By that which has undone thee: hinge thy knee, And let his very breath, whom thou'lt observe, Blow off thy cap; praise his most vicious strain, And call it excellent: Thou wast told thus : Thou gav'st thine ears, like tapsters, that bid wel come, To knaves, and all approachers: 'Tis most just, A madman so long, now a fool: What, think'st Candied with ice, eaudle thy morning taste, Of wreakful heaven; whose bare unhoused trunks, Answer mere nature, bid them flatter thee; Tim. Apem. Tim.. Ay. What! a knave too? The other, at high wish: Best state, contentless, Thou should'st desire to die, being miserable. Tim. Not by his breath, that is more miserable. Freely command, thou would'st have plung'd thyself The mouths, the tongues, the eyes, and hearts of men They never flatter'd thee: What hast thou given? The best, and truest: For here it sleeps, and does no hired harm. Apem. Where ly'st o'nights, Timon? Under that's above me. Where feed'st thou o'days, Apemantus ? Tim. Apem. Where my stomach finds meat; or, rather, where I eat it. Tim. 'Would poison were obedient, and knew my mind! Apem. Where would'st thou send it? Tim. To sauce thy dishes. Apem. The middle of humanity thou ne knewest, but the extremity of both ends: Wher thou wast in thy gilt, and thy perfume, they mocker thee for too much curiosity; in thy rags tha knowest none, but art despised for the contrary There's a medlar for thee, eat it, Tim. On what I hate, I feed not. Tim. Ay, though it look like thee. Apem. An thou hadst hated medlers sooner, th should'st have loved thyself better now. What ma didst thou ever know unthrift, that was beloved after his means? Tim. Who, without those means thou talkest es didst thou ever know beloved? Apem. Myself. Tim. I understand thee; thou hadst some men to keep a dog. Apem. What things in the world canst the nearest compare to thy flatterers? Tim. Women nearest; but men, men are t things themselves. What would'st thou do with a world, Apemantus, if it lay in thy power? Apem. Give it the beasts, to be rid of the men. Tim. Would'st thou have thyself fall in the com fusion of men, and remain a beast with the beasts Apem. Ay, Timon. Tim. A beastly ambition, which the gods gra- | thee to attain to! If thou wert the lion, the : would beguile thee: if thou wert the lamb, the would eat thee: if thou wert the fox, the la would suspect thee, when, peradventure, thou accused by the ass: if thou wert the ass, thy di ness would torment thee; and still thou livedst but | Apem. If thou could'st please me with speaking to me, thou might'st have hit upon it here: The commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts. Tim. How has the ass broke the wall, that thou art out of the city? Apem. Yonder comes a poet, and a painter: The plague of company light upon thee! I will fear to catch it, and give way: When I know not what else to do, I'll see thee again. Tim. When there is nothing living but thee, thou shalt be welcome. I had rather be a beggar's dog, than Apemantus. Apem. Thou art the cap of all the fools alive. Apem. Tim Apem. Beast! Slave! Tim. Away, [Throws a stone at him. Toad! Rogue, rogue, rogue! [Looking on the gold. And mak'st them kiss! that speak'st with every 1 Thief. Where should he have this gold? It is some poor fragment, some slender ort of his remainder: The mere want of gold, and the fallingfrom of his friends, drove him into this melancholy. 2 Thief. It is noised, he hath a mass of treasure. 3 Thief. Let us make the assay upon him; if he care not for't, he will supply us easily; If he covetously reserve it, how shall's get it? 2 Thief. True; for he bears it not about him, 'tis hid. 1 Thief. Is not this he? Thieves. Where? 2 Thief. 'Tis his description. Thieves. Soldiers, not thieves. Tim. Both too; and women's sons. Thieves. We are not thieves, but men that much do want. Tim. Your greatest want is, you, want much of meat.. Why should you want? Behold, the earth hath roots; As beasts, and birds, and fishes. Tim. Nor on the beasts themselves, the birds, You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you con, 3 Tief. He has almost charmed me from my profession, by persuading me to it. 1 Thief. 'Tis in the malice of mankind, that he thus advises us; not to have us thrive in our mystery. 2 Thief. I'll believe him as an enemy, and give over my trade. 1 Thief. Let us first see peace in Athens: There is no time so miserable, but a man may be true. [Exeunt Thieves. Enter FLAVIUS. Flav. O you gods! Is yon despis'd and ruinous man my lord? What viler thing upon the earth, than friends, Tim. Then I know thee not: I ne'er had honest man Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st 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 wild. Let me behold but one; Methinks, thou art more honest now, than wise; 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 plac'd too late; You should have fear'd false times, when you did feast: Suspect still comes where an estate is least. For any benefit that points to me, • Tim. Look thee, 'tis so!-Thou singly honest man, Debts wither them: Be men like blasted woods, And may diseases lick up their false bloods! And so, farewell, and thrive. Flav. And comfort you, my master. Tim. O, let me stay, If thou hat'st Curses, stay not'; fly, whilst thou'rt bless'd and free: Ne'er see thou man, and let me ne'er see thee. [Exeunt severa ACT V. SCENE I. Enter Poet and Painter; TIMON behind, unseen. Pain. As I took note of the place, it cannot be far where he abides. The same. Before Timon's Cave. Poet. What's to be thought of him? Does the rumour hold for true, that he is so full of gold? Pain. Certain Alcibiades reports it; Phrynia and Timandra had gold of him he likewise enriched 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 Athens again, and flourish with the highest. There fore, 'tis not amiss, we tender our loves to hi this supposed distress of his: it will show hones in us; and is very likely to load our purposes w what they travel for, if it be a just and true rep that goes of his having. Poet. What have you now to present unto Lin Pain. Nothing at this time but my visitation enly I will promise him an excellent piece. Poet. I must serve him so too; tell him of an intent that's coming toward him. Pam. 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. To 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. Tim. 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. 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. When the day serves, before black-corner'd night, Tim. 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! Tim. Look you, I love you well; I'll give you gold, Rid me these villains from your companies: 'Tis thou that rigg'st the bark, and plough'st the Confound them by some course, and come to me, I'll give you gold enough. Both. Name them, my lord, let's know them. Tim. You that way, and you this, but two in company: Each man apart, all single and alone, [To the Painter. Come not near him. If thou would'st not reside [To the Poet. But where one villain is, then him abandon. Hence! pack! there's gold, ye came for gold, ye slaves : You have done work for me, there's payment; You are an alchymist, make gold of that: - [Exit, beating and driving them out. Tim. You witch me in it; Surprize 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 senators. 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 with absolute power, and thy good name Live with authority : · -so soon we shall drive back Of Alcibiades the approaches wild; Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up His country's peace. 2 Sen. And tell them, that, to ease them of their griefs, I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath. Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Athens, 1 Sen. His discontents are unremoveably And shakes his threat'ning sword Coupled to nature. Against the walls of Athens. Therefore, Timon, · Tim. Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir; Thus, If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, That Timon cares not. But if he sack fair Athens, And take our goodly aged men by the beards, Giving our holy virgins to the stain Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brain'd war; 2 Sen. Our hope in him is dead: let us return, And strain what other means is left unto us In our dear peril. 1 Sen. It requires swift foot. [Exeunt. SCENE III. The Walls of Athens. 1 Sen. Thou hast painfully discover'd; are his files As full as thy report. I have spoke the least: Mess. Then, let him know,-and tell him, Timon speaks it, 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 oppos'd, Yet our old love made a particular force, And made us speak like friends: -this man was riding From Alcibiades to Timon's cave, |