My country. Put up thy gold. Go on,-here's gold,-go on; Will o'er some high-vie'd city bang his poison paps, That through the window-bars bore at men's eyes, Set them down horrible traitors. Spare not the Hath doubtfully pronounc'd thy throat shall cut, Put armour on thine ears, and on thine eyes; Whose proof, nor yells of mothers, maids, nor babes, Nor sight of priests in holy vestments bleeding, Make large confusion: and, thy fury spent, Tim. More whore, more mischief first; I have Alcib. Strike up the drum towards Athens. If I thrive well, I'll visit thee again. Tim. If I hope well, I'll never see thee more. Tim. Yes, thou spok'st well of me. Tim. Men daily find it such. Get thee away Strike. [Drum beats. Exeunt ALCIBIADES. PHRYNIA, and TIMANDRA. Tim. That nature, being sick of man's unkindness, Should yet be hungry!-Common mother, thou, Engenders the black toad, and adder blue, Whereon Hyperion's quickening fire doth shine; Yield him, who all thy human sons doth hate, From forth thy plenteous bosom one poor root ! Ensear thy fertile and conceptious womb, Let it no more bring out ingrateful man! Go great with tigers, dragous, wolves, and bears; Phr. & Timan. Give us some gold, good Ti-Teem with new monsters, whom thy upward Not all thy counsel. Tim. Dost thou, or dost thou not, heaven's curse upon thee! mon Hast thou more ? Tim. Enough to make a whore forswear her trade, [sluts, And to make whores, a bawd. Hold up, you Your aprons mountant: You are not oathable,Although, I know, you'll swear, terribly swear, Into strong shudders, and to heavenly agues, The immortal gods that hear you,-spare your oaths, Be whores still; I'll trust to your conditions. No matter wear them, betray with them: whore Paint till a horse may mire upon your face: Phr. & Timan. Well, more gold;-What then ? Believ't, that we'll do any thing for gold. In hollow bones of man; strike their sharp shins, That he may never more false title plead, face Hath to the marbled mansion all above Whereof ingrateful man, with liquorish draughts, Whom I would imitate: Consumption catch thee! This slave-like habit? and these looks of care? Nor sound his quillets ¶ shrilly: hoar** the Thou gav'st thine ears, like tapsters, that bid welcome, To knaves, and all approachers: 'Tis most just, Apem. Ay. Tim. What! a knave too? Apem. If thou didst put this sour cold habit on Thou should'st desire to die, being miserable. 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 given? Tim. Ay, that I am not thee. No prodigal. Tim. 1, that I am one now; Were all the wealth I have, shut up in thee, [Eating a root. Tim. Thee thither in a whirlwind. If thou Tell them there I have gold: look, so I have. Tim. The best and truest : For here it sleeps, and does no hired harm. Where feed'st thou o'days, Apemantus? Apem. Where my stomach finds meat; or, rather, where I eat it. Tim. 'Would poison were obedient, and knew my mind! Apem. Where would'st thou send it ? Tim. To sauce thy dishes. Apem. The middle of humanity thou never knewest, but the extremity of both ends: When thou wast in thy gilt, and thy perfume, they mocked thee for too much curiosity; in thy rags thou knowest none, but are despised for the contrary. There's a medlar for thee, eat it. Tim. On what I hate, I feed not. Apem. Dost hate a medlar ? Tim. Ay, though it look like thee. Apem. An thou had'st hated medlers sooner, thou should'st have loved thyself better now. What man didst thou ever know unthrift, that was beloved after his means? Tim. Who, without those means thou talkest of, didst thou ever know beloved? Apem. Myself. Tim. I understand thee; thou hadst some means to keep a dog. Apem. What things in the world canst thou nearest compare to thy flatterers ! Tim. Women nearest; but men, men are the things themselves. What would'st thou do with the world, Apemantus, if it lay in thy power? Apem. Give it the beasts, to be rid of the men. Tim. Would'st thou have thyself fall in the confusion of men, and remain a beast with the beasts ? Apem. Ay, Timon. Tim. A beastly ambition, which the gods grant thee to attain to If thou wert the lion, the fox would beguile thee if thou wert the lamb, the for would eat thee: if thou wert the fox, the lion would suspect thee, when, peradventure, thou wert accused by the ass: if thou wert the ass, thy dulness would torment thee: and still thou livedst but as a breakfast to the wolf: if thou wert the wolf, thy greediness would afflict thee, and oft thou shouldst hazard thy life for thy dinner: wert thou the unicorn, pride and wrath would confound thee, and make thine own self the conquest of thy fury: wert thou a bear, thou would'st be killed by the horse; wert thou a horse, thou would'st be seized by the leopard; wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion, and the spots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life all thy safety were remotion; † and thy defence, absence. What beast could'st 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 could'st please me with speaking to me, thou migh'tst 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 Tim. First mend my company, take away thy-fear to catch it, and give way: When I know not self. what else to do, I'll see thee again. Apem. So I shall mend mine own, by the lack of thine. Tim. 'Tis not well mended so, it is but botch'd; If not, I would it were. Apem. What would'st thou have to Athens ? • Arrives sooner at the completion of its wishes. Tim. 'Would thou wert clean enough to spit | Within this mile break forth a hundred springs 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. Apem. 'Would thou would'st burst! Thou tedious rogue! I am sorry I shall lose A stone by thee. Apem. Beast! Tim. Slave! Apem. Toad! Tim. Rogue, rogue, rogne! [APEMANTUS retreats backwards, as going. I am sick of this false world; and will love nought But even the mere necessities upon it. wooer, Whose blush doth thaw the consecrated snow To every purpose! O thou touch of hearts! Apem. 'Would 'twere so ; But not till I am dead!-I'll say, thou hast gold: Thou wilt be throng'd to shortly. Tim. Throng'd to? Apem. Ay. Tim. Thy back, I pr'ythee. Apem. Live, and love thy misery! Tim. Long live so, and so die !-I am quit. [Exit APEMANTUS. More things like men ?-Eat, Timon, and abhor them. Enter THIEVES. 1 Thief. Where should he have this gold? It is some poor fragment, some slender oit of his remainder: The mere want of gold, and the falling-from of his friends, drove him into this melancholy. The oaks bear mast, the briars scarlet hips; Thief. We cannot live on grass, on berries, As beasts, and birds, and fishes. [water, Tim. Nor on the beasts themselves, the birds, and fishes; [con, You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you That you are thieves profess'd; that you work not In holier shapes: for there is boundless theft grape, Till the high fever seeth your blood to froth, power 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 howsoever! Amen. [TIMON retires to his Care. 3 Thief. He has almost charmed me from my profession, by persuading me to it. 1 Thief. 'Tis in the malice of mankind, that he thus advises us; not to have us thrive in our mystery. 2 Thief. I'll believe him as an enemy, and give o'er my trade. 1 Thief. Let us first see peace in Athens; There is no time so miserable, but a mau may be true. [Exeunt THIEVES. [do! 2 Thief. It is noised, he hath a mass of trea-Those that would mischief me, than those that sure. 3 Thief. Let us make the assay upon him: if he care not for't, he will supply us easily; If he Covetously reserve it, how shall's get it? 2 Thief. True; for he bears it not about him 'tis bid. 1 Thief. Is not this he? Thieves. Where? 2 Thief. 'Tis his description. 3 Thief. He; I know him. Thieves. Save thee, Timon. Tim. Now thieves? Thieves. Soldiers, not thieves. Thieves. We are not thieves, but men that much do want. Tim. Your greatest want is, you want much of meat, [roots; Why should you want? Behold, the earth hath Ne'er did poor steward wear a truer grief Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st Poet. What's to be thought of him? Does the rumour hold for true, that he is so full of gold? Pain. Certain : Alcibiades reports it; Pbrynia and Timandra had gold of him he likewise enriched poor straggling soldiers with great But thorough lust and laughter. Pity's sleep-quantity: 'Tis said, he gave unto his steward a ing: Strange times, that weep with laughing, not with weeping! Flav. I beg of you to know me, good my lord, [lasts, To accept my grief, and whilst this poor wealth To entertain me as your steward still. Tim. Had I a steward so true, so just, and So comfortable? It almost turns [now My dangerous nature wild. Let me behold Thy face. Surely, this man was born of wo man. Forgive my general and exceptless rashness, If not a usuring kindness; and as rich men deal gifts, Expecting in return twenty for one? Flav. No, my most worthy master, in whose breast Doubt and suspect, alas, are plac'd too late : You should have fear'd false tines, when you did feast: Suspect still comes where an estate is least. That which I show, heaven knows, is merely love, Duty and zeal to your unmatched mind, Care of your food and living: and, believe it, My most honour'd lord, For any benefit that points to me, Either in hope, or present, I'd exchange mighty sum. Poet. Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his friends. Pain. Nothing else: you shall see him a palm in Athens again, and flourish with the highest. Therefore, 'tis not amiss, we tender our loves to him, in this supposed distress of his: it will show honestly in us; and is very likely to load our purposes with what they travel for, if it be a just and true report that goes of his having. Poet. What have you now to present unto bim? Pain. Nothing at this time but my visitation : only I will promise him an excellent piece. Poet. I inust serve him so too: tell him of an intent that's coming toward him. Pain. Good as the best. Promising is the very air o'the time: it opens the eyes of expectation: performance is ever the duller for his act; and, but in the plainer and simpler kind of people, the deed of saying is quite out of use. To promise is most courtly and fashionable: performance is a kind of will and testament, which argues a great sickness in his judgment that makes it. Tim. Excellent workman! Thou canst not paint a man so bad as is thyself. Poet. I am thinking what I shall say I have provided for him: It must be a personating of himself: a satire against the softness of prosperity; with a discovery of the infinite flatteries that follow yonth and opulency. Tim. Must thou needs stand for a villain in thine own work? Wilt thou whip thine own faults in other men? Do so, I have gold for thee. Poet. Nay, let's seek him: Then do we sin against our own estate, When we may profit meet, and come too late. When the day serves, before black-corner'd night, For this one wish, That you had power and Find what thou want'st by free and offer'd light. wealth To requite me, by making rich yourself. Tim. Look thee, 'tis so!-Thou singly honest Here take-the gods out of my misery [man, Have sent thee treasure. Go, live rich, and happy : [men ; • But thus condition'd; Thou shall build from Hate all, curse all show charity to none; But let the famish'd flesh slide from the bone, Ere thou relieve the beggar: give to dogs What thou deny'st to men; let prisons swallow them, Debts wither them: Be men like blasted woods, And may diseases lick up their false bloods! And so, farewell, and thrive. Flar. O let me stay, And comfort you, my master. Curses, stay not: fly, whilst thou'rt bless'd and free : Ne'er see thou man, and let me ne'er see thee. [Exeunt severally. Come. Tim. I'll meet you at the turn. What a god's gold, That he is worshipp'd in a baser temple, 'Tis thou that rigg'st the bark, and plough'st the foam; Settlest admired reverence in a slave : Poet. Hail, worthy Timon! Tim. Have I once liv'd to see two honest men? Poet. Sir, Having often of your open bounty tasted, Whose star-like nobleness gave life and influence cover Marry, 'tis not monstrous in you; neither wish I, The senators, with one consent of love, You take much pains to mend. Both. Beseech your honour, Confound them by some course, and come to me, I'll give you gold enough. Both. Name them, my lord, let's know them. Tim. You that way, and you this, but two in company : Each man apart, all single and alone, [To the Painter. Come not near him.-If thou would'st not reside [To the POET. But where one villain is, then him abandon.Hence ! pack! there's gold, ye came for gold, ye slaves: [Hence! You have done work for me, there's payment: You are an alchymist, make gold of that:Out, rascal dogs! [Exit, beating and driving them out. SCENE II.-The same. Enter FLAVIUS, and two SENATORS. Flav. It is in vain that you would speak with For he is set so only to himself, [Timon; 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 the Athenians, 2 Sen. At all times alike Men are not still the same: 'Twas time, and griefs, That frain'd him thus: time, with his fairer hand, • As a portrait was then called. Entreat thee back to Athens; who have thought On special dignities, which vacant lie For thy best use and wearing. 2 Sen. They confess, Toward thee, forgetfuluess too general, gross: A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal Together with a recompense more fruitful wealth, As shall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs, And write in thee the figures of their love, Tim. You witch me in it; tors. 1 Sen. Therefore, so please thee to return with us, And of our Athens (thine, and ours,) to take name Live with authority:—so soon we shall drive back 2 Sen. And shakes his threat'ning sword Against the walls of Athens. 1 Sen. Therefore, Timou,Tim. Well, Sir, I will; therefore, I will, Sir: Thus, [Athens, If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brain'd war; In pity of our aged, and our youth, I cannot chuse but tell him, that I care not, And let him tak't at worse; for their knives care not, While you have throats to answer for myself, With an united voice of affection. 1 Licensed. A claap knife. ↑ A complete villaiu. In a jakes, or house of office. Confession. |