“It is only children and fools that act without reflection,” was the answer.
“You forget those who are deluded by passion.”
“I do not belong to that number.”
“And yet revenge is the most fearful of all the passions.”
“Only when it is practised in the heat of feeling. My revenge is as cool as this piece of iron; but I know my duty.”
“The highest duty of a good man, is to subordinate his own welfare to that of his country.”
“That I know.”
“You seem to forget, however, that with Egypt you are delivering your own country over to the Persians.”
“I do not agree with you there.”
“Do you believe, that when all the rest of the Mediterranean coasts belong to Persia, she will leave your beautiful Greece untouched?”