Enter Flavius and two Senators. Flav. It is in vain that you would speak with Timon: For he is fet fo only to himself, That nothing but himself, which looks like man 1 Sen. Bring us to his cave. It is our part and promise to th' Athenians 2 Sen. At all times alike Men are not still the fame; 'twas time and griefs 'That fram'd him thus. Time, with his fairer hand Offering the fortunes of his former days, The former man may make him; bring us to him, And chance it as it may. Fla. Here is his cave: Peace and content be here, Lord Timon! Timon ! Enter Timon out of his Cave. Tim. Thou fun, that comfort'st, burn!- For each true word a blifter, and each falfe 1 Sen. Worthy Timon,- Tim. Of none but fuch as you, and you of Timon. z Sen. The Senators of Athens greet thee, Timon. Tim. I thank them. And would fend them back the Could I but catch it for them. 1 Sen. O, forget What we are forry for ourfelves, in thee: The Senators, with one confent of love, Intreat thee back to Athens; who have thought For thy beft ufe and wearing. 2 Sen. They confess Tow'rd thee forgetfulness, too general, grofs; [plague, Which now the publick body, (which doth feldom A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal And fends forth us to make their forrowed tender, Than their offence can weigh down by the dram; 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, 1 Sen. Therefore so please thee to return with us, Who, like a boar too favage, doth root up 2 Sen. And fhakes his threatning fword Against the walls of Athens. 1 Sen. Therefore, Timon Tim. Well, Sir, I will; therefore I will, Sir; thus If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, Let Alcibiades know this of Timon, That Timon cares not. If he fack fair Athens, And take our goodly aged men by th' beards, Of contumelious, beafly, mad-brain'd war; Then let him know,-and tell him, Timon fpeaks it ; In pity of our aged, and our youth, I cannot chufe but tell him, that I care not. And let him take't at worft; for their knives care not, While you have throats to anfwer. For myself, There's not a whittle in th' unruly camp, But I do prize it at my love, before VOL. VI. 1 The The reverend'ft throat in Athens. So I leave you Flav. Stay not, all's in vain. Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph, 1 Sen. We speak in vain. Tim. But yet I love my country, and am not 1 Sen. That's well spoke. Tim, Commend me to my loving countrymen. 1 Sen. These words become your lips, as they pass thro them. 2 Sen. And enter in our ears, like great triumphers In their applauding gates. Tim. Commend me to them, And tell them, that to eafe them of their griefs, Some kindness to them, teach them to prevent 2 Sen. I like this well, he will return again. Come (38) let him take bis tafte;] I dont know, upon what authority Mr. Pope in both his editions has given us this reading; I have reflor'd the text from the old books, and, I am perfuaded, as the author wrote. Timon's whole harangue is copied from this paffage of Pl tarch in the life of M. Antony: Ye men of Athens, in a court-yard belonging Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the ax, And hang himself—I pray you, do my greeting. Lips, let four words go by, and language end: nature. 2 Sen. Our hope in him is dead; let us return, And ftrain what other means is left unto us In our dear peril. (39) 1 Sen. It requires fwift foot. [Exeunt. "belonging to my houfe grows a large fig-tree; on which many an "honeft citizen has been pleas'd to hang himfelf: Now, as I have thoughts of building upon that spot, I could not omit giving you "this publick notice; to the end, that if any more among you have a mind to make the fame ufe of my tree, they may do it speedily "before it is deftroy'd." And Rabelais, who, in the oldest prologue to his fourth book, has inferted this story from Plutarch, thus renders the clofe of the fentence. -Pourtant quiconque de Vous autres, et de toute la ville aura a fe pendre, s'en depefche promptement. (39) In our dead peril.] Thus Mr. Rowe and Mr. Pope have given us this paffage; but is it not strange that the Athenians 'peril fhould be dead, because one of their hopes was dead? Such a difappointment muft naturally give fresh life and strength to their danger. We mut certainly read with the old Folio's; In cur dear peril. i. e. dread, deep. So in As you like it; For my father hated his father dearly, So in Jul. Caf. Would it not grieve thee dearer than thy death, &c. And in Hamlet; Would I had met my dearest foe in heav'n, &c. And in an hundred other paffages, that might be quoted from our author. Sen. Enter two other Senators, with a Messenger. T Hou haft painfully discover'd; are his files Mef. I have spoke the leaft. Befides, his expedition promifes 2 Sen. We ftand much hazard, if they bring not Timon, And made us fpeak like friends. This man was riding From Alcibiades to Timon's cave, With letters of intreaty, which imported His fellowship i' th' caufe against your city, 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. [Exeuni. Enter a Soldier in the woods, fecking Timon. Sol. By all defcription this fhould be the place, Who's here? fpeak, ho.-No answer? What is this? Timon is dead, who hath out-ftretcht his fpan ;- (40) Some beaft read this: here does not live a man.] Some beaft read what? The foldier had yet only feen the rude pile of earth heap'd up for Timon's grave, and not the inscription upon it. My friend Mr. Warburton ingenioufly advis'd me to amend the text, as I have done; and a paffage occurs to me, (from Beaumont and Fletcher's Cupid's revenge) that seems very strong in fupport of his conjecture: Comfort was never here; Here is no food, nor beds; nor any hou e The |