Sem. How! have they denied him? Has Ventidius and Lucullus denied him? And does he send to me? Three? humph !— It shows but little love or judgment in him. Must be his last refuge? His friends, like physicians, Thrive, give him over; Must I take the cure But his occasions might have woo'd me first; And does he think so backwardly of me now, But And with their faint reply this answer join; Who bates mine honour, shall not know my coin. [Exit. Serv. Excellent! Your lordship's a goodly villain. The devil knew not what he did, when he made man politic; he cross'd himself by't : and I cannot think, but, in the end, the villanies of man will set him clear. How fairly this lord strives to appear foul! takes virtuous copies to be wicked like those that, under hot ardent zeal, would set whole realms on fire. Of such a nature is his politic love. This was my lord's best hope; now all are fied, Save the gods only: Now his friends are dead, Doors, that were ne'er acquainted with their wards Many a bounteous year, must be employ'd And this is all a liberal course allows : Who cannot keep his wealth, must keep his house. [Exit. SCENE IV.--The same.-A Hall in TIMON'S House. Enter two Servants of VARRO, and the Servant of Lucius, meeting TITUS, HORTENSIUS, and other Servants to TIMON's Creditors, waiting his coming out. Var. Serv. Well met; good-morrow, Titus and Hortensius. Tit. The like to you, kind Varro. Hor. Lucius? What, do we meet together? Luc. Serv. Ay, and I think One business does command us all; for mine Is money. Tit. So is theirs and ours. Enter PHILOTUS. Luc. Serv. And Sir Philotus too! Phi. Good day at once. Luc. Serv. Welcome, good brother. What do you think the hour? Phi. Labouring for nine. Luc. Serv. So much? Phi. Is not my lord seen yet? Phi. I wonder on't: he was wont to shine at seven, Luc. Serv. Ay, but the days are waxed shorter with him: You must consider, that a prodigal course Tis deepest winter in lord Timon's purse; That is, one may reach deep enough, and yet Phi. I am of your fear for that. Tit. I'll show you how to observe a strange event. Your lord sends now for money. Hor. Most true, he does. Tit. And he wears jewels now of Timon's gift For which I wait for money. Hor. It is against my heart. Luc. Serv. Mark, how strange it shows, Timon in this should pay more than he owes : And e'en as if your lord should wear rich jewels, And send for money for 'em. Hor. I am weary of this charge, the gods can witness: I know, my lord hath spent of Timon's wealth, And now ingratitude makes it worse than stealth. 1 Var. Serv. Yes, mine's three thousand crowns: What's yours? Luc. Serv. Five thousand mine. 1 Var. Serv. 'Tis much deep seem by the sum, and it should Your master's confidence was above mine; Else, surely, his had equall'd. Enter FLAMINIUS. Tit. One of lord Timon's men. Luc. Serv. Flaminius! Sir, a word: 'Pray, is my lord ready to come forth? Flam. No, indeed, he is not, Tit. We attend his lordship; pray, signify so much. Flam. I need not tell him that; he knows you are too diligent. [Exit FLAMINIUS, Enter FLAVIUS in a cloak, muffled. Luc. Serv. Ha! is not that his steward muffled so ? He goes away in a cloud call him, call him. 1 Var. Serv. By your leave, Sir,-- not If money were as certain as your waiting, Upon nis debts, and take down the interest but wrong, • Commission. Ser. Good gods! Enter TIMON, in a rage; FLAMINIUS following. Have I been ever free, and must my house The place which I have feasted, does it now, Tit. My lord, here is my bill. Hor. Serv. And mine, my lord. Both Var. Serv. And ours, my lord. Phi. All our bills. Seeing his reputation touch'e to death, And with such sober and unnoted passion⚫ 1 Sen. You undergo too strict a paradox, I To bring manslaughter into form, set quarelling His outsides; wear them like his raiment, care- Tim. Knock me down with 'em cleave me To bring it into danger. to the girdle. Luc. Serv. Alas! my lord,—— Tim. Cut my heart in sums. Tit. Mine, fifty talents. Tim. Tell out my blood. Luc. Serv. Five thousand crowns, my lord. What yours?-and yours? 1 Var. Ser. My lord, 2 Var. Serv. My lord, Tim. Tear me, take me, and the gods fall upon you! [Exit. Hor. 'Faith, I perceive our masters may throw their caps at their money; these debts may well be called desperate ones, for a madman owes 'em. [Exeunt. Re-enter TIMON and FLAVIUS. If wrongs be evils, and enforce us kill, Alcib. My lord. 1 Sen. You cannot make gross sins look clear; To revenge is no valour, but to bear. Alcib. My lords, then, under favour, pardon me. If I speak like a captain. Why do fond men expose themselves to battle, Tim. They have e'en put my breath from me, As you are great, be pitifully good: the slaves: You only speak from your distracted soul; Tim. Be't not in thy care; go. I charge thee; invite them all let in the tide [Exeunt. SCENE V.-The same.-The Senate-House. Who cannot condemn rashness in cold blood? But who is man, that is not angry? 2 Sen. You breathe in vain. 1 Sen. What's that? Alcib. Why, I say, my lords, h'as done fail service, And slain in fight many of your enemies: In the last conflict, and made plenteous wounds? Is a sworn rioter: h'as a sin that often Drowns him, and takes his valour prisoner : If there were no foes, that were enough alone The Senate sitting. Enter ALCIBIADES, at-To overcome him: in that beastly fury tended. 1 Sen. My lord, you have my voice to it; the Bloody; 'tis necessary he should die : 2 Sen. Most true: the law shall bruise him. senate ! 1 Sen. Now, captain? And be in debt to none,) yet, more to move you, Alcib. I am an humble suitor to your virtues; Take my deserts to his, and join them both : For pity is the virtue of the law, And none but tyrants use it cruelly. Of comely virtues : Nor did he soil the fact with cowardice; And, for I know, your reverend ages love Passion ro moderated that no one could note its operation. + Manage. You undertake a Why do we take the field? Rashness. I call mercy to witness, that defensive viclence is just. A bill was also a battle-axe---Timon, therefore, paradox too hard. plays upon the word. With the exception of this one act. must not be. My our dinner will not recompense this long stay: [lords, feast your ears with the music awhile; if they will fare so harshly on the trumpet's sound: we shall to't presently. Alcib. Call me to your remembrances. 3 Sen. What? Alcib. I cannot think, but your age has forgot [Exeunt SENATORS. Alcib. Now the gods keep you old enough ; that you may live Only in bone, that none may look on you! I am worse than mad: I have kept back their foes, While they have told their money, and let out SCENE VI.-A magnificent Room in TIMON's House. pear. 2 Lord. In like manner was I in debt to my importunate business, but he would not hear my excuse. I am sorry, when he sent to borrow of me, that my provision was out. 1 Lord. I am sick of that grief too, as I understand how all things go. 2 Lord. Every man here's so. What would he have borrowed of you? 1 Lord. A thousand pieces. 2 Lord. A thousand pieces! 1 Lord. What of you? 3 Lord. He sent to me, Sir.-Here he comes. Enter TIMON, and Attendants. Tim. With all my heart, gentlemen both :And how fare you? 1 Lord. Ever at the best, hearing well of your lordship. 2 Lord. I hope it remains not unkindly with your lordship, that I returned you an empty messenger. Tim. O Sir, let it not trouble you. 2 Lord. My noble lord, Tim. Ah! my good friend! what cheer? [The banquet brought in. 2 Lord. My most honourable lord, I am e'en sick of shame, that when your lordship this other day sent to me, I was so unfortunate a beggar. Tim. Think not on't, Sir. 2 Lord. If you had sent but two hours be fore, Tim. Let it not cumber your better remem brance. Come, bring in all together. 2 Lord. All cover'd dishes! 1 Lord, Royal cheer, I warrant you. 2 Lord. Doubt not that, if money and the season can yield it. 1 Lord. How do you? what's the news? 3 Lord. Alcibiades is banished: Hear you of it ? 1&2 Lord. Alcibiades banished! 3 Lord. 'Tis so, be sure of it. 1 Lord. How? how? 2 Lord. I pray you, upon what? Here's a Tim. My worthy friends, will you draw near ↑ 3 Lord. I'll tell you more anon. noble feast toward. + 2 Lord. This is the old man still. 3 Lord, Will't hold? will't hold ? 2 Lord. It does: but time will-and so3 Lord. I do conceive. Tim. Each man to his stool with that spur as shall be in all places alike. Make not a city he would to the lip of his mistress: your diet feast of it, to let the meat cool ere we can agree upon the first place: Sit, sit. The gods require our thanks. You great benefactors, sprinkle our society with thankfulness. For your own gifts, make yourselves praised: but reserve still to give, lest your deities be despised. Lend to each man enough, that one need not lend to the other: for, were your godheads to borrow of men, men would forsake the gods. Make the meat be beloved, more than the man that gives it. Let no assembly of twenty be without a score of villains: If there sit twelve women at the table, let a dozen of them beas they are.-The rest of your fees, O gods,the senators of Athens, together with the common lagt of people,-what is amiss in them, you gods make suitable for destruction. For these my present friends,-as they are to be nothing, so in nothing bless them, and to nothing they are welcome. Uncover, dogs, and lap. [The dishes uncovered are full of warm water. Some speak. What does his lordship mean? Some other. I know not. Tim. May you a better feast never behold, You knot of mouth-friends! smoke, and lukewarm water Is your perfection. This is Timon's last; [Throwing water in their faces. Your reeking villany. Live loath'd, and long, Most smiling, smooth, detested parasites, Courteous destroyers, affable wolves, meek bears, fools of fortune, trencher-friends, time's flies, § 2 Lord. The swallow follows not summer more willing, than we your lordship. Tim. [Aside.] Nor more willingly leaves win-You ter; such summer-birds are meu.-Gentlemen, So dishonoured. vage. of the people. Your good memory. readiness. Not to put ourselves in a I. e. in a state of The fag-end of a piece of cloth, ia Flies of a season. Cap and knee slaves, vapours, and minute- | But nakedness, thou detestable town! jacks !* of man, and beast, the infinite malady + Crust you quite o'er !-What, dost thou go? Soft, take thy physic first-thou too,-and thou; [Throws the dishes at them, and drives them out. Take thou that too, with multiplying banns! The gods confound (hear me, ye good gods all,) Stay, I will lend thee money, borrow none.— Re-enter the LORDS, with other LORDS and SENATORS. 1 Lord. How now, my lords? 2 Lord. Know you the quality of lord Timon's fury? 3 Lord. Pish! did you see my cap? 4 Lord. I bave lost my gown. 3 Lord. He's but a mad lord, and nought but humour sways him. He gave me a jewel the other day, and now he has beat it out of my hat :-Did you see my jewel 4 Lord. Did you see my cap? 3 Lord. Here 'tis. 4 Lord. Here lies my gown. 1 Lord. Let's make no stay. 2 Lord. Lord Timon's mad. 3 Lord. I feel't upon my bones. 4 Lord. One day he gives us diamonds, next day stones. [Exeunt. ACT IV. SCENE I-Without the walls of Athens. Tim. Let me look back upon thee, O thou wall, | That girdlest in those wolves ! Dive in the earth, And fence not Athens ! Matrons, turn incon tinent! Obedience fail in children! slaves and fools Pluck the grave wrinkled senate from the bench, And minister in their steads! to general filths Large handed robbers your grave masters are, With it beat out his brains! piety, and fear, Religion to the gods, peace, justice, truth, Domestic awe, night-rest, and neighbourhood, Instruction, manners, mysteries, and trades, Degrees, observances, customs, and laws, Decline to your confounding contraries, $ House. Enter FLAVIUS, with two or three SERVANTS. 1 Ser. Hear you, master steward, where's our master? Are we undone? cast off? nothing remaining? 1 Serv. Such a house broke! So noble a master fallen! All gone! and not 2 Serv. As we do turn our backs With his disease of all-shunn'd poverty, Walks, like contempt, alone.-More of our fel lows. To have his pomp, and all what state comBut only painted like his varnish'd friends? And yet confusion live !-Plagues, incident to Poor honest lord, brought low by his own men, Your potent and infectious fevers heap And drown themselves in riot! itches, blains, Jacks of the clock; like those at St. Dunstan's church, in Fleet-street. 1 Common sewers. er destroy each other. Every kind of disease. Contrarieties, which waste Libertinism heart; Enter TIMON. For thy part, I do wish thou wert a dog, Alcib. I know thee well; But in thy fortunes am unlearn'd and strange. Tim. I know thee too; and more, than that! know thee, I not desire to know. Follow thy drum; Tim. O blessed breeding sun, draw from the With man's blood paint the ground, gules, earth Rotten humidity; below thy sister's orb The greater scorns the lesser: Not nature, Raise me this beggar, and denude that lord; It is the pasture lards the brother's sides, The want that makes him lean. Who dares, In purity of manhood stand upright, roots! gods, I am no idle votarist. Roots, you clear heaThus much of this, will make black white; foul, fair; Wng, right; base, noble; old, young; coward, Ha, you gods! why this? What this, you gods ? Will lug your priests and servants from your sides; Pluck stout men's pillows from below their heads: Will knit and break religions; bless the curs'd; Make the hoar leprosy ador'd; place thieves, ac That makes the wappen'd ¶ widow wed again; To the April day again. ** Come, damned earth, Among the rout of nations, I will make thee But yet I'll bury thee: Thou'lt go, strong thief, [Keeping some gold. Enter ALCIBIADES, with drum and fife, in war-I Speak. Tim. A beast, as thou art. The canker knaw For showing me again the eyes of man! That art thyself a man? Timan. Yes. Tim. Be a whore still! they love thee not, that Give them diseases, leaving with thee their lust. Timan. Hang thee, monster! Are drown'd and lost in his calamities.- Alcib. I am thy friend, and pity thee, dear Tim. How dost thou pity him, whom thou had rather be alone. Alcib. Why, fare thee well: Tim. Keep't, I cannot eat it. Alcib. When I have laid proud Athens on a Tim. Warr'st thou 'gainst Athens ? Tim. I am misanthropos, and hate mankind. Thee after, when thou hast conquer'd I |