BESSUS

We that are commanders shall do well enough. I love these jests exceedingly. But was not this a brave combat Mardonius? You stood with me. Well, I believe there are better Soldiers then I, that ne er saw two Princes fight in lists. TO was brauel done of our King. Shall I tell you truly. I could willingly venture for it. Let me not li e, if I do not think it is a braver piece of service, then that me so famed for. I famed, I, I warrant you. You saw me do the service your self. At Bessus desperate redemption. There where I redeemed the day, the place bears my name. The Soldier: True, but I did not run. But came not I up when the day was gone, and re deemed all? Come, come, our King's a brave fellow. And please your Majesty I was afraid at first. That you would not have spied your best advantages, for your Majesty in my opinion lay too high me thinks, un der favour, you should have lain thus. And then, ift please your Majesty to remember, at one time, by my Troth, I wished my self with you. To put your Majesty in mind of and occasion; you lay thus, and Tigranes falsified a blow at your leg, which you by doing thus avoided; but if you had whipped up your leg thus, and reached him on th'eare, you had made the blood run about head. Would would would. An't please your Majesty: The King Rage extre mely, shall we flinke away; Heel strike us: I know not. He is, he is, weel show our selves. An't please your Mayest e I have a suit. I am to carry a Lady with me. I know not that, but gold I shall be sure of. If I do not make my backbiters eat it to a knife within this week, say I am not valiant. What is your Majesty ready? Sweet Lady by your leave, I could wish my self more full of Courtship for your fair sake. Sweet Lady shall I call you my charge hereafter? Health to my Lord Protector, from the King these Letters, and to your grace Madam these: As well as conquest by his own means, and his vam liant commanders can make him your letters will tell you all. As the rest of us that fought are: He's a strange Soldier that gets not a knock, He had diverse. Well again, ant please your grace; why I was run twice through the body, and shot ith head with a cross ar row, and yet am well again. Not care how I do, let a man out of the mightiness of his spirit fructify foreign Countries with his blood for the good of his own, and thus he shall be answered: why, I may live to relieve with spear and shield such a Lady di stressed. Madam, let what will beat, I must tell truth, and thus it was: They fought single in lists but one to one, as for my own partly I was dangerously hurt but three days before, else perhaps we had been two to two; I cannot tell, some thought we had; and the occasion of my hurt was this, the enemy had made trenches. I will, but 'twould be worth your hearing: To the lists they came, and single sword and gauntlet was their fight. Without the lists there stood some dozen Captains of either side mingled, all which were sworn, and one of those was I: and it my chance to stand nee e a Captain of the Enemies side, called Tiribasus; valiant they said he was: while these two Kings were stretching themselves, this Tiri basus cast something a scornful look on me, and asked me whom I thought would overcome: I smiled, and told him, if he would fight with me, he should perceive by the event of that whose King would win; something he answered, and a scuffle was Like to grow, when one Zipetus offered to help him: I— Why yes, I'll tell your Grace; they were not to fight till the word given, which for my own partly by my troth I was not to give. I, but I: Cried, give the word, when as some of them said Ti granes was stooping, but the word was not given then: when one Cosro S of the enemi S partly held up his finger to me, which is as much with us Marshallists, as I will fight with you: I said not a word, nor made sign during the combat; but that once done. I called him to me, Cosros said I: No, no, Ilie. Captain said I, it so. No, your Grace will wish you had. An't please your Grace this is she: Charge will you come nearer the Princes? I cannot tell, servants are slippery; but I dare give my word for her, and for her honesty: she came along with me, and many favours she did me by the way; but by this light none but what she might do with modesty, to a man of my rank. Nay, if you should, your Grace may think your plea sure; but I am sure I brought her from Armenia, and in all that way if ever I touched any bore on her above her knee, I pray God I may sink where I stand. No you know I did not, and if any man will say I did, this Sword shall answer: Nay, I'll defend the reputation of my charge while I live; your Grace shall understand I am see cret in these businesses, and know how to defend a Ladies honour. I, you may call me what you please, but I'll defend your good name against the World; and so I take my leave of your Grace, and of you my Lord Protector, I am likewise glad to see your Lordship well. When you please, I will attend your Lordship: No marry is she not an't please your Majesty: I never thought she was, she's nothing Like you. They talk of fame, I have got it in the wars, and will afford any man a reasonable pennyworth: some will say they could be content to have it, but that it is to be achieved with danger; but my opinion is otherwise: for if I might stand still in Canon proof, and have fame fallen upon me, I would refuse it: My reputation came principally by thinking to run away, which no body knows but Mar donius and I think he conceals it to anger me. Before I went to the wars, I came to the Town a young fellow without means, or parts, to dese we friends; and my empty guts per swaded me to lie, and abuse people for my meat, which I did, and they beat me: then would I fast two days, till my hunger cried out on me, rail still; then me thought I had a monstrous stomach to abuse them again, and did it. In this state I continued till they hung me up by heals and beat me with hast sticks, as if they would have baked me, and have cozened some body with me for Venison: After this I railed, and ate quietly: for the whole Kingdom took notice of me for a baffled whipped fellow, and what I said, was remembered in mirth, but never in anger; of which I was glad, I would it were at that pass again: After this, God called and Ant of mine, that left two hundred pounds in a Cosens hand for me, who taking me to be a gallant young spirit, raised a company for me with the money, and sent me into Armenia with um: Away I would have run from them, but that I could get no company, and alone I durst not run. I was never at battle but once, and there I was running, but Mardonius cudgeled me; yet I God lose at last, but was so afraid, that I saw no more then my shoulders do, but fled with my whole company amongst my enemies, and overthrew um: Now the report of my valour is come over before me, and they say I was a raw young fellow, but now I am improved. A plague of their eloquence, 'twill cost me many a beating: And Mar donius might help this to if he would; for now they think to get honour of me, and all the men I have abused, call me freshly to account, worthily as they call it, by the way of challenge. Good morrow Sir. You are very welcome. A pox on um, so they cry all. 'Tis a challenge Sir, is it not? My Lord. An't please your Majesty, ther's the knife. The Sword is eaten. Vanities, I am no honest man if my enemies have not brought it to this, what, do you think I lie? Mardonius give way to the state affairs Do for you, by this air I will do any thing with out exception, be it a good, bade, or indifferent thing By this light but I will, Any thing whatsoever. Oh you would have about with her? I'll do't, I'll do't I'faith. More, no, why is there any thing else, if there be tell me, it shall be done. Why your Majesty looks as well in my opinion as ever you did since you were born: I feel no such thing, but 'tis no matter how I look, Jle do your business as well as they that look better, and when this is dispatched, if you have a mind to your Mother tell me, and you shall see I'll set it hard: Gentlemen ath'sword, my Prince has beaten me. Even with his royal hand. TO was twenty blows of indignation gentlemen, Beside two blows ath'face. I will be glad to embrace it gentleman; But how far may he strike me? 'Tis a the longest, but we subjects must Be subject to it: you are wise, and virtuous. My sorest business is, I have been kicked. Then I am valiant, as valiant, as the proudest, For these are all familiar things to me: Familiar as my sleep, or want of money. All my whole body's but one bruise with beating, I think I have been cudgeld with all nations, And almost all Religions. My equal friends ath'sword, I must request your hands to this. I must request you go along, and testify to the Lord Bacurius, whose foot has struck me, how you find my cause. Farewell Sir, farewell, commend me to the Gentle woman I pr In. Gentlemen ath'sword your hands once more, I have Been kicked again, but the foolish fellow is penitent, Has asked me mercy, and my honor's safe. Alas good ignorant old man, let him go, Let him go, these courses will undo him. My good Lord I will not, your Lordship is mistaken, Fear not Lord. I can ask no more in honour, Gentlemen you hear my Lord is sorry: It seems your Lordship has forgotten my name. Your Lordship still draws wide, they come to vouch under their valiant hands, I am no Coward. They shall dine with your Lordship, that's sufficient. Why if you remember fellow subject Arbaces, I told you once she was not your sister, I say she look't nothing Like you. Here will arise another question now amongst the Swordmen, whither I be to call him to account for beating me, now he's proved no King. To take a Prince prisoner in the heart of his own Country in single combat. Yowl never leave this till I fallen foul. And if I can prefer her to the Lady Panthan your Majesties sister, to learn fashions as her friends term it, it will be worth something to me. Jf I can. Your Majesty has a good opinion of my vnderstan ding. Some body has tradust me to you: do you see this sword Sir? Lady, you must haste, I have received new letters from the King, that requires more speed then I expected he will follow me suddenly himself, and begins to call for your Majesty already. And inviting? Oh cry you mercy, what a compliment he delivers it with? he might as agreeably to my nature pre sent me poison with such a speech: um reputation, um call you to and account, um forced to this, um with my sword, um Like a gentleman, um deer to me, um satisfaction: 'Tis very well Sir, I do accept it, but he must await and answer this thirteen weeks. Upon my faith Sir to two hundred and twelve, and I have a spent body too much bruised in battle, so that I can not fight, I must be plain with you, above three combats a day: All the kindness I can do him, is to set him resolutely in my roll the two hundred and thirteenth man, which is something: for I tell you, I think there will be more after him, then before him, I so pray you commend me to him, and tell him this. Good morrow good Sir. Certainly my safest way were to print my self a coward, with a discovery how I came by my credit, and clap it upon every post: I have recei ved above thirty challenges within this two hours, marry all but the first put off with engagement, and by good for tune the first is no madder of fighting then I, so that that's re feru'd. The place where it must be ended, is four days jour ney of, and our arbitrators are there: He has chosen a gen tleman in travel, and I have a special friend, with a quar terne ague likely to hold him this time here, for mine; and when his man comes home, we are to expect my friends health: If they would send me challenges thus thick, as long as I lived I would have no other living; I can make seven shillings a day oh that paper to the Grocers: yet I learn nothing by all these but a little skill in comparing of stile. I do find evidently that there is some one Scrivener in this Town, that has a great hand in writing of challenges, for they are all of a cut, and six of um in a hand; and they all end, my reputation is deer to me, and I must require satisfaction: whose there? more paper I hope; no, 'tis my Lord Bacurius, I fear all is not well betwixt us. Very right. True my Lord. Oh my good Lord, my deep engagements. My Lord, I seek not quarrels, and this belongs not to me, I am not to maintain it. Bessus the coward wronged you. And shall Bessus the valiant, maintain what Bessus the coward did? Since you provoke me thus far my Lord, I will fight with you; and by my Sword it shall cost me twenty pounds, but I will have my leg a week sooner purposely. My Lord, this is not noble in you: My Lord, I take this as a punishment for the offence I did when I was a coward. Why I am one: It is a pretty hilt, and if your Lordship take and affection on to it, with all my heart, I present it to you for a newyears gift. One word more, I beseech your Lordship to render me my knife again. I will make better use of this, then of my sword: A base spirit has this vantage of a brave one; it keeps always at a stay, nothing brings it down, not beating. I remember I promised the King in a great audience, that I would make my backbiters eat my sword to a knife, how to get another sword I know not, nor know any means left for me to main taine my credit but impudence: Therefore will I outsweare him and all his followers, that this is all is left uneaten of my sword. Where is the King? What do you mean Sir? Good Sir. you are very welcome both, some stools there boy, And reach a Table; Gentlemen oth' Sword, Pray fit without more compliment: be gone child, I have been curious in the searching of you, Because I understood you wise, and valiant persons. Nay Gentlemen, and my deer friends oth' Sword, No compliment I pray; but to the cause I hang upon, which in few, is my honour. My first doubt is my beating by my Prince. Not to slatter my self in it all over, my sword forced, but not lost; for dis reetely I rendered it to save that impu tation. I do suppose it. Surely no: I pray suppose a sword too. Nay, look you Gentlemen. It lies ith beating Sir, I found it four days since. I understand that well, 'tis soar indeed Sir. Ah Lords. I did laugh, But how will that help me Gentlemen? As loud as a kicked man could laugh, I laughed Sir: Boy get some wine, and pen and ink within: Am I clear Gentlemen? My Lord I have made bold to bring these Gentlemen my Friends ath'sword along with me. Spare your self my good Lord; my brave friends aim at nothing but the virtue. I am very well, I humbly thank your Lordship. Why well enough I warrant you, you can go. A little butter friend, a little butter butter and parse lie is a sovereign matter: probatum est. Yes marry shall you, and then let all the world come, we are valiant to our selves, and theres and end: The Christian world. Yes, I would done good service. Madam, I dare pass my word for her truth. Your Lordship holds your mirth still, God continue it: but for these Gentlemen they come. I would feign hear that thing. Nay Gentlemen, let us do what we shall do Truly and honestly; good Fit toth' question.