To the protection of the prosperous gods,' Flav. Stay not, all's in vain. And last so long enough! 1 Sen. We speak in vain. Tim. But yet I love my country; and am not One that rejoices in the common wreck, As common bruit doth put it. 1 Sen. That's well spoke. Tim. Commend me to my loving countrymen,— 1 Sen. These words become your lips as they pass through them. 2 Sen. And enter in our ears, like great triumphers In their applauding gates. Tim. In life's uncertain voyage, I will some kindness do them. From high to low throughout, that whoso please 1 "The prosperous gods" undoubtedly here mean the propitious or favorable gods, Dii secundi. 2 He means "the disease of life begins to promise me a period." 3 This was suggested by a passage in Plutarch's Life of Antony, where it is said Timon addressed the people of Athens in similar terms from the Flav. Trouble him no further; thus find him. you still shall Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Athens, Timon hath made his everlasting mansion Upon the beached verge of the salt flood; Whom once a day with his embossed froth' The turbulent surge shall cover; thither come, And let my gravestone 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. [Exit Timon 1 Sen. His discontents are unremovably Coupled to nature. 2 Sen. Our hope in him is dead: let us return, And strain what other means is left unto us In our dear peril. 1 Sen. It requires swift foot. [Exeunt. SCENE III. The Walls of Athens. Enter two Senators and a Messenger. 1 Sen. Thou hast painfully discovered; are his files As full as thy report? Mess. I have spoke the least: Besides, his expedition promises Present approach. 2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not Timon. Mess. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend: Whom, though in general part we were opposed, Yet our old love made a particular force, public tribune in the market-place. See also The Palace of Pleasure, vol. i. Nov. 28. 1 The first folio reads who. It was altered to which in the second folio. Malone reads whom, saying it refers to Timon, and not to his grave. Embossed froth is foaming, puffed or blown up froth. And made us speak like friends; '-this man was riding From Alcibiades to Timon's cave, With letters of entreaty, which imported His fellowship i' the cause against your city, 1 Sen. Enter Senators from TIMON. Here come our brothers. 3 Sen. No talk of Timon; nothing of him expect.The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scouring Doth choke the air with dust. In and prepare; Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes, the snare. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. The Woods. Timon's Cave, and a Tombstone seen. Enter a Soldier, seeking Timon. Sol. By all description this should be the place. What's on this tomb I cannot read; the character Our captain hath in every figure skill; An aged interpreter, though young in days: [Exit. 1 This passage, Steevens, with great reason, considers corrupt; the awkward repetition of the verb made, and the obscurity of the whole, countenance his opinion. Might we not read, "Yet our old love had a particular force, And made us speak like friends?" 2 The old copy has "Some beast read this." The emendation is Warburton's. SCENE V. Before the Walls of Athens. Trumpets sound. Enter ALCIBIADES, and Forces. Alcib. Sound to this coward and lascivious town Our terrible approach. [A parley sounded. Enter Senators on the walls. Till now you have gone on, and filled the time. Have wandered with our traversed arms,1 and breathed 1 Sen. To wipe out our ingratitude with loves Above their quantity.' 2 Sen. So did we woo Transformed Timon to our city's love, By humbled message, and by promised means; The common stroke of war. 1 Sen. These walls of ours Were not erected by their hands, from whom 1 Traversed arms are arms crossed. 2 Flush is mature, ripe, or come to full perfection. 3 Crouching marrow. The marrow was supposed to be the original of strength. The image is from a camel kneeling to take up his load, who rises when he finds he has as much laid on him as he can bear. 4 Their refers to griefs. "To give thy rages balm," must be considered as parenthetical. You have received your griefs; nor are they such, That these great towers, trophies, and schools should fall For private faults in them. 2 Sen. (If thy revenges hunger for that food, Which nature loathes,) take thou the destined tenth; And by the hazard of the spotted die, Let die the spotted. 1 Sen. All have not offended; 3 For those that were, it is not square, to take, 2 Sen. What thou wilt, Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy smile, Than hew to't with thy sword. 1 Sen. Set but thy foot Against our rampired gates, and they shall ope; So thou wilt send thy gentle heart before, To say thou'lt enter friendly. Or 2 Sen. Throw thy glove any token of thine honor else, 1 i. e. those who made the motion for your exile. 2 Cunning is used in its old sense of skill or wisdom: extremity of shame that they wanted wisdom in procuring your banishment hath broke their hearts. Theobald had nearly thus interpreted the passage; and Johnson thought he could improve it by reading "Shame that they wanted, coming in excess Hath broke their hearts." 3 i. e. not regular. |