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Tim. What, dost thou weep? Come nearer.

Then I love thee, Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st 490 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 mild.
Let me behold thy face.

Surely, this man

500

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.

510

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 placed too late: You should have fear'd false times when you did feast:

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ACT V.

SCENE I. Enter Poet and Painter; TIMON watching them from his cave.

The woods. Before Timon's cave.

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 rumor hold for true, that he's so full of gold?

Pain. Certain : Alcibiades reports it: Phrynia and Timandra had gold of him: he likewise enrichest poor straggling soldiers with great quantity: 'tis said he gave unto his steward a mighty

sum.

Poet. Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his friends.

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Pain. Nothing else: you shall see him a palm in Athens again, and flourish with the highest. Therefore 'tis 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 travail 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.

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Το

Fain. 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. promise is most courtly and fashionable; performance is a kind of will or testament which argues a great sickness in his judgment that makes it. [Timon comes from his cave, behind. Tim. [Aside] Excellent workman! thou canst not paint a man so bad as is thyself.

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, with a discovery of the infinite flatteries that follow youth and opulency.

Tim. [Aside) Must thou needs stand for a villain in thine own work? wilt thou whip thine own faults in other men? Do so, I have gold for thee.

Poet. Nay, let's seek him:

Then do we sin against our own estate, When we may profit meet, and come too late. Pain. True;

When the day serves, before black-corner'd night, Find what thou want'st, by free and offer'd light. Come.

Tim. [Aside] I'll meet you at the turn. What a god's gold,

That he is worshipp'd in a baser temple
Than where swine feed!

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'Tis thou that rigg'st the bark and plough'st the foam.

Settlest admired reverence in a slave:

To thee be worship! and thy saints for aye
Be crown'd with plagues that thee alone obey!
Fit I meet them.
Coming forward.

Post. Hail, worthy Timon!
Pain.

Our late noble master! Tim. Have I once lived to see two honest men?

Poet. Sir,

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60 | Each man apart, all single and alone, Yet an arch-villain keeps him company. If where thou art two villains shall not be, Come not near him. If thou wouldst not reside But where one villain is, then him abandon. Hence, pack! there's gold; you came for gold, ye slaves:

Having often of your open bounty tasted,
Hearing you were retired, your friends fall'n off,
Whose thankless natures-O abhorr'd spirits!-
Not all the whips of heaven are large enough:
What! to you,

Whose star-like nobleness gave life and influence
To their whole being! I am rapt and cannot
The monstrous bulk of this ingratitude [cover
With any size of words.
[better:
Tim. Let it go naked, men may see't the
You that are honest, by being what you are, 71
Make them best seen and known.
Pain.

He and myself
Have travail'd in the great shower of your gifts,
And sweetly felt it.
Tim.

Ay, you are honest men.

Pain. We are hither come to offer you our service.

Tim. Most honest men! Why, how shall I requite you?

Can you eat roots, and drink cold water? no. Both. What we can do, we'll do, to do you service.

Tim. Ye're honest men: ye've heard that I have gold;

men.

I am sure you have: speak truth; ye're honest
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Pain. So it is said, my noble lord; but there-
Came not my friend nor I.
[fore
Tim. Good honest men! Thou draw'st a
counterfeit

Best in all Athens: thou'rt, indeed, the best:
Thou counterfeit'st most lively.
Pain.
So, so, my lord.
Tim. E'en so, sir, as I say. And, for thy
fiction,
[smooth
Why, thy verse swells with stuff so fine and
That thou art even natural in thine art.
But, for all this, my honest-natured friends,
I must needs say you have a little fault: 90
Marry, 'tis not monstrous in you, neither wish I
You take much pains to mend.
Both

To make it known to us.

Tim.

[To Painter] You have work'd for me; there's payment for you: hence!

[To Poet] You are an alchemist; make gold of that.

Out, rascal dogs! [Beats them out, and then retires to his cave.

Enter FLAVIUS and two Senators. Flav. It is in vain that you would speak with Timon;

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Men are not still the same: 'twas time and griefs
That framed him thus: time, with his fairer hand,
Offering the fortunes of his former days, [him,
The former man may make him. Bring us to
And chance it as it may.
Flav.
Here is his cave.
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Peace and content be here! Lord Timon! Timon!
Look out and speak to friends: the Athenians,
By two of their most reverend senate, greet
Speak to them, noble Timon.
[thee:

TIMON comes from his cave. Tim. Thou sun, that comfort'st, burn! Speak, and be hang'd:

For each true word, a blister! and each false
Be as a cauterizing to the root o' the tongue,
Consuming it with speaking!
First Sen.

Worthy Timon,Tim. Of none but such as you, and you of Timon,

Beseech your honor

You'll take it ill.

First Sen. The senators of Athens greet thee, Timon.

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Tim. I thank them; and would send them

back the plague,

Could I but catch it for them.

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First Sen. O, 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.

Sec. Sen.
They confess
Toward thee forgetfulness too general, gross:
Which now the public body, which doth seldom
Play the recanter, feeling in itself

A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal 150
Of its own fail, restraining aid to Timon;
And send forth us, to make their sorrow'd render,
Together with a recompense 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 read them 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, 160
And I'll beweep these comforts, worthy senators.
First Sen. Therefore, so please thee to re-
tura with us

And of our Athens, thine and ours, to take
The captainship, thou shalt be met with thanks,
Allow'd with absolute power and thy good name
Live with authority: so soon we shall drive
Of Alcibiades the approaches wild, [back
Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up
His country's peace.

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

shall find him.

220

Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Athens, Timon hath made his everlasting mansion. Upon the beached verge of the salt flood; Who once a day with his embossed froth The turbulent surge shall cover: thither come, And let my gravestone 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. [Retires to his cave. First Sen. His discontents are unremovably Coupled to nature. [turn, Sec. Sen. Our hope in him is dead: let us reThat Timon cares not. But if he sack fair And strain what other means is left unto us 230

Sec. Sen. And shakes his threatening sword
Against the walls of Athens.
First Sen.

Therefore, Timon,-170 Tim. Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir; thus:

If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,
Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,

Athens,

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men,

First Sen. These words become your lips as
they pass through them. (triumphers
Sec. Sen. And enter in our ears like great
In their applauding gates.
Tim.
Commend me to them, 200
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.
First 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, 210
Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree
From high to low throughout, that whoso please

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In our dear peril.

First Sen. It requires swift foot. [Exeunt.

SCENE II. Before the walls of Athens.
Enter two Senators and a Messenger.
First 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.

Sec. Sen. We stand much hazard, if they
bring not Timon.
[friend;

Mess. I met a courier, one mine ancient
Whom, though in general part we were opposed,
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 inported
His fellowship i' the cause against your city,
In part for his sake moved.
First Sen.

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Here come our brothers.

Enter the Senators from TIMON.
Third Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of
him expect.

The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scouring
Doth choke the air with dust: in, and prepare:
Ours is the fall, I fear; our foes the snare.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

The woods. Timon's cave, and a
rude tomb seen.

Enter a Soldier, seeking TIMON.
Sold. By all description this should be the place.
Who's here? speak, ho! No answer! What is
this?

Timon is dead, who hath outstretch'd his span:
Some beast rear'd this; there does not live a man.
Dead, sure; and this his grave. What's on this
tomb

I cannot read: the character I'll take with wax:
Our captain hath in every figure skill,
An aged interpreter, though young in days:
Before proud Athens he's set down by this,
Whose fall the mark of his ambition is. [Exit. 10

SCENE IV. Before the walls of Athens. Trumpets sound. Enter ALCIBIADES with his powers. Alcib.Sound to this coward and lascivious town Our terrible approach. A parley sounded.

Enter Senators on the walls.
Till now you have gone on and fill'd the time
With all licentious measure, making your wills
The scope of justice; till now myself and such
As slept within the shadow of your power
Have wander'd with our traversed arms and
breathed

Our suffrance vainly: now the time is flush,
When crouching marrow in the bearer strong
Cries of itself No more;' now breathless wrong
Shall sit and pant in your great chairs of ease, 11
And pursy ignorance shall break his wind
With fear and horrid flight.
First Sen.
Noble and young,
When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit,
Ere thou hadst power or we had cause of fear,
We sent to thee, to give thy rages balm,
To wipe out our ingratitude with loves
Above their quantity.

Sec. Sen.

So did we woo

Transformed Timon to our city's love

By humble message and by promised means: 20
We were not all unkind, nor all deserve
The common stroke of war.

First Sen.
These walls of ours
Were not erected by their hands from whom
You have received your griefs: nor are they such
That these great towers, trophies and schools
should fall

For private faults in em.

Sec. Sen.

Nor are they living

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Who were the motives that you first went out;
Shame that they wanted cunning, in excess
Hath broke their hearts. March, noble lord,
Into our city with thy banners spread:
By decimation, and a tithed death-
If thy revenges hunger for that food
Which nature loathes-take thou the destined
tenth,

And by the hazard of the spotted die
Let die the spotted.

First Sen.

All have not offended; For those that were, it is not square to take On those that are, revenges: crimes, like lands, Are not inherited. Then, dear countryman, Bring in thy ranks, but leave without thy rage: Spare thy Athenian cradle and those kin Which in the bluster of thy wrath must fall With those that have offended: like a shepherd,

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Approach the fold and cull the infected forth,
But kill not altogether.
Sec. Sen.
What thou wilt,
Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy smile
Than hew to 't with thy sword.
First Sen.
Set but thy foot
Against our rampired gates, and they shall ope;
So thou wilt send thy gentle heart before,
To say thou'lt enter friendly.
Sec. Sen.
Throw thy glove,
Or any token of thine honor else,
That thou wilt use the wars as thy redress
And not as our confusion, all thy powers
Shall make their harbor in our town, till we
Have seal'd thy full desire.
Alcib.

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Then there's my glove Descend, and open your uncharged ports: 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 60 Of regular justice in your city's bounds, But shall be render'd to your public laws At heaviest answer.

Both. 'Tis most nobly spoken. Alcib. Descend, and keep your words. [The Senators descend, and open the gates. Enter Soldier.

Sold. My noble general, Timon is dead; Entomb'd upon the very hem o' the sea; And on his gravestone this insculpture, which With wax I brought away, whose soft impression Interprets for my poor ignorance.

Alcib. [Reads the epitaph] Here lies a wretched corse, of wretched soul bereft: 70 Seek not my name: a plague consume you wicked caitiffs left! [did hate: Here lie I, Timon; who, alive, all living men Pass by and curse thy fill, but pass and stay not here thy gait.'

These well express in thee thy latter spirits: Though thou abhorr'dst in us our human griefs, Scorn'dst our brain's flow and those our droplets which

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From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit
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,
Make war breed
peace, make
peace stint war,

make each
Prescribe to other as each other's leech.
Let our drums strike.

[Exeunt.

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A Soothsayer.

PINDARUS, servant to Cassius.

CALPURNIA, wife to Cæsar.

PORTIA, wife to Brutus.

Senators, Citizens, Guards, Attendants, &c.

SCENE.-Rome: the neighborhood of Sardis: the neighborhood of Philippi.

ACT I.

proper men as ever trod upon neat's leather have gone upon my handiwork.

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SCENE I. Rome. A street.

Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and certain

Commoners.

Flav. But wherefore art not in thy shop to-
day?

Why dost thou lead these men about the streets?
Sec. Com. Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes,

Flav. Hence! home, you idle creatures, get to get myself into more work. But, indeed, you ho.ne:

Is this a holiday? wnat! know you not,
Being mechanical, you ought not walk
Upon a laboring day without the sign

Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou?
First Com. Why, sir, a carpenter.

Mar. Where is thy leather apron and thy rule?

What dost thou with thy best apparel on?
You, sir, what trade are you?

Sec. Com. Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as you would say, a cobbler. 11 Mar. But what trade art thou? answer me directly.

Sec. Com. A trade, sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles.

Mar. What trade, thou knave? thou naughty knave, what trade?

Sec. Com. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you.

Mar. What meanest thou by that? mend me, thou saucy fellow !

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Sec. Com. Why, sir, cobble you. Flav. Thou art a cobbler, art thou? Sec. Com Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl: I meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor women's matters, but with awl. I am, indeed, sir, a surgeon to old shoes; when they are in great danger, I recover them. As

sir, we make holiday, to see Cæsar and to rejoice in his triumph.

Mar. Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?

What tributaries follow him to Rome,
To grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels?
You blocks, you stones, you worse than sense-
less things!

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you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome,
Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops,
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The live-long day, with patient expectation,
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome.
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have you not made an universal shout,
That Tiber trembled underneath her banks, 50
To hear the replication of your sounds
Made in her concave shores?

And do you now put on your best attire?
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood?
Be gone!

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Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs must light on this ingratitude.
Flav. Go, go, good countrymen, and, for
this fault,

Assemble all the poor men of your sort:

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