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Tim. 1, that I am one now.

Were all the wealth I have, shut up in thee,
I'd give thee leave to hang it. Get thee gone.
-That the whole life of Athens were in this!
Thus would I eat it.

Apem. Here. I will mend thy feast.

[Eating a root,

[Offering him another. Tim. First mend my company, take away thyself. Apem. So I fhall mend my own, by th' lack of thine. Tim. 'Tis not well mended fo, it is but botcht; If not, I would it were.

Apem. What wouldst thou have to Athens?

Tim. Thee thither in a whirlwind, if thou wilt. Tell them there, I have gold. Look, so I have. Apem. Here is no ufe for gold.

Tim. The best and trueft:

For here it fleeps, and does no hired harm.
Apem. Where ly't o'nights, Timon?
Tim. Under that's above me.
Where feed'st thou o'days, Apemantus?

Apem. Where my ftomach finds meat; or rather, where I eat it.

Tim. 'Would poifon were obedient, and knew my mind!

Apem. Where wouldft thou fend it?

Tim. To fawce thy dishes.

Apem. The middle of humanity thou never knewest, but the extremity of both ends. When thou waft in thy gilt, and thy perfume, they mockt thee for too much curiofity; in thy rags thou knowest none, but art defpis'd for the contrary. There's a medlar for thee, eat it.

Tim. On what I hate I feed not.
Apem. Doft hate a medlar?

for too much curiofity;] . e. The Oxford Editor alters it to for too much finical delicacy. courtesy. WARBURTON.

Tim.

Tim. Ay, though it look like thee.

Apem. An th' hadft hated medlers fooner, thou shouldst have loved thyfelf better now. What man

didft thou ever know unthrift, that was belov'd after his means?

Tim. Who, without thofe means thou talk'ft of, didft thou ever know beloved?

Apem. Myself.

Tim. I understand thee, thou hadft fome means to keep a dog.

Apem. What things in the world canft thou nearest compare to thy flatterers?

Tim. Women nearest; but men, men are the things themselves. What wouldst thou do with the world, Apemantus, if it lay in thy power?

Apem. Give it the beafts, to be rid of the men. Tim. Wouldst thou have thyself fall in the confufion of men, or remain a beaft with the beasts?

Apem. Ay, Timon.

Tim. A beaftly ambition, which the Gods grant thee to attain to! If thou wert a lion, the fox would beguile thee; if thou wert the lamb, the fox would eat thee; if thou wert the fox, the lion would fufpect thee, when, peradventure, thou wert accus'd by the afs; if thou wert the afs, thy dulnefs would torment thee; and ftill thou liv'dft but as a breakfast to the wolf. If thou wert the wolf, thy greedinefs would afflict thee; and oft thou shouldst hazard thy life for thy dinner. Wert thou the unicorn, pride and wrath

8 Ay, though it look like thee.] Timon here fuppofes that an objection against hatred, which through the whole tenour of the converfation appears an argument for it. One would expect him to have answered, Yes, for it looks like thee. The old edition, which always gives the pronoun

would

inftead of the affirmative particle, has it, I, though it look like thee. Perhaps we should read, I thought it look'd like thee.

The account given of the unicorn is this: that he and the lion being enemies by nature, as foon as the lion fees the unicorn he betakes himself to a

tree:

would confound thee, and make thine own self the conqueft of thy fury. Wert thou a bear, thou wouldst be kill'd by the horse; wert thou a horfe, thou wouldst be feiz'd by the leopard; wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion, and the fpots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life. All thy fafety were remotion, and thy defence abfence. What beaft couldft thou be, that were not fubject to a beaft? and what a beast art thou already, and feeft not thy lofs in transformation!

Apem. If thou couldft pleafe me with fpeaking to me, thou might'ft have hit upon it here. The Commonwealth of Athens is become a foreft of beafts.

Tim. How has the afs 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 fee thee again.

Tim. When there is nothing living but thee, thou fhalt be welcome. I had rather be a Beggar's dog, than Apemantus.

I

Apem. Thou art the cap of all the fools alive.

Tim. 'Would, thou wert clean enough to fpit upon. * A plague on thee!

Apem. Thou art too bad to curfe.

Tim. All villains, that do ftand by thee, are pure,
Apem. There is no leprofy but what thou fpeak'ft.

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Tim. If I name thee.-I'll beat thee, but I fhould

infect my hands.

Apem. I would my tongue could rot them off! Tim. Away, thou iffue of a mangy dog! Choler does kill me, that thou art alive:

I fwoon to fee thee.

Apem. 'Would, thou wouldst burst!

Tim. Away, thou tedious rogue, I am forry I fhall lofe a ftone by thee.

Apem. Beaft!

Tim. Slave!
Apem. Toad!

Tim. Rogue! rogue! rogue!

[Apemantus retreats backward, as going. I am fick of this falfe world, and will love nought But even the meer neceffities upon it. Then, Timon, prefently prepare thy grave; Lie where the light foam of the fea may beat Thy grave-ftone daily; make thine epitaph; That death in thee at others' lives may laugh. O thou fweet king-killer, and dear divorce

[Looking on the gold. 3 Twixt natural fon and fire! thou bright defiler Of Hymen's pureft bed! thou valiant Mars! Thou ever young, fresh, lov'd, and delicate wooer, • Whose blush doth thaw the confecrated fnow, That lies on Dian's lap! thou vifible God, That foldreft clofe impoffibilities,

And mak'st them kifs! that speak'st with every tongue,
To every purpose! Oh, thou Touch of hearts!
Think, thy flave man rebels; and by thy virtue
Set them into confounding odds, that beasts
May have the world in empire.

3 'Twixt natural fon and fire!]
Διὰ τῦτον ἐκ ἀδελφός
Διὰ τῦτον ἐ τοχῆες. ANAC.
Whose blush doth thaw the

confecrated fnow,

That lies on Dian's lap !-] The imagery is here exquifitely beautiful and fublime. WARB.

Apem.

Apem. 'Would 'twere fo,

But not 'till I am dead! I'll fay, thou haft gold:
Thou wilt be throng'd to fhortly.

Tim. Throng'd to?

Apem. Ay.

Tim. Thy back, I pr'ythee..

Apem. Live, and love thy mifery!

Tim. Long live fo, and fo die! I am quit.

*More things like men-Eat, Timon, and abhor [Exit Apemantus.

them.

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1 Thief. Where should he have this gold? It is fome poor fragment, fome flender ort of his remainder. The meer want of gold, and the falling off of friends, drove him into this melancholy.

2 Thief. It is nois'd, he hath a mafs of treasure.

3 Thief. Let us make the affay upon him; if he care not for't, he will fupply us eafily; if he covetously reserve it, how fhall's get it ?

2 Thief. True; for he bears it not about him; 'tis hid. I Thief. Is not this he?

All. Where?

Thief. 'Tis his description.
3 Thief. He; I know him.
All. Save thee, Timon.
Tim. Now, thieves.

All. Soldiers; not thieves.

Tim. Both too, and womens' fons.

All. We are not thieves, but men that much do want. Tim. Your greatest want is, ' you want much of meat. Why

• More things like men-] This line, in the old edition, is given to Apemantus, but it apparently belongs to Timon. Hanmer has tranfpofed the foregoing dialogue according to his own mind, not

unfkilfully, but with unwarrant able license.

5 you want much of meat.] Thus both the Player and poetical Editors have given us this Paffage; quite Sand-blind, as ho

neft

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