You are an alchymist, make gold of that:-
Out, rascal dogs!

(Exit, beating and driving them out.

SCENE II.

The same.

Enter Flavius, and two Senators.
Flao. It is in vain that you would speak with

Timon ;
For he is set so only to himself,
That nothing but himself, which looks like man,
Is friendly with him.
1 Sen.

Bring us to his cave:
It is our part, and promise to the Athenians,
To speak with Timon.
Sen.

At all times alike
Men are not still the same: 'Twas time, and griefs,
That fram'd him thus : time, with his fairer hand,
Offering the fortunes of his foriner days,
The former man may make him : Bring us to him,
And chance it as it may.
Flav.

Here is his cave. Peace and content be here ! Lord Timon! Timon ! Look out, and speak to friends: The Athepians, By two of their most reverend senate, greet thee: Speak to them, noble Timon.

Enter Timon.

Tim. Thou sun, that comfort'st, burn!-Speak,

and be hang'd:
For each true word, a blister! and each false
Be as a caut'rizing to the root o' the tongue,
Consuming it with speaking !

1 Sen.

Worthy Timon- ^ Tim. Of none but such as you, and you of Timon, 2 Sen. The senators of Athens greet thee, Timon. Tim. I thank them; and would send them back

the plague, Could I but catch it for them. 1 Sen.

0, forget What we are sorry for ourselves in thee. The senators, with one consent of love*, Entreat thee back to Athens; who have thought On special dignities, which vacant lie For thy best use and wearing. 2 Sen.

They confess,
Toward thee, forgetfulness too general, gross:
Which now the publick body, which doth seldom
Play the recanter,-feeling in itself
A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal
Of its own fall, restraining aid to Timon;
And send forth us, to make their sorrowed rendert,
Together with a recompence more fruitful
Than their offence can weigh down by the dram;
Ay, even such heaps and sums of love and wealth,
As shall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs,
And write in thee the figures of their love,
Ever to readthe m thine.
Tim.

You witch me in it;
Surprise me to the very brink of tears :
Lend me a fool's heart, and a woman's eyes,
And I'll beweep these comforts, worthy sepators.

1 Sen. Therefore, so please thee to return with us,
And of our Athens (thine, and ours), to take
The captainship, thou shalt be met with thanks,
Allow'd I with absolute power, and thy good name
Live with authority:-50 soon we shall drive back
Of Alcibiades the approaches wild;
Who, like a boar too savage, dotly root up
His country's peace.

* With one united voice of affection.
+ Confession Licensed, uncontrolled,

2 Sen. And shakes his threat'ning sword Against the walls of Athens. 1 Sen.

Therefore, Timon,Tim. Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir;

Thus,
If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,
Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,
That-Timon cares not. But if he sack fair Athens,
And take our goodly aged men by the beards,
Giving our lioly virgins to the stain
Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brain'd war;
Then, let him know,-and tell him Timon speaks it,
In pity of our aged, and our youth,
I cannot choose but tell him, that I care not,
And let him tak't at worst; for their knives care not,
While you have throats to answer : for myself,
There's not a whittle* in the uuruly camp,
But I do prize it at my love, before
The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave you
To the protection of the prosperous godst,
As thieves to keepers.
Flav.

Stay not, all's in vain.
Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph,
It will be seen tomorrow; My long sickness
of healtht, and living, now begins to mend,
And nothing brings me all things. Go, live still;
Be Alcibiades your plague, you his,
And last so long enough!
1 Sen.

We speak in vain.
Tim. But yet I love my country; and am not
One that rejoices in the common wreck,
As common bruitg doth put it.
1 Sen.

That's well spoke.

A clasp knife. + i.e. The gods who are the authors of the prospe. rity of mankind.

He means—the disease of life begins to promise me a period.

Report, rumour.

Tim. Commend me to my loving countrymen,-
1 Sen. These words become your lips as they pass

through them.
Sen. And enter in our ears like great triumphers
In their applauding gates.
Tim.

Commend me to them ; And tell them, that to ease them of their griefs, Their fears of hostile strokes, their aches, losses, Their pangs of love, with other incident throes That nature's fragile vessel doth sustain In life's uncertain voyage, I will some kindness do

them : I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath,

2 Sen. I like this well, he will return again.

Tim. I have a tree, which grows here in my close, That mine own use invites me to cut down, And shortly must I fell it; Tell my friends, Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree, From high to low throughout, that whoso please To stop affliction, let him take his haste, Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe, And hang himself: I pray you, do my greeting. Flav. Trouble him no further, thus you still sijall

find him. Tim. Come not to me again : but say to Athens, Timov hath made his everlasting mansion Upou the beached verge of the salt flood; Which once a day with bis embossed froth The turbulent surge shall cover ; thither come, And let my grave-stone be your oracle.-Lips, let sour words go by, and language end; What is amiss, plague and infection mend ! Graves only be men's works; and death, their gain! Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his reign,

(Exit Timon. 1 Sen. His discontents are unremoveably Coupled to nature.

Methodically, from highest to lowest. + Swollen froth.

- 2 Sen. Our hope in him is dead : let us return,

Enter two Senators, and a Messenger. 1 Sen. Thou hast painfully discover'd; are his files As full as thy report? Mess.

I have spoke the least : Besides, his expedition promises Present approach. 2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not

Timon. Mess. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend ;Whom, though in general part we were opposid, Yet our old love made a particular force,

riding
From Alcibiades to Timon's cave,
With letters of entreaty, which imported
His fellowship i'the cause against your city,
In part for his sake mov'd.

Enter Senators from Timon.

1 Sen.

Here come our brothers. 3 Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect.

Doth choke the air with dust: in and prepare;
Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes the snare. (Exeunt,