You have more
patience
than I care to boast.
Byron
Ber_.
Yes.
_Cal_. With what? a mulct or an arrest?
_I. Ber_. With death!
_Cal_. Now you rave, or must intend revenge,
Such as I counselled you, with your own hand.
_I. Ber_. Yes; and for one sole draught of hate, forego
The great redress we meditate for Venice,
And change a life of hope for one of exile;
Leaving one scorpion crushed, and thousands stinging
My friends, my family, my countrymen! 10
No, Calendaro; these same drops of blood,
Shed shamefully, shall have the whole of his
For their requital----But not only his;
We will not strike for private wrongs alone:
Such are for selfish passions and rash men,
But are unworthy a Tyrannicide.
_Cal_.
You have more patience than I care to boast.
Had I been present when you bore this insult,
I must have slain him, or expired myself
In the vain effort to repress my wrath. 20
_I. Ber_. Thank Heaven you were not--all had else been marred:
As 'tis, our cause looks prosperous still.
_Cal_. You saw
The Doge--what answer gave he?
_I. Ber_. That there was
No punishment for such as Barbaro.
_Cal_. I told you so before, and that 'twas idle
To think of justice from such hands.
_I. Ber_. At least,
It lulled suspicion, showing confidence.
Had I been silent, not a Sbirro[410] but
Had kept me in his eye, as meditating
A silent, solitary, deep revenge.
_Cal_. With what? a mulct or an arrest?
_I. Ber_. With death!
_Cal_. Now you rave, or must intend revenge,
Such as I counselled you, with your own hand.
_I. Ber_. Yes; and for one sole draught of hate, forego
The great redress we meditate for Venice,
And change a life of hope for one of exile;
Leaving one scorpion crushed, and thousands stinging
My friends, my family, my countrymen! 10
No, Calendaro; these same drops of blood,
Shed shamefully, shall have the whole of his
For their requital----But not only his;
We will not strike for private wrongs alone:
Such are for selfish passions and rash men,
But are unworthy a Tyrannicide.
_Cal_.
You have more patience than I care to boast.
Had I been present when you bore this insult,
I must have slain him, or expired myself
In the vain effort to repress my wrath. 20
_I. Ber_. Thank Heaven you were not--all had else been marred:
As 'tis, our cause looks prosperous still.
_Cal_. You saw
The Doge--what answer gave he?
_I. Ber_. That there was
No punishment for such as Barbaro.
_Cal_. I told you so before, and that 'twas idle
To think of justice from such hands.
_I. Ber_. At least,
It lulled suspicion, showing confidence.
Had I been silent, not a Sbirro[410] but
Had kept me in his eye, as meditating
A silent, solitary, deep revenge.
