ANITUS:
Admirable! Go on my behalf to the seventh judge and tell him that I
commend Socrates to him. Fine, here's Melitus already, the Chief of
the Eleven coming forward. There's no beating around the bush to be
done with him. We know each other, too well.
(Exit Bertios and Chomos, enter Melitus.)
ANITUS:
Your honor, the judge, a word. Socrates must be destroyed.
MELITUS:
Your Reverence, the Priest, I've been pondering it for a long while.
Let's unite on this point and we will be less embroiled on the rest.
ANITUS:
I know quite well we hate each other. But while detesting each other,
we must unite to govern the republic.
MELITUS:
Agreed. No one can hear us here. I know that you are a fraud. You
don't look on me as an honest man. I cannot injure you because you are
a high priest. You cannot ruin me because I am the leading judge, But
Socrates could hurt either of us by unmasking us. You and I must begin
by compassing his death and then we will see how we can exterminate
each other at the first opportunity.
ANITUS:
No one could say it better.
(Aside)
Hum! How I'd like to hold this rascal from the Areopagus on an altar,
arms hanging on one side, legs over the other, so as to open his
stomach with my golden knife and consult his liver at my ease.
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