Bessus the Coward wrong’d you.

Bac.

  Right.

Bes.

  And shall Bessus the Valiant, maintain what Bessus the Coward
  did?

Bac.

  I pray thee leave these cheating tricks, I swear thou shalt fight
  with me, or thou shall be beaten extreamly, and kick’d.

Bes.

  Since you provoke me thus far, my Lord, I will fight with you,
  and by my Sword it shall cost me twenty pound, but I will have my
  Leg well a week sooner purposely.

Bac.

  Your Leg?  Why, what ailes your Leg? i’le do a cure on you, stand
  up.

Bes.

  My Lord, this is not Noble in you.

Bac.

  What dost thou with such a phrase in thy mouth?  I will kick thee
  out of all good words before I leave thee.

Bes.

  My Lord, I take this as a punishment for the offence I did when I
  was a Coward.

Bac.

  When thou wert?  Confess thy self a Coward still, or by this
  light, I’le beat thee into Spunge.

Bes.

  Why I am one.

Bac.

  Are you so Sir?  And why do you wear a Sword then? 
  Come unbuckle.

Bes.

  My Lord.

Bac.

  Unbuckle I say, and give it me, or as I live, thy head will ake
  extreamly.

Bes.

  It is a pretty Hilt, and if your Lordship take an affection to
  it, with all my heart I present it to you for a New-years-gift.

Bac.

  I thank you very heartily, sweet Captain, farewel.

Bes.

  One word more, I beseech your Lordship to render me my knife
  again.

Bac.

  Marry by all means Captain; cherish your self with it, and eat
  hard, good Captain; we cannot tell whether we shall have any more
  such:  Adue dear Captain.

[Exit Bac.

Bes.

I will make better use of this, than of my Sword:  A base spirit has this vantage of a brave one, it keeps alwayes at a stay, nothing brings it down, not beating.  I remember I promis’d the King in a great Audience, that I would make my back-biters eat my sword to a knife; how to get another sword I know not, nor know any means left for me to maintain my credit, but impudence:  therefore I will out-swear him and all his followers, that this is all that’s left uneaten of my sword.

[Exit Bessus.

Enter Mardonius.

Mar.

I’le move the King, he is most strangely alter’d; I guess the cause I fear too right, Heaven has some secret end in’t, and ’tis a scourge no question justly laid upon him:  he has followed me through twenty Rooms; and ever when I stay to wait his command, he blushes like a Girl, and looks upon me, as if modesty kept in his business:  so turns away from me, but if I go on, he follows me again.

Enter Arbaces.