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 profess'd; 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 seethe 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 together;
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 composturet stolen
From general excrement: each thing's a thief;
The laws, your curb

power Have uncheck'd theft. Rob one another.

throats;

and whip, in their rough

Love not yourselves: away;
There's more gold:

All that you meet are thieves: to Athens go,

Break open shops; nothing can you steal
But thieves do lose it.

*For legal.

+ Compost.

cut

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 Diana's lap! thou visible god,
That solder'st close impossibilities,

And makest 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!

*For touchstone.

JIL.

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