to discontent.

:

His comfortable temper has forsook

him he is much out of health, and keeps his chamber.

Luc. Ser. Many do keep their chambers, are not sick:

And, if it be so far beyond his health,

Methinks, he should the sooner pay his debts,
And make a clear way to the gods.

Good gods!

Ser.
Titus. We cannot take this for an answer, sir.
Flam. [within.] Servilius, help!-my lord! my
lord!

Enter TIMON, in a rage; FLAMINIUS following. Timon. What, are my doors opposed against my passage?

Have I been ever free, and must my house
Be my retentive enemy, my jail?

The place, which I have feasted, does it now,
Like all mankind, show me an iron heart?
Luc. Ser. Put in now, Titus.

Titus. My lord, here is my bill.

Luc. Ser. Here's mine.

Hor. And mine, my lord.

Both Var. Ser. And ours, my lord.

Phi. All our bills.

Timon. Knock me down with 'em: 1 cleave me to

the girdle.

1 The creditors present their written bills: Timon catches at the word, and alludes to bills or battle-axes.

Luc. Ser. Alas! my lord,

Timon. Cut my heart in sums.

Titus. Mine, fifty talents.

Timon. Tell out my blood.

Luc. Ser. Five thousand crowns, my lord. Timon. Five thousand drops pays that.— What yours?—and yours?

1 Var. Ser. My lord,

2 Var. Ser. My lord,

Timon. Tear me, take me, and the gods fall upon

you!

[Exit. Hor. Faith, I perceive, our masters may throw their caps at their money: these debts may well be called desperate ones, for a madman owes 'em.

Re-enter TIMON and FLAVIUS.

[Exeunt.

Timon. They have ev'n put my breath from me,

the slaves:

Creditors!-devils.

Flav. My dear lord,

Timon, What if it should be so?

Flav. My lord,

Timon. I'll have it so.-My steward!

Flav. Here, my lord.

Timon. So fitly? Go, bid all my friends again, Lucius, Lucullus, and Sempronius; Ullorxa all: I'll once more feast the rascals.

O my lord,

Flav.
You only speak from your distracted soul:
There is not so much left, to furnish out

A moderate table.

Timon.

Be 't not in thy care: go,

I charge thee; invite them all: let in the tide Of knaves once more; my cook and I'll provide.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

The same. The senate-house.

The senate sitting. Enter ALCIBIADES, attended. 1 Se. My lord, you have my voice to it; the fault's

Bloody: 'tis necessary, he should die.

Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.

2 Se. Most true; the law shall bruise him. Alc. Honor, health, and compassion to the senate!

1 Se. Now, captain?

Alc. I am an humble suitor to your virtues;

For pity is the virtue of the law,

And none but tyrants use it cruelly.

It pleases time and fortune to lie heavy
Upon a friend of mine, who, in hot blood,
Hath stepp'd into the law, which is past depth
To those that, without heed, do plunge into it.
He is a man, setting his fate aside,1

Of comely virtues :

1 i. e. putting this action, which was predetermined by fate, out of the question.

Nor did he soil the fact with cowardice;

(An honor in him, which buys out his fault)
But, with a noble fury, and fair spirit,
Seeing his reputation touch'd to death,
He did oppose his foe:

And with such sober and unnoted passion
He did behave 1 his anger, ere 'twas spent,
As if he had but proved an argument.

1 Se. You undergo too strict a paradox,2 Striving to make an ugly deed look fair :

Your words have took such pains, as if they labor'd
To bring manslaughter into form, set quarrelling
Upon the head of valor; which, indeed,

Is valor misbegot, and came into the world
When sects and factions were newly born.
He's truly valiant, that can wisely suffer

The worst that man can breathe, and make his

wrongs

His outsides; wear them like his raiment, carelessly, And ne'er prefer his injuries to his heart,

To bring it into danger.

If wrongs be evils, and enforce us kill,

What folly 'tis to hazard life for ill!

To

Alc. My lord,

1 Se. You cannot make gross sins look clear; revenge is no valor, but to bear.

Alc. My lords, then, under favor, pardon me,

1 Govern, control.

2 You undertake a paradox too hard.

If I speak like a captain.

Why do fond men expose themselves to battle,
And not endure all threatenings? sleep upon it,
And let the foes quietly cut their throats,
Without repugnancy y? But if there be
Such valor in the bearing, what make we
Abroad? why then women are more valiant,
That stay at home, if bearing carry it;

And the ass, more captain than the lion; the fellow,
Loaden with irons, wiser than the judge,

If wisdom be in suffering. O my lords,

As you are great, be pitifully good.

Who cannot condemn rashness in cold blood?
To kill, I grant, is sin's extremest gust; ?
But, in defence, by mercy, 'tis most just.3

To be in anger, is impiety;

But who is man, that is not angry?

Weigh but the crime with this.

2 Se. You breathe in vain. Alc.

In vain ? his service done

At Lacedæmon and Byzantium

Were a sufficient briber for his life.

1 Se. What's that?

Alc. Why, I say, my lords, h' as done fair service, And slain in fight many of your enemies.

How full of valor did he bear himself

In the last conflict, and made plenteous wounds!

1 Why do we take the field?

2 Aggravation.

3 I call mercy to witness, that defensive violence is just.' -Johnson.