Into this sea of air. Flav. Good fellows all, The latest of my wealth I'll share amongst you. We have seen better days. Let each take some; Nay, put out all your hands. [Giving them money. Not one word more: parting poor. [Exeunt Servants. O, the fierce wretchedness' that glory brings us! To have his pomp, and all what state compounds, I'll serve his mind with my best will; Whilst I have gold, I'll be his steward still. [Exit. '0, the fierce wretchedness-] precipitate. Strange, unusual blood,] mean, strange, unusual disposition. Fierce is here used for hasty, Strange, unusual blood, may SCENE III. The Woods. Enter TIMON. Tim. O blessed breeding sun, draw from the earth Rotten humidity; below thy sister's orb3 Infect the air! Twinn'd brothers of one womb,- Scarce is dividant,-touch them with several fortunes; To whom all sores lay siege, can bear great fortune, Raise me this beggar, and denude that lord; The beggar native honour. It is the pasture lards the brother's sides, The want that makes him lean. Who dares, who dares, In purity of manhood stand upright, And say, This man's a flatterer? if one be, ૩ below thy sister's orb-] That is, the moon's, this sublunary world. Not nature, To whom all sores lay siege, can bear great fortune, But by contempt of nature,] Mr. M. Mason observes, that this passage" but by the addition of a single letter may be rendered clearly intelligible; by merely reading natures instead of nature." The meaning will then be-" Not even beings reduced to the utmost extremity of wretchedness, can bear good fortune, without contemning their fellow-creatures." 5-for every grize of fortune-] Grize for step or degree. But direct villainy. Therefore, be abhorr'd fair; Wrong, right; base, noble; old, young; coward, valiant. Ha, you gods! why this? What this, you gods? Why this Will lug your priests and servants from your sides; Will knit and break religions; bless the accurs'd; 6 fang mankind!] i. e. seize, gripe. 7 no idle votarist.] No insincere or inconstant supplicant. Gold will not serve me instead of roots. JOHNSON. 8 you clear heavens!] This may mean either ye cloudless skies, or ye deities exempt from guilt. 9 To the April day again.] The April day does not relate to the widow, but to the other diseased female, who is represented as the outcast of an hospital. She it is whom gold embalms and spices to the April day again: i. e. gold restores her to all the freshness and sweetness of youth. Do thy right nature.'-[March afar off.]—Ha! a drum?-Thou'rt quick,2 But yet I'll bury thee: Thou'lt go, strong thief, [Keeping some Gold. Enter ALCIBIADES, with Drum and Fife, in warlike manner; PHRYNIA and TIMANDRA. Alcib. What art thou there? Speak. Tim. A beast, as thou art. The canker gnaw thy heart, For showing me again the eyes of man! Alcib. What is thy name? Is man so hateful to thee, That art thyself a man? Tim. I am misanthropos, and hate mankind. For thy part, I do wish thou wert a dog, That I might love thee something. Alcib. I know thee well; But in thy fortunes am unlearn'd and strange. know thee, I not desire to know. Follow thy drum; With man's blood paint the ground, gules, gules: Religious canons, civil laws are cruel; Then what should war be? This fell whore of thine Hath in her more destruction than thy sword, For all her cherubin look. Phry. Thy lips rot off! Tim. I will not kiss thee; then the rot returns To thine own lips again. 2 Alcib. How came the noble Timon to this change? Do thy right nature.] Lie in the earth where nature laid thee. VOL. VIII. G Tim. As the moon does, by wanting light to give: But then renew I could not, like the moon; There were no suns to borrow of. What is it, Timon? Tim. Promise me friendship, but perform none: If Thou wilt not promise,' the gods plague thee, for Thou art a man! if thou dost perform, confound thee, For thou'rt a man! Alcib. I have heard in some sort of thy miseries. Tim. Thou saw'st them, when I had prosperity. Alcib. I see them now; then was a blessed time. Tim. As thine is now, held with a brace of harlots. Timan. Is this the Athenian minion, whom the world Voic'd so regardfully? Tim. Timan. Yes. Art thou Timandra? Tim. Be a whore still! they love thee not, that use thee; Give them diseases, leaving with thee their lust. Timan. Hang thee, monster! Alcib. Pardon him, sweet Timandra; for his wits Are drown'd and lost in his calamities. I have but little gold of late, brave Timon, The want whereof doth daily make revolt In my penurious band: I have heard, and griev'd, How cursed Athens, mindless of thy worth, Thou wilt not promise, &c.] That is, however thou may'st act, since thou art a man, hated man, I wish thee evil. |