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WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE

ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS,

-(((37)))

(((George Stris)).

FROM THE DESIGNS OF

1

TAMING OF THE SHREWY

PHILADELPHIA,

PUBLISHED BY MS CARTY & DAVIS.

& H. C. CAREY & I. LEA.

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ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS,

WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE

-(((BY)))

George Stris))))

FROM THE DESIGNS OF

Smirk

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Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money.
Among the soldiers this is muttered,—
That here you maintain several factions;
And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought,
You are disputing of your generals.
One would have ling'ring wars, with little cost;
Another would fly swift but wanteth wings;
A third man thinks, without expense at all,
By guileful fair words peace may be obtain'd.
Awake, awake, English nobility!

Let not sloth dim your honours, new-begot:
Cropp'd are the flower-de-luces in your arms;
Of England's coat one half is cut away.

Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral,
These tidings would call forth her flowing tides.
Bed. Me they concern; regent I am of France:--
Give me my steeled coat, I'll fight for France.-
Away with these disgraceful wailing robes!
Wounds I will lend the French, instead of eyes,
To weep their intermissive miseries.2

Enter another Messenger..

No leisure had he to enrank his men;
He wanted pikes to set before his archers;
Instead whereof, sharp stakes, pluck'd out of hedges,
They pitched in the ground confusedly,
To keep the horsemen off from breaking in.
More than three hours the fight continued;
Where valiant Talbot, above human thought,
Enacted wonders with his sword and lance.
Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand him
Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he slew :
The French exclaim'd, The devil was in arms;
All the whole army stood agaz'd on him:
His soldiers, spying his undaunted spirit,
A Talbot! a Talbot! cried out amain,
And rush'd into the bowels of the battle.
Here had the conquest fully been seal'd
If sir John Fastolfe had not play'd the coward;
He being in the vaward (plac'd behind,
With purpose to relieve and follow them,)
Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke.
Hence grew the general wreck and massacre;
A base Walloon, to win the dauphin's grace,
Enclosed were they with their enemies:
Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back;
Whom all France, with their chief assembled
strength,

up,

Durst not presume to look once in the face.

Bed. Is Talbot slain? then I will slay myself,
For living idly here, in pomp and ease,
Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid,
Unto his dastard foe-men is betray'd."

3 Mess. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford: Most of the rest slaughter'd, or took, likewise.

Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall pay :
I'll hale the dauphin headlong from his throne,
His crown shall be the ransom of my friend;
Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.→
Farewell, my masters; to my task will I;
Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make,
To keep our great Saint George's feast withal:

2 Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take,

mischance,

France is revolted from the English quite;
Except some petty towns of no import:
The dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims:
The bastard of Orleans with him is join'd;
Reigneir, duke of Anjou, doth take his part;
The duke of Alençon flieth to his side.

Exe. The dauphin crowned king! all fly to him!
O, whither shall we fly from this reproach?

Glo. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats: Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out.

Bed. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my forward-
ness?

An army have I muster'd in my thoughts,
Wherewith already France is over-run.

Enter a third Messenger.

3 Mess. My gracious lords,―to add to your
laments,

Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearse,-
I must inform you of a dismal fight,
Betwixt the stout lord Talbot and the French.
Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't so?
3 Mess. O, no; wherein lord Talbot was o'er-

thrown:

The circumstance I'll tell you more at large.
The tenth of August last, this dreadful lord,
Retiring from the siege of Orleans,
Having full scarce six thousand in his troop,
By three and twenty thousand of the French
Was round encompassed and set upon :

(1) Her, i. e. England's.

Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake.
3 Mess. So you had need; for Orleans is besieg'd;
The English army is
The earl of Salisbury craveth supply,
weak and faint:
grown
And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,
Since they, so few, watch such a multitude.
Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry

sworn;

Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.
Either to quell the dauphin utterly,

Bed. I do remember it; and here take leave,
To go
about my preparation.
[Exit.
Glo. I'll to the Tower, with all the haste I can,
To view the artillery and munition;

And then I will proclaim young Henry king. [Ex.
Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young king is,
And for his safety there I'll best devise.
Being ordain'd his special governor;

[Exit.

Win. Each hath his place and function to attend.
I am left out; for me nothing remains.
But long I will not be Jack-out-of-office;
The king from Eltham I intend to send,
And sit at chiefest stern of public weal.

[Exit. Scene closes. SCENE II-France. Before Orleans. Enter Charles, with his forces; Alençon, Reignier, and others.

Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens,

(2) i. e. Their miseries which have had only a short intermission.

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