SCENE II. Athens. A Room in Timon's House. Enter FLAVIUS, with Two or Three Servants. 1 Serv. Hear you, master steward, where's our master? Are we undone? cast off? nothing remaining? Flav. Alack, my fellows, what should I say to you? Let me be recorded by the righteous gods, I am as poor as you. 1 Serv. Such a house broke! So noble a master fallen! All gone! and not One friend, to take his fortune by the arm, And go along with him! 2 Serv. As we do turn our backs From our companion, thrown into his grave; Slink all away; leave their false vows with him, Walks, like contempt, alone.-More of our fellows. Enter other Servants. Flav. All broken impleinents of a ruin'd house. 3 Serv. Yet do our hearts wear Timon's livery, That see I by our faces; we are fellows still, Serving alike in sorrow: Leak'd is our bark; And we, poor mates, stand on the dying deck, Hearing the surges threat: we must all part 9 Enter Flavius,) Nothing contributes more to the exaltation of Timon's character than the zeal and fidelity of his servants. Nothing but real virtue can be honoured by domesticks; nothing but impartial kindness can gain affection from dependants. Good fellows all, Into this sea of air. The latest of my wealth I'll share amongst you. We have seen better days. Let each take some; Nay, put out all your hands. Thus part we rich in sorrow, [Giving them money. Not one word more: parting poor. [Exeunt Servants. O, the fierce wretchedness1 that glory brings us! To have his pomp, and all what state compounds, Whilst I have gold, I'll be his steward still. [Exit. 7 SCENE III. The Woods. Enter TIMON. Tim. O blessed breeding sun, draw from the earth Raise me this beggar, and denude that lord; It is the pasture lards the brother's sides, The want that makes him lean. Who dares, who dares, In purity of manhood stand upright, And say, This man's a flatterer? if one be, - below thy sister's orb-] That is, the moon's, this sublu nary world. 4 Not nature, To whom all sores lay siege, can bear great fortune, But by contempt of nature,] Mr. M. Mason observes, that this passage " but by the addition of a single letter may be rendered clearly intelligible; by merely reading natures instead of nature." The meaning will then be-" Not even beings reduced to the utmost extremity of wretchedness, can bear good fortune, without contemning their fellow-creatures." -for every grize of fortune-] Grize for step or degree. But direct villainy. Therefore, be abhorr'd Who seeks for better of thee, sauce his palate fair; Wrong, right; base, noble; old, young; coward, valiant. Ha, you gods! why this? What this, you gods? Why this Will lug your priests and servants from your sides; Will knit and break religions; bless the accurs'd; 6 7 -- fang mankind!] i. e. seize, gripe. no idle votarist.] No insincere or inconstant supplicant. Gold will not serve me instead of roots. JOHNSON. 8 you clear heavens!] This may mean either ye cloudless skies, or ye deities exempt from guilt. 9 To the April day again.) The April day does not relate to the widow, but to the other diseased female, who is represented as the outcast of an hospital. She it is whom gold embalms and spices to the April day again: i. e. gold restores her to all the freshness and sweetness of youth. Do thy right nature. [March afar off.]-Ha! a drum?-Thou'rt quick, But yet I'll bury thee: Thou'lt go, strong thief, When gouty keepers of thee cannot stand: Nay, stay thou out for earnest. [Keeping some Gold. Enter ALCIBIADES, with Drum and Fife, in warlike manner; PHRYNIA and TIMANDRA. Alcib. What art thou there? Speak. Tim. A beast, as thou art. The canker gnaw thy heart, For showing me again the eyes of man! Alcib. What is thy name? Is man so hateful to thee, That art thyself a man? Tim. I am misanthropos, and hate mankind. For thy part, I do wish thou wert a dog, That I might love thee something. Alcib. I know thee well; But in thy fortunes am unlearn'd and strange. Tim. I know thee too; and more, than that I know thee, I not desire to know. Follow thy drum; With man's blood paint the ground, gules, gules: Religious canons, civil laws are cruel; Then what should war be? This fell whore of thine Hath in her more destruction than thy sword, For all her cherubin look. Phry. Thy lips rot off! Tim. I will not kiss thee; then the rot returns To thine own lips again. Alcib. How came the noble Timon to this change? 1 Do thy right nature.] Lie in the earth where nature laid thee. * Thou'rt quick,] Thou hast life and motion in thee. VOL. VIII. G |