ers, which were hired for that
purpose, after he perceiued that his declared pacience, that his
modest talke and his long and faithful seruice, which he had
done to the king, his losse and hinderance sustained, the perill
of his life, which so many tymes he had suffred preuayled
nothing, at length vanquished with disdayne he brake the bridle
of pacience, and sorted out of the boundes of his wonted nature,
for that in place of honoure he receiued rebuke, and in stede of
reward was depryued of his office, began in a rage to complayne
on the king, terminge him to bee an vnkynd prince, which among
the Persians was estemed a worde of great offence to the
maiesty: wherefore faine he would haue departed the court, and
retired home to his countrey, which he could not doe without
speciall licence from the king, and yet to craue the same at his
handes, his heart would not serue him. Al these murmures and
complaintes which he secretly made, were tolde the king, and
therefore the king commaunded him one day, to be called beefore
him, vnto whome he sayd: "Ariobarzanes, youre grudging
complaintes and enuious quarels, whyche you brute behinde my
backe throughout my Courte, and your continuall rages
outragiously pronounced, through the very Windowes of my Palace
haue pierced mine eares, whereby I vnderstand that thing which
hardly I would haue beleued: but yet being a Prince aswell
inclined to fauoure and quiet hearinge of all causes, as to
credite of light reportes, would faine know of you the cause of
your complaints, and what hath moued you therevnto: for you be
not ignorant, that to murmure at the Persian king, or to terme
him to be vnkinde, is no lesse offence than to blaspheme the
Gods immortall, bicause by auncient Lawes and Decrees they be
honored and worshipped as Gods. And among all the penaltyes
conteyned in our lawes, the vyce of Ingratitude is moste
bytterlye corrected. But leauing to speake of the threates and
daungers of our lawes, I pray you to tell me wherin I haue
offended you: for albeit that I am a king, yet reason persuadeth
me, not to giue offence to anye man, which if I should doe (and
the Gods forbid the same) I ought rather to be termed a tyrante
than a Kinge." Ariobarzanes hearing the king speake so
reasonably, was abashed, but yet with stoute countenaunce he
feared not particularly to remember the woordes which he had
spoken of the king, and the cause wherefore he spake them. "Wel
(said the king) I perceiu