A dedicated beggar to the air, With his disease of all-shunn'd poverty, Walks, like contempt, alone.-More of our fellows. Enter other Servants. Flav. All broken implements of a ruin'd house. Flav. Good fellows all, The latest of my wealth I'll share amongst you. "We have seen better days." Let each take some; [Giving them money. Not one word more : Nay, put out all your hands. [Exeunt Servants. To have his pomp, and all what state compounds, For bounty, that makes gods, does still mar men. a Fierce-violent, excessive. b Blood-natural disposition. Are made thy chief afflictions. Alas, kind lord! Of monstrous friends: Nor has he with him to supply his life, I'll ever serve his mind with my best will; SCENE III.-The Woods. Enter TIMON. [Exit. Tim. O blessed breeding sun, draw from the earth Rotten humidity; below thy sister's orb Infect the air! Twinn'd brothers of one womb,- Scarce is dividant,-touch them with several fortunes; To whom all sores lay siege, can bear great fortune, Raise me this beggar, and deny 't that lord; It is the pasture lards the brother's sides, The want that makes him lean. Who dares, who dares, a There is considerable obscurity in all this passage, both in the progress of the thought and the form of expression. It appears to us that it may be simplified by bearing in mind that one idea runs through the whole from the commencement, "twinn'd brothers," down to "the want that makes him lean." Touch the twinn'd brothers with several fortunes, that is, with different fortunes, and the greater scorns the lesser. The poet then interposes a reflection that man's nature, obnoxious as it is to all miseries, cannot bear great fortune without contempt of kindred nature. The greater and the lesser brothers now change places :— "Raise me this beggar, and deny 't that lord." The lord is now despised, the beggar now honoured; and the poet goes on to show that the difference of property is the sole In purity of manhood stand upright, Who seeks for better of thee, sauce his palate Roots, you clear heavens! Thus much of this, will make Black, white; foul, 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; cause of the difference of estimation. He puts this in the most contemptuous way, making the power of feeding and fattening constitute the great distinction between the brother, whose pasture lards his sides, and him, the other brother, whose want produces leanness. a Grize, greese, griece, gree, are all words expressing a step -a degree. b Stout means here, in health. There was a notion that the departure of the dying was rendered easier by removing the pillow from under their heads. That makes the wappen'd widow wed again: Do thy right nature.[March afar off]-Ha! a drum?-Thou 'rt quick, But yet I'll bury thee: Thou 'lt go, strong thief, Enter ALCIBIADES, with drum and fife, in warlike manner; PHRYNIA and TIMANDRA. Alcib. Speak, what art thou there? Tim. A beast, as thou art. heart, The canker gnaw thy 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: Then what should war be? This fell whore of thine Hath in her more destruction than thy sword, Phry. Thy lips rot off! a The April-day is not the fool's day, as Johnson imagined; but simply the spring-time of life. Tim. I will not kiss thee; then the rot returns To thine own lips again. Alcib. How came the noble Timon to this change? Tim. As the moon does, by wanting light to give: But then renew I could not, like the moon; There were no suns to borrow of. Alcib. Noble Timon, what friendship may I do thee? Tim. None, but to maintain my opinion. Alcib. What is it, Timon? Tim. Promise me friendship, but perform none: If thou wilt not promise, the gods plague thee, for thou art a man! if thou dost perform, confound thee, for thou 'rt a man! Alcib. I have heard in some sort of thy miseries. Tim. Thou saw'st them, when I had prosperity. Alcib. I see them now; then was a blessed time. Tim. As thine is now, held with a brace of harlots. Timan. Is this the Athenian minion, whom the world Voic'd so regardfully? Tim. Timan. Yes. Art thou Timandra? Tim. Be a whore still! They love thee not that use thee. Give them diseases, leaving with thee their lust. Timan. Hang thee, monster! Alcib. Pardon him, sweet Timandra; for his wits Are drown'd and lost in his calamities. I have but little gold of late, brave Timon, Tim. I prithee beat thy drum, and get thee gone. |