TPTT The Life of Timon of Athens: ACT III
Introduction
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
SCENE I. A room in Lucullus' house.
SCENE II. A public place.
SCENE III. A room in Sempronius' house.
SCENE IV. The same. A hall in Timon's house.
SCENE V. The same. The senate-house. The Senate sitting.
SCENE VI. The same. A banqueting-room in Timon's house.
ACT IV
ACT V
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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
5     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.
10    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,
15    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,
20    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,
25    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
30    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,
35    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
40    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,
45    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
50    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:
55    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?
60    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
65    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
70    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
75    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.
80    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
85    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
90    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
95    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,
100   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
105   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
110   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,
115   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!
120   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;
125   Soldiers should brook as little wrongs as gods.
Exit
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