BOTH. Name them, my lord, let's know them. TIM. You that way, and youthis, but two in company :Each man apart, all fingle and alone,

Yet an arch villain keeps him company.

If, where thou art, two villains fhall not be,

[To the PAINTER.

Come not near him.-If thou would'ft not refide

[To the POET.

But where one villain is, then him abandon.
Hence! pack! there's gold, ye came for gold, ye flaves:
You have done work for me, there's payment: Hence!
You are an alchymift, make gold of that:-

Out, rafcal dogs!

[Exit, beating and driving them out.

SCENE II. The fame.

Enter FLAVIUS, and two SENATORS.

FLAV. It is in vain that you would fpeak with Timon;

For he is fet fo 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.

2 SEN. At all times alike

Men are not still the fame. 'Twas time, and griefs,
That fram'd him thus: time, with his fairer hand,
Offering the fortunes of his former days,

The former man may make him: Bring us to him,
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 fenate, greet thee:

Speak to them, noble Timon.

Enter TIMON.

TIM. Thou fun, that comfort'ft, burn?_Speak, and be hang'd:

For each true word, a blifter! and each falfe
Be as a caut'rizing to the root o' the tongue,
Confuming it with speaking!

1 SEN. Worthy Timon,

TIM. Of none but fuch as you, and you of Timon.

2 SEN. The fenators of Athens greet thee, Timon. TIM. I thank them; and would fend them back the Could I but catch it for them.

I SEN. O, forget

What we are forry for ourselves in thee.

The fenators, with one confent of love,

Entreat thee back to Athens; who have thought
On special dignities, which vacant lie

For thy best use and wearing.

2 SEN. They confefs,

[plague,

Toward thee, forgetfulness too general, grofs:
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, reftraining aid to Timon;

And fend forth us, to make their forrowed render,
Together with a recompense more fruitful
Than their offence can weigh down by the dram;
Ay, even fuch heaps and fums of love and wealth,
As fhall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs,
And write in thee the figures of their love,
Ever to read them thine.

TIM. You witch me in it;

Surprize 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 fenators.
1 SEN. Therefore, fo 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 abfolute power, and thy good name
Live with authority :-fo foon we shall drive back
Of Alcibiades the approaches wild ;

Who, like a boar too favage, doth root up

His country's peace.

2 SEN. And shakes his threat'ning fword Against the walls of Athens.

1 SEN. Therefore, Timon,

TIM. Well, fir, I will; therefore I will, fir; Thus,If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,

Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,

That-Timon cares not. But if he fack fair Athens,
And take our goodly aged men by the beards,
Giving our holy virgins to the stain

Of contumelious, beaftly, mad-brain'd war;

Then, let him know,-and, tell him, Timon speaks it, In pity of our aged, and our youth,

I cannot choose but tell him, that I care not,

And let him tak't at worft; 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

The reverend'ft throat in Athens. So I leave you
To the protection of the profperous gods,

As thieves to keepers.

FLAV. Stay not, all's in vain.

TIM. Why, I was writing of my epitaph,
It will be seen to-morrow; My long fickness

Of health, and living, now begins to mend,

And nothing brings me all things. Go, live ftill;
Be Alcibiades your plague, you his,

And laft fo long enough!

I 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 triúmphers In their applauding gates.

TIM. Commend me to them ;

And tell them, that, to ease them of their griefs,
Their fears of hoftile ftrokes, their aches, loffes,
Their pangs of love, with other incident throes
That nature's fragile veffel doth sustain

In life's uncertain voyage, I will fome 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 ufe invites me to cut down, And shortly muft I fell it; Tell my friends, Tell Athens, in the fequence of degree, From high to low throughout, that whoso please To ftop affliction, let him take his hafte, 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 ftill fhall find him. TIM. Come not to me again: but fay to Athens,

Timon hath made his everlasting mansion

Upon the beached verge of the salt flood;
Which once a day with his emboffed froth
The turbulent furge fhall cover; thither come,
And let my grave-stone be your oracle.—
Lips, let four words go by, and language end :
What is amifs, plague and infection mend!
Graves only be men's works; and death, their gain!
Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his reign.

I SEN. His discontents are unremoveably

Coupled to nature.

[Exit TIMON.

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 fwift foot.

SCENE III. The Walls of Athens.

[Exeunt.

Enter two SENATORS, and a MESSENGER.

I SEN. Thou haft painfully discover'd; are his files As full as thy report?

MESS. I have spoke the least :

Befides, his expedition promises

Prefent 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 riding From Alcibiades to Timon's cave,

With letters of entreaty, which imported

His fellowship i' the cause against your city,

In

part

for his fake mov'd.

Enter SENATORS from Timon.