SCENE V. The same. The senate-house. The Senate sitting. Timon of Athens  Shakespeare homepage  |  Timon of Athens  | Act 3, Scene 5 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  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! 

 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 

 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: 

 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 proved an argument. 

 First Senator  You undergo too strict a paradox, 

 Striving to make an ugly deed look fair: 

 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: 

 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, 

 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: 

 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, 

 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, 

 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? 

 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. 

 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? 

 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; 

 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, 

 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-- 

 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 

 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, 

 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! 

 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: 

 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! 

 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, 

 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 

 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; 

 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. 



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