The Plays of William Shakspeare

some poor fragment, some slender ort of his re-, He has caught me in his eye: I will present mainder: The mere want of gold, and the falling- My honest grief unto him; and, as my lord, from of his friends, drove him into this melancholy. 2 Thief. It is noised, 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 covetously reserve it, how shall's get it?

2 Thief. True; for he bears it not about him, tis hid.

Within this mile break forth a hundred springs :
The oaks bear mast, the briars scarlet hips;
The bounteous housewife, nature, on each bush.
Lays her full mess before you. Want? why want?
I Thief. We cannot live on grass, on berries,
water,

As beasts, and birds, and fishes.

Tim. Nor on the beasts themselves, the birds, and fishes;

You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you con,
That you are thieves profess'd; that you work not
In holier shapes: for there is boundless theft
In limited professions. Rascal thieves,
Here's gold: Go, suck the subtle blood of the grape,
Till the high fever seeth your blood to froth,
And so 'scape hanging; trust not the physician;
His antidotes are poison, and he slays
More than you rob: take wealth and lives together;
Do villainy, do, since you profess to do't,
Like workmen. I'll example you with thievery :
The sun's a thief, and with his great attraction
Robs the vast sea: the moon's an arrant thief,
And her pale fire she snatches from the sun :
The sea's a thief, whose liquid surge resolves
The moon into salt tears: the earth's a thief,
That feeds and breeds by a composture stolen
From general excrement: each thing's a thief;
The laws, your curb and whip, in their rough power
Have uncheck'd theft. Love not yourselves; away;
Rob one another. There s more gold: Cut throats;
All that you meet are thieves: To Athens, go,
Break open shops; nothing can you steal,
But thieves do lose it: Steal not less, for this
I give you; and gold confound you howsoever!
Amen.
[Timon retires to his cave.
3 Thief. He has almost charmed me from my
profession, by persuading me to it.

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 true. [Exeunt Thieves.

Still serve him with my life. My dearest master!
Timon comes forward from his cave.
Tim. Away! what art thou?

Flav.

Have you forgot me, sir? Tim. Why dost ask that? I have forgot all men ; Then, if thou grant'st thou'rt man, I have forgot

thee.

Flav. An honest poor servant of yours.
Tim.

I know thee not: I ne'er had honest man
About me, I; all that I kept were knaves,
To serve in meat to villains.
Flav.

Then

The gods are witness,
Ne'er did poor steward wear a truer grief
For his undone lord, than mine eyes for you.
Tim. What, dost thou weep? Come nearer :-
then I love thee,

Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st
Flinty mankind; whose eyes do never give,
But thorough lust, and laughter. Pity's sleeping:
Strange times, that weep with laughing, not with
weeping!

Flav. I beg of you to know me, good my lord, To accept my grief, and whilst this poor wealth To entertain me as your steward still. [lasts,

Tim. Had I a steward so true, so just, and now So comfortable? It almost turns

My dangerous nature wild. Let me behold
Thy face.-Surely, this man was born of woman.-
Forgive my general and exceptless rashness,
Perpetual-sober gods! I do proclaim
One honest man,-mistake me not,-but one;
No more, I pray,-and he is a steward.-
How fain would I have hated all mankind,
And thou redeem'st thyself: But all, save thee,
I fell with curses.

Methinks, thou art more honest now, than wise;
For, by oppressing and betraying me,
Thou might'st have sooner got another service:
For many so arrive at second masters,
Upon their first lord's neck. But tell me true,
(For I must ever doubt, though ne'er so sure,)
Is not thy kindness subtle, covetous,

If not a usuring kindness; and as rich men deal gifts,

Expecting in return twenty for one?

Flav. No, my most worthy master, in whose breast

Doubt and suspect, alas, are plac'd too late;
You should have fear'd false times, when you did
feast:

Suspect still comes where an estate is least.
That which I show, heaven knows, is merely love,
Duty and zeal to your unmatched mind,
Care of your food and living: and, believe it,
My most honour'd lord,

For any benefit that points to me,
Either in hope, or present, I'd exchange
For this one wish, That you had power and wealth
To requite me, by making rich yourself.

Tim. Look thee, 'tis so!-Thou singly honest

ACT V.
SCENE I.-The same. Before Timon's Cave.
Enter Poet and Painter; Timon behind, unseen.

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 Timandra had gold of him he likewise enriched poor straggling soldiers with great quantity: 'Tis said, he gave unto 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. Therefore, 'tis not amiss, we tender our loves to him, in this supposed distress of his: it will show 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.

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 judgment that makes it.

Tim. Excellent workman! Thou canst not paint a man so bad as is 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; with a discovery of the infinite flatteries, that follow youth and opulency.

Tim. Must thou needs stand for a villain in
thine own work? Wilt thou whip thine own faults
in other men? Do so, I have gold for thee.
Poet. Nay, let's seek him:

Then do we sin against our own estate,
When we may profit meet, and come too late.
Pain. True;

When the day serves, before black-corner'd night,
Find what thou want'st by free and offer'd light.
Come.

Tim. I'll meet you at the turn. What a god's
gold,

That he is worshipp'd in a baser temple,
Than where swine feed!

'Tis thou that rigg'st the bark, and plough'st the

foam ;

Settlest admired reverence in a slave :
To thee be worship! and thy saints for aye
Be crown'd with plagues, that thee alone obey!
'Fit I do meet them.

Poet. Hail, worthy Timon!
Pain.

[Advancing.

Our late noble master.
Tim. Have I once liv'd to see two honest men ?
Poet. Sir,

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'm rapt, and cannot cover
The monstrous bulk of this ingratitude
With any size of words.

Tim. Let it go naked, men may see't the better:
You, that are honest, by being what you are,
Make them best seen and known.

Pain.

He, and myself,

Have travell'd in the great shower of your gifts,
And sweetly felt it.

Tim.

Ay, you are honest men.

Pain.

Best in all Athens: thou art, indeed, the best;
Thou counterfeit'st most lively.
So, so, my lord.
Tim. Even so, sir, as I say :-And, for thy fic-
tion,
[To the Poet.
Why, thy verse swells with stuff so fine and smooth,
That thou art even natural in thine art.
But, for all this, my honest-natur'd friends,
I must needs say, you have a little fault :
Marry, 'tis not monstrous in you; neither wish I,
You take much pains to mend.
Both.

Beseech your honour, You'll take it ill.

company :

Each man apart, all single and alone,
Yet an arch-villain keeps him company.
If where thou art, two villains shall not be,

[To the Painter.
Come not near him.-If thou would'st 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 done work for me, there's payment:
Hence !

You are an alchymist, make gold of that:-
Out, rascal dogs!

[Exit, beating and driving them out.

SCENE II-The same.

Enter Flavius and two Senators.

Flav. It is in vain that you would speak with
Timon;

For he is set so only to himself,
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,
To speak with Timon.

Offering the fortunes of his former days,
|Be Alcibiades your plague, you his,
The former man may make him: Bring us to him, And last so long enough!
And chance it as it may.

Flav.
Here is his cave.-
Peace and content be here! Lord Timon! Timon!
Look out, and speak to friends: The Athenians,
By two of their most reverend senate, greet thee:
Speak to them, noble Timon.

Toward thee, forgetfulness too general, gross :
Which now the publick body,-which doth seldom
Play the recanter,-feeling in itself

A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal
Of its own fall, restraining aid to Timon;
And send forth us, to make their sorrowed render,
Together with a recompense more fruitful
Than their offence can weigh down by the dram;
Ay, even such heaps and sums of love and wealth,
As shall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs,
And write in thee the figures of their love,
Ever to read them thine.

In pity of our aged, and our youth,

I cannot choose but tell him, that-I care not,
And let him tak't at worst; for their knives care
not,

While you have throats to answer: for myself,
There's not a whittle in the unruly camp,

But I do prize it at my love, before

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.
Commend me to them;
And tell them, that, to ease them of their griefs,
Their fears of hostile strokes, their aches, losses,
Their pangs of love, with other incident throes
That nature's fragile vessel doth sustain
In life's uncertain voyage, I will some kindness do
them:
I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath.
2 Sen. I like this well, he will return again.
Tim. I have a tree, which grows here in my
close,

That mine own use invites me to cut down,
And shortly must I fell it; Tell my friends,
Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree,
From high to low throughout, that whoso please
To stop affliction, let him take his haste,
Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe,
And hang himself:-I pray you, do my greeting.
Flav. Trouble him no further, thus you still shall

find him.

Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Athens,
Timon hath made his everlasting mansion
Upon the beached verge of the salt flood;
Which once a day with his embossed froth
The turbulent surge shall cover; thither come,
And let my grave-stone 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 unremoveably
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 discover'd; 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 oppos'd,
Yet our old love made a particular force,

And made us speak like friends-this man was
From Alcibiades to Timon's cave,
riding

With letters of entreaty, which imported
His fellowship i'the cause against your city,
In part
for his sake mov'd.

1 Sen.

Enter Senators from Timon.

Here come our brothers. 8 Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect.The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scouring

The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave you Doth choke the air with dust: In, and prepare; To the protection of the prosperous gods,

As thieves to keepers.

Stay not, all's in vain.

Flav.
Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph,
It will be seen to-morrow: My long sickness
Of health, and living, now begins to mend,
And nothing brings me all things. Go, live still;

Ours is the fall, I fear; our foes the snare. [Exeunt.
SCENE IV.-The Woods. Timon's Cave, and a
Tomb-stone seen.

Enter a Soldier, seeking Timon.

Sold. By all description this should be the place,

Transformed Timon to our city's love,

By humble message, and by promis'd means;
We were not all unkind, nor all deserve
The common stroke of war.

1 Sen.

These walls of ours
Were not erected by their hands, from whom
You have receiv'd your griefs: nor are they such
That these great towers, trophies, and schools
should fall

For private faults in them.
2 Sen.
Nor are they living,
Who were the motives that you first went out;
Shame, that they wanted cunning, in excess
Hath broke their hearts. March, noble lord,
Into our city with thy banners spread :
By decimation, and a tithed death,
(If thy revenges hunger for that food,
Which nature loaths,) take thou the

tenth;

And by the hazard of the spotted die, Let die the spotted.

Bring in thy ranks, but leave without thy rage:
Spare thy Athenian cradle, and those kin,
Which, in the bluster of thy wrath, must fall
With those that have offended: like a shepherd.
Approach the fold, and cull the infected forth,
But kill not all together.
What thou wilt,
Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy smile,
Than hew to't with thy sword.
1 Sen.

2 Sen.

Set but thy foot
Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope;
So thou wilt send thy gentle heart before,
To say thou'lt enter friendly.
2 Sen.
Throw thy glove;

Or any token of thine honour else,
That thou wilt use the wars as thy redress,
And not as our confusion, all thy powers
Shall make their harbour in our town, till we
Have seal'd thy full desire.

Alcib.
Then there's my glove;
Descend, and open your uncharged ports;
Those enemies of Timon's, and mine own,
Whom you yourselves shall set out for reproof,
Fall, and no more: and,-to atone your fears
With my more noble meaning,-not a man
Shall pass his quarter, or offend the stream
Of regular justice in your city's bounds,
But shall be remedied, to your publick laws,
At heaviest answer.
Both.
'Tis most nobly spoken.
Alcib. Descend, and keep your words.

The Senators descend, and open the gates.
Enter a Soldier.

Sol. My noble general, Timon is dead;
Entomb'd upon the very hem o'the sea :
And, on his grave-stone, this insculpture; which
With wax I brought away, whose soft impression
Interprets for my poor ignorance.

Alcib. [Reads.] Here lies a wretched corse, of wretched soul bereft :

Seek not my name: A plague consume you wicked caitiff's left!

Here lie I Timon; who, alive, all living men did hate :

Pass by, and curse thy fill; but pass and stay not

here thy gait.

These well express in thee thy latter spirits: Though thou abhorr'dst in us our human griefs, Scorn'dst our brain's flow, and those our droplets

which

From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit Taught thee to make vast Neptune weep for aye destin'd On thy low grave, on faults forgiven. Dead Is noble Timon; of whose memory Hereafter more.-Bring me into your city, And I will use the olive with my sword: Make war breed peace; make peace stint war;

1 Sen. All have not offended; For those that were, it is not square, to take, On those that are, revenges: crimes, like lands, Are not inherited. Then, dear countryman,

make each

Prescribe to other, as each other's leech. Let our drums strike.

[Exeunt.

CORIOLANUS.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Caius Marcius Coriolanus, a noble Roman.

Titus Lartius, generals against the Volscians.

Cominius,

Menenius Agrippa, friend to Coriolanus.
Sicinius Velutus,

Junius Brutus,

} tribunes of the people.

Young Marcius, son to Coriolanus.

A Roman Herald.

Tullus Aufidius, general of the Volscians.

Lieutenant to Aufidius.

Conspirators with Aufidius.

A Citizen of Antium.
Two Volscian Guards.

Volumnia, mother to Coriolanus.
Virgilia, wife to Coriolanus.
Valeria, friend to Virgilia.
Gentlewoman, attending Virgilia.

Roman and Volscian Senators, Patricians, Ediles,
Lictors, Soldiers, Citizens, Messengers, Servants to
Aufidius, and other Attendants.

SCENE,-partly in Rome; and partly in the territories of the Volscians and Antiates.

Cit. Resolved, resolved.

1 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the senate; they have had inkling, this fortnight, what we in

1 Cit. First you know, Caius Marcius is chief tend to do, which now we'll show 'em in deeds. enemy to the people.

Cit. We know't, we know't.

1 Cit. Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at our

own price. Is't a verdict?

Cit. No more talking on't let it be done: away,

away.

2 Cit. One word, good citizens.

They say, poor suitors have strong breaths; they shall know, we have strong arms too.

Men. Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbours,

Will you undo yourselves?

1 Cit. We cannot, sir, we are undone already. Men. I tell you, friends, most charitable care 1 Cit. We are accounted poor citizens; the pa- Have the patricians of you. For your wants, tricians, good: What authority surfeits on, would Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well relieve us; If they would yield us but the super-Strike at the heaven with your staves, as lift them fluity, while it were wholesome, we might guess, they relieved us humanely; but they think, we are too dear the leanness that afflicts us, the object of our misery, is an inventory to particularize their abundance; our sufferance is a gain to them. -Let us revenge this with our pikes, ere we become rakes for the gods know, I speak this in hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge.

Cit. Against him first; he's a very dog to the commonalty.

2 Cit. Consider you what services he has done for his country?

1 Cit. Very well; and could be content to give him good report for't, but that he pays himself with being proud.

2 Cit. Nay, but speak not maliciously.

1 Cit. I say unto you, what he hath done famously, he did it to that end; though soft-conscienc'd men can be content to say, it was for his country, he did it to please his mother, and to be partly proud; which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue.

2 Cit. What he cannot help in his nature, you account a vice in him: You must in no way say, he is covetous.

Against the Roman state; whose course will on
The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs
Of more strong link asunder, than can ever
Appear in your impediment: For the dearth,
The gods, not the patricians, make it; and
Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack,
You are transported by calamity
Thither where more attends you; and you slander
The helms o'the state, who care for you like fa-
thers,

When you curse them as enemies.

1 Cit. Care for us!-True, indeed!-They ne'er cared for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and their store-houses crammed with grain; make edicts for usury, to support usurers repeal daily any wholesome act established against the rich; and provide more piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and there's all the love they bear us. Men. Either you must Confess yourselves wondrous malicious, Or be accus'd of folly. I shall tell you A pretty tale; it may be, you have heard it; But, since it serves my purpose, I will venture To scale 't a little more.

1 Cit. Well, I'll hear it, sir: yet you must not think to fob off our disgrace with a tale: but, an t

Men. There was a time, when all the body's members

1 Cit. If I must not, I need not be barren of ac-please you, deliver. cusations; he hath faults, with surplus, to tire in repetition. [Shouts within.] What shouts are these? The other side o'the city is risen Why stay we prating here? to the Capitol.

Cit. Come, come.

1 Cit. Soft; who comes here

Rebell'd against the belly; thus accus'd it :-
That only like a gulf it did remain

I' the midst o'the body, idle and inactive,
Still cupboarding the viand, never bearing

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