Act 5 - Scene 4
Before the walls of Athens.
Trumpets sound. Enter ALCIBIADES with his powers ALCIBIADES
Sound to this coward and lascivious town Our terrible approach.
A parley sounded
Enter Senators on the walls
Till now you have gone on and fill'd the time With all licentious measure, making your wills The scope of
justice; till now myself and such As slept within the shadow of your power Have wander'd with our traversed
arms and breathed Our sufferance vainly: now the time is flush, When crouching marrow in the bearer
strong Cries of itself 'No more:' now breathless wrong Shall sit and pant in your great chairs of ease, And
pursy insolence shall break his wind With fear and horrid flight. First Senator
Noble and young, When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit, Ere thou hadst power or we had cause
of fear, We sent to thee, to give thy rages balm, To wipe out our ingratitude with loves Above their quantity. Second Senator
So did we woo Transformed Timon to our city's love By humble message and by promised means: We
were not all unkind, nor all deserve The common stroke of war. First Senator
These walls of ours Were not erected by their hands from whom You have received your griefs; nor are
they such That these great towers, trophies and schools should fall For private faults in them. Second Senator
Nor are they living Who were the motives that you first went out; Shame that they wanted cunning, in
excess Hath broke their hearts. March, noble lord, Into our city with thy banners spread: By decimation,
and a tithed death If thy revenges hunger for that food Which nature loathestake thou the destined tenth, And
by the hazard of the spotted die Let die the spotted. First Senator
All have not offended; For those that were, it is not square to take On those that are, revenges: crimes,
like lands, Are not inherited. Then, dear countryman, Bring in thy ranks, but leave without thy rage: Spare
thy Athenian cradle and those kin Which in the bluster of thy wrath must fall With those that have offended: like
a shepherd, Approach the fold and cull the infected forth, But kill not all together. Second Senator
What thou wilt, Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy smile Than hew to't with thy sword. First Senator
Set but thy foot Against our rampired gates, and they shall ope; So thou wilt send thy gentle heart before, To
say thou'lt enter friendly.
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