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[The same. The senate-house. The Senate sitting.]
FIRST SENATOR
, ,
, , oo
My lord,| you have | my voice,| to it,|
,
,
The fault's | bloody: \\
, ,
, , oo
'Tis nec|essa|ry he | should die:|
, 2
, ,
, ,
Nothing em|boldens | sin so | much, as | mercy.
SECOND SENATOR
,
, ,
Most^true;| the law | shall bruise | him.
\\
[Enter ALCIBIADES, with Attendants]
ALCIBIADES
,
, 2 ,
, ,
Honor,| health, and comp|assion | to the |
senate.
FIRST SENATOR
Now captain.
ALCIBIADES
, 2 ,
, , ,
I am a | humble | suitor | to your | virtues;
, ,
, ,
,
For pit|y is | the vir|tue of | the law,
,
, , ,
,
And none | but tyr|ants use | it cru|elly.
, ,
, 2 , ,
It pleas|es time | and for|tune to lie | heavy
,
, ,
, ,
Upon | a friend | of mine,| who in / hot blood,
,
, ,
T . T T
Hath stepped | into | the law:| which is past
depth
, , ,
, , 2
To those | that (with/out heed)| do plunge | into
it.
3 3 ,
,
, ,
,
He is a man |(setting | his fate | aside) of
comely virtues: ????
,
, , ,
,
Nor did | he soil | the fact | with cow|ardice,
, ,
, , ,
(And hon|or in him,// which buys out | his fault)
,
, ,
, x
But with | a nob|le fur|y, and / fair spirit,
,
, , ,
,
Seeing | his rep|uta|tion touched | to death,
, ,
,
He did | oppose | his foe: \\
, ,
2 , , ,
And with / such so|ber and un|noted | passion
, ,
, ,
,
He did | behoove | his ang|er ere |'twas^spent,
, ,
, ,
,
As if | he had | but proved | an arg|ument.
FIRST SENATOR
, , T T
. T ,
You und|ergo | too strict a par|adox,
,
, ,
T T T
Striving | to make | an ugly | deed look fair:
, ,
, ,
, 2->
Your words | have took | such^pains,| as if |
they lab||ored
, , ,
, ,
To bring | manslaughter into form, and set
quarrelling ????
, ,
, ,
,
Upon | the head | of val|or; which | indeed
, ,
, ,
,
Is val|or mis|begot,| and came | into the world,
????
, ,
, , ,
When sects,| and fac|tions | were new|ly born:
, ,
, 2 , 2->
He's tru|ly val|iant,| that can wise|ly suf||fer
, ,
,
The worst | that man | can breathe, \\
, ,
, ___ oo
And make | his wrongs,| his out|sides,|
, ,
, , ,
To wear | them like | his rai|ment, care|lessly,
,
, ,
, 2 ,
And nere | prefer | his in|juries | to his heart,
, ,
,
To bring | it in|to dang|er. \\
, ,
, ,
,
If wrongs | be ev|ils, and | enforce | us kill,
, ,
, ,
,
What fol|ly 'tis,| to haz|ard life | for ill.
ALCIBIADES
My lord.
FIRST SENATOR
, , T T
T ___
You can|not make | gross sins look | clear,
2 ,
, , ,
__
To revenge | is no | valor,| but to | bear.
ALCIBIADES
, ,
, ,
,
My lords,| then und|er fav|or, pard|on me,
, T
T . T
If I | speak like a cap|tain. \\
,
T T . T ,
x
Why do | fond men expose | themselves | to
battle,
, ,
T T T
x
And not | endure | all threats? Sleep | upon it,
, , ,
, ,
And let | the foes | quiet|ly cut | their throats
,
, , T T
T
Without | repug|nancy?| If there be
, ,
, ,
,
Such val/or in | the bear|ing, what | make we
, ,
, , , 2
Abroad?| Why then,| women | are more | valiant
,
, ,
, ,
That stay | at home,| if bear|ing car|ry it:
,
T T T ,
x
And the | ass, more cap|tain than the lion?
, x ,
, 2 ,
The fel|low loaden | with irons,| wiser | than
the judge?
, , ,
2 , ,
If wis|dom be | in suf|fering, oh | my lords,
, T
T T ,
,
As you | are great, be | piti|fully good,
,
, ,
, ,
Who* can|not con/demn rash|ness in / cold blood?
,
, ,
, ,
To kill,| I grant,| is sin's | extrem|est gust,
,
, ,
, ,
But, in | defense,| by mer|cy, 'tis / most just.
,
, , , ,
To be | in ang|er, is | impi|ety:
,
, , T T T
But who | is man,| that is | not angry.
,
, ,
Weigh but | the crime | with this.
SECOND SENATOR
, ,
You breathe | in vain.
ALCIBIADES
,
In vain?
, ,
, ,
,
His serv|ice done | at Lacedaemon, and Byzantium,
????
, ,
, , ,
Were a | suffic|ient bri|ber for | his life.
FIRST SENATOR
What's that?
ALCIBIADES
, ,
T T T ,
Why say | my lords | he's done fair | service,
, ,
x , ,
And slain | in fight | many of | your en|emies:
T T . T ,
, ,
How full of val|or did | he bear | himself
2 ,
T T . T
, ,
In the last | conflict, and made | plente|ous
wounds?
SECOND SENATOR
,
T T T ,
,
He has | made too much | plenty | with 'em:
,
, , ,
,
He's a | sworn ri/oter,| he has | a sin
x
, ,
, , 2 ->
That often | drowns him,| and takes | his val|or
pris||oner.
, , ,
, ,
If | there* were / no foes,| that were | enough
x ,
, , ,
To over|come him.| In that | beastly | fury,
, ,
, , ,
He has | been known | to com/mit out|rages,
,
, , ,
,
And cher|ish fac|tions. 'Tis | inferred | to us,
, ,
, , ,
His days | are foul,| and his / drink dang|erous.
FIRST SENATOR
He dies.
ALCIBIADES
__ __
, , ,
Hard | fate.| He might | have died | in war.
, ,
, ,
,
My lords,| if not | for an|y parts | in him--
, ,
, ,
,
Though* his / right arm | might* purch|ase his /
own time
, ,
, ,
2 ,
And be | in debt | to none--| yet, more* to |
move you,
T T . T ,
, ,
Take my deserts | to his,| and join |'em both.
3 3 ,
, , ,
And for I know,| your reve|rend age|s love
security, ????
,
, 2 , , 2
,
I'll pawn | my vic|tories, all | my hon|or to you
, ,
,
Upon | his good | returns. \\
, , ,
, ,
If by | this crime,| he owes | the law | his
life,
T T . T
x , 2
,
Why let the war | receive it | in val|iant gore,
, ,
, ,
,
For law | is strict,| and war | is noth|ing more.
FIRST SENATOR
,
, ,
T . T T
We are | for law,| he dies,| urge it no more
, ,
, , ,
o
On height | of our | displeas|ure: friend,| or
broth|er,
, ,
, ,
, o
He for|feits his / own blood,| that spills |
anoth|er. (hex with prev)
ALCIBIADES
,
, , ___
__
Must^it | be* so?| It must | not | be:
,
, , ,
My lords,| I do | beseech | you know | me.
SECOND SENATOR
,
How?
ALCIBIADES
,
, ,
,
Call me | to your | remem|brances.
THIRD SENATOR
__
What.
ALCIBIADES
, ,
2 , , ,
I can|not think | but your age | has for/got me,
, ,
, , ,
It could | not else | be*, I | should prove | so*
base,
, , ,
, ,
To sue | and be | denied | such^com|mon grace.
, ,
,
My wounds | ache at | you.
FIRST SENATOR
2 ,
,
Do you | dare our | anger?
, ,
, ,
,
'Tis in / few words,| but spac|ious in | effect:
, ,
,
We ban|ish thee | forev|er.
ALCIBIADES
, ,
Ban|ish me?
,
, , , ,
Banish | your dot|age, ban|ish us|ury,
, ,
,
That makes | the sen|ate ug|ly.
FIRST SENATOR
<- , ,
T T T
, ,
__
If | after || two days' shine,| Athens |
contain | thee,
, , 2
,
Attend | our weight|ier judg|ment. \\
, ,
,
And not | to swell | our spir|it, \\
,
, , ,
,
He shall | be ex|ecu|ted pres|ently.
[Exeunt Senators]
ALCIBIADES
T . T
T ,
, oo
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 mon|ey, and / let
out
, ,
, ,
,
Their coin | upon / large inte|rest. I | myself,
,
, , ,
,
Rich^on|ly in / large hurts.| All* those,| for
this?
, ,
, , 2 ,
->
Is this | the bal|sam, that | the us|uring
sen||ate
, , ,
, ,
Pours | into | captains'| wounds? Ban/ishment.
. T T T
, , 2
,
It comes not ill:| I hate | not to be | banished,
, 2
, , ,
,
It is a | cause wor/thy my | spleen and | fury,
, ,
, ,
,
That I | may strike | at Ath|ens. I'll / cheer up
, ,
, , ,
My dis|content|ed troops,| and lay | for hearts;
,
, , ,
,
'Tis hon|or with / most lands | to be | at odds,
,
, ,
, ,
Soldiers | should brook | as lit|tle wrongs | as
gods.
[Exit]