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Still ferve him with my life.My dearest mafter!

Timon comes forward from bis tave.
Tim. Away! what art thou?
Flav. Have you forgot me, fir?
Tim. Why doft afk that

I have forgot

[men;
all

Then, if thou grant'st thou art a man, I have
Forgot thee.

Flav. An honeft poor fervant of yours.

Tim. Then I know thee not:

I ne'er had honeft man about me, I; all

I kept were knaves, to ferve in meat to villains.
Flav. The gods are witness,

Ne'er did poor fteward wear a truer grief
For his undone lord, than mine eyes for you.
Tim. What, doft thou weep-Come nearer;-
then I love thee,

Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st
Flinty mankind; whofe eyes do never give,
But thorough luft, and laughter. Pity's fleeping:
Strange times, that weep with laughing, not with
weeping!

Flav. I beg of you to know me, good my lord,
To accept my grief, and, whilst this poor wealth

די

lafts,

To entertain me as your fteward still.

Tim. Had I a steward

So true, fo juft, and now fo comfortable?
It almoft turns my dangerous nature wild 2.
Let me behold thy face.-Surely, this man
Was born of woman.-

Forgive my general and exceptless rashness,
Perpetual-fober gods! I do proclaim
One honeft man,-miftake me not,-But one;
No more, I pray,-and he is a steward.-
How fain would I have hated all mankind,
And thou redeem'ft thyself: But all, fave thee,
I fell with curfes.

To requite mo, by making rich yourself.

Tim. Look thee, 'tis fo!-Thou fingly honest man,
Here, take the gods out of my mifery
Have fent thee treasure. Go, live rich, and happy :
But this condition'd; Thou shalt build from 3 meir
Hate all, curfe ail: fhew charity to none;
But let the famish'd flesh flide from the bone,
Ere thou relieve the beggar: give to dogs
What thou deny 'ft to men; let prifons swallow 'em,
Debts wither 'em to nothing: Be men like blafted
woods,

And may difeafes lick up their false bloods!
And fo, farewel, and thrive.

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Pain. As I took note of the place, it cannot be far where he abides.

Poet. What's to be thought of him? Does the rumour hold for true, that he is fo full of gold?

Pain. Certain : Alcibiades reports it; Phrynia and Tymandra had gold of him he likewife enrich'd poor ftraggling foldiers with great quantity: 'Tis faid, he gave his fteward a mighty fum. Peet. Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his friends ?

Pain. Nothing else: you fhall fee' him a palm in Athens again, and flourish with the highest. Therefore, 'tis not amifs, we tender our loves to him, in this fuppos'd diftrefs of his : it will fhew honeftly in us; and is very likely to load our

Methinks, thou art more honest now, than wife; purposes with what they travel for, if it be a juft

For, by oppreling and betraying me,

Thou might'ft have fooner got another fervice:
For many fo arrive at fecond mafters,

Upon their first lord's neck. But tell me true,
(For I must ever doubt, though ne'er fo fure)
Is not thy kindness fubtle, covetous, [gifts,
If not a ufuring kindness; and as rich men deal
Expecting in return twenty for one? [breaft

Flav. No, my most worthy mafter, in whofe
Doubt and fufpect, alas, are plac'd too late;
You should have fear'd falfe times, when you did
feaft:

Sufpect ftill comes where an estate is leaft.
That which I fhew, heaven knows, is merely love,
Duty and zeal to your unmatched mind,
Care of your food and living: and, believe it,
My most honour'd lord,

For any benefit that points to me,

and true report that goes of his having.

Poet. What have you now to prefent unto him? Pain. Nothing at this time but my vifitation: only I will promife him an excellent piece.

Poet. I muft ferve him fo too; tell him of an intent that's coming toward him.

Pain. Good as the beft. Promifing is the very air o' the time; opens the eyes of expectation: performance is ever the duller for his act; and, but in the plainer and fimpler kind of people, the deed of faying is quite out of ufe 4. To promife is moft courtly and fashionable; performance is a kind of will, or teftament, which argues a great fickness in his judgment that makes it.

Re-enter Timon from his cave, unfeen. Tim. Excellent workman! Thou canst not paint a man fo bad as thyself.

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Peet. I am thinking, what I fhall fay I have Either in hope, or prefent, I'd exchange it provided for him: It must be a perfonating of For this one wish, That you had power and wealth himself : a fatire against the softness of profperity;

1 Knave is here ufed in the compound fenfe of a fervant and a rafcal. [2 To turn wild. is to distract. An appearance fo unexpected, fays Timon, almost tures my favageness to distraction. 3 i. e. away from human habitations. 4 The fenfe is, "The deing of that which we have fuid we would do, the accomplishment and performance of our promifc, is, except among the lower claffes of mankind, quite out of use." 5 Perfonating for repicfenting fimply; for the fubject of this projected fatire was Timon's cafe, not his perfon

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 fo, I have gold for thee.

Poet. Nay, let's seek him :

Then do we fin against our own eftate,
When we may profit meet, and come too late.
Pain. True;

When the day ferves, before black-corner'd night 1,
Find what thou want'ft by free and offer'd light.
Come.

[gold,

Tim. I'll meet you at the turn. What a god's That he is worshipp'd in a baser temple, Than where swine feed!

'Tis thou that rigg'ft the bark, and plow'ft the

foam;

Settleft admired reverence in a slave :

To thee be worship! and thy faints for aye

Be crown'd with plagues, that thee alone obey!

Fit I meet them.

Port. Hail! worthy Timon.

Pain. Our late noble mafter.

Why, thy verfe fwells with stuff fo fine and imooth,
That thou art even natural in thine art.-
But, for all this, my honeft-natur'd friends,
I must needs fay, you have a little fault :
Marry, 'tis not monftrous in you; neither with L,
You take much pains to mend.

Both. Befeech your honour
To make it known to us.
Tim. You'll take it ill.

Both. Moft thankfully, my lord.
Tim. Will you, indeed?

Both. Doubt it not, worthy lord.

Tim. There's ne'er a one of you but trufts a knave, That mightily deceives you.

Both. Do we, my lord?

Tim. Ay, and you hear him cog, fee him diffemble,
Know his grofs patchery, love him, feed him,
Keep in your boiom: yet remain affur'd,
That he's a made-up villain 3.

Pain. I know none fuch, my lord.
Poet. Nor I.

[guld,

Tim. Look you, I love you well; I'll give you Rid me thefe villains from your companies:

Tim. Have I once liv'd to fee two honeft men? Hang them, or ftab them, drown them in a draught 4, Poet. Sir,

Having often of your open bounty tasted,
Hearing you were retir'd, your friends fall'n off,
Whose thankless natures-O abhorred spirits!
Not all the whips of heaven are large enough-
What! to you!

Whofe ftar-like nobleness gave life and influence
To their whole being! I am rapt, and cannot cover
The monftrous bulk of this ingratitude
With any fize of words.

Tim. Let it go naked, men may fee't the better: You, that are honeft, by being what you are, Make them best seen, and known.

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Confound them by fonie 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 5,-

Each man apart,-all fingle, and alone,-
Yet an arch-villain keeps him company.-
If, where thou art, two villains shall not be,

[To the Painter. Come not near him.-If thou wouldst not refle [To the Pat But where one villain is, then him abandon.— Hence pack! there's gold, ye came for gold, ye flaves :

You have work for me, there is payment: Hence!
You are an alchymift, make gold of that :-
Out, rafcal dogs!

[Exit, beating and driving them out.

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1 i. e night which is as obfcure as a dark corner. 2 A portrait was called a counterfeit in our author's time. 3 i. e. a hypocrite. 4 That is, in the jakes. 5 This paffage is obfcure. Dr. Johnson thinks the meaning is this: But two in company, that is, Stand apart, let only two be together; for even when each itands fingle there are two, he himself and a villain. But, in the North, fignifies, without.

The

The former man may make him: Bring us to him, | And take our goodly aged men by the beards,

And chance it as it may.

Flav. Here is his cave.

Peace and content be here! Lord Timon! Timon!
Look out, and speak to friends: The Athenians,
By two of their most reverend fenate, greet thee:
Speak to them, noble Timon.

Enter Timon.

Giving our holy virgins to the ftain

Of contumelious, beaftly, mad-brain'd war ;
Then let him know, and tell him, Timon speaks 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,

Tim. Thou fun, that comfort'ft, burn! Speak, While you have throats to anfwer: for myself,

and be hang'd!

For each true word, a blifter, and each falfe
Be as a cauterizing to the root o' the tongue,
Confuming it with speaking!

1 Sen. Worthy Timon,—

[mon.

Tim. Of none but fuch as you, and you of Ti2 Sen. The fenators of Athens greet thee, Ti[the plague, Tim. I thank them; and would fend them back Could I but catch it for them.

mon.

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2 Sen. They confefs,

Toward thee, forgetfulness too general, grofs:
And now the publick body,-which doth feldom
Play the recanter,-feeling in itself

A lack of Timon's aid, hath fense withal
Of its own fall, restraining aid to Timon;
And fends forth us, to make their forrowed ren-
der 2,

Together with a recompence more fruitful
Than their offence can weigh down by the dram;
Ay, even fuch heaps and fums of love and wealth,
As fhall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs,
And write in thee the figures of their love,
Ever to read them thine.

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 thefe comforts, worthy fenators.
1 Sen. Therefore, fo please thee to return with
And of our Athens (thine, and ours) to take [us,
The captainíhip, thou fhalt be met with thanks,
Allow'd 3 with abfolute power, and thy good name
Live with authority :-fo foon fhall we drive back
Of Alcibiades the approaches wild;
Who, like a boar too favage, doth root up
His country's peace.

2 Sen. And thakes his threat'ning fword

Against the walls of Athens.

1 Sen. Therefore, Timon,--

There's not a whittle 4 in the unruly camp,

But I do prize it at my love, before

The reverend'ft throat in Athens. So I leave you
To the protection of the profperous gods,
As thieves to keepers.

Flav. Stay not, all's in vain.

Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph,
It will be seen to-morrow; My long fickness
Of health, and living, now begins to mend,
And nothing brings me all things. Go, live ftill
Be Alcibiades your plague, you his,
And laft fo long enough!

1 Sen. We speak in vain.

Tim. But yet I love my country; and am not
One that rejoices in the common wreck,
As common bruit doth put it.

I Sen. That's well spoke.

Tim. Commend me to my loving countrymen,-
1 Sen. These words become your lips as they
pass through them.

[ers

2 Sen. And enter in our ears, like great triumphIn their applauding gates.

Tim. Commend me to them;

And tell them, that, to ease them of their griefs,
Their fears of hoftile ftrokes, their aches, loffes,
Their pangs of love, with other incident throes
That nature's fragil veffel doth sustain
In life's uncertain voyage, I will fome kindness
do them :-

I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath.
2 Sen. I like this well, he will return again.
Tim. I have a tree, which grows here in my

clofe,

That mine own ufe invites me to cut down,
And shortly muft I fell it: Tell my friends,
Tell Athens, in the fequence of degree 5,
From high to low throughout, that whoso please
Toftop affliction, let hini take his hafte,
Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe,
And hang himfelf:-I pray you, do my greeting.
Flav. Trouble him no further, thus you still

fhall find him.

Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Athens,
Timon hath made his everlasting manfion
Upon the beached verge of the salt flood,

Tim. Well, fir, I will; therefore I will, fir; Which once a day with his embossed froth 6

Thus,

If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,

Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,
That-Timon cares not.-

[Athens,

The turbulent furge fhall cover; thither come,
And let my grave-ftone be your oracle.-

Lips, let four words go by, and language end:

-But if he fack fair What is amifs, plague and infection mend!

4 A whittle is ftill in the midI The Athenians had fenfe, that is, felt the danger of their own fall, by the arms of Alcibiades. 2 Render is confeffion. 3 Allowed is licenfed. privileged, uncontrolled.

land counties the common rame for a pocket clafp knife, fuch as children ufe.

5 i.e. from highest

to lowest. 6 We have before obferved, that when a deer was run hard, and foamed at the mouth, he was laid to be emboss'd.

Graves

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Before the Walls of Athent.

Trumpets found. Enter Alcibiades, with bis poseert,
Alc. Sound to this coward and lafcivious town
Our terrible approach.

[Sound a parley. The Senators appear upon the walk.
'Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the time
[Exeunt. With all licentious meafure, making your wills
The fcope of juftice; 'till now, myself, and fuch
As flept within the fhadow of your power,
Have wander'd with our travert arms 2, and
breath'd

Enter two other Senators, with a Messenger.

1 Sen. Thou haft painfully discovered; are his A full as thy report? [files

Mef. I have spoke the least: Befides, his expedition promifes Prefent approach.

[Timon.

2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not. 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,

When crouching marrow 4, in the bearer strong,
Our fufferance vainly: Now the time is fluth 3,
Cries of itfelf, No more:' now breathlefs wrong
Shall fit and pant in your great chairs of eafe;
And purfy infolence shall break his wind,
With fear, and horrid flight.

When thy first griefs were but a meer conceit,
I Sen. Noble and young,

Ere thou hadft power, or we had caufe to fear,
We fert to thee; to give thy rages balm,

And made us fpeak like friends :—this man was To wipe out our ingratitudes with loves

riding

From Alcibiades to Timon's cave,

With letters of entreaty, which imported
His fellowship i' the cause against your city,
In part for his fake mov'd.

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 snare.

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[Exeunt.

Sol. By all defcription, this should be the place. Who's here? fpeak, ho!-No anfwer?-What

is this?

Timon is dead, who hath out-stretch'd his span :
Some beast read this; there does not live a man.
Dead, fure; and this his grave. What's on this
tomb?

;

Above their 5 quantity.

2 Sen. So did we woo

Transformed Timon to our city's love,
By humble meffage, and by promis'd means;
We were not all unkind, nor all deferve
The common stroke of war.

1 Sen. Thefe walls of ours

Were not erected by their hands, from whom
You have receiv'd your griefs: nor are they such,
That thefe great towers, trophies, and fchools
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
Hath broke their hearts 6. March, 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 deftin'd tenth;
And by the hazard of the spotted die,
Let die the spotted.

I Sen. All have not offended;

For thofe that were, it is not fquare 7, to take,
On thofe that are, revenges: crimes, like lands,
Are not inherited. Then, dear countryman,
Bring in thy ranks, but leave without thy rage:
Spare thy Athenian cradle, and those kin,
[Exit.|Which, in the blufter of thy wrath, must fall

I cannot read; the character I'll take with wax
Our captain hath in every figure skill;
An ag'd interpreter, though young in days:
Before proud Athens he's fet down by this,
Whofe fall the mark of his ambition is.

Dr. Warburton obferves, that dear, in the language of that time, fignified dread, and is so used by Shakspeare in numberless places. Mr. Steevens fays, that dear may in this inftance fignify immediate; and that it is an enforcing epithet with not always a diftinct meaning. 2 Arms acros. 3 A bird is flush when his feathers are grown, and he can leave the neft. Flush means mature. 4 The marrow was fuppofed to be the original of firength. The image is from a camel kneeling to take up his load, who rifes immediately when he finds he has as much laid on as he can bear. Their refers to rages. 6 The meaning is, "Shame in excefs (i. e. extremity of fhame) that they wanted cunning (ie. that they were not wise enough not to banish you) hath broke their hearts.” not regular, not equitable.

7 i. c.

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Pafs by,

bate:

and curfe thy fill; but pafs, and flay not bere thy gait.

These well exprefs in thee thy latter fpirits:
Though thou abhor'dft in us our human griefs,
Scorn'dft our brain's flow 2, and those our drop-
lets which

From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit
for ays
Taught thee to make vaft Neptune weep-
On thy low grave.-On-Faults forgiven.-Dead
Is noble Timon; of whofe memory
Hereafter more.-Bring me into your city,
And I will ufe the olive with my fword:
Make war breed peace; make peace stint war;

make each

'T

[Exeunt.

Prefcribe to other, as each other's leach 3.-Let our drums ftrike.

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.2

TITUS

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