Tim. Why dost ask that? I have forgot all 5 Flav. An honest poor servant of yours. I ne'er had honest man about me, I; all I kept were' knaves, to serve in meat to villains. To requite me, by making rich yourself. [man, Ne'er did poor steward wear a truer grief 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 ine as your steward still. Tim. Had I a steward So true, so just, and now so comfortable? Forgive my general and exceptless rashness, Methinks, thou art more honest now, than wise; [gifts, 25 And may diseases lick up their false bloods! Flav. O, let me stay, and comfort you, my master. Stay not; but fly, whilst thou art blest and free: Enter Poet and Painter. 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 likewise enrich'd poor straggling soldiers with great quan30tity: 'Tis said, he gave 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. 35 Therefore, 'tis not amiss, we tender our loves to him, in this suppos'd distress of his: it will shew honestly 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. 40 If not a usuring kindness; and as rich men deal 45 [breast you did Flav. No, my most worthy master, in whose For any benefit that points to nie, For this one wish, That you had power and wealth 50 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: performance is ever the duller for his act; and, but in the plainer and simpler kind of people, the deed of saying is quite out of use. To promise is most courtly and fashionable: performance is a kind of will, or testament, which argues a great sickness in his judgement that makes it. Re-enter Timon from his cave, unseen. Tim. Excellent workman! Thou canst not paint 55 a man so bad as thyself. 5 Poet. I am thinking, what I shall say I have provided for him: It must be a personating of himself: a satire against the softness of prosperity; 2 To turn wild is to 1 Knave is here used in the compound sense of a servant and a rascal. distract.-An appearance so unexpected, says Timon, almost turns my sacageness to distraction. i.e. away from human habitations. 4 The sense is, "The doing of that which we have said we would do, the accomplishment and performance of our promise, is, except among the lower classes of mankind, quite out of use." Personating for representing simply; for the subject of this projected satire was Timon's case, not his person. 5 with But, for all this, my I must needs say, you 5 Marry, 'tis not monstro You take much pains to Both. Beseech your h To make it known to us Tim. You'll take it il Both. Most thankfully Tim. Will you, indeed Both. Doubt it not, w Tim. There's ne'er a That mightily deceives Both. Do we, my lord Tim. Ay, and you he Know his gross patchery Keep in your bosom: y That he's a made-up vil Pain. I know none su Poet. Nor I. Tim. Look you, I love Rid me these villains fro Hang them, or stab them, 25 Confound them by some I'll give you gold enough Both. Name them, my Tim. You that way, an company", Each man apart,-all sing Yet an arch-villain keeps If, where thou art, two vil Come not near him.-If t But where one villain is, t Hence! pack! there's go ye slaves: You have work for me, the 40 You arc an alchymist, ma Out, rascal dogs! [Exit, beating SCEN Enter Flavius, and Flav. It is in vain that y For he is set so only to him 1 Sen. Bring us to his ca It is our part, and promise t To speak with Timon. 2 Sen. At all times alike Men are not still the same: That fram'd him thus: time. Offering the fortunes of his This passa 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. Flav. Here is his cave. Peace and content be here! Lord Timon! Timon! Enter Timon. 5 Giving our holy virgins to the stain Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brain'd war; If pity of our aged, and our youth, I cannot chuse but tell him, that--I care not, And let him take 't at worst; for their knives care not, While you have throats to answer: for myself, 10 There's not a whittle in the unruly camp, 1 Sen. Worthy Timon,- 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 senators, with one consent of love, Intreat thee back to Athens; who have thought For thy best use and wearing. 2 Sea. They confess, Toward thee, forgetfulness too general, gross : A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal But I do prize it at my love, before The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave you Flax. Stay not, all's in vain. Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph, 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 Together with a recompence more fruitful Tim. You witch me in it; 40 1 Sen. Therefore, so please thee to return with 2 Sen. And shakes his threat'ning sword Against the walls of Athens, 1 Sen. Therefore, Timon, 50 1 Sen. That's well spoke. Tim. Commend me to my loving countrymen,-1 Sen. These words become your lips as they pass through them. [umphers 2 Sen. And enter in our ears, like great triIn their applauding gates. Tim. Commend me to them; And tell them, that, to ease them of their griefs, In life's uncertain voyage, I will some kindness I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath. That mine own use invites me to cut down, Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Athens, Tim. Well, sir, I will; therefore I will, sir;55 Which once a day with his embossed froth Thus, If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, [Athens, That-Timon cares not.—But if he sack fair The turbulent surge shall cover; thither come, The Athenians had sense, that is, felt the danger of their own fall, by the arms of Alcibiades. 2 Render is confession. Allowed is licensed, privileged, uncontrolled. 4 A whittle is still in the midland counties the common name for a pocket clasp knife, such as children use. 5 i. e. from highest to lowest. "We have before observed, that when a deer was run hard, and foamed at the mouth, he was said to be emboss'd. [Exit Timon. 5 1 Sen. His discontents 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. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. The Walls of Athens. Enter two other Senators, with a Messenger. 1 Sen. Thou hast painfully discovered; are his As full as thy report? Mes. I have spoke the least: Besides, his expedition promises Present approach. [files [Timon. Trumpets sound. Enter A Alcib. Sound to this Our terrible approach. [Sound a parley. The Sena Till now you have gone With all licentious measu 10 The scope of justice; 'til As slept within the shado Have wander'd with ou breath'd 15 Our sufferance vainly: N 2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not 20 Mes. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend;Who, though in general part we were oppos'd, Yet our old love made a particular force, And made us speak like friends:-this man was riding From Alcibiades to Timon's cave, With letters of entreaty, which imported Enter the other Senators. 1 Sen. Here come our brothers. 3 Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect. The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scouring Doth choak the air with dust: In, and prepare; Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes the snare. SCENE V. Changes to the Woods. Enter a Soldier, seeking Timon. [Exeunt. Sol. By all description, this should be the place. Who's here? speak, ho!-No answer?-What is this? Timon is dead, who hath out-stretch'd his span: I cannot read; the character I'll take with wax; [Exit. 2 Sen. So did we woo Transformed Timon to ou By humble message, and b We were not all unkind, no 30 The common stroke of war 1 Sen. These walls of ou Were not erected by their You have receiv'd your gri That these great towers, should fall 35 For private faults in them. 2 Sen. Nor are they livin Who were the motives that Shame, that they wanted cu 40 Hath broke their hearts". Into our city with thy banne By decimation, and a tithed (If thy revenges hunger for Which nature loaths) take the And by the hazard of the sp Let die the spotted. 45 1 Sen. All have not offend For those that were, it is not On those that are, revenges: 50 Are not inherited. Then, d Bring in thy ranks, but leave Spare thy Athenian cradle, a Which, in the bluster of thy Dr. Warburton observes, that dear, in the language of that time, signified d by Shakspeare in numberless places.-Mr. Steevens says, that dear may in this mediate; and that it is an enforcing epithet with not always a distinct meaning. 3 A bird is flush when his feathers are grown, and he can leave the nest.-F The marrow was supposed to be the original of strength.-The image is from to take up his load, who rises immediately when he finds he has as much laid • Their refers to rages. The meaning is, "Shame in excess (i.e. extremity wanted cunning (i. e. that they were not wise enough not to banish you) hath b i. e. not regular, not equitable. With those that have offended: like a shepherd,| Approach the fold, and cull the infected forth, But kill not altogether. 2 Sen. What thou wilt, Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy smile, Than hew to 't with thy sword. 1 Sen. Set but thy foot Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope; 2 Sen. Throw thy glove, Or any token of thine honour else, That thou wilt use the wars as thy redress, And not as our confusion, all thy powers Shall make their harbour in our town, 'till we Have seal'd thy full desire. Alcib. Then there's my glove; Descend, and open your uncharged ports1: Those enemies of Timon's, and mine own, Whom you yourselves shall set out for reproof, Fall, and no more: and,-to atone your fears With my more noble meaning,-not a man Shall pass his quarter, or offend the stream Of regular justice in your city's bounds, But shall be remedy'd by your public laws At heaviest answer. Both. "Tis most nobly spoken. Alcib. Descend, and keep your words. i e. Unguarded gates. Pass by, and curse thy fill; but pass, and stay not here thy gait. 15 These well express in thee thy latter spirits: Though thou abhor'dst in us our human griefs, Scorn'dst 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 use the olive with my sword: 25 Make war breed peace; make peace stint war; make each Prescribe to other, as each other's leach - 2 Our brain's flow is our tears. [Exeunt. Ji. e. physician. TITUS |