Enter Timon out of his Cave.

Tim. Thou Sun that comfort'ft, burn!
and be hang'd;

For each true word a blifter, and each false
Be cauterizing to the root o' th' tongue,
Confuming it with speaking!

1 Sen. Worthy Timon

Tim. Of none but such as you, and you

speak

of Timon.

2 Sen. The fenators of Athens greet thee, Timon. Tim. I thank them; and would fend them back the plague, Could I but catch it for them.

1 Sen. O, forget

What we are forry for our felves, in thee:

The fenators, with one confent of love,

Intreat thee back to Athens; who have thought
On fpecial dignities, which vacant lye

For thy best use and wearing.

2 Sen. They confess

Tow'rd thee forgetfulness, too general, grofs;
7 And now the publick body (which doth feldom
Play the recanter) feeling in it felf

A lack of Timon's aid, hath fense withal

Of its own fault, reftraining aid to Timon ;
And fends forth us to make their 9 'forrow's tender,
Together with a recompence more fruitful
Than their offence can weigh down by the dram;
Ay, ev'n fuch heaps and fums of love and wealth,
As fhall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs,
And write in thee the figures of their love,
Ever to read them thine.

Tim. You witch me in it,

Surprize me to the very brink of tears:

Lend me a fool's heart, and a woman's eyes,
And I'll beweep these comforts, worthy fenators.

1 Sen. Therefore so please thee to return with us, And of our Athens, thine and ours, to take

The

The captainfhip: thou shalt be met with thanks,
"Allow'd' with abfolute power, and thy good name
Live with authority: foon we shall drive back
Of Alcibiades th' approaches wild,

Who, like a boar too favage, doth root up
His country's peace.

2 Sen. And thakes his threatning fword Against the walls of Athens.

1 Sen. Therefore, Timon

Tim. Well, Sir, I will; therefore I will, Sir, thus If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,.

Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,

That Timon cares not. If he fack fair Athens,
And take our goodly aged men by th' beards,
Giving our holy virgins to the ftain

Of contumelious, beaftly, mad-brain'd war;
Then let him know, and tell him Timon fpeaks it,
In pity of our aged, and our youth,

I cannot chufe but tell him, that I care not.

And let them take't at worft; for their knives care not, While you have throats to answer. For my felf, There's not a whittle in th' unruly camp,

But I do prize it in my love, before

The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave you
To the protection of the profp'rous Gods,
As thieves to keepers.

Flav. Stay not, all's in vain.

Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph,

It will be feen to-morrow. My long fickness
Of health and living now begins to mend,
And nothing brings me all things. Go, live ftill;
Be Alcibiades your plague; you his;

And laft fo long enough!

1 Sen. We fpeak 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.

I Sen.

1 Hallow'd ... ald edit. Warb, emend.

2 at

Sen. That's well spoke.

Tim. Commend me to my loving countrymen. [them. 1 Sen. Thefe words become your lips, as they pafs thro 2 Sen. And enter in our ears like great triumphers In their applauding gates.

Tim. Commend me to them,

And tell them, that to eafe them of their griefs,
Their fears of hoftile ftrokes, their aches, loffes,
Their pangs of love, with other incident throes
That nature's fragile veffel doth fuftain
In life's uncertain voyage, I will do

Some kindness to them, teach them to prevent
Wild Alcibiades' wrath.

2 Sen. 3 'I like this well.

Tim. I have a tree which grows here in my close,
That mine own ufe invites me to cut down,

And fhortly must I fell it. Tell my friends,
Tell Athens in the frequence of degree,

From high to low throughout, that whofo please
To ftop affliction, let him take his haste,
Come hither ere my tree hath felt the ax,

And hang himself.-I pray you, do my greeting.
Flav. Vex him no further, thus you ftill fhall find him.
Tim. Come not to me again, but fay to Athens,
Timon hath made his everlasting manfion
Upon the beached verge of the falt flood;
Which once a-day with his emboffed froth
The turbulent furge fhall cover: Thither come,
And let my grave-ftone be your Oracle.
Lips, let four words go by, and language end:
What is amifs, plague and infection mend!
Graves only be mens works, and death their gain!
Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his reign.
[Exit Timon.

1 Sen. His discontents are coupled to his nature. 2 Sen. Our hope in him is dead; let us return, And ftrain what other means is left unto us

In

3

I like this well, he will return again.

In our 'dread peril.

1 Sen. It requires fwift foot.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

The Walls of Athens.

Enter two other Senators, with a Meflenger.

x Sen. T

THOU

Hou haft painfully discover'd; are his files
As full as they report?

Mef. I have spoke the least.

Befides, his expedition promises

Present approach.

2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not Timon. Mef. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend,

And, though in general part we were oppos'd,

Yet our old loves 'had a particular force,

And made us fpeak like friends. This man was riding From Alcibiades to Timon's cave,

With letters of intreaty, which imported

His fellowship i' th' cause against your city
In part for his fake mov'd.

Enter the other Senators.

I Sen. Here come our brothers.

3 Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect. The enemies drum is heard, and fearful fcouring Doth choak the air with duft. In, and prepare, Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes the fnare.

Enter a foldier in the Woods, feeking Timon.
Sol. By all defcription this fhould be the place.

[Exeunt. SCENE

Who's here? fpeak, ho- No anfwer?What is this?
Timon is dead, who hath out-ftretcht his fpan,
Some beaft read this; there does not live a man.

Dead fure, and this his grave; what's on this tomb?

[Exeunt.

Trumpets found. Enter Alcibiades with his powers.
Alc. Sound to this coward and lafcivious town
Our terrible approach.

[Sound a parley. The Senators appear upon the walls. 'Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the time With all licentious measure, making your wills The fcope of juftice. 'Till now my felf, and fuch As flept within the fhadow of your power, Have wander'd with our traverft arms and breath'd Our fufferance vainly. Now the time is flush, When crouching marrow in the bearer ftrong Cries, of it felf, No more: now breathless wrong Shall fit and pant in your great chairs of ease, And purfy infolence fhall break his wind With fear and horrid flight.

1 Sem Noble and young,

When thy first griefs were but a meer conceit,'
Ere thou hadft power, or we had caufe to fear;
We fent to thee, to give thy "'rage its balm,
To wipe out our ingratitude with loves
Above its quantity.

2 Sen. So did we woo Trasformed Timon to our city's love

By humble meffage, and by promis'd "mends :`
We were not all unkind, nor all deferve

The common ftroke of war.

1 Sen. These walls of ours

Were not erected by their hands, from whom

You

I cannot read; the character I'll take with wax;
Our captain hath in every figure skill,

An ag'd interpreter, tho' young in days:
Before proud Athens he's fet down by this,
Whofe fall the mark of his ambition is.
SCENE, &c.

(Exit