Tim.

our loves to him, in this supposed distress of Have travell'd in the great shower of your gifts, his it will show honestly in us; and is very | And sweetly felt it. likely to load our purposes with what they travail for, if it be a just and true report that goes of his having.

[him?

Poet. What have you now to present unto Pain. Nothing at this time but my visitation only, I will promise him an excellent piece.

Poet. I must serve him so too; tell him of an intent that's coming towards him.

Ay, you are honest men. Pain. We are come hither to offer you our service.

Tim. Most honest men! Why, how shall I requite you?

service.

Can you eat roots, and drink cold water? no. Both. What we can do, we'll do, to do you [that I have gold; Tim. You are honest men: you have heard am sure you have: speak truth; you are

I

honest men.

fore Pain. So it is said, my noble lord: but thereCame not my friend, nor I.

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 [counterfeit kind of people, the deed of saying is quite out Tim. Good honest men! Thou draw'st a of use. To promise is most courtly and fash- Best in all Athens: thou art, indeed, the best; ionable performance is a kind of will or testa-Thou counterfeit'st most lively. ment, 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.

Pain.
So, so, my lord
Tim. E'en so, sir, as I say. And, for thy
fiction, [to the Poet]
[smooth,
Why, thy verse swells with stuff so fine and
That thou art even natural in thine art.—
But for all this, my honest-natur'd friends,

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 pros-I must needs say you have a little fault : perity, with a discovery of the infinite flatteries Marry, 'tis not monstrous in you; neither that follow youth and opulency. You take much pains to mend.

[thee.

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 Poet. Nay, let's seek him : Then do we sin against our own estate, When we may profit meet and come too late. Pain. True; [night, When the day serves, before black-corner'd Find what thou want'st by free and offer'd Come. [light.

Tim. I'll meet you at the turn. What a god's gold,

[the foam,

That he is worshipp'd in a baser temple
Than where swine feed!
'Tis thou that rigg'st the bark, and plough'st
Settlest admired reverence in a slave:
To thee be worship! and thy saints for aye
Be crown'd with plagues, that thee alone obey!
Fit I meet them.
[Advancing.
Poet. Hail, worthy Timon!
Pain.
Our late noble master!
Tim. Have I once liv'd to see two honest
Poet. Sir,
[men?

Both.

To make it known to us.
Tim.

Both. Most thankfully,
Tim.

[wish I

Beseech your honour

Having often of your open bounty tasted,
Hearing you were retir'd, your friends fall'n off,
Whose thankless natures-O abhorred spirits!
Not all the whips of heaven are large enough- Each man apart, all single and alone,
What! to you,
[fluence Yet an arch-villain keeps him company.
Whose star-like nobleness gave life and in-[To the Pain.] If, where thou art, two villains
To their whole being! I am rapt, and can-

not cover

The monstrous bulk of this ingratitude
With any size of words.

shall not be,

Come not near him. [To the Poet.] If thou would not reside

[better: But where one villain is, then him abandon. Tim. Let it go naked, men may see't the Hence pack! there's gold, ye came for gold, You, that are honest, by being what you are, Make them best seen and known.

ye slaves:

[To the Pain.] You have done work for me,

Pain.

He and myself

there's payment: hence !

[To the Poet.] You are an alchemist, make
Out, rascal dogs!
[gold of that.
[Exit, beating them and driving them out.
Enter Flavius and two Senators.
Flav. It is in vain that you would speak
with Timon;

For he is set so only to himself,

That nothing but himself, which looks like
Is friendly with him.
[man,
I Sen.
Bring us to his cave:
It is our part, and promise to the Athenians,
To speak with Timon.

2 Sen.

At all times alike
Men are not still the same: 'twas time and

grief

[hand,
That fram'd him thus: time, with his fairer
Offering the fortunes of his former days,
The former man may make him. Bring us to
And chance it as it may.
[him,
Flav.
Here is his cave.-
Peace and content be here! Lord Timon!
Timon!

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 thanks,
Allow'd with absolute power, and thy good

name

Live with authority: so soon we shall drive
Of Alcibiades the approaches wild; [back
Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up
His country's peace.

2 Sen.
And shakes his threat'ning sword
Against the walls of Athens.
1 Sen.

Therefore, Timon,-
Tim. Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir;

If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, [thus:-
Let Alcibiades know this of Timon, [Athens,
That Timon cares not. But if he sack fair
And take our goodly aged men by the beards,
Giving our holy virgins to the stain

Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brain'd war ; Then let him know, and tell him Timon speaks [ians, In pity of our aged and our youth,

[it, Look out, and speak to friends: the Athen-I cannot choose but tell him, that I care not, By two of their most reverend senate, greet And let him take't at worst; for their knives Speak to them, noble Timon.

[thee:
burn!

Enter Timon from his cave. Tim. Thou sun, that comfort'st, Speak, and be hang'd: For each true word, a blister! and each false Be as a caut'rizing to the root o' the tongue, Consuming it with speaking! 1 Sen. Worthy Timon,— Tim. Of none but such as you, and you of Timon. [Timon, greet thee, send them

2 Sen. The senators of Athens Tim. I thank them, and would back the plague,

Could I but catch it for them.

O, forget

I Sen.
What we are sorry for ourselves in thee.
The senators, with one consent of love,
Entreat thee back to Athens; who have thought
On special dignities, which vacant lie
For thy best use and wearing.

They confess,

2 Sen.
Toward thee, forgetfulness too general, gross :
Which now the public body, which doth seldom
Play the recanter, feeling in itself

A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal
Of its own fall, restraining aid to Timon;
And send forth us, to make their sorrow'd
render,

Together with a recompense more fruitful
Than their offence can weigh down by the dram;
Ay, even such heaps and sums of love and
wealth,
[theirs,
As shall to thee block out what wrongs were
And write in thee the figures of their love,
Ever to read them thine.

care not,

While you have throats to answer: for myself
There's not a whittle in the unruly camp,
But I do prize it at my love, before [you
The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave
To the protection of the prosperous 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 sickness
Of health and living now begins to mend,
And nothing brings me all things. Go, live
Be Alcibiades your plague, you his, [still;
And last so long enough!

I Sen.
We speak in vain.
Tim. But yet I love my country; and am
One that rejoices in the common wrack, [not
As common bruit doth put it.

I Sen.
That's well spoke.
Tim. Commend me to my loving country-

men,

I Sen. These words become your lips as they pass through them.

2 Sen. And enter in our ears like great
In their applauding gates. [triumphers
Tim.
Commend me to them;
And tell them, that, to ease them of their griefs,
Their fears of hostile strokes, their aches,
losses,

Their pangs of love, with other incident throes
That nature's fragile vessel doth sustain
In life's uncertain voyage, I will some kindness
do them,-
[wrath.
I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades'
2 Sen. I like this well: he will return again.
Tim. I have a tree, which grows here in my
close,

That mine own use invites me to cut down,

And I'll beweep these comforts, worthy sena-And shortly must I fell it: tell my friends,

tors.

Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree,

From high to low throughout, that whoso Our captain hath in every figure skill,

please

To stop affliction, let him take his haste,
Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe,
And hang himself: I pray you, do my greeting.
Flav. Trouble him no further; thus you
still shall find him.
[Athens,
Tim. Come not to me again: but say to
Timon hath made his everlasting mansion
Upon the beached verge of the salt flood;
Which once a day with his embossed froth
The turbulent surge shall cover: thither come,
And let my grave-stone be your oracle.-
Lips, let sour words go by, and language end:
What is amiss, plague and infection mend!
Graves only be men's works, and death their
gain!

Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his

reign.

An ag'd interpreter, though young in days:
Before proud Athens he's set down by this,
Whose fall the mark of his ambition is. [Exit.
SCENE IV.-Before the Walls of Athens.
Trumpets sound. Enter Alcibiades and forces.
Alcib. Sound to this coward and lascivious
Our terrible approach.
[town

[A parley sounded.

Enter Senators, on the Walls.
Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the time
With all licentious measure, making your wills
The scope of justice; till now, myself, and such
As slept within the shadow of your power,
Have wander'd with our travers'd arms, and
breath'd

Our sufferance vainly now the time is flush, [Exit Timon. When crouching marrow, in the bearer strong. I Sen. His discontents are unremoveably Cries of itself, "No more:" now breathless coupled to nature.

[turn, 2 Sen. Our hope in him is dead let us reAnd strain what other means is left unto us In our dear peril.

wrong

Shall sit and pant in your great chairs of ease;
And pursy insolence shall break his wind
With fear, and horrid flight.

Noble, and young,

I Sen. It requires swift foot. [Exeunt. I Sen. SCENE II.-The Walls of Athens. When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit, Ere thou hadst power, or we had cause of fear, Enter two Senators and a Messenger. We sent to thee; to give thy rages balm, I Sen. Thou hast painfully discover'd: are To wipe out our ingratitude with loves As full as they report? [his files Above their quantity. Mess. I have spoke the least: 2 Sen. So did we woo Besides, his expedition promises Transformed Timon to our city's love, Present approach. [not Timon. By humble message, and by promis'd means: 2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring We were not all unkind, nor all deserve Mess. I met a courier, one mine ancient The common stroke of war. friend; [pos'd, I Sen.

Whom, though in general part we were op-
Yet our old love made a particular force,
And made us speak like friends: this man was
From Alcibiades to Timon's cave, [riding
With letters of entreaty, which imported
His fellowship i' the cause against your city,
In part for his sake mov'd.
I Sen.

Here come our brothers.
Enter Senators from Timon.
3 Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him
expect.
[ing
The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scour-
Doth choke the air with dust: in, and prepare:
Ours is the fall, I fear; our foes the snare.
[Exeunt.
SCENE III.-The Woods. Timon's Cave,
and a Tombstone seen.
Enter a Soldier, seeking Timon.
Sold. By all description this should be the
place.
[is this?
Who's here? speak, ho!-No answer?-What
Timon is dead. Who hath outstretch'd his
[man."

span:

These walls of ours
Were not erected by their hands from whom
You have received your griefs; nor are they
such,

That these great towers, trophies, and schools
For private faults in them. [should fali

2 Sen.
Nor are they living
Who were the motives that you first went out :
Shame, that they wanted cunning, in excess,
Hath broke their hearts. March, noble lord.
Into our city with thy banners spread :
By decimation, and a tithèd death,
(If thy revenges hunger for that food,
Which nature loathes) take thou the destin'd
And by the hazard of the spotted die, [tenth;
Let die the spotted.

I Sen.
All have not offended:
For those that were, it is not square to take,
On those that are, revenges: crimes, like lands,
Are not inherited. Then, dear countryman,
Bring in thy ranks, but leave without thy rage:
Spare thy Athenian cradle, and those kin,
Which, in the bluster of thy wrath, must fall
With those that have offended: like a shep-
herd,

Some beast rear'd this; there does not live a Approach the fold, and cull th' infected forth,
Dead, sure; and this his grave. What's on But kill not all together.
2 Sen.

this tomb

What thou wilt,

I cannot read; the character I'll take with wax: Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy smile,

SCENE,-Partly in Rome; and partly in the territories of the Volscians and Antiates.

1 Cit. Before we proceed any further, hear patricians good. What authority surfeits on, All. Speak, speak. [me speak. would relieve us: if they would yield us but 1 Cit. You are all resolved rather to die than the superfluity, while it were wholesome, we All. Resolved, resolved. [to famish? might guess they relieved us humanely; but 1 Cit. First, you know Caius Marcius is they think we are too dear: the leanness that

our sufferance is a gain to them. Let us re- and their storehouses crammed with grain; venge this with our pikes, ere we become rakes: make edicts for usury, to support usurers; refor the gods know I speak this in hunger for peal daily any wholesome act established bread, not in thirst for revenge. against the rich; and provide more piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and there's all the love they bear us. Men. Either you must

2 Cit. Would you proceed especially against Caius Marcius? [the commonalty. 1 Cit. Against him first: he's a very dog to 2 Cit. Consider you what services he has done for his country?

1 Cit. Very well; and could be content to give him good report for't, but that he pays himself with being proud.

2 Cit. Nay, but speak not maliciously. 1 Cit. I say unto you, what he hath done famously, he did it to that end: though softconscienced men can be content to say it was for his country, he did it to please his mother, and to be partly proud; which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue.

2 Cit. What he cannot help in his nature, you account a vice in him. You must in no way say he is covetous.

i Cit. If I must not, I need not be barren of accusations; he hath faults, with surplus, to tire in repetition. [Shouts within.] What shouts are these? The other side o' the city is risen why stay we prating here? to the All. Come, come. [Capitol

!

I Cit. Soft! who comes here? Enter Menenius Agrippa. 2 Cit. Worthy Menenius Agrippa; one that hath always loved the people.

1 Cit. He's one honest enough: would all

the rest were so !

Confess yourselves wondrous malicious,
Or be accus'd of folly. I shall tell you
A pretty tale: it may be, you have heard it;
But, since it serves my purpose, I will venture
To stale't a little more.

1 Cit. Well, I'll hear it, sir: yet you must not think to fob off our disgrace with a tale : but, an't please you, deliver. [members

Men. There was a time, when all the body's
Rebell'd against the belly; thus accus'd it :-
That only like a gulf it did remain

I the midst o' the body, idle and unactive,
Still cupboarding the viand, never bearing
Like labour with the rest; where the other
instruments

Did see and hear, devise, instruct, walk, feel,
And, mutually participate, did minister
Unto the appetite and affection common
Of the whole body. The belly answered,-
1 Cit. Well, sir, what answer made the
belly?

ismile,
Men. Sir, I shall tell you.-With a kind of
Which ne'er came from the lungs, but even
(For, look you, I may make the belly smile [thus
As well as speak) it tauntingly replied (parts
To the discontented members, the mutinous
That envied his receipt; even so most fitly
As you malign our senators, for that
They are not such as you.
1 Cit.

Men. What work's, my countrymen, in hand? Where go you? [pray you. With bats and clubs? The matter? Speak, 1 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the Your belly's answer? What, senate; they have had inkling this fortnight The kingly crowned head, the vigilant eye, what we intend to do, which now we'll show The counsellor heart, the arm our soldier, 'em in deeds. They say poor suitors have Our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter, strong breaths: they shall know we have With other muniments and petty helps strong arms too. [honest neighbours, In this our fabric, if that theyMen. Why, masters, my good friends, mine Men. Will you undo yourselves? [ready.

I Cit. We cannot, sir, we are undone al-
Men. I tell you, friends, most charitable care
Have the patricians of you. For your wants,
Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well
Strike at the heaven with your staves, as lift
them
[on
Against the Roman state; whose course will
The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs
Of more strong link asunder, than can ever
Appear in your impediment; for the dearth,
The gods, not the patricians, make it; and
Your knees to them, not arms, must help.
You are transported by calamity [Alack,
Thither where more attends you; and you
slander
[fathers,
The helms o' the state, who care for you like
When you curse them as enemies.

I Cit. Care for us !--True, indeed! They ne'er cared for us yet.-Suffer us to famish,

Men.

What then?-'Fore me, this fellow speaks!-what then? what then? [restrain'd, 1 Cit. Should by the cormorant belly be Who is the sink o' the body,Men. Well, what then? 1 Cit. The former agents, if they did comWhat could the belly answer? [plain, I will tell you; If you'll bestow a small (of what you have little) Patience a while, you'll hear the belly's answer. 1 Cit. You're long about it. Men. Note me this, good friend; Your most grave belly was deliberate, Not rash like his accusers, and thus answer d. True is it, my incorporate friends," quoth That I receive the general food at first, [he, Which you do live upon and fit it is; Because I am the store-house, and the shop Of the whole body: but, if you do remember,