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SCENE 111.

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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
In different beds of lust; and never learned
The icy precepts of respect, but followed
The sugared game before thee. But myself,
Who had the world as my confectionary;

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 ?
If thou wilt curse,-thy father, that poor rag,
Must be thy subject; who, in spite, put stuff
To some she-beggar, and compounded thee,-
Poor rogue hereditary. Hence! be gone!
If thou hadst not been born the worst of men,
Thou hadst been a knave and flatterer..

Apem. Art thou proud yet?
Tim. Ay, that I am not thee.
Apem. I, that I was no prodigal.
Tim. I, that I am one now:

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For here it sleeps, and does no hiréd harm.

Apem. Where ly'st o' nights, Timon?
Under that's above me.

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. Dost hate a medlar?
Tim. Ay, though it look like thee.

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. 'Would thou wert clean enough to spit

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Tim. Rogue, rogue, rogue!

[APEMANTUS retreats backward, as going.

But even the mere necessities upon it.
Then, Timon, presently prepare thy grave;
Lie where the light foam of the sea may beat
Thy grave-stone daily: make thine epitaph,
That death in me at others' lives may laugh.
O, thou sweet king-killer, and dear divorce

[Looking on the gold.

'Twixt natural son and sire! thou bright defiler
Of Hymen's purest bed! thou valiant Mars!
Thou ever young, fresh, loved, and delicate wooer,
Whose blush doth thaw the consecrated snow
That lies on Dian's lap! thou visible god,
That solder'st close impossibilities,
And mak'st them kiss! that speak'st with every
tongue,

To every purpose! O, thou touch of hearts!
Think, thy slave man rebels; and by thy virtue
Set them into confounding odds, that beasts
May have the world in empire!

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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?
Thieves. Where?

2nd Thief. 'Tis his description.
3rd Thief. He; I know him.
Thieves. Save thee, Timon.
Tim. Now, thieves?

Thieves. Soldiers, not thieves.
Tim. Both, too; and women's sons.
Thieves. We are not thieves, but men that much

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meat.

I am sick of this false world; and will love nought Why should you want? Behold, the earth hath roots;

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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,
That you are thieves professed; that you work not
In holier shapes: for there is boundless theft
In limited professions. Rascal thieves,
Here's gold: go, suck the subtle blood of the grape,

Till the high fever seeth your blood to froth,
And so 'scape hanging. Trust not the physician;
His antidotes are poison, and he slays
More than you rob. Take wealth and lives to-

gether;

Do villany, do, since you profess to do't,
Like workmen. I'll example you with thievery:
The sun's a thief, and with his great attraction
Robs the vast sea: the moon's an arrant thief,
And her pale fire she snatches from the sun :
The sea's a thief, whose liquid surge resolves
The moon into salt tears: the earth's a thief,
That feeds and breeds by a composture stolen
From general excrement: each thing's a thief:

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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
Who can bring noblest minds to basest ends!
How rarely does it meet with this time's guise,
When man was wished to love his enemies!
Grant I may ever love, and rather woo
Those that would mischief me, than those that do!
He has caught me in his eye: I will present
My honest grief unto him; and, as my lord,
Still serve him with my life. - My dearest master!

TIMON comes forward from his cave.
Tim. Away! what art thou?

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Then, if thou grant'st thou 'rt a man, I have forgot thee.

Flav. An honest poor servant 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.

Tim. What, dost thou weep? Come nearer:-
then I love thee,

Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st
Flinty mankind; whose eyes do never give
But thorough lust and laughter. Pity's sleeping:
Strange times, that weep with laughing, not with
weeping!

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.
Tim. Had I a steward

So true, so just, and now so comfortable?
It almost turns my dangerous nature wild.
Let me behold thy face. Surely this man
Was born of woman.

Forgive my general and exceptless rashness,
Perpetual-sober gods! I do proclaim
One honest man, mistake me not, but one;
No more, I pray ;-and he's a steward.-
How fain would I have hated all mankind,
And thou redeem'st thyself: but all, save thee,
I fell with curses.

Methinks thou art more honest now than wise;
For, by oppressing and betraying me,
Thou mightst have sooner got another service :
For many so arrive at second masters,

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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.
That which I shew, Heaven knows, is merely love,
Duty and zeal, to your unmatched mind;
Care of your food and living; and believe it,
My most honoured lord,

For any benefit that points to me,
Either in hope or present, I'd exchange
For this one wish, that you had power and wealth
To requite me, by making rich yourself.

Tim. Look thee, 'tis so!-Thou singly honest

man,

Here, take :-the gods out of my misery
Have sent thee treasure. Go, live rich and happy:
But thus conditioned: thou shalt build from men;
Hate all, curse all; shew charity to none;
But let the famished flesh slide from the bone,
Ere thou relieve the beggar: give to dogs
What thou deny'st to men; let prisons swallow
them,

Debts wither them to nothing: be men like blasted woods,

And may diseases lick up their false bloods!
And so farewell, and thrive.

Flav. O, let me stay and comfort you, my

master!

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SCENE I.-Before TIMON'S Cave.

Enter Poet and Painter; TIMON behind, unseen.
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 Timandra had gold of him: he likewise
enriched poor straggling soldiers with great
quantity: 't is said, he gave unto his steward
a mighty sum.

Poet. Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his friends.

Pain. Nothing else: you shall see him a palm
in Athens again, and flourish with the highest.
Therefore, 't is not amiss we tender our loves to
him, in this supposed distress of his: it will shew
honesty 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.

Poet. What have you now to present unto him?
Pain. Nothing at this time but my visitation :
only I will promise him an excellent piece.
Poet. I must serve him so too; tell him of an
intent that's coming toward him.

Pain. Good as the best. Promising is the very
air o' the time: it opens the eyes of expectation :

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