of thy fury: wert thou a bear, thou wouldst be killed by the horse: wert thou a horse, thou wouldst be seized by the leopard: wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the 335 lion, and the spots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life: all thy safety were remotion, and thy defence absence. What beast couldst thou be that were not subject to a beast? and what a beast art thou already, that seest not thy loss in transformation!

Apem. If thou couldst please me with speaking to me, thou mightst have hit upon it here: the commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts.

Tim. How has the ass 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 see thee again.

340

345

Tim. When there is nothing living but thee, thou shalt 350 be welcome. I had rather be a beggar's dog than Ape

mantus.

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

Tim. Would thou wert clean enough to spit upon!
Apem. A plague on thee! thou art too bad to curse.

: Tim. All villains that do stand by thee are pure.
Apem. There is no leprosy but what thou speak'st.
Tim. If I name thee.

I'll beat thee; but I should infect my hands.

355

Apem. I would my tongue could rot them off!

Tim. Away, thou issue of a mangy dog! Choler does kill me that thou art alive;

I swoon to see thee.

Apem. Would thou wouldst burst!

360

Tim. Away, thou tedious rogue! I am sorry I shall 365

lose a stone by thee.

Apem. Beast!

[Throws a stone at him.

Tim. Slave!

Apem. Toad!

Tim. Rogue, rogue, rogue!

I am sick of this false world, and will love nought
But even the mere necessities upon't.
Then, Timon, presently prepare thy grave;
Lie where the light foam of the sea may beat
Thy grave-stone daily: make thine epitaph,
That death in me at others' lives may laugh.

370

375

[To the gold] O thou sweet king-killer, and dear divorce

'Twixt natural son and sire! thou bright defiler

Of Hymen's purest bed! thou valiant Mars!

Thou ever young, fresh, loved, and delicate wooer,

380

Whose blush doth thaw the consecrated snow

That lies on Dian's lap! thou visible god,

That solder'st close impossibilities,

And makest them kiss! that speak'st with every tongue,
To every purpose! O thou touch of hearts!

360. I...off!] One line in Pope. Two in Ff.

361, 363. Away... thee. As in Rowe. The lines end dog...me... thee, in Ff.

363. Swoon] Pope. swoond F,F2. swound F3F4.

364. Would] I would Hanmer. 364-370. Would...rogue!] As in Ff. Three lines, ending burst.. sorry I...rogue! in Hanmer. Capell ends the lines Away!...lose...rogue!

366. Throws...] Throwing at him. Capell. om. Ff.

370. Rogue, rogue, rogue!] Rogue! Hanmer.

385

Think thy slave man rebels; and by thy virtue
Set them into confounding odds, that beasts
May have the world in empire!

Apem.

Would 'twere so!

But not till I am dead. I'll say thou hast gold:

Thou wilt be throng'd to shortly.

Tim. Long live so, and so die! [Exit Apemantus.] I

am quit.

Moe things like men? Eat, Timon, and abhor them.

Enter Banditti.

First Ban. Where should he have this gold? It is some poor fragment, some slender ort of his remainder: the mere 395 want of gold, and the falling-from of his friends, drove him into this melancholy.

Sec. Ban. It is noised he hath a mass of treasure.
Third Ban.

Let us make the assay upon him: if he

386. slave man] Rowe. slave-man Ff.

388. Apem.] Apem. [advancing. Capell.

389. thou hast] Pope (ed. 2). th hast Ff. thou 'st Collier.

390. to...to] Rowe (ed. 2). too... too Ff.

391. Live...misery!] Continued to Timon by Hanmer.

392. Long...quit] Given to Apem. Malone conj.

and so] or so Hanmer.

Exit Apemantus.] Dyce. After quit. Capell. Exit Apeman. (after line 393) Ff.

die...I die, so I Hanmer. dye!-So, I Capell.

393. Moe......them.] Continued to Timon by Hanmer. Given to Apemantus in Ff. One line in Hanmer. Prose in Pope. Two lines in Ff.

Moe] Mo Ff. More Johnson. them.] Rowe. then. Ff. Here Pope and Hanmer insert lines 346— 352, Apem. The plague...Apemantus. [Seeing the Thieves. Han

mer.

Enter Banditti.] Enter the Bandetti. F,F2F3. Enter the Banditti. F4. Enter Thieves. Pope. Enter certain Thieves. Capell.

394. Scene VII. Pope.

First Ban.] Band. Rowe.

1 Thief. Pope. 1. Ff (and elsewhere).
396. falling-from of his] Capell.
falling from of his Ff. falling off of
Pope. falling from him of his Col-
lier (Collier MS.).

398. Sec. Ban.] 2 Band. Rowe.
2 Thief. Pope. 2. Ff (and elsewhere).
It is...treasure.] As in Pope.

Two lines in Ff.

hath] hoth F2.

care not for 't, he will supply us easily; if he covetously 400

reserve it, how shall's get it?

Sec. Ban. True; for he bears it not about him; 'tis hid.

Banditti. We are not thieves, but men that much do

want.

Tim. Your greatest want is, you want much of meat.
Why should you want? Behold, the earth hath roots;
Within this mile break forth a hundred springs;
The oaks bear mast, the briers scarlet hips;

The bounteous housewife, nature, on each bush

Lays her full mess before you. Want! why want?

410

415

First Ban. We cannot live on grass, on berries, water,

As beasts and birds and fishes.

Tim. Nor on the beasts themselves, the birds and fishes; 420 You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you con That you are thieves profess'd, that you work not In holier shapes: for there is boundless theft In limited professions. Rascal thieves,

402. True...hid.] As in Pope. Two lines in Ff.

404, 407, 409, 411. Banditti.] Knight. All. Ff.

406. He;] Rowe. He? Ff. 408. thieves?] Capell. thieves. Ff. thieves! Hanmer.

410. Both too] Both, both Hanmer. Both two Collier (ed. 2). Both the two Anon. conj.

Both......sons] Both, and women's sons too Anon. conj.

411. We...want.] As in Pope. Two lines in Ff.

424. Rascal thieves] Rascals, thieves Pope.

Here's gold. Go, suck the subtle blood o' the grape,
Till the high fever seethe your blood to froth,
And so 'scape hanging: trust not the physician;
His antidotes are poison, and he slays

425

Moe than you rob: take wealth and lives together;
Do villany, do, since you protest to do 't,
Like workmen. I'll example you with thievery:
The sun's a thief, and with his great attraction
Robs the vast sea: the moon 's an arrant thief,
And her pale fire she snatches from the sun:
The sca's a thief, whose liquid surge resolves
The moon into salt tears: the earth's a thief,
That feeds and breeds by a composture stol'n
From general excrement: each thing's a thief:
The laws, your curb and whip, in their rough power
Have uncheck'd theft. Love not yourselves; away,
Rob one another. There's more gold. Cut throats:
All that you meet are thieves: to Athens go,
Break open shops; nothing can you steal,
But thieves do lose it: steal not less for this

I give you; and gold confound you howsoe'er!
Amen.

440. Have] Pope. Ha's Ff.
441. Cut throats] cut-throats Anon.
conj. (Gent. Mag. Vol. LX. p. 307).

443. nothing] for nothing Pope.
where nothing Steevens conj. nought
S. Walker conj., ending lines 443-
446 thieves...give you...Amen.

444-446. But...Amen] As in Capell. Two lines, the first ending give you, in Ff. Three, ending this...give you...Amen, in Delius.

444. not] Rowe. om. Ff. no Collier (Collier MS.). not the Keightley. 444, 445. for this I give you] for what I give Pope, ending line 444 at

what.

445. howsoe'er] howsoever Rowe (ed. 2).

446. [Exit. Rowe. Retiring to wards his Cave. Capell. om. Ff.

430

435

440

445