A King, and No King | Page 4

speak, and truely, did I boast?
Mar.
Truth will offend you.
Arb.
You take all great care what will offend me,
When you dare to utter
such things as these.
Mar.
You told Tigranes, you had won his Land,
With that sole arm propt
by Divinity:
Was not that bragging, and a wrong to us,
That daily
ventured lives?
Arb.
O that thy name
Were as great, as mine, would I had paid my wealth,

It were as great, as I might combate thee,
I would through all the
Regions habitable
Search thee, and having found thee, wi'my Sword

Drive thee about the world, till I had met
Some place that yet mans
curiosity
Hath mist of; there, there would I strike thee dead:

Forgotten of mankind, such Funeral rites
As beasts would give thee,
thou shouldst have.
Bes.
The King rages extreamly, shall we slink away? He'l strike us.

2 Gent.
Content.
Arb.
There I would make you know 'twas this sole arm.
I grant you were
my instruments, and did
As I commanded you, but 'twas this arm

Mov'd you like wheels, it mov'd you as it pleas'd.
Whither slip you
now? what are you too good
To wait on me (puffe,) I had need have
temper
That rule such people; I have nothing left
At my own choice,
I would I might be private:
Mean men enjoy themselves, but 'tis our
curse,
To have a tumult that out of their loves
Will wait on us,
whether we will or no;
Go get you gone: Why here they stand like
death,
My words move nothing.
1 Gent.
Must we go?
Bes. I know not.
Arb.
I pray you leave me Sirs, I'me proud of this,
That you will be
intreated from my sight:
Why now the[y] leave me all: Mardonius.
[Exeunt all but_ Arb. _and Mar.
Mar.
Sir.
Arb.
Will you leave me quite alone? me thinks
Civility should teach you
more than this,
If I were but your friend: Stay here and wait.

Mar.
Sir shall I speak?
Arb.
Why, you would now think much
To be denied, but I can scar[c]e
intreat
What I would have: do, speak.
Mar.
But will you hear me out?
Arb.
With me you Article to talk thus: well,
I will hear you out.
Mar.
Sir, that I have ever lov'd you, my sword hath spoken for me; that I do,
if it be doubted, I dare call an oath, a great one to my witness; and were
you not my King, from amongst men, I should have chose you out to
love above the rest: nor can this challenge thanks, for my own sake I
should have done it, because I would have lov'd the most deserving
man, for so you are.
Arb.
Alas Mardonius, rise you shall not kneel,
We all are souldiers, and all
venture lives:
And where there is no difference in mens worths,

Titles are jests, who can outvalue thee?
Mardonius thou hast lov'd me,
and hast wrong,
Thy love is not rewarded, but believe
It shall be
better, more than friend in arms,
My Father, and my Tutor, good
Mardonius.
Mar.
Sir, you did promise you would hear me out.

Arb.
And so I will; speak freely, for from thee
Nothing can come but
worthy things and true.
Mar.
Though you have all this worth, you hold some qualities that do Eclipse
your vertues.
Arb.
Eclipse my vertues?
Mar.
Yes, your passions, which are so manifold, that they appear even in this:
when I commend you, you hug me for that truth: but when I speak your
faults, you make a start, and flie the hearing but.
Arb.
When you commend me? O that I should live
To need such
commendations: If my deeds
Blew not my praise themselves about
the earth,
I were most wretched: spare your idle praise:
If thou didst
mean to flatter, and shouldst utter
Words in my praise, that thou
thoughtst impudence,
My deeds should make 'em modest: when you
praise I hug
you? 'tis so [false], that wert thou worthy thou shouldst
receive a death, a glorious death from me: but thou shalt understand thy
lies, for shouldst thou praise me into Heaven, and there leave me
inthron'd, I would despise thee though as much as now, which is as
much as dust because I see thy envie.
Mar.
However you will use me after, yet for your own promise sake, hear me
the rest.

Arb.
I will, and after call unto the winds, for they shall lend as large an ear
as I to what you utter: speak.
Mar.
Would you but leave these hasty tempers, which
I do not say take
from you all your worth, but darken 'em, then you will shine indeed.
Arb.
Well.
Mar.
Yet I would have you keep some passions, lest men should take you for
a God, your vertues are such.
Arb.
Why now you flatter.
Mar.
I never understood the word, were you no King, and free from these
moods, should I choose a companion for wit and pleasure, it should be