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company

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

[To the Painter.

Come not near him. If thou wouldst not refide

[To the Poet. 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's your payment, hence! You are an Alchymift, make gold of that:

Out, rafcal dogs!

Flav.

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[Beating, and driving 'em out.

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Enter Flavius and two Senators.

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,
Is friendly with him.

1 Sen. Bring us to his Cave.

It is our part and promise to th' Athenians
To speak with Timon.

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.

Flav. Here is his Cave:

Peace and Content be here, lord Timon! Timon!
Look out, and fpeak to friends, th' Athenians
By two of their most rev'rend fenate greet thee;
Speak to them, noble Timon.

Enter Timon out of his Cave.

Tim. Thou Sun, that comfort'ft, burn!

Speak,

Speak, and be hang'd;

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

1 Sen. Worthy Timon.

Tim. Of none but fuch as you, and you of Timon. 2 Sen. The fenators of Athens greet thee, Timon. Tim. I thank them. And would fend them back the plague,

Could I but catch it for them.

1 Sen. O, forget

What we are forry for ourselves, in thee:

The Senators, with one confent of love,
Intreat thee back to Athens; who have thought
On fpecial dignities, which vacant lie
For thy beft ufe and wearing.

2 Sen. They confefs

Tow'rd thee forgetfulnefs, too general, grofs;
Which now the public body, (which doth feldom
Play the recanter) feeling in itfelf

A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal
Of its own Fall, reftraining aid to Timon;

And fends forth us to make their forrowed Tender,
Together with a recompence more fruitful

Than their offence can weigh down by the dram;
Ay, ev`n 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 so please thee to return with us,
And of our Athens, thine and ours, to take
The Captainfhip: thou shalt be met with thanks,
Hallow'd with abfolute power, and thy good name
Live with authority: foon we shall drive back

Of

Of Alcibiades th' approaches wild,

Who, like a boar too favage, doth root up
His country's peace.

2 Sen. And shakes his threatning fword Againft 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,
Giving our holy virgins to the ftain

Of contumelious, beastly, 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
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

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

Flav. Stay not, all's in vain.

Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph, It will be feen 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.

1 Sen. That's well spoke.

Tim. Commend me to my loving countrymen. 1 Sen. These words become your lips, as they pafs

thro' them.

2 Sen.

2 Sen. And enter in our ears, like great triumphers In 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 fragile veffel doth sustain

In life's uncertain voyage, I will do

Some kindness to them, 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 Close,
That mine own ufe invites me to cut down,
And fhortly muft I fell it. Tell my friends,
Tell Athens, in the frequence of degree,

From high to low throughout, that whofo please
To ftop affliction, let him take his Hafte;
Come hither, ere my Tree hath felt the ax,
And hang himself-I pray you, do my Greeting.
Flav. Vex him no further, thus you still shall find
him.

Tim. Come not to me again, but fay to Athens,
Timon hath made his everlasting manfion
Upon the beached verge of the falt flood;
Which once a-day with his embossed froth
The turbulent furge fhall cover: Thither come,
And let my grave-ftone be your oracle.
Lips, let four words go by, and language end:
What is amifs, plague and infection mend!
Graves only be men's works, and death their gain!
Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his Reign.
[Exit Timon.
1 Sen. His difcontents are unremoveably coupled to

his nature.

2 Sen. Our hope in him is dead; let us return, And ftain what other means is left unto us

In our dear peril.

1 Sen. It requires fwift foot.

[Exeunt. SCENE

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Changes to the Walls of Athens.

Enter two other Senators, with a Messenger.

THO

1 Sen. HOU haft painfully discover'd; are his files

As full as thy report?

Mef. I have spoke the least.

Befides, his expedition promifes
Present Approach.

2 Sen. We ftand 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' Cause against your City, part for his fake mov'd.

In

Enter the other Senators.

1 Sen. Here comes 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 fhould be the place. Who's here? fpeak, ho. -No answer? What is this?

--

Timon is dead, who hath out-ftretch'd his span;

* Some

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