of thine. Tim. 'Tis not well mended so, it is but botch'd; If not, I would it were. Apem. What would'st thou have to Athens? Tim. Thee thither in a whirlwind. If thou wilt, Tell them there I have gold; look, so I have. Apem. Here is no use for gold. Tim. The best, and truest: For here it sleeps, and does no hired harm. Tim. 'Would poison were obedient, and knew my mind! Apem. Where would'st thou send it? Apem. The middle of humanity thou never knewest, but the extremity of both ends: When thou wast in thy gilt, and thy perfume, they mocked thee for too much curiosity; in thy rags thou knowest none, but art despised for the contrary. There's a medlar for thee, eat it. Tim. On what I hate, I feed not. Apem. Dost hate a medlar? Tim. Ay, though it look like thee. Apem. An thou had'st hated medlers sooner, thou should'st have loved thyself better now. What man didst thou ever know unthrift, that was beloved after his means? Tim. Who, without those means thou talkest of, didst thou ever know beloved? Apem. Myself. Tim. I understand thee; thou hadst some means to keep a dog. Apem. What things in the world canst thou nearest compare to thy flatterers? Tim. Women nearest; but men, men are the things themselves. What would'st thou do with the world, Apemantus, if it lay in thy power? Apem. Give it the beasts, to be rid of the men. Tim. Would'st thou have thyself fall in the confusion of men, and remain a beast with the beasts? Apem. Ay, Timon. Tim. A beastly ambition, which the gods grant thee to attain to! If thou wert the lion, the fox would beguile thee: if thou wert the lamb, the fox would eat thee: if thou wert the fox, the lion would suspect thee, when, peradventure, thou wert accused by the ass: if thou wert the ass, thy dulness would torment thee: and still thou livedst but as a breakfast to the wolf: if thou wert the wolf, thy greediness For too much finical delicacy. would afflict thee, and oft thou shouldst hazard thy life for thy dinner: wert thou the unicorn, pride and wrath would confound thee, and make thine own self the conquest of thy fury: wert thou a bear thou would'st be killed by the horse; wert thou a horse, thou would'st be seized by the leopard; wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion, and the spots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life: all thy safety were remotion; and thy defence, absence. What beast could'st thou be, that were not subject to a beast? and what a beast art thou already, that seest not thy loss in transformation? Apem. If thou could'st please me with speaking to me, thou might'st have hit upon it here: The commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts. Tim. How has the ass broke the wall, that thou art out of the city? Apem. Yonder comes a poet, and a painter: The plague of company light upon thee! will fear to catch it, and give way: When I know not what else to do, I'll see thee again. Tim. When there is nothing living but thee, thou shalt be welcome. I had rather be a beg. gar's dog, than Apemantus. Apem. Thou art the capt of all the fools alive. Tim. 'Would thou wert clean enough to spit upon. Apem. A plague on thee, thou art too bad to Tim. Slave! Apem. Toad! Tim. Rogue, rogue, rogue! [APEMANTUS retreats backward, as going. I am sick of this false world; and will love nought But even the inere necessities upon it. [Looking on the gold. "Twixt natural son and sire! thou bright defiler Of Hymen's purest bed! thou valiant Mars! Thou ever young, fresh, lov'd, and delicate Apem. 'Would 'twere so ;- All that you meet are thieves: To Athens, go, But not till I am dead!-I'll say, thou hast gold: Break open shops; nothing can you steal, Thou wilt be throng'd to shortly. Tim. Throng'd to? Apem. Ay. Tim. Thy back, I pr'ythee. Tim. Long live so, and so die!-I am quit.[Exit APEMANTUS. More things like men ?-Eat, Timon, and abhor them. But thieves do lose it: Steal not less, for this 3 Thief. He has almost charmed me from my profession, by persuading me to it. 1 Thief. Tis in the malice of mankind, that he thus advises us; not to have us thrive in our mystery. 2 Thief. I'll believe him as an enemy, and give over my trade. 1 Thief. Let us first see peace in Athens: There is no time so miserable, but a man may [Exeunt THIEVES. be true. 1 Thief. We cannot live on grass, on berries, I You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you not In holier shapes: for there is boundless theft In limited professions. Rascal thieves, Here's gold: Go, suck the subtle blood of the grape, Till the high fever seeth your blood to froth,. Do villany, do, since you profess to do't, The sun's a thief, and with his great attraction Robs the vast sea: the moon's an arrant thief, And her pale fire she snatches from the sun: The sea's a thief, whose liquid surge resolves The moon into salt tears: the earth's a thief, That feeds and breeds by a composturet stolen From general excrement; each thing's a thief; The laws, your curb and whip, in their rough [away; Have uncheck'd theft. Love not yourselves: Rob one another. There's more gold: Cut throats; power Who can bring noblest minds to basest ends! What viler thing upon the earth, than friends, How rarely does it meet with this time's guise, [do! When man was wish'd to love his enemies: master! TIMON comes forward from his Cave. Tim. Away! what art thou? men; Then, if thou grant'st thou'rt man, I have forgot thee. Flav. An honest poor servant of yours. know thee not: I ne'er had honest man About me, I; all that I kept were knaves, To serve in meat to villains. Ne'er did poor steward wear a truer grief Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st Flav. I beg of you to know me, good my I fell with curses. If not a usuring kindness; and as rich men deal gifts, Expecting in return twenty for one? Flav. No, my most worthy master, in whose breast Doubt and suspect, alas, are plac'd too late: You should have fear'd false times, when you did feast: Suspect still comes where an estate is least. That which I show, heaven knows, is merely love, Duty and zeal to your unmatched mind, For any benefit that points to me, To requite me, by making rich yourself. Tim. Look thee, 'tis so!-Thou singly honest Here take the gods out of my misery [man, Have sent the treasure. Go, live rich, and happy: [men; But thus condition'd; Thou shalt build from Hate all, curse all: show charity to none; But let the famish'd flesh slide from the bone, Ere thou relieve the beggar: give to dogs What thou deny'st to men; let prisons swallow them, Debts wither them: Be men like blasted woods, And may diseases lick up their false bloods! And so, farewell, and thrive. Flav. O, let me stay, And comfort you, my master. Curses, stay not; fly, whilst thou'rt bless'd and free: Ne'er see thou man, and let me ne'er see thee. [Exeunt severally. ACT V. SCENE I.-The same.-Before TIMON'S Cave. Enter POET and PAINTER; TIMON behind, un seen. Pain. As I took note of the place, it cannot be far where he abides. Poet. What's to be thought of him? Does the rumour hold for true, that he is so full of gold? Pain. Certain: Alcibiades reports it; Phrynia and Timandra had gold of him: he likewise enriched poor straggling soldiers with great quantity: 'Tis said, he gave unto his steward a mighty sum. Poet. Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his friends. Pain. Nothing else: you shall see him a palm in Athens again, and flourish with the highest. Therefore, 'tis not amiss, we tender our loves to him, in this supposed distress of his : it will show honestly in us; and is very likely to load our purposes with what they travel for, if it be a just and true report that goes of his having. Poet. What have you now to present unto him? * Away from human habitation. Pain. Nothing at this time but my visitation: only I will promise him an excellent piece. Poet. I must serve him so too; tell him of an intent that's coming toward him. Puin. Good as the best. Promising is the very air o'the time: it opens the eyes of expectation: performance is ever the duller for his act; and, but in the plainer and simpler kind of people, the deed of saying is quite out of use. To promise is most courtly and fashionable: performance is a kind of will and testament, which argues a great sickness in his judgement that makes it. Tim. Excellent workman! Thou canst not paint a man so bad as is thyself. Poet. I am thinking, what I shall say I have provided for him: It must be a personating of himself: a satire against the softness of pres perity; with a discovery of the infinite fatteries, that follow youth and opulency. Tim. Must thou needs stand for a villain in thine own work? Wilt thou whip thine own faults in other men? Do so, I have gold for thee. Poet. Nay, let's seek him : Then do we sin against our own estate, When we may profit meet, and come too late. Pain. True; When the day serves, before black-corner'd night, Find what thou want'st by free and offer'd light. Come. Tim. I'll meet you at the turn. What a god's gold, That he is worshipp'd in a baser temple, Settlest admired reverence in a slave: Poet. Hail, worthy Timon! Tim. Have I once liv'd to see two honest Having often of your open bounty tasted, Whose star-like nobleness gave life and influence [cover To their whole being! I'm rapt and cannot The monstrous bulk of this ingratitude With any size of words. Tim. Let it go naked, men may see't the better: I am sure you have: speak truth: you are honest men. Pain. So it is said, my noble lord: but thereCame not my friend, nor I. [fore Tim. Good honest men!-Thou draw'st a counterfeit Best in all Athens: thou art, indeed, the best; Thou counterfeit'st most lively. Pain. So, so, my lord. Tim. Even so, Sir, as I say:-And, for thy fiction, [To the POET. Why thy verse swells with stuff so fine and smooth, That thou art even natural in thine art.- Both. Beseech your honour, To make it known to us. Tim. You'll take it ill. Both. Most thankfully, my lord. Both. Doubt it not, worthy lord. [I, Tim. There's ne'er a one of you but trusts a That mightily deceives you. Both. Do we, my lord? [knave, Tim. Ay, and you hear him cog, see him dissemble, Know his gross patchery, love him, feed him, Pain. I know none such, my lord. Tim. Look you, I love you well; I'll give you gold, Rid me these villains from your companies: Hang them, or stab them, drown them in a draught,+ Confound them by some course, and come to I'll give you gold enough. [me, Both. Name them, my lord, let's know them. Tim. You that way, and you this, but two in company: Each man apart, all single and alone, Yet an arch-villain keeps him company. If, where thou art, two villains shall not be. [To the PAINTER. Come not near him.-If thou would'st not reside [To the POET. But where one villain is, then him abandon.Hence! pack! there's gold, ye came for gold, ye slaves: [Hence! You have done work for me, there's payment: You are an alchymist, make gold of that:Out, rascal dogs! [Exit, beating and driving them out. SCENE II.-The same. Enter FLAVIUS, and two SENATORS. Flav. It is in vain that you would speak with For he is set so only to himself, [Timon; That nothing but himself, which looks like Is friendly with him. 1 Sen. Bring us to his cave: [man, It is our part, and promise to the Athenians, To speak with Timon. 2 Sen. At all times alike Men are not still the same: 'Twas time, and griefs, [hand, That fram'd him thus: time, with his fairer Offering the fortunes of his former days, The former man may make him: Bring us to And chance it as it may. A portrait was so called. A complete, a finished villain. [him, + In a jakes. What we are sorry for ourselves in thee. On special dignities, which vacant lie 2 Sen. They confess, [dom Toward thee, forgetfulness too general, gross: Together with a recompense more fruitful And write in thee the figures of their love, Tim. You witch me in it; tors. 1 Sen. Therefore, so please thee to return with us, And of our Athens (thine, and ours,) to take The captainship, thou shalt be met with thanks, Allow'd‡ with absolute power, and thy good name Live with authority:-so soon we shall drive 2 Sen. And shakes his threat'ning sword Against the walls of Athens. 1 Sen. Therefore, Timon,— Tim. Well, Sir, I will; therefore, I will, Sir; Thus, If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, Let Alcibiades know this of Timon, [Athens, That-Timon cares not. But if he sack fair And take our goodly aged men by the beards, Giving our holy virgins to the stain Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brain'd war; Then, let him know,-and tell him, Timon speaks it, In pity of our aged, and our youth, I cannot chuse but tell him, that I care not, * With one united voice of affection. And let him tak't at worst; for their knives care not, [you While you have throats to answer: for myself, Flav. Stay not, all's in vain. Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph, It will be seen to-morrow; My long sickness Of health, and living, now begins to mend, And nothing brings me all things. Go, live Be Alcibiades your plague, you his, And last so long enough! 1 Sen. We speak in vain. [still; Tim. But yet I love my country; and am not One that rejoices in the common wreck, As common bruits doth put 1 Sen. That's well spoke. it. Tim. Commend me to my loving country men, 1 Sen. These words become your lips as they pass through them. 2 Sen. And enter in our ears like great triúmphers In their applauding gates. Tim. Commend me to them; And tell them, that, to ease them of their griefs, Their fears of hostile strokes, their aches, losses, Their pangs of love, with other incident throes I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath. 2 Sen. I like this well, he will return again. That mine own use invites me to cut down, To stop affliction, let him take his haste, Flav. Trouble him no further, thus you still Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Timon hath made his everlasting mansion Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his 2 Sen. Our hope in him is dead: let us return, And strain what other means is left unto us In our dear** peril. 3 Sen. It requires swift foot. A clasp knife. his files As full as thy report? Mess. I have spoke the least: Besides, his expedition promises Present approach. 2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not Timon. Mess. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend [pos'd, Whom, though in general part we were op Yet our old love made a particular force, And made us speak like friends:—this man was riding From Alcibiades to Timon's cave, Enter SENATORS from TIMON. 1 Sen. Here come our brothers. 2 Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him ex pect. [ing The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scour Doth choke the air with dust: in and prepare; Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes, the snare. [Exeunt SCENE IV.-The Woods.-TIMON's Care, and a Tomb-stone seen. Enter a SOLDIER, seeking TIMON. Sol. By all description this should be the place. Who's here? speak, ho!-No answer?-What is this? Timon is dead, who hath outstretch'd his span: Some beast rear'd this; there does not live a Dead, sure; and this his grave.- [man. What's on this tomb I cannot read; the cha I'll take with wax. [racter Our captain hath in every figure skill; SCENE V.—Before the Walls of Athens, Alcib. 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, Our sufferance vainly: Now the time is flush,t + I. e. The gods who are the authors of the prosperity of mankind. ↑ He means-the disease of life begins to promise me a period. Report, rumour. Methodically, from highest to lowest. 1 Sen. 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, T B T |