Banditti. We are not thieves, but men that much do

want.

Tim. Your greatest want is you want much of meat.
Why should you want? Behold, the earth hath roots;
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?
i Ban. 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 a 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

b

More than you rob. Take wealth and lives together;
Do villainy, do, since you protest 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;
The laws, your curb and whip, in their rough power
Have uncheck'd theft. Love not yourselves: away;

a Limited-legalized.

b Protest. The ordinary reading is profess. There appears no necessity for the change, for either word may be used in the sense of to declare openly.

That is, the laws, being powerful, have their theft unchecked.

VOL. IX.

L

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! Amen. [TIMON retires to his cave. 3 Ban. He has almost charmed me from my profession, by persuading me to it.

1 Ban. T is in the malice of mankind, that he thus advises us; not to have us thrive in our mystery.

2 Ban. I'll believe him as an enemy, and give over my trade.

1 Ban. Let us first see peace in Athens: There is no time so miserable but a man may be true.

Enter FLAVIUS.

Flav. O you gods!

[Exeunt Banditti.

Is yon despis'd and ruinous man my lord?
Full of decay and failing? O monument
And wonder of good deeds evilly bestow'd!
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 wish'd 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?

Flav.

Have you forgot me, sir?

Tim. Why dost ask that? I have forgot all men; 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; ay, 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,
You 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,
Upon their first lord's neck. But tell me true,
(For I must ever doubt, though ne'er so sure,)
Is not thy kindness subtle, covetous,

If not a usuring kindness; and as rich men deal gifts,
Expecting in return twenty for one?

Flav. No, my most worthy master, in whose breast Doubt and suspect, alas, are plac'd too late;

You should have fear'd false times, when you did feast:
Suspect still comes where an estate is least.

That which I show, heaven knows, is merely love,
Duty and zeal to your unmatched mind,

Care of your food and living: and, believe it,
My most honour'd 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, 't is so!-Thou singly honest man,

Here, take the gods out of my misery

Have sent thee treasure. Go, live rich, and happy:
But thus condition'd: Thou shalt build from men;
Hate all, curse all: show charity to none :
But let the famish'd 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,

their false bloods!

And may diseases lick up
And so, farewell, and thrive.

Flav. O, let me stay, and comfort you my master.
Tim. If thou hat'st curses,

Stay not: fly, whilst thou art bless'd and free;
Ne'er see thou man, and let me ne'er see thee.

[Exeunt severally.

ACT V.

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 's 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 show 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.

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: