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Act 1, Scene 6
Henry VI, Part 1 Translation Act 2, Scene 1
Enter a Sergeant of a band with two Sentinels
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.
SERGEANT
Sirs, take your places and be on your guard. If you hear any noise or see a soldier near the walls, give us an obvious sign so we—at the court of guard—know what's happening.
FIRST SENTINEL
Sergeant, you shall.
FIRST SENTINEL
Sergeant, you will know it.
Exit Sergeant
FIRST SENTINEL
Thus are poor servitors,When others sleep upon their quiet beds,Constrain'd to watch in darkness, rain and cold.
FIRST SENTINEL
And so poor servants have to watch in darkness, in rain and cold, while others sleep quietly in their beds.
Enter TALBOT, BEDFORD, BURGUNDY, and Forces, with scaling-ladders, their drums beating a dead march
TALBOT
Lord Regent, and redoubted Burgundy, By whose approach the regions of Artois, Wallon 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 Contrived by art and baleful sorcery.
TALBOT
Lord Regent and doubtful Burgundy, thanks to your efforts, the regions of Artois, Wallon, and Picardy are our allies. Frenchmen are carefree on this happy night, since they partied the whole day and had a feast. We should therefore take this opportunity to repay their trickery, which was enacted by magic and deadly witchcraft.
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!
BEDFORD
French coward! He hurts his own reputation by not trusting in his own ability and instead enlisting witches and accepting help from hell!
BURGUNDY
Traitors have never other company.But what's that Pucelle whom they term so pure?
BURGUNDY
Traitors never have company. But who is that Pucelle, of whom they all speak of as being so virtuous?
TALBOT
A maid, they say.
TALBOT
A simple girl, they say.
BEDFORD
A maid! and be so martial!
BEDFORD
A girl! And she is a warrior!
BURGUNDY
Pray God she prove not masculine ere long,If underneath the standard of the FrenchShe carry armour as she hath begun.
BURGUNDY
Let's pray to God that she does not turn out to be a man soon, if under the military banner of the French she wore armor from the very beginning.
TALBOT
Well, let them practise and converse with spirits:God is our fortress, in whose conquering nameLet us resolve to scale their flinty bulwarks.
TALBOT
Well, let them scheme and talk with devilish spirits. God is our protection. Let us, in his conquering name, remove their hard barriers.
BEDFORD
Ascend, brave Talbot; we will follow thee.
BEDFORD
Rise, brave Talbot and we will follow you.
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.
TALBOT
Let's not go all together. I think it may be better if we all enter from different directions. That way, if one of us fails, the others may still fight against them.
BEDFORD
Agreed: I'll to yond corner.
BEDFORD
I agree. I'll go to that corner over there.
BURGUNDY
And I to this.
BURGUNDY
And I'll go to this one.
TALBOT
And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave. Now, Salisbury, for thee, and for the right Of English Henry , shall this night appear How much in duty I am bound to both.
TALBOT
And here will Talbot climb, or die. Now, Salisbury, for you and for the right of English Henry, you will see tonight how much I am bound in duty to both of you.
SENTINELS
Arm! Arm! The enemy doth make assault!
SENTINELS
Arm yourself! The enemy is attacking!
Cry: 'St. George,' 'A Talbot.'
The French leap over the walls in their shirts. Enter, several ways, the BASTARD OF ORLEANS, ALENCON, and REIGNIER, half ready, and half unready
ALENCON
How now, my lords! What, all unready so?
ALENCON
What's going on, my lords? What?! Are you not ready?
BASTARD OF ORLEANS
Unready! Ay, and glad we 'scaped so well.
BASTARD OF ORLEANS
Not ready indeed! We're glad that we managed to escape.
REIGNIER
'Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds,Hearing alarums at our chamber-doors.
REIGNIER
It is time that we wake up and leave our beds, since we hear alarms at the doors to our rooms.
ALENCON
Of all exploits since first I follow'd arms,Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterpriseMore venturous or desperate than this.
ALENCON
I have never heard of a plan more reckless or desperate than this, ever since I first fought in battle myself.
BASTARD OF ORLEANS
I think this Talbot be a fiend of hell.
BASTARD OF ORLEANS
I think this Talbot is a demon from hell.
REIGNIER
If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour him.
REIGNIER
If he isn't from hell, the heavens favor him, for sure.
ALENCON
Here cometh Charles: I marvel how he sped.
ALENCON
Here comes Charles! I wonder how it went for him.
BASTARD OF ORLEANS
Tut, holy Joan was his defensive guard.
BASTARD OF ORLEANS
Oh please, holy Joan was his defensive guard.
Enter CHARLES and JOAN LA PUCELLE
CHARLES
Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame? Didst thou at first, to flatter us withal, Make us partakers of a little gain, That now our loss might be ten times so much?
CHARLES
Is this your magic, you deceitful woman? Did you at first falsely encourage us with your magic, give us a little victory, so that our loss now might be ten times as bad?
JOAN LA PUCELLE
Wherefore 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.
JOAN LA PUCELLE
Why is Charles angry with his friend!? Is my power supposed to work all the time? Should I always be victorious, whether I am sleeping or awake, will you blame it all on me? Careless soldiers! If your watch had been better, this sudden attack would have never happened.
CHARLES
Duke of Alencon, this was your default,That, being captain of the watch to-night,Did look no better to that weighty charge.
CHARLES
Duke of Alencon, this is your fault. You were the captain of the watch tonight and you carry the responsibility for what happened.
ALENCON
Had all your quarters been as safely keptAs that whereof I had the government,We had not been thus shamefully surprised.
ALENCON
If all the rooms had been as guarded as they were when I was in charge, we wouldn't have been so disgracefully surprised.
BASTARD OF ORLEANS
Mine was secure.
BASTARD OF ORLEANS
Mine was guarded.
REIGNIER
And so was mine, my lord.
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?
CHARLES
I myself, for most of this night, was in her rooms and in my own area of control, I was moving to and from, concerned about relieving the guards. Then, how or where did they first break in?
JOAN LA PUCELLE
Question, my lords, no further of the case, How or which way: 'tis 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, scatter'd and dispersed, And lay new platforms to endamage them.
JOAN LA PUCELLE
Do not question this case any longer, my lords. It doesn't matter how they did this. What is certain is that they found a place that wasn't guarded enough and that is where they attacked. And now we have no other strategy but this: let's gather all our soldiers, who have been spread all over, and let's make new plans about how to hurt our enemy.
Alarum. Enter an English Soldier, crying 'A Talbot! a Talbot!' They fly, leaving their clothes behind
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.
SOLDIER
I'll be so bold to take what they have left. The call of Talbot alone acts as my sword. I am burdened with many stolen goods from this war and I use no other weapon but his name.
Exit
