Lucius, Lucullus, and Sempronius; all :

I'll once more feast the rascals.

Flav.
O my lord,
You only speak from your distracted soul;
There is not so much left, to furnish out

A moderate table.

Tim.

Be't not in thy care; go,

I charge thee; invite them all: let in the tide
Of knaves once more; my cook and I'll provide.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

The same. The Senate-House.

The Senate sitting. Enter ALCIBIADES, attended.

1 Sen. My lord, you have my voice to it; the fault's Bloody; 'tis necessary he should die : Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.

2 Sen. Most true; the law shall bruise him. Alcib. Honour, health, and compassion to the

senate!

1 Sen. Now, captain?

Alcib. 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
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 it.
He is a man, setting his fate aside, 9

9 i. e. Putting this action of his, which was predetermined by fate, out of the question.

:

Of comely virtues :

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:

And with such sober and unnoted passion
He did behave his anger, ere 'twas spent,
As if he had but prov'd an argument.

1 Sen. You undergo too strict a paradox, 3
Striving to make an ugly deed look fair:
Your words have took such pains, as if they labour'd
To bring manslaughter into form, set quarrelling
Upon the head of valour; which, indeed,
Is valour misbegot, and came into the world
When sects and factions were newly born:
He's truly valiant, that can wisely suffer

The worst that man can breathe; and make his

wrongs

His outsides; wear them like his raiment, care

lessly;

And ne'er prefer his injuries to his heart,

To bring it into danger.

If wrongs be evils, and enforce us kill,

What folly 'tis, to hazard life for ill?

Alcib. My lord,

1 Sen. You cannot make gross sins look clear; To revenge is no valour, but to bear.

Alcib. 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 threatnings? sleep upon it,

And let the foes quietly cut their throats,

Without repugnancy? but if there be

Such valour in the bearing, what make we

Abroad?4 why then, women are more valiant,
That stay at home, if bearing carry it;

And th' 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?
To kill, I grant, is sin's extremest gust; 5
But, in defence, by mercy, 'tis most just. 6
To be in anger, is impiety;

But who is man, that is not angry?

Weigh but the crime with this.

2 Sen. You breathe in vain. Alcib.

In vain? his service done

At Lacedæmon, and Byzantium,

Were a sufficient briber for his life.

1 Sen. What's that?

Alcib. Why, I say, my lords, h'as done fairservice,

And slain in fight many of your enemies :

How full of valour did he bear himself

1

In the last conflict, and made plenteous wounds ?

2 Sen. He has made too much plenty with 'em, he Is a sworn rioter: h'as a sin that often

4 What have we to do in the field?

5 For aggravation.

6 " Homicide in our own defence, by a merciful interpretation of the law is considered justifiable."

Drowns him, and takes his valour prisoner :
If there were no foes, that were enough alone
To overcome him: in that beastly fury
He has been known to commit outrages,
And cherish factions: 'Tis inferr'd to us,
His days are foul, and his drink dangerous.
1 Sen. He dies.

Alcib. Hard fate! he might have died in war. My lords, if not for any parts in him,

(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 them both :
And, for I know, your reverend ages love
Security, I'll pawn my victories, all
My honour to you, upon his good returns..
If by this crime he owes the law his life,
Why, let the war receiv't in valiant gore;
For law is strict, and war is nothing more.

1 Sen. We are for law, he dies; urge it no more, On height of our displeasure: Friend, or brother, He forfeits his own blood, that spills another.

Alcib. Must it be so? it must not be. My lords, I do beseech you, know me.

2 Sen. How?

Alcib. Call me to your remembrances.

3.Sen..

What?

Alcib. I cannot think, but your age has forgot me;

It could not else be, I should prove so base, 7

To sue, and be denied such common grace:

My wounds ache at you.

VOL, VIII,

F

1 Sen.

Do you dare our anger?

'Tis in few words, but spacious in effect;

We banish thee for ever.

Banish your dotage; banish usury,
That makes the senate ugly.

1 Sen. If, after two days' shine, Athens contain

thee,

Attend our weightier judgment. And, not to swell

our spirit, 8

He shall be executed presently. (Exeunt Senators. Alcib. Now the gods keep you old enough; that

you may live

Only in bone, that none may look on you!
I am worse than mad: I have kept back their foes,
While they have told their money, and let out
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? ha! banishment?
It comes not ill; I hate not to be banish'd;
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, 9
'Tis honour, with most lands to be at odds;
Soldiers should brook as little wrongs, as gods. [Exit.

8 i. e. Not to put ourselves in any tumour of rage.

9 We should now say-to lay out for hearts, i. e. the affec tions of the people.