at ever shook a kingdom! Let them come,
And do their worst: I shall not blench for them; 310
Nor rise the sooner; nor forbear the goblet;
Nor crown me with a single rose the less;
Nor lose one joyous hour.--I fear them not.

_Sal._ But thou wouldst arm thee, wouldst thou not, if needful?

_Sar._ Perhaps. I have the goodliest armour, and
A sword of such a temper, and a bow,
And javelin, which might furnish Nimrod forth:
A little heavy, but yet not unwieldy.
And now I think on't, 'tis long since I've used them,
Even in the chase. Hast ever seen them, brother? 320

_Sal._ Is this a time for such fantastic trifling?--
If need be, wilt thou wear them?

_Sar._ Will I not?
Oh! if it must be so, and these rash slaves
Will not be ruled with less, I'll use the sword
Till they shall wish it turned into a distaff.

_Sal._ They say thy Sceptre's turned to that already.

_Sar._ That's false! but let them say so: the old Greeks,
Of whom our captives often sing, related
The same of their chief hero, Hercules,
Because he loved a Lydian queen: thou seest 330
The populace of all the nations seize
Each calumny they can to sink their sovereigns.

_Sal._ They did not speak thus of thy fathers.

_Sar._ No;
They dared not. They were kept to toil and combat;
And never changed their chains but for their armour:
Now they have peace and pastime, and the license
To revel and to rail; it irks me not.
I would not give the smile of one fair girl
For all the popular breath[12] that e'er divided
A name from nothing. What are the rank tongues[13] 340
Of this vile herd, grown insolent with feeding,
That I should prize their noisy praise, or dread
Their noisome clamour?

_Sal._ You have said they are men;
As such their hearts are something.

_Sar._ So my dogs' are;
And better, as more faithful:--but, proceed;
Thou hast my signet:--since they are tumultuous,
Let them be tempered, yet not roughly, till
Necessity enforce it. I hate all pain,
Given or received; we have enough within us,
The meanest vassal as the loftiest monarch, 350
Not to add to each oth