_Bel._ My Prince! _Sal._ Well met--I sought ye both, But elsewhere than the palace. _Arb._ Wherefore so? _Sal._ 'Tis not the hour. _Arb._ The hour!--what hour? _Sal._ Of midnight. _Bel._ Midnight, my Lord! _Sal._ What, are you not invited? _Bel._ Oh! yes--we had forgotten. _Sal._ Is it usual Thus to forget a Sovereign's invitation? _Arb._ Why--we but now received it. 150 _Sal._ Then why here? _Arb._ On duty. _Sal._ On what duty? _Bel._ On the state's. We have the privilege to approach the presence; But found the Monarch absent.[k] _Sal._ And I too Am upon duty. _Arb._ May we crave its purport? _Sal._ To arrest two traitors. Guards! Within there! _Enter Guards_. _Sal._ (_continuing_). Satraps, Your swords. _Bel._ (_delivering his_). My lord, behold my scimitar. _Arb._ (_drawing his sword_). Take mine. _Sal._ (_advancing_). I will. _Arb._ But in your heart the blade-- The hilt quits not this hand.[l] _Sal._ (_drawing_). How! dost thou brave me? Tis well--this saves a trial, and false mercy. 160 Soldiers, hew down the rebel! _Arb._ Soldiers! Aye-- _Alone, you_ dare not. _Sal._ Alone! foolish slave-- What is there in thee that a Prince should shrink from Of open force? We dread thy treason, not Thy strength: thy tooth is nought without its venom-- The serpent's, not the lion's. Cut him down. _Bel._ (_interposing_). Arbaces! Are you mad? Have I not rendered _My_ sword? Then trust like me our Sovereign's justice. _Arb._ No--I will sooner trust the stars thou prat'st of, And this slight arm, and die a king at least 170 Of my own breath and body--so far that None else shall chain them. _Sal._ (_to the Guards_). You hear _him_ and _me_. Take him not,--kill. [_The Guards attack_ ARBACES, _who defends himself valiantly and dexterously till they waver_. _Sal._ Is it even so; and must I do the hangman's office? Recreants! see How you should fell a traitor. [SALEMENES _attacks_ ARBACES. _Enter_ SARDANAPALUS _and Train_.