1 Sen. He dies.. Alcib. Hard fate! he might have died in war. My lords, if not for any parts in him, (Though his right arm might purchase his own time, [you, And be in debt to none,) yet, more to move Take my deserts to his, and join them both: And, for I know, your reverend ages love Security, I'll pawn my victories, all My honour to you, upon his good returns. If by this crime he owes the law his life, Why, let the war receiv't in valiant gore; For law is strict, and war is nothing more. 1 Sen. We are for law, he dies; urge it no more, [ther, On height of our displeasure: Friend, or broHe forfeits his own blood, that spills another. Alcib. Must it be so? it must not be. My I do beseech you, know me. 2 Sen. How? Alcib. Call me to your remembrances. 3 Sen. What? [lords, Alcib. I cannot think, but your age has got me; 1 Lord. I should think so: He hath sent me an earnest inviting, which many my near ocIcasions did urge me to put off; but he hath conjured me beyond them, and I must needs appear. 2 Lord. In like manner was I in debt to my importunate business, but he would not hear my excuse. I am sorry, when he sent to borrow of me, that my provision was out. 1 Lord. I am sick of that grief too, as I understand how all things go. 2 Lord. Every man here's so. What would he have borrowed of you? 1 Lord. A thousand pieces. 3 Lord. He sent to me, Sir.-Here he comes. Enter TIMON, and Attendants. Tim. With all my heart, gentlemen both:And how fare you? 1 Lord. Ever at the best, hearing well of for-your lordship. It could not else be, I should prove so base,* 1 Sen. Do you dare our anger? "Tis in few words, but spacious in effect; We banish thee for ever. Alcib. Banish me? Banish your dotage; banish usury, 1 Sen. If, after two days' shine, Athens con- Attend our weightier judgement. And, not He shall be executed presently. Only in bone, that none may look on you! While they have told their money, and let out ment? It comes not ill; I hate not to be banish'd; SCENE VI.—A magnificent Room in TIMON'S Music. Tables set out: SERVANTS attending. 1 Lord. The good time of day to you, Sir. several friends. 2 Lord. It should not be, by the persuasion of his new feasting. For dishonoured. + I. e. Not to put ourselves in any tumour of rage. We should now say-to lay out for hearts, i. e. the affections of the people. To tire on a thing meant to be idly employed on it. 2 Lord. The swallow follows not summer more willing, than we your lordship. Tim. [Aside.] Nor more willingly leaves winter; such summer-birds are men.-Gentlemen, our dinner will not recompense this long stay feast your ears with the music awhile; if they will fare so harshly on the trumpet's sound: we shall to't presently. 1 Lord. I hope it remains not unkindly with your lordship, that I returned you an empty messenger. Tim. O, Sir, let it not trouble you. Tim. Ah, my good friend! what cheer? [The banquet brought in. 2 Lord. My most honourable lord, I am e'en sick of shame, that, when your lordship this other day sent to me, I was so unfortunate a beggar. Tim. Think not on't, Sir. 2 Lord. If you had sent but two hours be fore, Tim. Let it not cumber your better remembrance.*-Come, bring in all together. 2 Lord. All cover'd dishes! 1 Lord. Royal cheer, I warrant you. 3 Lord. Doubt not that, if money, and the season can yield it. 1 Lord. How do you? What's the news? 1 & 2 Lord. Alcibiades banished! 1 Lord. How? how? 2 Lerd. I pray you, upon what? Tim. My worthy friends, will you draw near? 3 Lord. I'll tell you more anon. Here's a noble feast toward. 2 Lord. This is the old man still. 3 Lord. Will't hold? will't hold? 2 Lord. It does: but time will-and so3 Lord. I do conceive. Tim. Each man to his stool, with that spur diet shall be in all places alike. Make not a as he would to the lip of his mistress: your city feast of it, to let the meat cool ere we can agree upon the first place: Sit, sit. The gods require our thanks. You great benefactors, sprinkle our society with thankfulness. For your own gifts, make yourselves praised: but reserve still to give, lest your 1. e. Your good memory. 50 3 And minister in their steads! to general Site' deities be despised. Lend to each man enough, | Obedience fail in children! slaves, and fools, come. Uncover, dogs, and lap. [The dishes uncovered are full of warm twater. Some speak. What does his lordship mean? Some other. I know not. Tim. May you a better feast never behold, You knot of mouth-friends! smoke, and luke warm water Is your perfection. This is Timon's last; [Throwing water in their faces. Of man, and beast, the infinite malady thou; [Throws the dishes at them, and drives them out. Stay, I will lend thee money, borrow none.- 1 Lord. How now, my lords? 2 Lord. Know you the quality of lord Timon's fury? 3 Lord. Pish! did you see my cap? 4 Lord. I have lost my gown. 3 Lord. He's but a mad lord, and nought but humour sways him. He gave me a jewel the other day, and now he has beat it out of my hat:-Did you see my jewel? 4 Lord. Did you see my cap? 3 Lord. Here 'tis. 4 Lord. Here lies my gown. 1 Lord. Let's make no stay. 2 Lord. Lord Timon's mad. 3 Lord. I feel't upon my bones. 4 Lord. One day he gives us diamonds, next day stones. ACT IV. [Exeunt. Large handed robbers your grave masters an strive, And drown themselves in riot! itches, blains, kind. The gods confound (hear me, ye good gods al.) grow To the whole race of mankind, high, and low! Amen. SCENE II-Athens.-A Room in TIMON'S Enter FLAVIUS, with two or three SERVANTS. 1 Ser. Hear you, master steward, where's our master? Are we undone? cast off? nothing remaining? 1 Serv, Such a house broke! So noble a master fallen! All gone! and not 2 Serv. As we do turn our backs With his disease of all-shunn'd poverty, Enter other SERVANTS. Flav. All broken implements of a ruin'd house. * Common sewers. + I. e. Contrarieties, whose nature it is to waste or destroy each other. f For libertinism. ◊ Accumulated curses. 3 Serv. Yet do our hearts wear Timon's | All feasts, societies, and throngs of men! livery, That see I by our faces; we are fellows still, Serving alike in sorrow: Leak'd is our bark; And we, poor mates, stand on the dying deck, Hearing the surges threat: we must all part Into this sea of air. Flav. Good fellows all, The latest of my wealth I'll share amongst you. Wherever we shall meet, for Timon's sake, Let's yet be fellows; let's shake our heads, and say, As 'twere a knell unto our master's fortunes, We have seen better days. Let each take some; [Giving them money; Nay, put out all your hands. Not one word more: Thus part we rich in sorrow, parting poor, [Exeunt SERVANTS. O, the fierce wretchedness that glory brings us! [empt, Who would not wish to be from wealth exSince riches point to misery and contempt? Who'd be so mock'd with glory? or to live But in a dream of friendship? [pounds, To have his pomp, and all what state comBut only painted, like his varnish'd friends? Poor honest lord, brought low by his own heart; Undone by goodness! Strange, unusual blood, When man's worst sin is, he does too much good! Who then dares to be half so kind again? Rotten humidity; below thy sister's orbt The greater scorns the lesser: Not nature, [fortune, Raise me this beggar, and denude that lord; The senator shall bear contempt hereditary, The beggar native honour. It is the pasture lards the brother's sides, In purity of manhood stand upright, Hasty, precipitate. + Propensity, disposition. His semblable, yea, himself, Timon disdains! Destruction fang* mankind!-Earth, yield me roots! Digging. Who seeks for better of thee, sauce his palate With thy most operant poison! What is here? Gold? yellow, glittering, precious gold? No, gods, [vens! I am no idle votarist.+ Roots, you clear hea Thus much of this, will make black white; foul, fair; Wrong, right; base, noble; old, young; coward, valiant. Ha, you gods! why this? What this, you Make the hoar leprosy ador'd; place thieves, To the April day again.§ Come, damned earth, Thou common whore of mankind, that put'st odds Among the rout of nations, I will make thee [Keeping some gold. Alcib. What is it, Timon? Tim. Promise me friendship, but perform none: If [for Thou wilt not promise, the gods plague thee: Thou art a man! if thou dost perform, confound thee, For thou'rt a man! Alcib. I have heard in some sort of thy miseries. Tim. Thou saw'st them, when I had prosperity. Alcib. I see them now; then was a blessed time. Tim. As thine is now, held with a brace of harlots. Timan. Is this the Athenian minion, whom the world Voic'd so regardfully? Tim. Art thou Timandra? Tim. Be a whore still! they love thee not, that use thee; [lust. Give them diseases, leaving with thee their Make use of thy salt hours: season the slaves For tubs, and baths; bring down rose-cheeked To the tub-fast, and the diet.* [youth Timan. Hang thee, monster! Alcib. Pardon him, sweet Timandra; for his wits Are drown'd and lost in his calamities.- How cursed Athens, mindless of thy worth, gone. Alcib. I am thy friend, and pity thee, dear Timon. Tim. How dost thou pity him, whom thou dost trouble? I had rather be alone. Alcib. Why, fare thee well: Here's some gold for thee. Tim. Keep't, I cannot eat it. That through the window-bars bore at men's Are not within the leaf of pity writ, [eyes, Set them down horrible traitors: Spare set the babe, [merry; Whose dimpled smiles from fools exhaust their Think it a bastard, whom the oracle Hath doubtfully pronounc'd thy throat shall cut, [objects And mince it sans remorse: Swear against Put armour on thine ears, and on thine eyes; Whose proof, nor yells of mothers, maids, OT babes, Nor sight of priests in holy vestments bleeding, Shall pierce a jot. There's gold to pay thy soldiers; Make large confusion: and, thy fury spent, Confounded be thyself! Speak not, be gone. Alcib. Hast thou gold yet? I'll take the gold thou giv'st me, Not all thy counsel. Tim. Dost thou, or dost thou not, heaven's curse upon thee! Phr. & Timan. Give us some gold, good Tmon: Hast thou more? Tim. Enough to make a whore forswear ber And to make whores, a bawd. Hold up, you trade, {sluts, Your aprons mountant: You are not cathaAlthough, I know, you'll swear, terribly swear, ble,Into strong shudders, and to heavenly agues, The immortal gods that hear you,-spare your oaths, I'll trust to your conditions: Be whores still; And he whose pious breath seeks to convert you, months, Be strong in whore, allure him, burn him up; Paint till a horse may mire upon your face: Phr. & Timan. Well, more gold;-What Believ't, that we'll do any thing for gold. Tim. Consumptions sow [shins, In hollow bones of man; strike their sharp And mar men's spurring. Crack the lawyer's voice, Alcib. When I have laid proud Athens on a That he may never more false title plead, heap, Tim. Warr'st thou 'gainst Athens? Alcib. Ay, Timon, and have cause. Nor sound his quillets|| shrilly: hoar the flamen, Tim. The gods confound them all i'thy con- Down with it flat; take the bridge quite away quest; and Thee after, when thou hast conquer'd' Alcib. Why me, Timon? Tim. That, By killing villains, thou wast born to conquer My country. [on; Put up thy gold; Go on,-here's gold,-go Be as a planetary plague, when Jove Will o'er some high-vic'd city hang his poison In the sick air: Let not thy sword skip one; Pity not honour'd age for his white beard, He's a usurer: Strike me the counterfeit It is her habit only that is honest, [matron; Herself's a bawd: Let not the virgin's cheek Make soft thy trenchant+ sword; for those milk-paps, * Alluding to the cure of the lues venerea then in practice. + Cutting. Teems, and feeds all; whose self-same mettle, Whereof thy proud child, arrogant man, is puff'd, Engenders the black toad, and adder blue, The gilded newt, and eyeless venom'd worm,t With all the abhorred births below crispt hea[shine; ven Whereon Hyperion's quickening fire doth Teem with new monsters, whom thy upward Tim. 'Tis then, because thou dost not keep a dog [thee! Whom I would imitate: Consumption catch Apem. This is in thee a nature but affected; A poor unmanly melancholy, sprung [place? Iom change of fortune. Why this spade? this This slave-like habit? and these looks of care? Thy flatterers yet wear silk, drink wine, lie soft, Hug their diseas'd perfumes, and have forgot And let his very breath, whom thou'lt observe, Blow off thy cap; praise his most vicious strain, And call it excellent: Thou wast told thus; Thou gav'st thine ears, like tapsters, that bid welcome, To knaves, and all approachers: 'Tis most just, That thou turn rascal; had'st thou wealth again, [ness. Rascals should hav't. Do not assume my like Boundless surface. + The serpent called the blind-worm. + Bent. 1. e. Their discased perfumed mistresses. 1. e. Shame not these woods by finding fault. trees, That have outliv'd the eagle, page thy heels, And skip when thou point'st out? Will the cold brook, Candied with ice, caudle thy morning taste, Tim. A fool of thee: Depart. Apem. I love thee better now than e'er I did. Tim. I hate thee worse. Apem. Why? Tim. Thou flatter'st misery. Apem. I flatter not; but say, thou art a caitiff. Tim. Why dost thou seek me out? Tim. Always a villain's office, or a fool's. Tim. What! a knave too? Apem. If thou didst put this sour cold habit on To castigate thy pride, 'twere well: but thou Dost it enforcedly; thou'dst courtier be again, Wert thou not beggar. Willing misery Outlives incertain pomp, is crown'd before:* The one is filling still, never complete; [less, The other, at high wish: Best state, contentHath a distracted and most wretched being, Worse than the worst, content. Thou should'st desire to die, being miserable. Tim. Not by his breath, that is more mise rable. Thou art a slave, whom Fortune's tender arm The sweet degrees that this brief world affords In general riot; melted down thy youth At duty, more than I could frame employment; They never flatter'd thee: What hast thou * I. e. Arrives sooner at the completion of its wishes. + By his voice, sentence. From infancy. The cold admonitions of cautious prudence. |