CHARLES. Follow, La Hire! E'en at the gates of Rheims They will compel us to dispute the crown! DUNOIS. No genuine courage prompts them. This essay Is the last effort of enraged despair. CHARLES. I do not urge you, duke. To-day's the time To compensate the errors of the past. BURGUNDY. You shall be satisfied with me. CHARLES. Myself Will march before you on the path of fame; Here, with my royal town of Rheims in view, I'll fight, and gallantry achieve the crown. Thy knight, my Agnes, bids thee now farewell! AGNES (embracing him). I do not weep, I do not tremble for thee; My faith, unshaken, cleaveth unto God! Heaven, were we doomed to failure, had not given So many gracious pledges of success! My heart doth whisper me that, victory-crowned, In conquered Rheims, I shall embrace my king. [Trumpets sound with a spirited tone, and while the scene is changing pass into a wild martial strain. When the scene opens, the orchestra joins in, accompanied by warlike instruments behind the scene. SCENE VI. The scene changes to an open country skirted with trees. During the music soldiers are seen retreating hastily across the background. TALBOT, leaning on FASTOLFE, and accompanied by soldiers. Soon after, LIONEL. TALBOT. Here lay me down beneath the trees, and then Betake you back, with speed, unto the fight; I need no aid to die. FASTOLFE. Oh, woful day! [LIONEL enters. Behold what sign awaits you, Lionel! Here lies our general wounded unto death. LIONEL. Now, God forbid! My noble lord, arise! No moment this to falter and to sink. Yield not to death. By your all-powerful will Command your ebbing spirit still to live. TALBOT. In vain! The day of destiny is come, Which will o'erthrow the English power in France. In desperate combat I have vainly risked The remnant of our force to ward it off. Struck by the thunderbolt I prostrate lie, Never to rise again. Rheims now is lost, Hasten to succor Paris! LIONEL. Paris is with the Dauphin reconciled; A courier even now has brought the news. TALBOT (tearing off his bandages). Then freely flow, ye currents of my blood, For Talbot now is weary of the sun! LIONEL. I may no longer tarry: Fastolfe, haste! Convey our leader to a place of safety. No longer now can we maintain this post; Our flying troops disperse on every side, On, with resistless might, the maiden comes. TALBOT. Folly, thou conquerest, and I must yield! Against stupidity the very gods. Themselves contend in vain. Exalted reason, Resplendent daughter of the head divine, Wise foundress of the system of the world, Guide of the stars, who art thou then if thou, Bound to the tail of folly's uncurbed steed, Must, vainly shrieking with the drunken crowd, Eyes open, plunge down headlong in the abyss. Accursed, who striveth after noble ends, And with deliberate wisdom forms his plans! To the fool-king belongs the world.