The Senate sitting.[2215]
First Sen. My lord, you have my voice to it; the fault's[2216][2217]
Bloody; 'tis necessary he should die:[2216]
Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.
Sec. Sen. Most true; the law shall bruise him.[2218]
Enter Alcibiades, attended.
Alcib. Honour, health, and compassion to the senate![2219] 5
First Sen. Now, captain?[2220]
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 10
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,[2221][2222]
Of comely virtues:[2222][2223] 15
Nor did he soil the fact with cowardice—[2222][2223]
An honour in him which buys out his fault—[2222][2223]
But with a noble fury and fair spirit,[2222][2223][2224]
Seeing his reputation touch'd to death,[2223][2225]
He did oppose his foe:[2223] 20
And with such sober and unnoted passion[2226]
He did behave his anger, ere 'twas spent,[2227]
As if he had but proved an argument.[2228]
First Sen. You undergo too strict a paradox,
Striving to make an ugly deed look fair: 25
Your words have took such pains, as if they labour'd[2229]
To bring manslaughter into form, and set quarrelling[2230][2231]
Upon the head of valour; which indeed[2230]
Is valour misbegot and came into the world[2230]
When sects and factions were newly born:[2230][2232] 30
He's truly valiant that can wisely suffer
The worst that man can breathe, and make his wrongs[2233]
His outsides, to wear them like his raiment, carelessly,[2233][2234]
And ne'er prefer his injuries to his heart,[2235]
To bring it into danger. 35
If wrongs be evils and enforce us kill,
What folly 'tis to hazard life for ill!
Alcib. My lord,—
First Sen. You cannot make gross sins look clear:[2236]
To revenge is no valour, but to bear.[2237]