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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.
Apem. Where liest o'nights, Timon?
Tim. Under that's above me.
Where feed'st thou o'days, A pemantus?
Apem. Where my stomach finds meat; or,
rather, where I eat it.

Tim. 'Would poison were obedient, and knew my mind!

Apem. Where would'st thou send it?
Tim. To sauce thy dishes.

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

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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.
Then, Timon, presently prepare thy grave;
Lie where the light foam of the sea may beat
Thy grave-stone daily make thine epitaph,
That death in me at others' lives may laugh.
O thou sweet king-killer, and dear divorce

[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

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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.
Apem. Live, and love thy misery!

Tim. Long live so, and so die!-I am quit.[Exit APEMANTUS. More things like men ?-Eat, Timon, and abhor them.

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But thieves do lose it: Steal not less, for this
I give you; and gold confound you howsoever!
Amen.
[TIMON retires to his Cave.

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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.

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1 Thief. We cannot live on grass, on berries, I
As beasts, and birds, and fishes. [water,
Tim. Nor on the beasts themselves, the birds,
and fishes;
[con,

You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you
That you are thieves profess'd; that you work

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,.
And so 'scape hanging: trust not the physician;
His antidotes are poison, and he slays
More than you rob: take wealth and lives to-
gether;

Do villany, do, since you profess to do't,
Like workmen. I'll example you with
thievery :

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

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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:
Grant, I may ever love, and rather woo
Those that would mischief me, than those that
He has caught me in his eye: I will present
My honest grief unto him; and, as my lord,
Still serve him with my life.-My dearest

master!

TIMON comes forward from his Cave.

Tim. Away! what art thou?
Flav. Have you forgot me, Sir?
Tim. Why dost ask that? I have forgot all

men;

Then, if thou grant'st thou'rt man, I have forgot thee.

Flav. An honest poor servant of yours.
Tim. Then

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
Flav. The gods are witness,
For his undone lord, than mine eyes for you.
Tim. What, dost thou weep?-Come nearer;
-then I love thee,

Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st
Flinty mankind; whose eyes do never give,
But thorough lust, and laughter. Pity's sleep-
Strange times, that weep with laughing, not
ing:
with weeping!

Flav. I beg of you to know me, good my

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I fell with curses.
[wise,
Methinks, thou art more honest now, than
For, by oppressing and betraying me,
Thou might'st have sooner got another service:
For many so arrive at second masters,
Upon their first lord's neck. But tell me true,
(For I must ever doubt, though ne'er so sure,)
Is not'thy kindness subtle, covetous,

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,
Care of your food and living: and, believe it,
My most honour'd lord,

For any benefit that points to me,
Either in hope, or present, I'd exchange
For this one wish, That you had power and
wealth

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.
Tim. If thou hat'st

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,
Than where swine feed!
'Tis thou that rigg'st the bark, and plough'st
the foam;

Settlest admired reverence in a slave:
To thee be worship! and thy saints for aye
Be crown'd with plagues, that thee alone obey!
'Fit I do meet them.
L [Advancing.

Poet. Hail, worthy Timon!
Pain. Our late noble master.

Tim. Have I once liv'd to see two honest
men ?
Poet. Sir,

Having often of your open bounty tasted,
Hearing you were retir'd, your friends fall'a
Whose thankless natures-O abhorred spirits!
off,
Not all the whips of heaven are large enough-
What! to you!

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:

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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.-
But, for all this, my honest-natur'd friends,
I must needs say, you have a little fault:
Marry, 'tis not monstrous in you; neither wish
You take much pains to mend.

Both. Beseech your honour,

To make it known to us.

Tim. You'll take it ill.

Both. Most thankfully, my lord.
Tim. Will you, indeed?

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,
Keep in your bosom: yet remain assur'd,
That he's a made-up villain.t

Pain. I know none such, my lord.
Poet. Nor I.

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.

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What we are sorry for ourselves in thee.
The senators, with one consent of love,*
Entreat thee back to Athens; who have
thought

On special dignities, which vacant lie
For thy best use and wearing.

2 Sen. They confess,

[dom

Toward thee, forgetfulness too general, gross:
Which now the public body,-which doth sel-
Play the recanter,-feeling in itself
A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal
Of its own fall, restraining aid to Timon;
And send forth us, to make their sorrowed
render,t

Together with a recompense more fruitful
Than their offence can weigh down by the
dram;
[wealth,
Ay, even such heaps and sums of love and
As shall to thee blot out what wrongs were
theirs,

And write in thee the figures of their love,
Ever to read them thine.

Tim. You witch me in it;
Surprise me to the very brink of tears:
Lend me a fool's heart, and a woman's eyes,
And I'll beweep these comforts, worthy sena.

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
Of Alcibiades the approaches wild; [back
Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up
His country's peace.

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.
+ Confession. Licensed, uncontrolled.

And let him tak't at worst; for their knives care not,

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[you

While you have throats to answer: for myself,
There's not a whittle in the unruly camp,
But I do prize it at my love, before
The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave
To the protection of the prosperous gods,t
As thieves to keepers.

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
That nature's fragile vessel doth sustain
In life's uncertain voyage, I will some kind-
ness do them:

I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath.

2 Sen. I like this well, he will return again.
Tim. I have a tree, which grows here in my
close,

That mine own use invites me to cut down,
And shortly must I fell it; Tell my friends,
Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree,||
From high to low throughout, that whoso
please

To stop affliction, let him take his haste,
Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe,
And hang himself:-I pray you, do my greet.
ing.

Flav. Trouble him no further, thus you still
shall find him.

Tim. Come not to me again: but say to
Athens,

Timon hath made his everlasting mansion
Upon the beached verge of the salt flood;
Which once a day with his embossed froth
The turbulent surge shall cover; thither come,
And let my grave-stone be your oracle,-
Lips, let sour words go by, and language end:
What is amiss, plague and infection mend!
Graves only be men's works; and death, their
gain!

Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his
reign.
[Exit TIMON.
1 Sen. His discontents are unremoveably
Coupled to nature.

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,
With letters of entreaty, which imported
His fellowship i'the cause against your city,
In part for his sake mov'd.

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;
An ag'd interpreter, though young in days:
Before proud Athens he's set down by this,
Whose fall the mark of his ambition is. [Eri.

SCENE V.—Before the Walls of Athens,
Trumpets sound. Enter ALCIBIADES, and
Forces.

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,
Have wander'd with our travers'd arms, and
breath'd

Our sufferance vainly: Now the time is flush,t
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;
[Exeunt. And pursy insolence shall break his wind,
With fear and horrid flight.

+ 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.
Swollen froth.
** Dreadful,

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,

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