I, that I am one now; 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? Tim. How has the ass broke the wall, that thou art out of the city? Apem. If thou could'st please me with speakGet thee gone.-ing to me, thou might'st have hit upon it here: That the whole life of Athens were in this! The commonwealth of Athens is become a forest Thus would I eat it. [Eating a root. of beasts. Apem. Here; I will mend thy feast. [Offering him something. Tim. First mend my company, take away thyself. [of thine. Apem. So I shall mend mine own, by the lack 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? Tell them there I have gold; look, so I have. Tim. Under that's above me. Apem. The middle of humanity thou never Tim. Ay, though it look like thee. Apem. An thou hadst hated medlers sooner, thon should'st have loved thyself better now. What man did'st thou ever know unthrift, that was beloved after his means? Tim. Who without those means thou talk'st 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 can'st thou nearest compare to thy flatterers? | Apem. Yonder comes a poet, and a painter: The plague of company light upon thee! I 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 beggar's dog than Apemantus. Apem. Thou art the cap of all the fools alive. Apem. A plague on thee, thou art too bad to I'll beat thee-but I should infect my hands. Apem. 'Would thou wouldst burst! Beast! Slave! Toad! Rogue, rogue, rogue! [APEMANTUS retreats backward, as going. I am sick of this false world; and will love nought But even the mere 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 wooer, Whose blush doth thaw the consecrated snow 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 Apem. Ay, Timon. [beasts? Tim. Abeastly 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 would afflict thee, and oft thou should'st 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 wouldst be kill'd by the horse: wert thou a horse, thou would'st be seized by the leopard: wert thou a leopard, thou wert german 1 Thief. Where should he have this gold? It to the lion, and the spots of thy kindred were is some poor fragment, some slender ort of his jurors on thy life: all thy safety were remotion, remainder: The mere want of gold, and the Tim. Throng'd to? Tim. Thy back, I pr'ythee. More things like men ?-Eat Timon, and abhor them. Enter Thieves. falling-from of his friends, drove him into this melancholy. 2 Thief. It is noised, he hath a mass of treasure. 3 Thief. Let us make the assay upon him; if he care not for't, he will supply us easily; If he covetously reserve it, how shall's get it? 2 Thief. True; for he bears it not about him, 1 Thief. Is not this he? ['tis hid. Thieves. Where ? 2 Thief. 'Tis his description. 3 Thief. He; I know him. Thieves. Save thee, Timon. Tim. Now, thieves? Thieves. Soldiers, not thieves. Tim, Both too; and women's sons. Thieves. We are not thieves, but men that. much do want. [of men. Tim. Your greatest want is, you want much Why should you want? Behold the earth hath roots; Within this mile break forth a hundred springs: The oaks bear mast, the briars scarlet hips: The bounteous housewife, nature, on each bush Lays her full mess before you. Want? why want? 1 Thief. We cannot live on grass, on berries, As beasts, and birds, and fishes. [water, Tim. Nor on the beasts themselves, the birds, and fishes You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you con, That you are thieves profess'd; that you work not In holier shapes: for there is boundless theft Till the high fever seeth your blood to froth, All that you meet are thieves: To Athens, go, 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 be true. [Exeunt Thieves. What viler thing upon the earth, than friends, Flav. Flav. An honest poor servant of yours. Then I know thee not: I ne'er had honest men then I love thee, Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st Flinty mankind; whose eyes do never give, But thorough lust, and laughter. Plty's sleeping, Strange times that weep with laughing, not with weeping! Flav. I beg of you to know me, good my lord, To accept my grief, and, while this poor wealth To entertain me as your steward still. [lasts, Tim. Had I a steward so true, so just, and now So comfortable? It almost turns My dangerous nature wild. Let me behold Thy face.-Surely this man was born of wo man. Forgive my general and exceptless rashness, Methinks thou art more honest now than wise; Expecting in return twenty for one? [breast Suspect still comes when an estate is least. For any benefit that points to me, To requite me, by making rich yourself. [man, But thus condition'd; Thou shalt build from Hate all, curse all: show charity to none; SCENE I. The same. Before Timon's Cave. Enter Poet and Painter; TIMON behind, unseen. 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? 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. Pain. 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 or testament, which argues a great sickness in his judgment that makes it. Tim. Excellent workman! Thou canst not paint a man so bad as 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 pros-. perity; with a discovery of the inúinite flatteries 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 the day serves before black-corner'd night, the foam; To thee be worship! and thy saints for aye Poet. Hail, worthy Timon! Our late noble master. Tim. Have I once liv'd to see two honest men? Port. Sir, Having often of your open bounty tasted, Hearing you were retird'd, your friends fall'n off, Whose thankless natures-O abhorred spirits! Not all the whips of heaven are large enoughWhat! to you! Whose starlike nobleness gave life and influence To their whole being! I am rapt, and cannot The monstrous bulk of this ingratitude [cover With any size of words. Tim. Let it go naked, men may sec't the better: You, that are honest, by being what you are, Make them best seen, and known, Pain. He, and myself, Have travell'd in the great shower of your gifts, And sweetly felt it. Tem. Ay, you are honest men. Puin, We are hither come to offer you our service. [requite you? Tim. Most honest men! Why, how shall I Can you eat roots, and drink cold water? no. Both. What we can do, we'll do, to do you service. Yet an arch villain keeps him company. If, where thou art, two villains shall not be, [To th: Painter. Come not near him.-If thou wouldst 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 thee:Out, rascal dogs! Exit, beating and driving them out. SCENE 11. 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 man, Is friendly with him. 1 Sen. Bring us to his cave: It is our part, and promise to the Athenians, To speak with Timon. Men are not still the same: 'Twas time, and griefs, That fran'd him thus: time, with his fairer hand, Look out, and speak to friends: The Athenians, Enter TIMON. Tim. Thou sun, that comfort'st, burn!-Speak, and be hang'd: For each true word, a blister! and each false Be as a caut'rizing to the root o' the tongue, Consuming it with speaking. 1 Sen. Worthy TimonTim. Of none but such as you, and you of Timon. [mon. 2 Sen. The senators of Athens greet thee, TiTim. I thank them; and would send them back the plague, Could I but catch it for them. 1 Sen. O, forget 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. They confess, 2 Sen. Toward thee, forgetfulness too general, gross: Which now the publick body,-which doth Play the recanter,-feeling in itself [seldom 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, Together with a recompense more fruitful As shall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs US, name And of our Athens (thine, and ours) to take 2 Sen. And shakes his threatening sword While you have throats to answer; for myself, Stay not, all's in vain. 1 Sen. We speak in vain. Tim. But yet I love my country; and am not One that rejoices in the common wreck, As common bruit doth put in. 1 Sen. That's well spoke. 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 triIn their applauding gates. [umphers Tim. Commend me to them; And tell them that, to ease them of their griefs, Their fears of hostile strekes, 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 kindness 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, Tim. Come not to me again; but say to Athens, Graves only be men's works; and death their We sent to thee; to give thy rages balm, gain! [reign. To wipe out our ingratitude with loves Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his Above their quantity. [Exit TIMON. 1 Sen. His discontents are unremovably 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. 1 Sen. It requires swift foot. [Exeunt. SCENE III. The Walls of Athens. Present approach. 2 Sen. 1 Sen. Nor are they living, 2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not Timon. Mess. I met a courier, one, mine ancient SCENE IV. Timon is dead, who hath outstretch'd his span: What's on this tomb I cannot read; the character Our captain hath in every figure skill; An ag'd interpreter, though young in days: SCENE V. Before the Walls of Athens. Enter Senators on the Walls. Our sufferance vainly: Now the time is flush, Noble and young, 1 Sen. All have not offended: 2 Sen. 1 Sen. 2 Sen. Throw thy glove; Alcib. Both. 'Tis most nobly spoken. Sol. My noble general, Timon is dead: Alcib. [Reads.] Here lies a wretched corse, of wretched soul bereft: [caitiff's left! Serk not my name: A plague consume you wicked Here lie I Timon; who, alive, all living men did [here thy gait. hate. Pass by, and curse thy fill; but pass, and stay not lets which |