break the peace!

GLOUCESTER. Peace, Mayor! thou know'st little of my wrongs: Here's Beaufort, that regards nor G.o.d nor King, Hath here distrain'd the Tower to his use.

WINCHESTER. Here's Gloucester, a foe to citizens; One that still motions war and never peace, O'ercharging your free purses with large fines; That seeks to overthrow religion, Because he is Protector of the realm, And would have armour here out of the Tower, To crown himself King and suppress the Prince.

GLOUCESTER. I Will not answer thee with words, but blows.

[Here they skirmish again]

MAYOR. Nought rests for me in this tumultuous strife But to make open proclamation.

Come, officer, as loud as e'er thou canst, Cry.

OFFICER. [Cries] All manner of men a.s.sembled here in arms this day against G.o.d's peace and the King's, we charge and command you, in his Highness' name, to repair to your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, handle, or use, any sword, weapon, or dagger, henceforward, upon pain of death.

GLOUCESTER. Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law; But we shall meet and break our minds at large.

WINCHESTER. Gloucester, we'll meet to thy cost, be sure; Thy heart-blood I will have for this day's work.

MAYOR. I'll call for clubs if you will not away.

This Cardinal's more haughty than the devil.

GLOUCESTER. Mayor, farewell; thou dost but what thou mayst.

WINCHESTER. Abominable Gloucester, guard thy head, For I intend to have it ere long.

Exeunt, severally, GLOUCESTER and WINCHESTER with their servants MAYOR. See the coast clear'd, and then we will depart.

Good G.o.d, these n.o.bles should such stomachs bear!

I myself fight not once in forty year. Exeunt

SCENE 4.

France. Before Orleans

Enter, on the walls, the MASTER-GUNNER OF ORLEANS and his BOY

MASTER-GUNNER. Sirrah, thou know'st how Orleans is besieg'd, And how the English have the suburbs won.

BOY. Father, I know; and oft have shot at them, Howe'er unfortunate I miss'd my aim.

MASTER-GUNNER. 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 a.s.sault.

To intercept this inconvenience, A piece of ordnance '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 BOY. Father, I warrant you; take you no care; I'll never trouble you, if I may spy them. Exit

Enter SALISBURY and TALBOT on the turrets, with SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE, SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE, and others

SALISBURY. Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd!

How wert thou handled being prisoner?

Or by what means got'st thou to be releas'd?

Discourse, I prithee, on this turret's top.

TALBOT. 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 vile esteem'd.

In fine, redeem'd I was as I desir'd.

But, O! the treacherous Fastolfe wounds my heart Whom with my bare fists I would execute, If I now had him brought into my power.

SALISBURY. Yet tell'st thou not how thou wert entertain'd.

TALBOT. 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 was 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

SALISBURY. I grieve to hear what torments you endur'd; But we will be reveng'd sufficiently.

Now it is supper-time in Orleans: 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.

GARGRAVE. I think at the North Gate; for there stand lords.

GLANSDALE. And I here, at the bulwark of the bridge.

TALBOT. For aught I see, this city must be famish'd, Or with light skirmishes enfeebled.

[Here they shoot and SALISBURY and GARGRAVE fall down]

SALISBURY. O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners!

GARGRAVE. O Lord, have mercy on me, woeful man!

TALBOT. 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.