Marry, 'tis not monftrous in you; neither wish I,
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 trusts a knave, That mightily deceives you.

Both. Do we, my Lord?

Tim. Ay, and you hear him cogg, fee him diffemble, Know his grofs pátchery, love him, and feed him; Keep in your bofom, yet remain affur'd,

That he's a made-up villain.

Pain. I know none fuch, my Lord.

Poet. Nor I.

Tim. Look you, I love you well. I'll give you gold.
Rid me thefe villains from your companies;
Hang them, or ftab them, drown them in a draught,
Confound them by fome courfe, and come to me,
I'll give you gold enough.

Both. Name them, my Lord, let's know them.
Tim. You that

company

way, and you this. 8 But two in

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

-a made-up villain.] That 6, a villain that adopts qualities and characters not properly belonging to him; a hypocrite.

7 in a draught,] That is, in the jakes.

8 -But two in company-] This is an imperfect fentence, and is to be fupplied thus, But

[To the Poet.

two in company Spoils all. WARB.

This paffage is obfcure. I think the meaning is this: but two in company, that is, ftand apart, let only two be together; for even when each ftands fingle there are two, he himself and a villain.

But

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 your payment. Hence!
You are an Alchymift, make gold of that.

Out, rafcal dogs!

[Beating, and driving 'em out.

SCENE III.

Enter Flavius and two Senators.

Flav. It is in vain that you would speak with Timon: Por he is fet fo only to himself,

That nothing but himself, which looks like man, ls friendly with him.

1 Sen. Bring us to his Çave.

It is our part and promile to th' Athenians
To fpeak with Timon.

2 Sen. At all times alike

Men are not ftill 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,

and be hang'd!

For each true word a blifter, and each falfe

Be cauterizing to the root o' th' tongue,

Confuming it with fpeaking!

1 Sen. Worthy Timon,

Tim. Of none but fuch as you, and you of Timon 2 Sen. The fenators of Athens greet thee, Timon.h

Tim. I thank them. And would fend them back

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 best use and wearing.

2 Sen. They confefs

Tow'rd 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 fenfe withal

2

'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 ;

fhould have been given to Timon. 3 Than their offence can weigh

down by the dram;] This which was in the former editions can scarcely be right, and yet I know not whether my reading will be thought to rectify it. I. take the meaning to be, We will give thee a recompence that our offences cannot outweigh, heaps of wealth down by the dram, or delivered according to the exafteft measure. A little diforder may perhaps have happened in tranfcribing, which may be reformed by reading,

Ay, ev'n fuch heaps
And fums of love and wealth,
down by the dram,
As fall to thee

And

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 Captainship; thou shalt be met with thar..s,
Allow'd with abfolute power, and thy good ame
Live with authority.-So fhall we foon drive back
Of Alcibiades th' approaches wild,

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

2 Sen. And thakes his threatning fword Against the walls of Athens.

1 Sen. Therefore, Timon

Tim. Well, Sir, I will. Therefore I will, Si.. ThusIf Alcibiades kill my countrymen,

Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,

That-Timon cares not. But if he fack fair Athens,
And take our goodly aged men by th' beards,
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 worst. For their knives I care not,
While you have throats to anfwer. For myself,
There's not a whittle in th' unruly camp,

4 Allow'd with abfolute power,] This is neither English nor fenfe. We should read,

Hallow'd with abfolute power, i.e. Thy perfon fhall be held facred. For abfolute power being an attribute of the Gods, the ancients thought that he who had it in fociety, was become facred, and his perfon inviolable: On

which account, the Romans called the Tribunitial power of the Emperors, Sacrofanita poteftas.

WARBURTON.

Allowed is licenfed, privileged, uncontrolled. So of a Buffoon in Love's Labour loft, it is faid, that he is allowed, that is, at liberty to fay what he will, a privileged fcoffer.

But

But I do prize it at my love, before

'The reverend'st 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 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 last 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. Thefe words become your lips, as they pafs 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 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 fuftain

In life's uncertain voyage, I will do

Some kindness to 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 must I fell it. Tell my friends,
Tell Athens, in the fequence of degree,

From high to low throughout, that whofo please

My long ficknefi] The difeafe of life begins to promife me a period.

5-in the fequence of degree,] Methodically, from highest to

lowest.

Το