Serv. If I might befeech you, gentlemen,
To repair fome other hour, I should

Tit. And he wears jewels now of Timon's gift, Derive much from it: for take it on my foul

For which I wait for money.

Hor. It is against my heart.

Luc. Mark, how ftrange it fhows,

Timon in this fhould pay more than he owes :
And e'en as if your lord should wear rich jewels,
And fend for money for 'em.
[witnefs:
Hor. I am weary of this charge 2, the gods can
I know, my lord has fpent of Timon's wealth,
And now ingratitude makes it worse than ftealth.
Var. Yes, mine's three thoufand crowns: What's
your's?

Luc. Five thousand mine.

[the fum,

Var. 'Tis much deep and it should feem by
Your mafter's confidence was above mine;
Elfe, furely, his had equall'd 3.

Enter Flaminius.

Tit. One of lord Timon's men.

My lord leans wond'rously to difcontent:
His comfortable temper has forfook him;
He is much out of health, and keeps his chamber.
Luc. Many do keep their chambers, are not fick:
And, if he be fo far beyond his health,
Methinks, he fhould the fooner pay his debts,
And make a clear way to the gods.
Ser. Good gods!

Tit. We cannot take this for anfwer, fir.
Flam. [Within.] Servilius, help!-my lord!
my lord!

Enter Timon, in a rage.

Tim. What, are my doors oppos'd against my

pallage?

Have I been ever free, and must my house

Be my retentive enemy, my jail?

The place, which I have feafted, does it now,

Luc. Flaminius! fir, a word: Pray, is my lord Like all mankind, fhew me an iron heart? Ready to come forth?

Luc. Put in now, Titus.

Tit. My lord, here is my bill.

Luc. Here's mine.

Var. And mine, my lord.

Caph. And ours, my lord.

Phi. All our bills.

i. c. like him in blaze and fplendour. zi. e. of this commiffion. 3 His may refer to mine; as if he had faid: Your malter's confidence was above my mafter's; elfe furely his, i. e. the fum demanded from my mafter (for that is the laft antecedent) had been equal to the fum demanded from yours. 4 Timon quibbles. They prefent their written bills; he catches at the word, and alludes to the bills, or battle-axes, which the ancient foldiery cared, and were still ufed by the watch in Shakspeare's time.

the flaves:

Creditors!- -devils.

Flaw. My dear lord,

Tim. What if it fhould be fo?

Fla. My lord,

Tim. I'll have it fo:-My fteward!

Flav. Here, my lord.

Tim. So fitly? Go, hid all my friends again,
Lucius, Lucullus, and Sempronius, all;
I'll once more feaft the rafcals.

Flav. O my lord,

You only fpeak from your diftracted foul;
There is not fo much left, to furnish out
A moderate table.

T. Be it not in thy care; go,

I charge thee, invite them all: let in the tide

Of knaves once more; my cook and I'll provide.

[Exeunt.

SCE

NE V.

The Senate-boufe.

Senators, and Alcibiades.

And with fuch fober and unnoted 2 paffion
He did behave 3 his anger ere 'twas fpeat,
As if he had but prov'd an argument.

1 Sen. You undergo too strict a paradox 4,
Striving to make an ugly deed look fair:
Your words have took fuch pains, as if they labour d
To bring man-flaughter into form, and fet quarrel-
ling

Upon the head of valour; which, indeed,
Is valour mifbegot, and came into the world
When fects and factions were newly born:
He's truly valiant, that can wifely fuffer
The worit that man can breathe; and make his
wrongs
[lefly;
His outfides; to wear them like his raiment, care-
And ne'er prefer his injuries to his heart,
To bring it into danger.

If wrongs be evils, and enforce us kill,
What folly 'tis to hazard life for ill?

Ale. My lord,

1 Sen. You cannot make grofs fins look clear; To revenge is no valour, but to bear.

Alc. My lords, then, under favour, pardon me,
If I speak like a captain.-

Why do fond men expofe themfelves to battle,
And not endure all threats? fleep upon it,
And let the foes quietly cut their throats,
Without repugnancy? If there be
Such valour in the bearing, what make we
Abroad why then, women are more valint,
That stay at home, if bearing carry it;

The afs, more captain than the lion; and the fellow,
Loaden with irons, wifer than the judge,

If wildom be in fuffering. O my lords,
As you are great, be pitifully good :

Who cannot condemn rafhnefs in cold blood?

To kill, I grant, is fin's extremest guit ;
But, in defence, by mercy 7, 'tis moft just

1 Sen. My lord, you have my voice to 't; the To be in anger, is impiety;

Alc. I am an humble fuitor to your virtues;

For pity is the virtue of the law,
And none but tyrants ufe it cruelly.

It pleases time and fortune, to lie heavy
Upon a friend of mine, who, in hot blood,
Hath frept into the law, which is past depth
To thofe that, without heed, do plunge into it.
He is a man, fetting his fate afide,

Of comely virtues.

Nor did he foil the fact with cowardice;
(An honour in him, which buys out his fault)
But, with a noble fury, and fair fpirit,
Seeing his reputation touch'd to death,

He did oppofe his foe:

But who is man, that is not angry?
Weigh but the crime with this.

2 Sen. You breathe in vain.

Alc. In vain? his fervice done
At Lacedæmon, and Byzantium,
Were a fufficient briber for his life.

Ale. Why, I fay, my lords, he has done far
And flain in fight many of your enemics :
How full of valour did he bear himself

In the lait conflict, and made plenteous wounds?
2 Sen. He has made too much plenty with 'em; he
Is a fworn rioter : he has a fin

That often drowns him, and takes his valour prifoner:*
If there were no foes, that were enough
To overcome him: in that beaftly fury
He has been known to commit outrages,
And cherith factions: 'Tis inferr'd to us,
His days are foul, and his drink dangerous.
1 Sen. He dies.

i. e. putting this action of his, which was pre-determined by fate, out of the queftion. noted pupon means, perhaps, an uncommon command of his pallion, fuch a one as has not hitherto been outerved. 3 . e. manage his anger. 4 You undertake a paradox too hard. have we to do in the field? 6 Gajt, for aggravation, according to Warburton. thinks that gafl here means tefkets, and that the allufion may be to a fudden zuft of wind. meaning is, Icail mercy herfil to witnefs, that defenfive violence is juft.

Ale. 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,
And be in debt to none) yet, more to move you,
Take my deferts to his, and join 'em both:
And, for I know, your reverend ages love
Security, I'll pawn my victories, all
My honours to you, upon his good returns.
If by this crime he owes the law his life,
Why, let the war receive 't in valiant gore;
For law is ftrict, and war is nothing more.

1 Sen. We are for law, he dies; urge it no more,
On height of our difpleafure: Friend, or brother,
He forfeits his own blood, that spills another.
Alc. Muft it be fo? it must not be. My lords,
I do befeech you, know me.

2 Sen. How?

Alc. Call me to your remembrances.

3 Sen. What?

Alc. I cannot think, but your age has forgot me ;
It could not elfe be, I fhould prove fo base 1,
To fue, and be deny'd fuch common grace:
My wounds ake at you.

1 Sen. Do you dare our anger?

"Tis in few words, but fpacious in effect; We banish thee for ever.

Alc. Banifh me?

Banifh your dotage; banish ufury,
That makes the fenate ugly.

[thee,

1 Sen. If, after two days' fhine, Athens contain
Attend our weightier judgment.
And, not to fwell our spirit 2,
He fhall be executed prefently.

[Exeunt Senate. Alc. Now the gods keep you old enough; that you may live

Only in bone, that none may look on you!

I am worfe than mad: I have kept back their foes,
While they have told their money, and let out
Their coin upon large intereft; I myself,
Rich only in large hurts.-All thofe, for this?
Is this the balfam, that the ufuring fenate
Pours into captains' wounds? Ha! banishment?
It comes not ill; I hate not to be banish'd:
It is a caufe worthy my fpleen and fury,
I'll cheer up
That I may ftrike at Athens.
My difcontented troops, and lay for hearts 3.
'Tis honour, with most lands to be at odds;
Soldiers as little fhould brook wrongs, as gods.

[Exit.

1 Sen. The good time of day to you, fir.
I think, this ho-
2 Sen. I alfo wish it to you.

nourable lord did but try us this other day.

I Sen. Upon that were my thoughts tiring 4, when we encounter'd: I hope, it is not so low feem in the trial of his with him, as he made

feveral friends.

Bafe, for dishonoured.

2 Sen. It should not be, by the persuasion of his new feafting.

1 Sen. I should think fo: He hath fent me an earneft inviting, which many my near occafions did urge me to put off; but he hath conjur'd me beyond them, and I must needs appear.

2 Sen. In like manner was I in debt to my im portunate business, but he would not hear my excufe. I am forry, when he sent to borrow of me, that my provifion was out.

1 Sen. 1 am fick of that grief too, as I underftand how all things go.

2 Sen. Every man here's fo. What would he have borrow'd of you?

1 Sen. A thousand pieces.
2 Sen. A thousand pieces!
1 Sen. What of you?

3 Sen. He fent to me, fir,-Here he comes.
Enter Timon, and Attendants.

Tim. With all my heart, gentlemen both :-
And how fare you?

1 Sen. Ever at the beft, hearing well of your lordship.

2 Sen. The fwallow follows not fummer more willingly, than we your lordship.

Tim. [Afide.] Nor more willingly leaves winter ; fuch fummer-birds are men.-Gentlemen, our dinner will not recompenfe this long ftay: feaft your ears with the mufick awhile; if they will fare fo harfhly as on the trumpet's found: we shall to 't prefently.

1 Sen. I hope, it remains not unkindly with your lordship, that I return'd you an empty meflenger. Tim. O, fir, let it not trouble you.

2 Sen. My noble lord,—

Tim. Ah, my good friend! what cheer?

[The banquet bought in.

2 Sen. My moft honourable lord, I am e'en
fick of fhame, that, when your lordship this other
day fent to me, I was fo unfortunate a beggar.
Tim. Think not on't, fir.

2 Sen. If you had fent but two hours before,
Tim. Let it not cumber your better remembrance.
-Come, bring in all together.

2 Sex. All cover'd dishes !

1 Sen. Royal cheer, I warrant you.

3 Sen. Doubt not that, if money, and the feafon can yield it.

1 Sen. How do you? What's the news?

3 Sen. Alcibiades is banifh'd: Hear you of it? Both. Alcibiades banish'd!

3 Sen. 'Tis fo, be fure of it.

1 Sen. How? how?

2 Sen. I pray you, upon what?

Tim. My worthy friends, will you draw near? Here's a noble 3 Sen. I'll tell you more anon.

feaft toward.

2 Sen. This is the old man still.

3 Sen. Will 't hold will 't hold ?

2 Sen. It does: but time will-and fo

2 Not to fwell our fpirit, may mean, not to put ourselves into any tumour 3 i. e. the affections of the people.

4 A hawk is

af rage, take our definitivè refolution. faid to tire, when the amufes herself with pecking a pheafant's wing, or any thing that puts her in ind of prey. To tire upon a thing, is therefore to be idly employed uf on it.

Ggg

3 Sen.

3 Sen. I do conceive.

Tim. Each man to his ftool, with that fpur as he would to the lip of his miftrefs: your diet fhall be in all places alike. Make not a city feaft of it, to let the meat cool ere we can agree upon the first place: Sit, fit. The gods require our thanks.

Your reeking villainy. Live loath'd, and long, Most smiling, (mooth, detested parafites, Courteous deftroyers, affable wolves, meek bears, You fools of fortune, trencher-friends, time's fles 4, Cap and knee flaves, vapours, and minute-jacks 4! Of man, and beaft, the infinite malady 5 You great benefactors, Sprinkle our fociety with Cruft you quite o'er!-What, dost thou go ? thankfulness. For your own gifts, make you felves Soft, take thy phyfic first,-thou too,—and thou: prais'd: but referve ftill to give, left your deities be [Throws the difpes at them. dejpis'd. Lend to cach man enough, that one need not Stay, I will lend thee money, borrow none.lend to another: for, were your codbeads to borrow What, all in motion? Henceforth be no feast, of men, men would forfake the gods. Make the meat Whereat a villain's not a welcome guest. be beloved, more than the man that gives it. Let no Burn houfe; fink Athens; henceforth hated he affembly of twenty be without a score of villains: Of Timon, man, and all humanity! If there fit twelve women at the table, let a dozen fi them be as they are.-The reft of your fees, Ogods,the fenators of Athens, together with the common lag of people, what is amfs in them, you gods, make fuitable for deftruction. For thefe my prefent friends, -as they are to me nothing, fo in nothing bless them, and to nothing are they welcome.

Uncover, dogs, and lap.

Tim. May you a better feaft never behold,
You knot of mouth-friends! fmoke and luke!

warm water

Is your perfection 2. This is Timon's laft;
Who ftuck and fpangled you with flatteries,
Wafhes it off, and fprinkles in your faces

[Throwing water in their faces.

Re-enter the Senators.

I Sen. How now, my lords?

[Exit. [fury?

2 Sen. Know you the quality of lord Timon's
3 Sen. Pith! did you fee my cap?
4 Sen. I have loft my gown.

i Sen. He's but a mad lord, and nought but bumour fways him. He gave me a jewel the other day, and now he has beat it out of my hat :-Did you see my jewel?

2 Sen. Did you fee my cap?
Sen. Here 'tis.

Sen. Here lies my gown.

1 Sen. Let's make no stay.

2 Sen. Lord Timon's mad.

3 Sen. I feel't upon my bones.

4 Sen. One day he gives us diamonds, next day ftones.

[Exeunt.

L

A C T IV.

Without the walls of Athens.

Enter Timon.

ET me look back upon thee, O thou wall,
That girdleft in thofe wolves! Dive in the
earth,

And fence not Athens! Matrons, turn incontinent;
Obedience fail in children! flaves, and fools,
Pluck the grave wrinkled fenate from the bench,
And minifter in their fteads! to general filths
Convert o' the inftant, green virginity !
Do't in your parents' eyes! bankrupts, hold fart:
Rather than render back, out with your knives,
And cut your trufters' throats! bound fervants,

fteal;

Large-handed robbers your grave masters are,
And pill by law! maid, to thy mater's bed;
Thy miftrefs is o' the brothel ! fon of fixteen,
Pluck the lin'd crutch from thy old limping fire,

With it beat out his brains! piety, and fear,
Religion to the gods, peace, justice, truth,
Domettick awe, night-rett, and neighbourhood,
Inftruction, manners, myfteries, and trades,
|Degrees, obfervances, cuftoms, and laws,
Decline to your confounding contraries,
And yet confufion live! Plagues, incident to men,
Your potent and infectious fevers heap
Oa Athens, ripe for ftroke! thou cold fciatica,
Cripple our fenators, that their limbs may halt
As lamely as their manners! luft and liberty
Creep in the minds and marrows of our youth;
That 'gainit the stream of virtue they may strive,
And drown themfelves in riot! itches, blains,
Sow all the Athenian botoms; and their crop
Be general leprofy! breath infect breath;
That their fociety, as their friendship, may
Be meerly poifon! Nothing I'll bear from thee,
But nakedness, thou detettable town!
Take thou that too, with multiplying banns!

I Dr. Warburton thinks we should read foes. 2 i. e. the higheft of your excellence. 3 i. e. flies of a featon. 4 A minute-jack is what was called formerly a Jack of the clock-house; an image whole office was the fame as one of thofe at St. Dunstan's charch in Fleet-ftreet. See note 1, p. 658. i. c. every kind of difeafe incident to man and bealt.

to you?

Let me be recorded by the righteous gods,
I am as poor as you.

I Serv. Such a houfe broke!

So noble a mafter fallen! All gone! and not
One friend, to take his fortune by the arm,
And go along with him!

2 Serv. As we do turn our backs
From our companion, thrown into his grave;
So his familiars from his buried fortunes

Slink all away; leave their falfe vows with him,
Like empty purfes pick'd: and his poor felf,
A dedicated beggar to the air,

With his disease of all-fhunn'd poverty,
Walks, like contempt, alone.--More of our
fellows.

Enter other Servants.

Flav. All broken implements of a ruin'd house.
3 Serv. Yet do our hearts wear Timon's livery,
That fee I by our faces; we are fellows ftill,
Serving alike in forrow: Leak'd is our bark;
And we, poor mates, ftand on the dying deck,
Hearing the furges threat: we must all part
Into this fea of air.

Flav. Good fellows all,

The latest of my wealth I'll fhare amongst you.
Wherever we fhall meet, for Timon's fake,
Let's yet be fellows; let's shake our heads, and
fay,

As 'twere a knell unto our mafter's fortunes,
We have feen better days.' Let each take fome;
[Giving them money.
Nay, put out all your hands. Not one word more:
Thus part we rich in forrow, parting poor.

[Exeunt Servants.
O, the fierce wretchednefs that glory brings us!
Who would not with to be from wealth exempt,
Since riches point to mifery and contempt ?
Who'd be fo mock'd with glory? or to live
But in a dream of friendship?

To have his pomp, and all what state compounds,
But only painted, like his varnish'd friends?
Poor honeft lord, brought low by his own heart;
Undone by goodness! Strange, unusual blood 2,
When man's worst fin is, he does too much good!
Who then dares to be half fo kind again?
For bounty, that makes gods, does still mar men,
My deareft lord,--bleft, to be most accurs'd,
Rich, only to be wretched ;-thy great fortunes
Are made thy chief afflictions. Alas, kind lord t
He's flung in rage from this ungrateful feat
Of monstrous friends: nor has he with him to
Supply his life, or that which can command it.
I'll follow, and enquire him out >
I'll ever ferve his mind with my best will;
Whilft I have gold, I'll be his steward still.

[Exit.

The greater fcorns the leffer: Not nature, [tune,
To whom all fores lay ficge, can bear great for
But by contempt of nature 4.

Raife me this beggar, and denude that lord;
The fenator fhall bear contempt hereditary,
The beggar native honour.

It is the paftor lards the brother's fides,
The want that makes him leave 5. Who dares,
who dares,

6

In purity of manhood stand upright,
And fay, This man's a flatterer ?' if one be,
So are they all; for every grize of fortune
Is fmooth'd by that below: the learned pate
Ducks to the gelden fool: All is oblique ;
There's nothing level in our curfed natures,
But direct villainy. Therefore, be abhorr'd
All feafts, focieties, and throngs of men!
His femblable, yea, himself, Timon difdains:
Destruction fang mankind!-Earth, yield me
roots!
[Digging the earth.
Who feeks for better of thee, fauce his palate
With thy moft operant poifon ! What is here?
Gold? yellow, glittering, precious gold? No,

gods,

7

I am no idle votarift 8: Roots, you clear heavens 9 !
Thus much of this, will make black, white; foul,
fair;
[valiant.

Wrong, right; bafe, noble; old, young; coward,

1 Fierce is here used for hafty, precipitate. 2 Strange, unufual blood may mean, ftrange unusual difpofition. 3 That is, the moon's, this fublunary world. 4 Dr. Johnton explains this paffage thus: "Brother, when his fortune is enlarged, will fcorn brother; for this is the general depravity of human nature, which, befieved as it is by mifery, admonished as it is of want and imperfection, 5 That is, It is the paftour that when elevated by fortune, will defpife beings of nature like its own." 6 Grize for ftep greafes or flatters the rich brother, and will greafe him on till want make him leave. or degree. 7 i. e. feize, gripe. no infincere or inconftant fupplicant. Gold will not ferve me infead of roots. This may mean either ye cloudlefs fires, or ye deities exempt from guilt.

8 i. e.

Ha,