} 3 SCENE 111. i i Apem. Ay. Tim. What! a knave too? Apem. If thou didst put this sour-cold habit on To castigate thy pride, 'twere well: but thou Dost it enforcedly; thou'dst courtier be again, Wert thou not beggar. Willing misery Outlives incertain pomp; is crowned before: The one is filling still, never complete; The other at high wish: best state, contentless, Hath a distracted and most wretched being, Worse than the worst, content. Thou shouldst desire to die, being miserable. Tim. Not by his breath that is more miserable. Thou art a slave, whom Fortune's tender arm With favour never clasped; but bred a dog. Hadst thou, like us, from our first swath proceeded The sweet degrees that this brief world affords To such as may the passive drugs of it Freely command, thou wouldst have plunged thy self In general riot; melted down thy youth The mouths, the tongues, the eyes, and hearts of men At duty, more than I could frame employment; That numberless upon me stuck, as leaves Do on the oak, have with one winter's brush Fell from their boughs, and left me open, bare For every storm that blows;-I to bear this, That never knew but better, is some burden. Thy nature did commence in sufferance; time Hath made thee hard in't. Why shouldst thou hate men? They never flattered thee. What hast thou given ? Apem. Art thou proud yet? For here it sleeps, and does no hiréd harm. Apem. Where ly'st o' nights, Timon? Tim. Where feed'st thou o'days, Apemantus? Apem. Where my stomach finds meat; or rather, where I eat it. Tim. Would poison were obedient, and knew my mind! Apem. Where wouldst thou send it? Tim. To sauce thy dishes. knewest, but the extremity of both ends: when Apem. The middle of humanity thou never thou wast in thy gilt and thy perfume, they mocked thee for too much curiosity; in thy rags thou knowest none, but art despised for the contrary. There's a medlar for thee; eat it. Tim. On what I hate, I feed not. Apem. An thou hadst hated meddlers sooner, thou shouldst have loved thyself better now. What man didst thou ever know unthrift, that was beloved after his means? Tim. Who, without those means thou talkest 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 canst thou nearest compare to thy flatterers? Tim. Women nearest; but men, men are the things themselves. What wouldst thou do with the world, Apemantus, if it lay in thy power? Apem. Give it the beasts, to be rid of the men. Tim. Wouldst thou have thyself fall in the confusion of men, and remain a beast with the beasts? Apem. Ay, Timon. Tim. A beastly 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 shouldst 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 killed by the horse; wert thou a horse, thou wouldst be seized by the leopard; wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion, and the spots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life: all thy safety were remotion; and thy defence, absence. What beast couldst thou be, that were not subject to a beast? and what a beast art thou already, that see'st not thy loss in transformation? Apem. If thou couldst please me with speaking to me, thou mightst have hit upon it here: the commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts. Tim. How! has the ass broke the wall, that thou art out of the city? 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. Tim. Rogue, rogue, rogue! [APEMANTUS retreats backward, as going. But even the mere necessities upon it. [Looking on the gold. 'Twixt natural son and sire! thou bright defiler To every purpose! O, thou touch of hearts! 3rd 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? 2nd Thief. True; for he bears it not about him; 'tis hid. 1st Thief. Is not this he? 2nd Thief. 'Tis his description. Thieves. Soldiers, not thieves. meat. I am sick of this false world; and will love nought Why should you want? Behold, the earth hath roots; 1 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? 1st Thief. We cannot live on grass, on berries, water, As beasts, and birds, and fishes. Tim. Nor on the beasts themselves, the birds, and fishes; You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you con, Till the high fever seeth your blood to froth, gether; Do villany, do, since you profess to do't, The laws, your curb and whip, in their rough power Have unchecked theft. Love not yourselves; away; Rob one another. There 's more gold : cut throats ; All that you meet are thieves. To Athens go; Break open shops: nothing can you steal But thieves do lose it. Steal not less, for this I give you; and gold confound you howsoever! [TIMON retires to his cave. Amen. 3rd Thief. He has almost charmed me from my profession, by persuading me to it, 1st Thief. 'Tis in the malice of mankind that he thus advises us; not to have us thrive in our mystery. 2nd Thief. I'll believe him as an enemy, and give over my trade. 1st Thief. Let us first see peace in Athens: there is no time so miserable but a man may be [Exeunt Thieves. true. Enter FLAVIUS. Flav. O you gods! Is yon dispised and ruinous man my lord? Full of decay and failing? O, monument And wonder of good deeds evilly bestowed! What an alteration of honour has Desperate want made! What viler thing upon the earth than friends TIMON comes forward from his cave. Then, if thou grant'st thou 'rt a man, I have forgot thee. Flav. An honest poor servant of yours. I ne'er had honest man about me, I; all Ne'er did poor steward wear a truer grief Tim. What, dost thou weep? Come nearer:- Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st Flav. I beg of you to know me, good my lord, To accept my grief, and, whilst this poor wealth lasts, To entertain me as your steward still. So true, so just, and now so comfortable? Forgive my general and exceptless rashness, Methinks thou art more honest now than wise; Doubt and suspect, alas! are placed too late; You should have feared false times when you did feast; Suspect still comes where an estate is least. For any benefit that points to me, Tim. Look thee, 'tis so!-Thou singly honest man, Here, take :-the gods out of my misery Debts wither them to nothing: be men like blasted woods, And may diseases lick up their false bloods! Flav. O, let me stay and comfort you, my master! C LT SCENE I.-Before TIMON'S Cave. Enter Poet and Painter; TIMON behind, unseen. Poet. What's to be thought of him? Does the Poet. Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his friends. Pain. Nothing else: you shall see him a palm Poet. What have you now to present unto him? Pain. Good as the best. Promising is the very a 129 |