2 Lord. It does; but time will-and so3 Lord. I do conceive.

Tim. Each man to his stool, with that spur as he would to the lip of his mistress; your diet shall be in all places alike.1 Make not a city feast of it, to let the meat cool ere we can agree upon the first place. Sit, sit. The gods require our thanks.

You great benefactors, sprinkle our society with thankfulness. For your own gifts, make yourselves praised: but reserve still to give, lest your deities be despised. Lend to each man enough, that one need not lend to another; for, were your godheads to borrow of men, men would forsake the gods. Make the meat be beloved, more than the man that gives it. Let no assembly of twenty be without a score of villains. If there sit twelve women at the table, let a dozen of them be—as they are.— The rest of your fees, O gods,—the senators of Athens, together with the common lag of people,-what is amiss in them, you gods, make suitable for destruction. For these my present friends,-as they are to me nothing, so in nothing bless them, and to nothing they are welcome. Uncover, dogs, and lap.

[The dishes uncovered are full of warm water. Some speak. What does his lordship mean? Some other. I know not.

Tim. May you a better feast never behold,

You knot of mouth-friends! smoke and lukewarm

water

3

Is your perfection. This is Timon's last;
Who stuck and spangled you with flatteries,
Washes it off, and sprinkles in your faces

[Throwing water in their faces. Your reeking villany. Live loathed, and long, Most smiling, smooth, detested parasites,

Courteous destroyers, affable wolves, meek bears,

1 "In all places alike." This alludes to the mode in which guests

were formerly placed at table according to rank.

2 Warburton and Mason say we should read foes instead of fees, which is the reading of the old copy. Mr. Singer proposes to read lees. 3 i. e. the highest of your excellence.

You fools of fortune, trencher-friends, time's flies,1
Cap and knee slaves, vapors, and minute-jacks!2
Of man, and beast, the infinite malady

Crust you quite o'er!-What, dost thou go?
Soft, take thy physic first-thou too,-and thou ;-

[Throws the dishes at them, and drives them out.
Stay, I will lend thee money, borrow none.-
What, all in motion? Henceforth be no feast,
Whereat a villain's not a welcome guest.

Burn, house! sink, Athens! henceforth hated be
Of Timon, man, and all humanity!

[Exit.

Re-enter the Lords, with other Lords and Senators.

1 Lord. How now, my lords?3

2 Lord. Know you the quality of lord Timon's fury? 3 Lord. Pish! did you see my cap?

4 Lord. I have lost my gown.

3 Lord. He's but a mad lord, and nought but humor sways him. He gave me a jewel the other day, and now he has beat it out of my hat.-Did you see my jewel?

4 Lord.

Did you see my cap?

2 Lord. Here 'tis.

I feel't upon my bones.

[Exeunt.

4 Lord. One day he gives us diamonds, next day

stones.1

1 i. e. flies of a season.

2 Minute-jacks are the same as jacks of the clock-house, automaton figures appended to clocks; but the term was used for "time-serving busybodies."

3 This and the next speech is spoken by the newly-arrived lords.

4 In the old MS. play of Timon, painted stones are introduced as part of this mock banquet.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. Without the Walls of Athens.

Enter TIMON.

Tim. Let me look back upon thee, O thou wall,
That girdlest in those wolves! Dive in the earth,
And fence not Athens! Matrons, turn incontinent;
Obedience fail in children! Slaves, and fools,
Pluck the grave, wrinkled senate from the bench,
And minister in their steads! To general filths'
Convert, o' the instant, green virginity!

Do't in your parents' eyes. Bankrupts, hold fast;
Rather than render back, out with your knives,
And cut your trusters' throats! Bound servants, steal!
Large-handed robbers your grave masters are,
And pill by law. Maid, to thy master's bed;
Thy mistress is o' the brothel! Son of sixteen,
Pluck the lined crutch from the old limping sire,
With it beat out his brains! Piety, and fear,
Religion to the gods, peace, justice, truth,
Domestic awe, night-rest, and neighborhood,
Instruction, manners, mysteries, and trades,
Degrees, observances, customs, and laws,
Decline to your confounding contraries,
And yet confusion live!-Plagues, incident to men,
Your potent and infectious fevers heap

On Athens, ripe for stroke! Thou cold sciatica,
Cripple our senators, that their limbs may halt
As lamely as their manners! Lust and liberty2
Creep in the minds and marrows of our youth;
That 'gainst the stream of virtue they may strive,
And drown themselves in riot! Itches, blains,
Sow all the Athenian bosoms; and their crop
Be general leprosy! Breath infect breath;

1 General filths means common strumpets.
2 Liberty here means licentiousness or libertinism.

That their society, as their friendship, may
Be merely poison! Nothing I'll bear from thee,
But nakedness, thou détestable town!

Take thou that too, with multiplying bans !1
Timon will to the woods; where he shall find
The unkindest beast more kinder than mankind.

The gods confound (hear me, you good gods all)
The Athenians both within and out that wall!
And grant, as Timon grows, his hate may grow
To the whole race of mankind, high and low!
Amen.

[Exit.

SCENE II. Athens. A Room in Timon's House.

Enter FLAVIUS, with two or three Servants.

1 Serv. Hear you, master steward, where's our master?

Are we undone? cast off? nothing remaining?

Flav. Alack, my fellows, what should I say to you? Let me be recorded by the righteous gods,

I am as poor as you.

1 Serv.

Such a house broke!

So noble a master fallen! All gone! and not
One friend, to take his fortune by the arm,
And go along with him!

2 Serv.
From our companion, thrown into his grave;

As we do turn our backs

So his familiars from 2 his buried fortunes

Slink all away; leave their false vows with him,
Like empty purses picked; and his poor self,
A dedicated beggar to the air,

With his disease of all-shunned poverty,
Walks, like contempt, alone.-More of our fellows.

Enter other Servants.

Flav. All broken implements of a ruined house. 3 Serv. Yet do our hearts wear Timon's livery;

1 i. e. accumulated curses.

2 From is here substituted for to, as in the old copies.

That see I by our faces; we are fellows still,
Serving alike in sorrow. Leaked is our bark;
And we, poor mates, stand on the dying deck,
Hearing the surges threat; we must all part
Into this sea of air.

Flav.

Good fellows all,
The latest of my wealth I'll share amongst you.
Wherever we shall meet, for Timon's sake,

Let's yet be fellows; let's shake our heads, and say, As 'twere a knell unto our master's fortunes,

We have seen better days. Let each take some;

Nay, put out all your hands.
Thus part we rich in sorrow,

[Giving them money. Not one word more ; parting poor.

[Exeunt Servants.
O, the fierce1 wretchedness that glory brings us!
Who would not wish to be from wealth exempt,
Since riches point to misery and contempt?
Who'd be so mocked with glory? or to live
But in a dream of friendship?

To have his pomp, and all what state compounds,
But only painted, like his varnished friends?
Poor, honest lord, brought low by his own heart;
Undone by goodness! Strange, unusual blood,2
When man's worst sin is, he does too much good!
Who then dares to be half so kind again?

For bounty, that makes gods, does still mar men.
My dearest lord,-blessed, to be most accursed,
Rich, only to be wretched,-thy great fortunes
Are made thy chief afflictions. Alas, kind lord!
He's flung in rage from this ungrateful seat
Of monstrous friends; nor has he with him to
Supply his life, or that which can command it.
I'll follow, and inquire him out.

I'll ever serve his mind with my best will;
Whilst I have gold, I'll be his steward still.

1 Fierce here means vehement.

2 Blood is here used for passion, propensity, affection.

[Exit.