The Senate House.
 Enter three SENATORS at one door,
 ALCIBIADES meeting them, with ATTENDANTS.

1st Senator	My lord, you have my voice to't. The fault's
	Bloody; 'tis necessary he should die.
	Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.

2nd Senator	Most true; the law shall bruise 'em.

Alcibiades	Honour, health, and compassion to the Senate!

1st Senator	Now, captain?

Alcibiades	I am a 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 stepped 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 touched to death,
	He did oppose his foe;
	And with such sober and unnoted passion
	He did behove his anger, ere 'twas spent,
	As if he had but proved an argument.

1st Senator	You undergo too strict a paradox,
	Striving to make an ugly deed look fair.
	Your words have took such pains as if they laboured
	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-

1st 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 fellow 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.

2nd Senator	You breathe in vain.

Alcibiades						In vain? His service done
	At Lacedaemon and Byzantium
	Were a sufficient briber for his life.

1st Senator	What's that?

Alcibiades	Why, I say, my lords, h'as 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!

2nd 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 inferred to us
	His days are foul and his drink dangerous.

1st 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 honour 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.

1st 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.

2nd Senator											How?

Alcibiades	Call me to your remembrances.

3rd 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.

1st 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!

1st 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 banished:
	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.
													[Exit.
