| ACT III SCENE V | The same. The senate-house. The Senate sitting. | |
| First Senator | My lord, you have my voice to it; the fault's |
| Bloody; 'tis necessary he should die: |
| Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy. |
| Second Senator | Most true; the law shall bruise him. |
| [Enter ALCIBIADES, with Attendants] |
| ALCIBIADES | Honour, health, and compassion to the senate! | 5 |
| First Senator | Now, captain? |
| ALCIBIADES | I am an humble suitor to your virtues; |
| For pity is the virtue of the law, |
| And none but tyrants use it cruelly. |
| It pleases time and fortune to lie heavy | 10 |
| Upon a friend of mine, who, in hot blood, |
| Hath stepp'd into the law, which is past depth |
| To those that, without heed, do plunge into 't. |
| He is a man, setting his fate aside, |
| Of comely virtues: | 15 |
| Nor did he soil the fact with cowardice-- |
| An honour in him which buys out his fault-- |
| But with a noble fury and fair spirit, |
| Seeing his reputation touch'd to death, |
| He did oppose his foe: | 20 |
| And with such sober and unnoted passion |
| He did behave his anger, ere 'twas spent, |
| As if he had but proved an argument. |
| First Senator | You undergo too strict a paradox, |
| Striving to make an ugly deed look fair: | 25 |
| Your words have took such pains as if they labour'd |
| To bring manslaughter into form and set quarrelling |
| Upon the head of valour; which indeed |
| Is valour misbegot and came into the world |
| When sects and factions were newly born: | 30 |
| He's truly valiant that can wisely suffer |
| The worst that man can breathe, and make his wrongs |
| His outsides, to wear them like his raiment, |
| carelessly, |
| And ne'er prefer his injuries to his heart, | 35 |
| To bring it into danger. |
| If wrongs be evils and enforce us kill, |
| What folly 'tis to hazard life for ill! |
| ALCIBIADES | My lord,-- |
| First Senator | You cannot make gross sins look clear: | 40 |
| To revenge is no valour, but to bear. |
| ALCIBIADES | My lords, then, under favour, pardon me, |
| If I speak like a captain. |
| Why do fond men expose themselves to battle, |
| And not endure all threats? sleep upon't, | 45 |
| And let the foes quietly cut their throats, |
| Without repugnancy? If there be |
| Such valour in the bearing, what make we |
| Abroad? why then, women are more valiant |
| That stay at home, if bearing carry it, | 50 |
| And the ass more captain than the lion, the felon |
| Loaden with irons wiser than the judge, |
| If wisdom be in suffering. O my lords, |
| As you are great, be pitifully good: |
| Who cannot condemn rashness in cold blood? | 55 |
| To kill, I grant, is sin's extremest gust; |
| But, in defence, by mercy, 'tis most just. |
| To be in anger is impiety; |
| But who is man that is not angry? |
| Weigh but the crime with this. | 60 |
| Second Senator | You breathe in vain. |
| ALCIBIADES | In vain! his service done |
| At Lacedaemon and Byzantium |
| Were a sufficient briber for his life. |
| First Senator | What's that? | 65 |
| ALCIBIADES | I say, my lords, he has done fair service, |
| And slain in fight many of your enemies: |
| How full of valour did he bear himself |
| In the last conflict, and made plenteous wounds! |
| Second Senator | He has made too much plenty with 'em; | 70 |
| He's a sworn rioter: he has a sin that often |
| Drowns him, and takes his valour prisoner: |
| If there were no foes, that were enough |
| To overcome him: in that beastly fury |
| He has been known to commit outrages, | 75 |
| And cherish factions: 'tis inferr'd to us, |
| His days are foul and his drink dangerous. |
| First Senator | He dies. |
| ALCIBIADES | Hard fate! he might have died in war. |
| My lords, if not for any parts in him-- | 80 |
| Though his right arm might purchase his own time |
| And be in debt to none--yet, more to move you, |
| Take my deserts to his, and join 'em both: |
| And, for I know your reverend ages love |
| Security, I'll pawn my victories, all | 85 |
| My honours to you, upon his good returns. |
| If by this crime he owes the law his life, |
| Why, let the war receive 't in valiant gore |
| For law is strict, and war is nothing more. |
| First Senator | We are for law: he dies; urge it no more, | 90 |
| On height of our displeasure: friend or brother, |
| He forfeits his own blood that spills another. |
| ALCIBIADES | Must it be so? it must not be. My lords, |
| I do beseech you, know me. |
| Second Senator | How! | 95 |
| ALCIBIADES | Call me to your remembrances. |
| Third Senator | What! |
| ALCIBIADES | I cannot think but your age has forgot me; |
| It could not else be, I should prove so base, |
| To sue, and be denied such common grace: | 100 |
| My wounds ache at you. |
| First Senator | Do you dare our anger? |
| 'Tis in few words, but spacious in effect; |
| We banish thee for ever. |
| ALCIBIADES | Banish me! | 105 |
| Banish your dotage; banish usury, |
| That makes the senate ugly. |
| First Senator | If, after two days' shine, Athens contain thee, |
| Attend our weightier judgment. And, not to swell |
| our spirit, | 110 |
| He shall be executed presently. |
| [Exeunt Senators] |
| ALCIBIADES | Now the gods keep you old enough; that you may live |
| Only in bone, that none may look on you! |
| I'm worse than mad: I have kept back their foes, |
| While they have told their money and let out | 115 |
| Their coin upon large interest, I myself |
| Rich only in large hurts. All those for this? |
| Is this the balsam that the usuring senate |
| Pours into captains' wounds? Banishment! |
| It comes not ill; I hate not to be banish'd; | 120 |
| It is a cause worthy my spleen and fury, |
| That I may strike at Athens. I'll cheer up |
| My discontented troops, and lay for hearts. |
| 'Tis honour with most lands to be at odds; |
| Soldiers should brook as little wrongs as gods. | 125 |
| [Exit] |
Sources for Timon of Athens