Tell them there I have gold; look, so I have. For here it sleeps, and does no hired harm. Apem. Where my stomach finds meat; or, rather, where I eat it. to me, thou might'st 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 5 art out of the city? Tim. 'Would poison were obedient, and knew 10 my mind! Apem. Where would'st thou send it ? Apem. Yonder comes a poet, and a painter: The plague of company light upon thee! I will fear to catch it, and give way: When I know not what else to do, I'll see thee again. Tim. When there is nothing living but thee,. thou shalt be welcome. I had rather be a beggar's dog, than Apemantus. Apem. The middle of humanity thou never Tim. On what I hate, I feed not. Apem. Thou art the cap' of all the fools alive. Tim.'Would thou wert cleanenoughto spit upon. plague on thee! Apem. Thou art too bad to curse. Tim. All villains, that do stand by thee, are pure. 20I'll beat thee,-but I should infect my hands. Apem. An thou hadst hated medlars sooner, thou shouldst have lov'd thyself better now. What man didst thou ever know unthrift, that was be-25 lov'd after his means? Tim. Who, without those means thou talk'st of, didst thou ever know belov'd? Apem. Myself. Tim. I understand thee; thou had'st some means to keep a dog. Apem. What things in the world canst thou nearest compare to thy flatterers? 30 Tim. Women nearest; but nien, men are the things themselves. What wouldst thou do with 35 the world, Apemantus, if it lay in thy power? Apem. Give it the beasts, to be rid of the men. Tim. Wouldst thou have thyself fall in the con-| fusion of men, and remain a beast with the beasts? Apem. Ay, Timon. I Apem. 'Would thou wouldst burst! Thou tedious rogue! I am sorry, I shall lose Apem. Beast! Tim. Slave! Apem. Toad! Tim. Rogue, rogue, rogue! it. [Apemantus retreats backward, as going. 45 Tim. A beastly ambition, which the gods grant thee to attain too! If thou wert the lion, the fox would beguile thee; if thou wert the lamb, the fox would eat thee: if thou wert the fox, the lion would suspect thee, when,peradventure, thou wert accus'd by the ass: if thou wert the ass, thy dulness would forment thee; and still thou liv'dst 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 50 the unicorn, pride and wrath would confound thee, and make thine own self the conquest of thy fury:[ wert thou a bear, thou wouldst be kill'd by the horse: wert thou a horse, thou wouldst be seiz'd by the leopard; wert thou a leopard, thou wert 55 german to the lion, and the spots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life: all thy safety were remotion2; and thy defence, absence. What beast couldst thou be, that were not subject to a beast? And what a beast art thou already, and seest not 60 thy loss in transformation? Apem. If thou couldst please me with speaking [Looking on the gold. Twixt natural son and sire! thou bright defiler And mak'st them kiss! that speak'st with every To every purpose! O thou touch of hearts! But not 'till I am dead!--I'll say, thou hast gold: Apem. Ay. Tim. Thy back, I pr'ythee. i. e. removal from place to place. 3 G4 i. e. the top, the More More things like men? Eat, Timon, and abhor That you are thieves profest; that you work not them. Enter Thieves. 1 Thief. Where should he have this gold? It is some poor fragment, some slender ort of his remainder: the meer want of gold, and the fallingfrom of his friends, drove him into this melancholy. 2 Thief. It is nois'd, he hath a mass of treasure. 3 Thief. Let us make the assay upon him; if he care not for 't, he will supply us easily; If he covetous y reserve it, how shall's get it? 2. Thief. True; for he bears it not about him, 'tis hid. 1 Thief. Is not this he? All. Where? 2 Thief. 'Tis his description. All. Soldiers, not thieves. Tim. Both too; and women's sons. All. We arenot thieves, but men that much do want. 5 In holier shapes: for there is boundless theft More than you rob: take wealth and lives together; [meat. [ter, Tim. Nor on the beasts themselves, the birds, and fishes; 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 over my trade. 1 Thief. Let us first see peace in Athens; There is no time so miserable, but a man may be [Exeunt, You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you con!,35 true, 2 To con thanks is a very common expression among our old dramatic writers. Limited, for legal. Mr. Tollett comments on this passage thus: "The moon is the governess of the floods, but cannot be resolved by the surges of the sea.' This seems incontestible, and therefore an alteration of the text appears to be necessary. I propose to read :—whose liquid surge resolves the main into salt tears;—i. e. resolves the main land, or the continent, into sea. In Bacon, and also in Shakspeare's King Lear, act III. sc. 1. main occurs in this signification. Earth melting to sea is not an uncommon idea in our poets. "Melt earth to sea, sca flow to air." I might add, that in Chaucer, mone, which is very near to the traces of the old reading, seems to mean the globe of the earth, or a map of it, from the French, monde, the world; but I think main is the true reading here, and might easily be mistaken for moon by a hasty transcriber, or a careless printer, who might have in their thoughts the moon, which is mentioned in a preceding line.” *Rarely, for fitly; not for seldom. "We should read will'd. • The sense is, "Let me rather woo or caress those that would mischief, that profess to mean me mischief, than those that really do me mischief under false professions of kindness." Tim. Why dost ask that? I have forgot all 5 Flav. An honest poor servant of yours. Tim. Then I know thee not: I ne'er had honest man about me, I; all I kept were knaves, to serve in meat to villains. To requite me, by making rich yourself. [man, Ne'er did poor steward wear a truer grief Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st Flav. I beg of you to know me, good my lord, To accept my grief, and, whilst this poor wealth lasts, To entertain me as your steward still. Tim. Had I a steward So true, so just, and now so comfortable? Forgive my general and exceptless rashness, Methinks, thou art more honest now, than wise; [gifts, 25 And may diseases lick up their false bloods! Flav. O, let me stay, and comfort you, my master. Stay not; but fly, whilst thou art blest and free: Ne'er see thou man, and let me ne'er see thec. [Exeunt secerally. Enter Poet and Painter. Pain. As I took note of the place, it cannot be far where he abides. 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; Phrynia and Tymandra had gold of him: he likewise enrich'd poor straggling soldiers with great quan30tity: 'Tis said, he gave his steward a 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. 351 herefore, 'tis not amiss, we tender our loves to him, in this suppos'd distress of his: it will shew 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. 40 If not a usuring kindness; and as rich men deal 45| Flac. No, my most worthy master, in whose did Suspect still comes where an estate is least, For any benefit that points to me, Either in hope, or present, I'd exchange it For this one wish, That you had power and wealth 1 50 Poet. What have you now to present unto him? 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 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, or testament, which argues a great sickness in his judgement that makes it. Re-enter Timon from his cave, unseen. Tim. Excellent workman! Thou canst not paint 55 a man so bad as 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; 2 To turn wild is to 1 Knave is here used in the compound sense of a servant and a rascal. distract.-An appearance so unexpected, says Timon, almost turns my savageness to distraction. i.e. away from human habitations. The sense is, "The doing of that which we have said we would do, the accomplishment and performance of our promise, is, except among the lower classes of mankind, quite out of use." Personating for representing simply; for the subject of this projected satire was Timon's case, not his person, 5 with To thee be worship! and thy saints for aye Be crown'd with plagues, that thee alone obey! Poet. Hail! worthy Timon. Tim. Have I once liv'd to see two honest men? 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— What! to you! Whose star-like nobleness gave life and influence To their whole being! I am rapt, and cannot cover The monstrous bulk of this ingratitude With any size of words. 15 20 Both. Beseech your honour Tim. You'll take it ill. Both. Doubt it not, worthy lord. [knave, Tim. There's ne'er a one of you but trusts a That mightily deceives you. Both. Do we, my lord? [semble, Tim. Ay, and you hear him cog, see him dis- Pain. I know none such, my lord. [gold, Tim. Look you, I love you well; I'll give you Rid me these villains from your companies: Hang them, or stab them, drown theminadraught, 25 Confound them by some course, and come to me, I'll give you gold enough. 30 Tim. Let it go naked,men may see't the better: 35 4 Both. Name them, my lord, let's know them. Each man apart,-all single, and alone,— If, where thou art, two villains shall not be, [To the Painter. Come not near him.-If thou wouldst not reside [To the Poet. But where one villain is, then him abandon.Hence! pack there's gold, ye came for gold, ye slaves : You have work for me, there is payment: Hence! 40 You are an alchymist, make gold of that:Out, rascal dogs! 45 [Exit, beating and driving them out. For he is set so only to himself, 50 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, 55 2 Sen. At all times alike Men are not still the same: 'Twas time, and griefs, That fram'd him thus: time, with his fairer hand, Offering the fortunes of his former days, 1i.e. night which is as obscure as a dark corner. 2A portrait was called a counterfeit in our author's time. 3i.e. a hypocrite. That is, in the jakes. This passage is obscure. Dr. Johnson thinks the meaning is this: But two in company, that is, Stand apart, let only two be together; for even when each stands single there are two, he himself and a villain.-But, in the North, signi fies without. The While you have throats to answer: for myself, 10 There's not a whittle in the unruly camp, [mon. Tim. Of none but such as you, and you of Ti-15 2 Sen. The senators of Athens greet thee, Ti[the plague, nion. Tim. I thank them; and would send thein back Could I but catch it for them. 1 Sen. O, forget What we are sorry for ourselves in thee. The senators, with one consent of love, Intreat thee back to Athens; who have thought For thy best use and wearing. 2 Sen. They confess, Toward thee, forgetfulness too general, gross: A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal And sends forth us, to make their sorrowed ren- But I do prize it at my love, before The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave you Flac. Stay not, all's in vain. Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph, 1 Sen. We speak in vain. Tim. But yet I love my country; and am not One that rejoices in the common wreck, 25 As common bruit doth put it. 30 Together with a recompence more fruitful Tim. You witch me in it; Surprise me to the very brink of tears: 140 1 Sen. Therefore, so please thee to return with Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up Against the walls of Athens. 2 Sen. And shakes his threat'ning sword 1 Sen. Therefore, Timon, 50 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. [umphers 2 Sen. And enter in our ears, like great triIn their applauding gates. Tim. Commend me to them; And tell them, that, to ease them of their griefs, In life's uncertain voyage, I will some kindness I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath. That mine own use invites me to cut down, Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Athens, Tim. Well, sir, I will; therefore I will, sir;55 Which once a day with his embossed froth Thus, If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, Let Alcibiades know this of Timon, [Athens, That-Timon cares not.- -But if he sack fair The turbulent surge shall cover; thither come, i.e. from 1 The Athenians had sense, that is, felt the danger of their own fall, by the arms of Alcibiades. Render is confession. 3 Allowed is licensed, privileged, uncontrolled. + A whittle is still in the midland counties the common name for a pocket clasp knife, such as children use. highest to lowest. "We have before observed, that when a deer was run hard, and foamed at the mouth, he was said to be emboss'd. Graves |