SCENE changes to the Walls of Athens.

Enter two other Senators, with a Messenger.

1 Sen. Hou haft painfully difcover'd; are his files As full as thy report?

"TH

Mef. I have fpoke the leaft. Befides, his expedition promifes Prefent approach.

2 Sen. We ftand much hazard, if they bring not Timon. Mef. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend; Who, though in general part we were oppos'd, Yet our old love made a particular force, And made us fpeak like friends. From Alcibiades to Timon's Cave, With letters of intreaty, which imported His fellowship i'th' caufe againft your city, for his fake mov'd.

In part

This man was riding

Enter the other Senators.

1 Sen. Here come our brothers.

3

Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect.. The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful fcouring Doth choak the air with duft. In, and prepare ; Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes the fnare. [Exeunt.

Enter a Soldier in the woods, feeking Timon.
Sol. By all description this should be the place.
Who's here speak, ho.- No answer?
What is this?

Timon is dead, who hath out-ftretch'd his fpan;
Some beaft rear'd this; here does not live a man. (31)

(31) Seme Beaft read this: kere does not live a Man.] Some Beaft read what? the Soldier had yet only feen the rude Pile of Earth heap'd up for Tmon's Grave, and not the Infcription upon it. My Friend Mr Warburton ingenioufly advifed me to amend the Text, as I have done. The Soldier, feeking by Order for Timon, fees fuch an irregular Mole, as he concludes must have been the Workmaship of fome Beaft inhabiting the Woods; and fuch a Cavity, as either must have been fo over-arched, or happened by the cafual Failing in of the Ground.

Dead,

Dead, fure, '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 ag'd interpreter, tho' young in days:
Before proud Athens he's fet down by this,
Who's fall the mark of his ambition is.

SCENE, before the Walls of Athens.

[Exit.

Trumpets founded. Enter Alcibiades with his Powers. Ound to this coward and lafcivious town

Alc.

Our terrible approach.

[Sound a parley. The Senators appear upon the walls. 'Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the time With all licentious meafure, making your wills The scope of juftice. Till now myself, and fuch As flept within the fhadow of your power,

Have wander'd with our traverft arms, and breath'd
Our fufferance vainly. Now the time is fluff,
When crouching marrow in the bearer strong
Cries, of itself, no more: now breathlefs wrong
Shall fit and pant in your great chairs of cafe,
And purfy infolence fhall break his wind.
With fear and horrid flight.

1 Sen. Noble and young,

When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit,
Er thou hadst power, or we had caufe to fear;
We fent to thee, to give thy rages balm,

To wipe out our ingratitude, with loves

Above their quantity.

t

2 Sen. So did we woo (32)

(32)
So did we wooe
Transformed Timon to our

City's Love

By bumble Meffage, and by promis'd means:] Promis'd Means mu import a Supply of Subftance, the recruiting his funk Fortunes; but that is not all, in my Mind, that the Poet would aim at. The Senate had wooed him with humble Meffage, and Promife of general Reparation for their Injuries and Ingratitude. This seems included in the flight Change which I have made and by promis d'mends: and this Word, a offriphe'd, or otherwise, is used in common with Amends.

Tranf

Transformed Timon to our city's love

By humble meffage, and by promis'd 'mends:
We were not all unkind, nor all deferve
The common ftroke of war.

1 Sen. These walls of ours

Were not erected by their hands, from whom
You have receiv'd your griefs: nor are they fuch,
That these great tow'rs, trophies, and schools fhould fall
For private faults in them."

2 Sen. Nor are they living,

Who were the motives that you first went out :
Shame, that they wanted cunning, in excess (33)
Hath broke their hearts. March on, oh, noble Lord,
Into our city with thy banners fpread;

By decimation and a tithed death,

If thy revenges hunger for that food

Which nature loaths, take thou the destin'd tenth :
And by the hazard of the spotted die,

Let die the spotted.

1 Sen. All have not offended:

For those that were, it is not fquare to take

On thofe that are, revenge: Crimes, like to 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 thofe that have offended; like a fhepherd,
Approach the fold, and cull th' infected forth;
But kill not all together.

2 Sen. What thou wilt,

Shame, that

(33) Shame, that they wanted Cunning in Excefs, Hath broke their Hea ts.] i. e. in other Terms, they were not the cunning'ft Men alive, hath been the Cause of their Death. For Cunning in Excess must mean this or nothing. O brave Editors! They had heard it faid, that too much Wit in fome Cafes might be dangerous, and why not an abfolute Want of it? But had they the Skill or Courage to remove one perplexing Comma, the easy and genuine Senfe would immediately arife. "Shame in "excefs (i. e. Extremity of Shame) that they wanted Cunning i. e. that they were not wife enough not to banish you ;) hath broke their Hearts."

Thon

Thou rather fhalt enforce it with thy fmile,
Than hew to't with thy fword.

1 Sen. Set but thy foot

Againft our rampir'd gates, and they fhall ope:
So thou wilt fend thy gentle heart before,
To fay, thou'lt enter friendly.

z Sen. Throw thy glove,

Or any token of thine honour elfe,

That thou wilt ufe the wars as thy redress,
And not as our confufion: all thy powers
Shall make their harbour in our town, till we
Have feal'd thy full defire.

Alc. Then there's my glove;

Defcend, and open your uncharged ports;
Thofe enemies of Timon's, and mine own,
Whom you yourselves fhall fet out for reproof,
Fall, and no more; and to attone your fears
With my more noble meaning, not a man
Shall pafs his quarter, or offend the stream
Of regular juftice in your city's bounds;
But fhall be remedied by publick laws
At heaviest answer.

Both. 'Tis moft nobly spoken.-
Alc. Defcend, and keep your words.

Enter a Soldier.

Sol. My noble General, Timon is dead;
Entomb'd upon the very hem o'th' fea;
And on the grave-ftone this infculpture, which
With wax-I brought away; whofe foft impreffion
Interpreteth for my poor ignorance.

[Alcibiades reads the epitaph.]

Here lies a wretched coarfe, of wretched foul bereft :
Seek not my name: a plague confume you caitiffs left!
Here lie I Timon, who all living men did hate,
Pafs by, and curfe thy fill, but flay not here thy gait.
Thefe well exprefs in thee thy latter fpirits:
Tho' thou abhor'dft in us our human griefs,

Scorn'dft our brains' flow, and thofe our droplets, which

From

From niggard nature fall; yet rich conceit (34)
Taught thee to make vaft Neptune weep for aye
On thy low grave.--On: faults forgiven.-Dead
Is noble Timon, of whofe memory

Hereafter more- -Bring me into your city,
And I will use the olive with my fword;

Make war breed peace; make peace ftint war; make each
Prescribe to other, as each other's leach.

Let our drums strike..

[Exeunt.

(24)

yet rich Conceit

Taught thee to make vaft Neptune weep for aye On thy low Grave, on faults forgiven." Dead Is noble Timon, of whofe Memory Hereafter more.. All the Editors, in their Learning and Sagacity, have fuffered an unaccountable Abfurdity to pass them in this Paffage. Why was Neptune to weep on Timon's Faults forgiven? Or, indeed, what Faults had Timon committed, except against his own Fortune and happy Situation in Life? But the Corruption of the Text lies only in the bad Pointing, which I have difengaged, and restored to the true Meaning. Alcibiades's whole Speech, as the Editors might have obferved, is in Breaks, betwixt his Reflexions on Timon's Death, and his Addrefies to the Athenian Senators: and as foon as he has commented on the Place of Timon's Grave, he bids the Senate fet forward; tells them, he has forgiven their Faults; and promises to use them with Mercy.