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 Sen. You undergo too strict a paradox,
Striving to make an ugly deed look fair:

20

Your words have took such pains, as if they labor'd

To bring manslaughter into form, and set quarreling

Upon the head of valor; which indeed

Is valor misbegot and came into the world
When sects and factions were newly born: 30
He's truly valiant that can wisely suffer

The worst that man can breathe, and make his

wrongs

22. "behave his anger, ere 'twas spent"; Ff., "behooue his

Johnson conj. “behold his adversary shent"; Steevens conj. “behave, ere was his anger spent"; Beckett conj. "behave; his anger was, 'ere spent"; Hanmer; "behave in's ."; Malone conj. "behave his

The original has,-“He did behoove his anger"; an evident misprint. The emendation is Warburton's; meaning, of course, govern, manage, or control his anger, as in the phrase, “behave yourself." Behave was not unfrequently used in that manner. Thus in Spenser's Faerie Queene:

"But who his limbs with labors, and his mind
Behaves with cares, cannot so easie miss."

Likewise, in Davenant's Just Italian, 1630: "How well my stars behave their influence." Mr. Collier's second folio changes behave into reprove, and prov'd, in the next line, into mov'd. Mr. Singer suggests behood, from the Poet's well-known fondness for terms of falconry. We follow the reading commonly received.-H. N. H.

His outsides, to wear them like his raiment, care

lessly,

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!

Alcib. My lord,—

First Sen. You cannot make gross sins look clear: To revenge is no valor, but to bear.

Alcib. My lords, then, under favor, pardon me, 40
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 valor 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 defense, 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.

50

54. "sin's extremest gust"; the most violent and outrageous of sins. -C. H. H.

55. “by mercy”; that is, I call mercy herself to witness.-H. N. H.

Sec. Sen. You breathe in vain.
Alcib.

In vain! His service done

At Lacedæmon and Byzantium
Were a sufficient briber for his life.

First Sen. What's that?

Alcib.

I

60

say, my lords, has done fair service, And slain in fight many of your enemies:

How full of valor did he bear himself

In the last conflict, and made plenteous wounds! Sec. Sen. He has made too much plenty with 'em; He's a sworn rioter: he has a sin

That often drowns him and takes his valor pris

oner:

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 Sen. He dies.

Alcib.

70

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

love ages

80

63. "I say, my lords, has"; Pope reads “I say my lords h'as"; F. 1, "Why say my Lords ha's"; Ff. 2, 3, "Why I say my Lords ha's"; F. 4, "Why, I say my Lords h'as"; Capell, "Why, I say, my lords, he has"; Dyce, "Why, I say, my lords, has"; Globe edd., "I say, my lords, he has.”—I. G.

68. “sworn rioter"; that is, a man who practices riot as if he had made it an oath or duty.-H. N. H.

Security, I'll pawn my victories, all My honors 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 Sen. 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. Alcib. Must it be so? it must not be. My lords, I do beseech you, know me.

Sec. Sen. How!

Alcib. Call me to your remembrances.

Third Sen. What!

90

Alcib. 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 Sen.

Do you dare our anger? "Tis in few words, but spacious in effect;

We banish thee for ever.

Alcib.

Banish me!

100

Banish your dotage; banish usury,

That makes the senate ugly.

First Sen. If, after two days' shine, Athens contain

thee,

Attend our weightier judgment. And, not to swell our spirit,

102. “And, not to swell our spirit, i. e. “not to swell our spirit with anger, not to become exasperated"; Theobald, "And note, to swell your spirit"; Capell, "And, not to swell your spirit"; Singer, "quell"; Kinnear, "quail."-I. G.

[Exeunt Senators.

He shall be executed presently.

Alcib. 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,

110

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 honor with most lands to be at odds;
Soldiers should brook as little wrongs as gods.

[Exit.

105. "Only in bone,” i. e. “as a mere skeleton"; Staunton conj. "Only at home," or "Only in doors"; Ingleby conj. "only in bed"; Hudson conj. "only alone."-I. G.

116. "most lands"; Warburton, "most hands"; Malone conj. “most lords"; Mason conj. "my stains"; Becket conj. "most brands"; Jackson conj. "most bands.”—I. G.

By "'Tis honor with most lands to be at odds,” Alcibiades means, as states are now constituted, 'tis more honorable to be at odds with them, than to fight in their service.-H. N. H.