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? Surely, this man 500 Was born of woman. 510 Methinks thou art more honest now than wise; 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: 520 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. 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. 21 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 50 '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 Post. Hail, worthy Timon! Our late noble master! Tim. Have I once lived to see two honest men? Poet. Sir, 110 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, Whose star-like nobleness gave life and influence He and myself 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 Best in all Athens: thou'rt, indeed, the best: 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; Men are not still the same: 'twas time and griefs 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 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. Tim. I thank them; and would send them back the plague, Could I but catch it for them. 140 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. A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal 150 Tim. You witch me in it; Surprise me to the very brink of tears: And of our Athens, thine and ours, to take To stop affliction, let him take his haste, 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 Therefore, Timon,-170 Tim. Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir; thus: If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, Athens, men, First Sen. These words become your lips as I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath. That mine own use invites me to cut down, In our dear peril. First Sen. It requires swift foot. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Before the walls of Athens. Sec. Sen. We stand much hazard, if they Mess. I met a courier, one mine ancient From Alcibiades to Timon's cave, Here come our brothers. Enter the Senators from TIMON. The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scouring SCENE III. [Exeunt. The woods. Timon's cave, and a Enter a Soldier, seeking TIMON. Timon is dead, who hath outstretch'd his span: I cannot read: the character I'll take with wax: 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. Our suffrance vainly: now the time is flush, Sec. Sen. So did we woo Transformed Timon to our city's love By humble message and by promised means: 20 First Sen. For private faults in em. Sec. Sen. Nor are they living 30 Who were the motives that you first went out; And by the hazard of the spotted die 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, 40 Approach the fold and cull the infected forth, 50 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 80 From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit make each [Exeunt. 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. 30 SCENE I. Rome. A street. Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and certain Commoners. Flav. But wherefore art not in thy shop to- Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? 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, Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou? Mar. Where is thy leather apron and thy rule? What dost thou with thy best apparel on? 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 ! 21 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, 40 you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, And do you now put on your best attire? 60 Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, Assemble all the poor men of your sort: |