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Tim. Why doft afk that? I have forgot all 5
Then, if thou grant'ft thou art a man, I have
Forgot thee.

· Flav. An honeft poor fervant of yours.

Tim. Then I know thee not:

I ne'er had honest man about me, I; all

I kept were knaves, to serve in meat to villains.
Flav. The gods are witness,

Ne'er did poor steward wear a truer grief

For his undone lord, than mine eyes for you.

To requite me, by making rich yourself.
Tim. Look thee, 'tis fo!-Thou fingly honeft man,
Here, take :-the gods out of my mifery
Have fent thee treafure. Go, live rich, and happy:
But thus condition'd: Thou shalt build from 3 men;
Hate all, curfe all: fhew charity to none;
But let the famish'd flesh flide from the bone,
Ere thou relieve the beggar: give to dogs
What thou deny'ft to men; let prifons fwallow 'em,
10 Debts wither 'em to nothing: Be men like blasted
woods,

Tim. What, doft thou weep?-Come nearer ;-15
then I love thee,

Because thou art a woman, and difclaim'ft
Flinty mankind; whofe eyes do never give,
But thorough luft, and laughter. Pity's fleeping:
Strange times, that weep with laughing, not with 20
weeping!

Flav. I beg of you to know me, good my lord, To accept my grief, and, whilft this poor wealth lafts,

To entertain me as your steward still.

Tim. Had I a steward

So true, fo juft, and now so comfortable?
It almoft turns my dangerous nature wild 2.
-Let me behold thy face.-Surely, this man
Was born of woman.-

Forgive my general and exceptless rashness,
Perpetual-fober gods! I do proclaim

One honest man,-mistake me not,-But one;
No more, I pray,—and he is a steward.-
How fain would I have hated all mankind,
And thou redeem'ft thyself: But all, fave thee,
I fell with curfes.

25

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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 Tymandra had gold of him: he likewife enrich'd poor ftraggling foldiers with great quan30tity: 'Tis faid, he gave his steward a mighty fum. Poet. Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his friends?

Pain. Nothing else: you fhall fee him a palm in Athens again, and flourish with the highest. 35 Therefore, 'tis not amifs, we tender our loves to him, in this fuppos'd distress of his: it will fhew honeftly 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.

149

Methinks, thou art more honest now, than wife;
For, by oppreffing and betraying me,
Thou might'ft have fooner got another service:
For many fo arrive at second masters,
Upon their first lord's neck. But tell me true,
(For I must ever doubt, though ne'er so fure)
Is not thy kindness fubtle, covetous,
If not a ufuring kindness; and as rich men deal 45
Expecting in return twenty for one? [breaft

[gifts,

Flav. No, my most worthy mafter, in whofe
Doubt and fufpect, alas, are plac'd too late :
You should have fear'd false times, when you did
feaft:

Sufpect fill comes where an estate is least.

That which I fhew, 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 prefent, I'd exchange it

For this one with, That you had power and wealth

Poet. What have you now to prefent unto him? Pain. Nothing at this time but my visitation: only I will promise him an excellent piece.

Poet. I muft ferve him fo too; tell him of an intent that's coming toward him.

Pain. Good as the beft. Promifing 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 fimpler kind of people, the deed of faying is quite out of ufe 4. To promise 50 is moft courtly and fashionable: performance is a kind of will, or teftament, which argues a great fickness in his judgment that makes it.

Re-enter Timon from bis cave, unseen. Tim. Excellent workman! Thou canst not paint 55 a man fo bad as thyself.

Poet. I am thinking, what I shall say I have provided for him: It must be a perfonating 5 of himself: a satire against the softness of profperity;

I Knave is here used in the compound sense of a fervant and a rascal. 2 To turn wild is to diftraft. An appearance fo unexpected, fays Timon, almost turns my favageness to distraction. 3 i. e. away from human habitations. 4 The fenfe is, "The doing of that which we have faid we would do, the accomplishment and performance of our promife, is, except among the lower claffes of mankind, quite out of ufe." 5 Perfonating for representing fimply; for the subject of this projected fatire was Timon's cafe, not his perfen.

with

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[gold,

Poet. Hail! worthy Timon.
Pain. Our late noble matter.

Tim. Have I once liv'd to fee two honeft men?
Poet. Sir,

Having often of your open bounty tafted,
Hearing you were retir'd, your friends fall'n off,
Whofe thanklefs natures-O abhorred fpirits!
Not all the whips of heaven are large enough-
What! to you!

Whofe ftar-like noblenefs gave life and influence
To their whole being! I am rapt, and cannot cover
The monstrous bulk of this ingratitude
With any fize of words.

Tim. Look you, I love you well; I'll give you

Rid me thefe villains from your companies Hang them, or ftab them, drown them in a draught 4, 25 Confound them by fome courfe, and come to me, I give you gold enough.

Both. Name them, my lord, let's know them.
Tim. You that way, and you this.-But two in
company 5,-

30 Each man apart,—all fingle, and alone,-
Yet an arch-villain keeps him company.-
If, where thou art, two villains shall not be,

Tim. Let it go naked, men may fee 't the better: 35
You, that are honeft, by being what you are,
Make them beft feen, and known.

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[To the Painter.

Come not near him.-If thou wouldst not refide [To the Poet. But where one villain is, then him abandon.Hence! pack! there's gold, ye came for gold, ye flaves:

You have work for me, there is payment: Hence! 4c You are an alchymift, make gold of that:Out, rafcal dogs!

45

[Exit, beating and driving them out.

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Enter Flavius, and tavo Senators.

Flav. It is in vain that you would speak with
Timon;

For he is fet fo only to himself,

50 That nothing, but himself, which looks like man, Is friendly with him.

Tim. Good honeft men :-Thou draw'ft a counBeft in all Athens: thou art, indeed, the beft; Thou counterfeit'ft moft lively.

55

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i. e. night which is as obfcure as a dark corner.

author's time. 3 i. e. a hypocrite.

1 Sen. Bring us to his cave:

It is our part, and promise to the Athenians,
To fpeak with Timon.

2 Sen. At all times alike

Men are not ftill the fame: 'Twas time, and griefs, That fram'd him thus: time, with his fairer hand, Offering the fortunes of his former days,

2 A portrait was called a counterfeit in our 4 That is, in the jakes. 5 This paffage is obfcure. Dr. Johnfon thinks the meaning is this: But tavo in company, that is, Stand apart, ler only to be together; for even when each stands fingle there are two, he himfelf and a villain. But, in the North, fignifies, wilbout.

The

The former man may make him: Bring us to him, And take our goodly aged men by the beards, And chance it as it may.

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5

Giving our holy virgins to the stain

Of contumelious, beaftly, mad-brain'd war;
Then let him know, and tell him, Timon fpeaks it,

In pity of our aged, and our youth,

I cannot chufe but tell him, that---I care not, And let him take't at worft; for their knives care not,

While you have throats to answer: for myself, 10 There's not a whittle 4 in the unruly camp,

Tim. Of none but fuch as you, and you of Ti-15
2 Sen. The fenators of Athens greet thee, Ti-
[the plague,

mon.

Tim. I thank them; and would send them back Could I but catch it for them.

1 Sen. O, forget

What we are sorry for ourselves in thee.
The fenators, with one confent of love,

Intreat thee back to Athens; who have thought
On special dignities, which vacant lie

For thy beft ufe and wearing.

2 Sen. They confefs,

Toward thee, forgetfulness too general, grofs:
And now the publick body,-which doth feldom
Play the recanter,feeling in itself

A lack of Timon's aid, hath fense withal
Of its own fall, restraining aid to Timon;
And fends forth us, to make their forrowed ren-
der 2,

But I do prize it at my love, before
The reverend'ft throat in Athens. So I leave you
To the protection of the profperous gods,
As thieves to keepers.

Flav. Stay not, all's in vain.

Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph,
It will be feen to-morrow; My long fickness
Of health, and living, now begins to mend,
And nothing brings me all things. Go, live still;
20 Be Alcibiades your plague, you his,
And last so long enough!

1 Sen. We speak in vain.

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

25 As common bruit doth put it.

30

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Surprize 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 fenators.
1 Sen. Therefore, so please thee to return with
And of our Athens (thine, and ours) to take [us, 45
The captainfhip, thou shalt be met with thanks,
Allow'd 3 with abfolute power, and thy good name
Live with authority :-fo foon fhall we drive back
Of Alcibiades the approaches wild;
Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up
His country's peace.

2 Sen. And thakes his threat'ning sword

Against the walls of Athens.

1 Sen. Therefore, Timon,

50

I Sen. That's well spoke.

Tim. Commend me to my loving countrymen,--1 Sen. These words become your lips as they pafs through them.

[ers 2 Sen. And enter in our ears, like great triumphIn their applauding gates.

Tim. Commend me to them;

And tell them, that, to ease them of their griefs,
Their fears of hoftile ftrokes, their aches, loffes,
Their pangs of love, with other incident throes
That nature's fragil vessel doth sustain
In life's uncertain voyage, I will fome 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

clofe,

That mine own ufe invites me to cut down,
And shortly muft I fell it: Tell my friends,
Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree 5,
From high to low throughout, that whofo please
To stop affliction, let him take his hafte,
Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe,
And hang himfelf:---I pray you, do my greeting.
Flav. Trouble him no further, thus you fill
fhall find him.

Tim. Come not to me again: but fay to Athens,
Timon hath made his everlafting manfion
Upon the beached verge of the salt flood,

Tim. Well, fir, I will; therefore I will, fir; 55 Which once a day with his emboffed froth

Thus,

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? Render is confefion.

The turbulent furge fhall cover; thither come,
And let my grave-stone be your oracle.---
Lips, let four words go by, and language end:
What is amifs, plague and infection mend!

1 The Athenians bad fenfe, that is, felt the danger of their orun fall, by the arms of Alcibiades. 3 Allowed is licensed, privileged, uncontrolled. 4 A whittle is still in the midland counties the common name for a pocket clafp knife, fuch as children use. 5 i. e. from higheft 6 We have before obferved, that when a deer was run hard, and foamed at the mouth, he was faid to be embɔfs'd.

to loweft.

Graves

Graves only be men's works; and death, their gain !!
Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his reign.

[Exit Timon.

1 Sen. His difcontents 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.

1 Sen. It requires swift foot.

SCENE IV.

The Walls of Athens.

[Excunt.

Enter two other Senators, with a Meffenger.

1 Sen. Thou haft painfully difcovered; are his

As full as thy report?

Mef. I have spoke the least : Befides, his expedition promises Prefent approach.

5

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Before the Walls of Athens.

Trumpets found. Enter Alcibiades, with bis powers.

Alc. Sound to this coward and lascivious town Our terrible approach.

[Sound a parley. The Senators appear upon the walls.
'Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the time
With all licentious measure, making your wills
10 The fcope of juftice; 'till now, myself, and fuch
As flept within the shadow of your power,
Have wander'd with our traverst arms 2, and
breath'd

Our fufferance vainly: Now the time is flush 3,
[files 15 When crouching marrow 4, in the bearer strong,
Cries of itself, No more :' now breathless wrong
Shall fit and pant in your great chairs of ease;
And purfy infolence shall break his wind,
With fear, and horrid flight.

[Timon.

2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not
Mef. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend;-20
Who, though in general part we were oppos'd,
Yet our old love made a particular force,

And made us fpeak 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 fake mov'd.

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Sol. By all defcription, this fhould be the place. Who's here? fpeak, ho!---No answer ?---What is this?

Timon is dead, who hath out-ftretch'd his fpan:
Some beast read this; there does not live a man.
Dead, fure; and this his grave. What's on this
tomb?

I cannot read; the character I'll take with wax;
Our captain hath in every figure skill;
An ag'd interpreter, though young in days:
Before proud Athens he's fet down by this,
Whose fall the mark of his ambition is.

[Exit.

25

1 Sen. Noble and young,

When thy first griefs were but a meer conceit,
Ere thou hadst power, or we had cause to fear,
We fent to thee; to give thy rages balm,
To wipe out our ingratitudes with loves
Above their 5 quantity.

2 Sen. So did we woo

Transformed Timon to our city's love,
By humble meffage, and by promis'd means;
We were not all unkind, nor all deserve
30 The common stroke of war.

35

1 Sen. These walls of ours

Were not erected by their hands, from whom
You have receiv'd your griefs: nor are they such,
That these great towers, trophies, and schools
should fall
For private faults in them.

2 Sen. Nor are they living,

Who were the motives that you first went out; Shame, that they wanted cunning, in excess 40 Hath broke their hearts. March, noble lord, Into our city with thy banners spread :

45

By decimation, and a tithed death,

(If thy revenges hunger for that food,

Which nature loaths) take thou the deftin'd tenth;
And by the hazard of the spotted die,
Let die the fpotted.

1 Sen. All have not offended;

For thofe that were, it is not fquare 7, to take, On thofe that are, revenges: crimes, like lands, 50 Are not inherited. Then, dear countryman, Bring in thy ranks, but leave without thy rage: Spare thy Athenian cradle, and those kin, Which, in the blufter of thy wrath, muft fall

3 A bird

* Dr. Warburton obferves, that dear, in the language of that time, fignified dread, and is so used by Shakspeare in numberlefs places. Mr. Steevens fays, that dear may in this inftance fignify immediate; and that it is an enforcing epithet with not always a diftin&t meaning. 2 Arms acrofs. is flush when his feathers are grown, and he can leave the neft. Flush means mature. 4 The marrow was fuppofed to be the original of ftrength. The image is from a camel kneeling to take up his load, who rifes immediately when he finds he has as much laid on as he can bear. 5 Their refers to rages. The meaning is, "Shame in excefs (i. e. extremity of fhame) that they wanted cunning (i. e. that they were not wife enough not to banish you) hath broke their hearts." regular, not equitable.

7 i. e. not

With

With thofe that have offended: like a fhepherd, Approach the fold, and cull the infected forth, But kill not altogether.

2 Sen. What thou wilt,

Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy fmile, Than hew to't with thy fword.

1 Sen. Set but thy foot

Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope;
So thou wilt fend thy gentle heart before,
To fay, thou'lt enter friendly.

2 Sen. Throw thy glove,

Or any token of thine honour elfe,

That thou wilt ufe the wars as thy redress,
And not as our confufion, all thy powers
Shall make their harbour in our town, 'till we
Have feal'd thy full defire.

Ak. Then there's my glove;

Defcend, and open your uncharged ports':
Thofe enemies of Timon's, and mine own,
Whom you yourselves fhall fet out for reproof,
Fall, and no more: and,-to atone your fears
With my more noble meaning,-not a man
Shall pafs his quarter, or offend the stream
Of regular juftice in your city's bounds,
But fhall be remedy'd by your publick laws
At heaviest answer.

Beth. 'Tis most nobly spoken.
Alc. Defcend, and keep your words.

1i. e. unguarded gates.

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bate:

Pafs by, and curfe thy fill; but pass, and stay not bere thy gait.

15 Thefe well exprefs in thee thy latter fpirits: Though thou abhor'dft in us our human griefs, Scorn'dft our brain's flow 2, and those our droplets which

From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit 20 Taught thee to make vast Neptune weep for aye On thy low grave.-On :-Faults forgiven.Dead Is noble Timon; of whose memory Hereafter more.-Bring me into your city, And I will ufe the olive with my sword: 25 Make war breed peace; make peace stint war;

make each

Prefcribe to other, as each other's leach 3.Let our drums ftrike.

2 Our brain's flow is our tears.

[Excunt.

3 i, e. phyfician.

TITUS

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