MELITUS: Now these are very grave accusations and very credible. They've already informed me of all that you are telling us. ANITUS: If such horrors are allowed to go unpunished, the state is in danger. Minerva will withhold her aid from us. DRIXA: Yes, Minerva without doubt. I heard him make jokes about the owl of Minerva. MELITUS: About the owl of Minerva! Oh! Heavens! Aren't you of the opinion he should be put in prison immediately? JUDGES: (together) Yes, in prison. Right away. In prison! MELITUS: Ushers! Take Socrates to prison immediately. DRIXA: And there let him be burned without having been heard. ONE OF THE JUDGES: Ah! He must at least be heard! We cannot infringe the law. ANITUS: What this fine, pious man means is--he must be heard, but one cannot be surprised by what he says. For you know these philosophers are diabolically clever. Where we bring harmony, they disturb all the Estates. MELITUS: To prison! to prison! (Xantippe, Sophronine, Aglaea enter. Then Socrates, enchained.) XANTIPPE: Ah, mercy! They are dragging my husband to prison. Honorable judges, aren't you ashamed to treat a man of his age thus? What evil could he do? He is incapable of it. Alas, he's more stupid than bad. Gentlemen, take pity on him. Indeed, I told you, my husband, that you would get yourself into some bad business. That's what comes of dowering girls. How unhappy I am! SOPHRONINE: Ah, gentlemen. Respect his age and his virtue. Put me in irons. I am ready to give my liberty and my life for his. AGLAEA: Yes. We will go to prison in place of him. We will die for him if need be. Don't seek the life of the greatest of men. Take us for your victims. MELITUS: You see how he corrupts the youth! SOCRATES: Cease, my wife; cease, my children to set yourselves up in opposition to the will of heaven. It is manifesting itself through the organ of the laws. Whoever resists the law is unworthy of being a citizen. God wished that I be put in irons; I submit to his decrees without a murmur. In my house, in Athens, in a prison cell, I am equally free. And in you I see so much sincere gratitude, so much friendship that I am still happy. What does it matter whether Socrates sleeps in his room or in an Athenian prison? Everything is in the eternal order of things and my will must be there. MELITUS: Let them take away this dialectician. That's how they all are. They press you with arguments right under the gallows. ANITUS: Gentlemen, what has just been said touches me. This man shows good disposition. I flatter myself I am able to convert him. Let me speak to him a moment in private. And order his wife and these young people to retire. A JUDGE: We indeed wish it, venerable Anitus. You can speak to him before he appears before our tribunal. (They exit leaving Socrates alone with Anitus.) ANITUS: Virtuous Socrates, my heart bleeds to see you in this condition. SOCRATES: You actually have a heart? ANITUS: Yes, and I am ready to do everything for you.