Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 6 (armies, fleece, pestle, wonted, pikes, thundering…). Matches are highlighted.
scarce six thousand in his troop, By three and twenty thousand of the French Was round encompassed, and set upon: No leisure had he to enranke his men. He wanted Pikes to set before his Archers: In stead whereof, sharp Stakes plucked out of Hedges They pitched in the ground confusedly, To keep the Horsemen off, from breaking in.
Full speech
Oh no: wherein Lord Talbot was overthrown: 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: No leisure had he to enranke his men. He wanted Pikes to set before his Archers: In stead whereof, sharp Stakes plucked out of Hedges They pitched in the ground confusedly, To keep the Horsemen off, from breaking in. More then three hours the fight continued: Where valiant Talbot, above humane thought, Enacted wonders with his Sword and Lance. Hundreds he sent to Hell, and none durst stand him: Here, there, and every where enraged, he slew. The French exclaimed, the Devil was in Arms, All the whole Army stood agazed on him. His Soldiers spying his undaunted Spirit, A Talbot, a Talbot, cried out amain, And rushed into the Bowels of the Battle. Here had the Conquest fully been sealed up, If Sir John Falstaff had not played the Coward. He being in the Vanguard, placed behind, With purpose to relieve and follow them, Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke. Hence grew the general wrack and massacre: Enclosed were they with their Enemies. A base Wallon, to win the Dolphins grace, Thrust Talbot with a Spear into the Back, Whom all France, with their chief assembled strength, Durst not presume to look once in the face. Oh no, he lives, but is took Prisoner, And Lord Scales with him, and Lord Hungerfor : Most of the rest slaughtered, or took likewise. So you had needs, for Orleans is besieged, The English Army is grown weak and faint: The Earl of Salisbury craveth supply, And hardly keeps his men from mutiny, Since they so few, watch such a multitude.
Plot summary
Plot — 1 Henry the Sixth
King Henry Vis dead, and England's French lands are lost. After a military setback, the French accept the offered aid of Joan Pucelle , who claims supernatural powers from the Virgin Mary; but they also release Talbot in an exchange of prisoners. With Joan 's help the French recapture the occupied town of Orleans, but the English take it back in a night attack led by Talbot. The Countess of Auvergne invites Talbot to visit her. intending treachery, but he second-guesses her and brings soldiers with him. In England, feuds brew between Gloucester and Winchester, and between Richard Plantagenet and the Duke of Somerset, whose supporters show their allegiance by picking different coloured roses. Richard , who has been deprived of his titles through the attainder of his father, learns from the imprisoned and dying Mortimer that he has a claim to the throne . King Henry restores him to his inheritance, creating him Duke of York. Joan takes Rouen by a ruse , but Talbot recaptures it the same day; she then persuades England's ally Burgundy to join the French. After King Henry's coronation in Paris, York is left in command of Prance, but personal tension between him and Somerset means that troop reinforcements arrive late; in consequence, Talbot is defeated, surviving only long enough to learn that his son has perished in battle. Joan conjures devils, but they will not help her: she is captured by York and burned at the stake. The French and English agree a peace which will entail King Henry making a diplomatic marriage, but this is pre-empted when Suffolk captures Margaret and (having fallen in love with her but being alr eady married) plans to install her as Queen of England . Henry agrees to marry her, and Suffolk goes to France to mili the arrangements.