And chance it as it may.

Flav.

Here is his cave.

The Athenians,

Peace and content be here! Lord Timon! Timon!

Look out, and speak to friends.

By two of their most reverend senate, greet thee. Speak to them, noble Timon.

Enter TIMON.

Timon. Thou sun, that comfort'st, burn!-Speak, and be hang'd:

For each true word, a blister; and each false
Be as a cauterizing to the root o' the tongue,
Consuming it with speaking!

1 Se,

Worthy Timon, Timon. Of none but such as you, and you of

Timon.

2 Se. The senators of Athens greet thee, Timon. Timon. I thank them; and would send them back the plague,

Could I but catch it for them.

1 Se.

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.

2 Se.

They confess

Toward thee forgetfulness too general, gross;

Which now the public body,—which doth seldom 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 sorrow'd render,1 Together with a recompense more fruitful

Than their offence can weigh down by the dram; Ay, even such heaps and sums of love and wealth, As shall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs, And write in thee the figures of their love,

Ever to read them thine.

Timon.

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 senators.

1 Se. 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 2 with absolute power, and thy good name
Live with authority: so soon we shall drive back
Of Alcibiades the approaches wild;

Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up

Timon. Well, sir, I will; therefore I will, sir:

thus,

If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,

i Confession.

2 Licensed.

Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,

That Timon cares not: but if he sack fair Athens, 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 choose but tell him, that I care not,
And let him take 't at worst; for their knives care

not,

While you have throats to answer: for myself,
There's not a whittle 1 in the unruly camp,
But I do prize it at my love before

2

The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave you
To the protection of the prosperous gods,
As thieves to keepers.

Flav.

Stay not; all's in vain. Timon. 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 still: Be Alcibiades your plague, you his,

And last so long enough!

1 Se.

We speak in vain.

Timon. But yet I love my country; and am not One that rejoices in the common wreck,

1 A clasp knife.

2 Propitious.

As common bruit1 doth put it.

1 Se.

That's well spoke. Timon. Commend me to my loving country

men,

1 Se. These words become your lips as they pass through them.

2 Se. And enter in our ears, like great triumphers In their applauding gates.

Timon.
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 kindness do them :

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

2 Se. 1 like this well; he will return again. Timon. 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 greeting.
Flav. Trouble him no farther; thus you still shall
find him.

1 Report.

Timon. Come not to me again; but say to Athens, Timon hath made his everlasting mansion Upon the beached verge of the salt flood; Whom once a day with his embossed 1 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 Se. His discontents are unremovably

Coupled to nature.

2 Se. Our hope in him is dead: let us return, And strain what other means is left unto us

In our dear 2 peril.

1 Se.

It requires swift foot.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The walls of Athens.

Enter two SENATORS and HESSENGER.

1 Se. Thou hast painfully discover'd: are his