If thou wilt curse, thy father, that poor rag, Apem. Art thou proud yet? Tim. Ay, that I am not thee. Apem. I, that I was no prodigal. Tim. I, that I am one now: Were all the wealth I have, shut up in thee, I'd give thee leave to hang it. That the whole life of Athens were in this! Thus would I eat it. Get thee gone. [Eating a root. Apem. Here; I will mend thy feast. [Offering him something. Tim. First mend my company; take away thyself. Apem. So I shall mend mine own, by th' lack of thine. Tim. 'Tis not well mended so, it is but botch'd; If not, I would it were. Athens ? Apem. What would'st thou have to Tim. Thee thither in a whirlwind. If thou wilt, Tell them there I have gold: look, so I have. Apem. Here is no use for gold. Tim. The best and truest; For here it sleeps, and does no hired harm. Apem. Where ly'st o'nights, Timon? 35 Dryden has quoted two verses of Virgil to show how well he could have written satires. Shakespeare has here given a specimen of the same power, by a line bitter beyond all bitterness, in which Timon tells Apemantus that he had not virtue enough for the vices which he condemus. I have heard Mr. Burke commend the subtlety of discrimination with which Shakespeare distinguishes the present character of Timon from that of Apemantus, whom, to vulgar eyes, he would seem to resemble. JOHNSON. Tim. Under that's above me. thou o'days, Apemantus? Where feed'st Apem. Where my stomach finds meat; or rather, where I eat it. Tim. 'Would poison were obedient, and knew my mind! Apem. Where would'st thou send it? Tim. To sauce thy dishes. Apem. The middle of humanity thou never knewest, but the extremity of both ends: When thou wast in thy gilt and thy perfume, they mock'd thee for too much curiosity; 36 in thy rags thou know'st none, but art despis'd for the contrary. There's a medlar for thee; eat it. Tim. On what I hate, I feed not. Tim. Ay, though it look like thee. Apem. An thou hadst hated meddlers sooner, thou should'st have loved thyself better now. What man didst thou ever know unthrift, that was beloved after his means? Tim. Who, without those means thou talk'st of, didst thou ever know belov'd? Apem. Myself. Tim. I understand thee: thou hadst some means to keep a dog. Apem. What things in the world canst thou nearest compare to thy flatterers? Tim. Women nearest; but men, men are the things themselves. What would'st thou do with the world, Apemantus, if it lay in thy power? Apem. Give it the beasts, to be rid of the men. 36 Curiosity is scrupulous exactness, finical niceness. explains it picked diligence, Accuratus corporis cultus. Baret Tim. Would'st thou have thyself fall in the confusion of men, and remain a beast with the beasts? Apem. Ay, Timon. Tim. A beastly ambition, which the gods grant thee to attain to! If thou wert the lion, the fox would beguile thee: if thou wert the lamb, the fox would eat thee: if thou wert the fox, the lion would suspect thee, when, peradventure, thou wert accus'd by the ass if thou wert the ass, thy dulness would torment thee; and still thou liv'dst but as a breakfast to the wolf: if thou wert the wolf, thy greediness would afflict thee, and oft thou should'st hazard thy life for thy dinner wert thou the unicorn, pride and wrath would confound thee, and make thine own self the conquest of thy fury: 37 wert thou a bear, thou would'st be kill'd by the horse: wert thou a horse, thou would'st be seiz'd by the leopard : wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion,3 and the spots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life ; all thy safety were remotion,39 and thy defence absence. What beast could'st thou be, that were not subject to a beast? and what a beast art thou already, that seest not thy loss in transformation! 38 Apem. If thou could'st please me with speaking to me, thou might'st have hit upon it here: The commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts. Tim. How has the ass broke the wall, that thou art out of the city? Apem. Yonder comes a poet, and a painter: The 37 Alluding to the unicorn's being sometimes overcome from striking his horn into a tree in his furious pursuit of an enemy. 38 This seems to imply that the lion "bears, like the Turk, no brother near the throne." 39 Remotion seems to be used in the sense of solitary remote ness. H. plague of company light upon thee! I will fear to catch it, and give way. When I know not what else to do, I'll see thee again. Tim. When there is nothing living but thee, thou shalt be welcome. I had rather be a beggar's dog, than Apemantus. Apem. Thou art the cap of all the fools alive. Tim. 'Would thou wert clean enough to spit upon. Apem. A plague on thee! thou art too bad to curse. Tim. All villains, that do stand by thee, are pure. Apem. There is no leprosy, but what thou speak'st. Tim. If I name thee. -I'll beat thee, but I should infect my hands. Apem. I would my tongue could rot them off! Tim. Away, thou issue of a mangy dog! Choler does kill me, that thou art alive; I swoon to see thee. Apem. 'Would thou would'st burst! Tim. Away, thou tedious rogue! I am sorry I shall lose a stone by thee. [Throws a Stone at him. Apem. Beast! Tim. Slave! Apem. Toad! Tim. Rogue, rogue, rogue! [APEMANTUS retreats backward, as going. I am sick of this false world, and will love nought But even the mere necessities upon't. Then, Timon, presently prepare thy grave: [Looking on the Gold. "Twixt natural son and sire! thou bright defiler Of Hymen's purest bed! thou valiant Mars! Thou ever young, fresh, lov'd, and delicate wooer, Whose blush doth thaw the consecrated snow That lies on Dian's lap! thou visible god, That solder'st close impossibilities, And mak'st them kiss! that speak'st with every tongue, To every purpose ! O, thou touch of hearts! 40 Арет. 'Would 'twere so; But not till I am dead!—I'll say thou'st gold: Thou wilt be throng'd to shortly. Tim. Throng'd to? Арет. Ау. Tim. Thy back, I pr'ythee. Apem. Live, and love thy misery! Tim. Long live so, and so die!—I am quit. [Exit APEMANTUS. More things like men?-Eat, Timon, and abhor them. Enter Banditti. 1 Ban. Where should he have this gold? It is some poor fragment, some slender ort of his remainder. The mere want of gold, and the fallingfrom of his friends, drove him into this melancholy. 2 Ban. It is nois'd he hath a mass of treasure. 3 Ban. 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 Ban. True; for he bears it not about him, 'tis hid. 40 Touch for touchstone. See Act iii. sc. 3, note 1. |