Than crave the hire which first we do deserve.
(iI. iii. 120.)
In bitter self-irony he belies the disinterestedness of his exploits, and libels them as mere contrivances to win favour:
Your voices: for your voices I have fought;
Watch’d for your voices; for your voices bear
Of wounds two dozen odd; battles thrice six
I have seen and heard of; for your voices have
Done many things, some less, some more.
(iI. iii. 133.)
His fault lies in an opposite direction. His sense of dignity and self-esteem makes him inflexible to any concession that would seem to disparage himself and the truth.