Fla. Vex him no further, thus you ftill fhall find him. Upon the beached verge of the falt flood; Lips, let four words go by, and language end: his 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. 1 Sen. It requires fwift foot. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to the Walls of Athens. 1 Sen. Enter two other Senators, with a Messenger. HOU haft painfully discover'd; are his files TH Mef. I have spoke the least. Befides, his expedition promifes Prefent Approach. 2 Sen. We stand 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. 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 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 Scouring 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 Defcription this should be the place. Who's here? fpeak, ho.. -No answer? What is this? Timon is dead, who hath out-ftretch'd his fpan; SCENE, before the Walls of Athens. [Exit. Trumpets found. Enter Alcibiades with his Powers Alc. S OUND to this coward and lafcivious town [Sound a parley. The Senators appear upon the wall. "Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the time With all licentious meafure, making your wills The scope of justice. 'Till now my felf, and fuch (31) Some beaft read this: bere does not live a Man.] Some Beaft read what? The Soldier had yet only feen the rude Pile of Earth heap'd up for Timon's Grave, and not the Infcription upon it. My Friend Mr. Warburton ingeniously advis'd me to amend the Text, as I have done. The Soldier, feeking by Order for Timon, fees fuch an irregular Mole, as he concludes muft have been the Workmanship of fome Beaft inhabiting the Woods; and fuch a Cavity, as either muft have been fo over-arch'd, or happen'd by the casual Falling in of the Ground. As As flept within the fhadow of your Power, 1 Sen. Noble and young, When thy first griefs were but a meer conceit, 2 Sen. So did we woo (32) Transformed Timon to our city's love By humble meffage, and by promis'd 'mends: 1 Sen. These walls of ours Were not erected by their hands, from whom 2 Sen. Nor are they living, Who were the motives that you first went out: So did we wooe (32) Hath By bumble Meffage, and by promis'd means:] Promis'd Means must import a Supply of Subftance, the recruiting his funk For tunes; 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, apostrophe'd,, or otherwife, is used in common with Amends. (33) Shame, that they wanted Cunning in Excess, Hath broke their Hearts.] i, e, in other Terms, Shame, that they 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 Let die the fpotted. 1 Sen. All have not offended: For those that were, it is not fquare to take 2 Sen. What thou wilt, Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy fmile, 1 Sen. Set but thy foot Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope: Or 2 Sen. Throw thy glove, any token of thine Honour else, That thou wilt ufe the wars as thy redress, And not as our confufion: all thy Powers Alc. Then there's my glove; they were not the cunning'st Men alive, hath been the Cause of their Death. For Cunning in Excefs 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 eafy and genuine Senfe would immediately arife."Shame in Exeefs (i. e. Extremity of Shame) that "they wanted Cunning (i. e, that they were not wife enough nos to banish you ;) hath broke their Hearts." Descend, Defcend, and open your uncharged ports; Both. "Tis moft nobly spoken. Alc. Defcend, and keep your words. Enter a Soldier. Sold. My noble General, Timon is dead; [Alcibiades reads the epitaph.] Here lies a wretched coarfe, of wretched foul bereft: These well exprefs in thee thy latter spirits: Scorn'dft our brains' flow, and those our droplets, which -get rich Conceit (34)- Hereafter more. -] All the Editors, in their Learning and Sagacity, have suffer'd an unaccountable Absurdity 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 |