Enter TIMON, from his cave. Tim. Aside. 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. 39 Tim. Aside. 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. When the day serves, before black-corner'dnight, Tim. Aside. I'll meet you at the turn. That he is worshipp'd in a baser temple 'Tis thou that rigg'st the bark and plough'st the Hang them or stab them, drown them in a foam, What 50 Pain. I know none such, my lord. Nor I. Tim. Look you, I love you well: I'll give you gold, Rid me these villains from your companies : draught, Settlest admired reverence in a slave: To thee be worship; and thy saints for aye Confound them by some course, and come to me, Advancing. Be crown'd with plagues that thee alone obey. Both. Name them. my lord; let's know them. Tim. You that way and you this, but two in company; 110 Each man apart, all single and alone, You have work'd for me, there's payment: hence! Beats them out and then retires to his cave, Flav. It is in vain that you would speak with It is our part and promise to the Athenians Men are not still the same: 'twas time and griefs Here is his cave. 199 Peace and content be here! Lord Timon! Timon! Re-enter TIMON from his care. Tim. Thou sun, that comfort'st, burn! Speak, For each true word, a blister! and each false Worthy Timon, Entreat thee back to Athens; who have thought On special dignities, which vacant lie For thy best use and wearing. Second Sen. 150 They confess Toward thee forgetfulness too general, gross; Which now the public body, which doth seldom Play the recanter, feeling in itself A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal Of its own fail, restraining aid to Timon; And send forth us, to make their sorrow'd 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. Tim. 160 You witch me in it; Surprise 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 senators. First Sen. Therefore so please thee to return with us, And of our Athens, thine and ours, to take The captainship, thou shalt be met with thanks, Allow'd with absolute power, and thy good name Live with authority: so soon we shall drive back Of Alcibiades the approaches wild; Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up His country's peace. Second Sen. And shakes his threat'ning sword Against the walis of Athens. First Sen. Therefore, Timon, - 170 Tim. Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir, thus: If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, That Timon cares not. But if he sack fair And tell them that, to ease them of their griefs, I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath. Second 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, 210 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. Flar. Trouble him no further; thus you still shall find him. Tim. Come not to me again; but say to Athens, 250 Timon hath made his everlasting mansion Exit. First Sen. His discontents are unremoveably Coupled to nature. Second Sen. Our hope in him is dead: let us And strain what other means is left unto us 20 It requires swift foot. Exeunt. SCENE II. Before the Walls of Athens. Enter two Senators and a Messenger. First Sen. Thou hast painfully discover'd: And take our goodly aged men by the beards, Giving our holy virgins to the stain Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brain'd war, Then let him know, and tell him Timon speaks it, In pity of our aged and our youth 179 I cannot choose but tell him, that I care not, And let him take't at worst; for their knives care not As full as thy report? Mess. I have spoke the least; Besides, his expedition promises are his files While you have throats to answer: for myself, But I do prize it at my love before The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave you Present approach. To the protection of the prosperous gods, As thieves to keepers. SCENE. During a great part of the Play, at Rome: afterwards at Sardis and near Philippi. Second Com. Truly, sir, to wear out their Upon a labouring day without the sign Of your profession? Speak, what trade art shoes, to get myself into more work. But thou? Second Com. Why, sir, cobble you. Flav. Thou art a cobbler, art thou? 20 indeed, sir, we make holiday to see Cæsar and to rejoice in his triumph. Mar. Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home? What tributaries follow him to Rome less things! O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome. Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements, And do you now put on your best attire? Second Com. Truly, sir, all that I live by is And do you now cull out a holiday? And do you now strew flowers in his way, Ces. He is a dreamer; let us leave him: and CASSIUS. tears Into the channel, till the lowest stream Do kiss the most exalted shores of all. Exeunt all the Commoners. See whe'r their basest metal be not mov'd; Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, Flav. Go, go, good countrymen, and for this Cas. Will you go see the order of the course? 60 Of that quick spirit that is in Antony. 30 I'll leave you. Assemble all the poor men of your sort; Cas. Brutus, I do observe you now of late: Bru. Cassius, Cas. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion; You know it is the feast of Lupercal. Flav. It is no matter; let no images Will make him fly an ordinary pitch, Exeunt. By means whereof this breast of mine hath Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations. 50 And it is very much lamented, Brutus, Bru. Into what dangers would you lead me, That you would have me seek into myself Cas. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar'd to And since you know you cannot see yourself Will modestly discover to yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of. 70 Plourish and shout. Bru. What means this shouting? I do fear Choose Cæsar for their king. Ay, do you fear it? 80 |