So noble a master fallen! All gone! and not One friend, to take his fortune by the arm, And go along with him!

grave;

2 Serv. As we do turn our backs From our companion, thrown into his So his familiars to his buried fortunes Slink all away; leave their false vows with him, Like empty purses pick'd: and his poor self, A dedicated beggar to the air, With his disease of all shunn'd poverty, Walks, like contempt, alone.-More of our fellows. Enter other Servants.

Flav. All broken implements of a ruin'd house. 3 Serv. Yet do our hearts wear Timon's livery. That see I by our faces; we are fellows still, Serving alike in sorrow: leak'd is our bark; And we, poor mates, stand on the dying deck, Hearing the surges threat: we must all part Into this sea of air.

Flav. Good fellows all,

The latest of my wealth I'll share amongst you.
Wherever we shall meet, for Timon's sake,
Let's yet be fellows; let's shake our heads, and say,
As 'twere a knell unto our master's fortunes,
We have seen better days.

Let each take some; [giving them money. Nay, put out all your hands. Not one word more : Thus part we rich in sorrow, parting poor.

[exeunt Serv.
O, the fierce wretchedness that glory brings us!
Who would not wish to be from wealth exempt,
Since riches point to misery and contempt?
Who'd be so mock'd with glory? or to live
But in a dream of friendship?

To have his pomp, and all what state compounds,
But only painted, like his varnish'd friends?
Poor honest lord, brought low by his own heart;
Undone by goodness! Strange, unusual blood,
When man's worst sin is, he does too much good!
Who then dares to be half so kind again?
For bounty, that makes gods, does still mar men
My dearest lord,—bless'd, to be most accurs'd,
Rich, only to be wretched;-thy great fortunes
Are made thy chief afflictions. Alas, kind lord!
He's flung in rage from this ungrateful seat
Of monstrous friends: nor has he with him to
Supply his life, or that which can command it.
I'll follow, and inquire him out:
I'll serve his mind with my best will;
Whilst I have gold, I'll be his steward still. [exit.

SCENE III. THE WOODS. Enter Timon.

Tim. O blessed breeding sun, draw from the earth Rotten humidity; below thy sister's orb Infect the air! Twinn'd brothers of one womb,Whose procreation, residence, and birth, [tunes; Scarce is dividant,-touch them with several for

The greater scorns the lesser: not nature,
To whom all sores lay siege, can bear great fortune,
But by contempt of nature.

Raise me this beggar, and denude that lord;
The senator shall bear contempt hereditary,beT
The beggar native honour.

It is the pasture lards the brother's sides,
The want that makes him lean. Who dares, who
In purity of manhood stand upright, [dares,
And say, This man's a flatterer? if one be,
So are they all; for every grize of fortune
Is smooth'd by that below: the learned pate
Ducks to the golden fool: all is oblique;
There's nothing level in our cursed natures,
But direct villainy. Therefore, be abhorr'd
All feasts, societies, and throngs of men!
His semblable, yea, himself, Timon disdains:
Destruction fang mankind!--Earth, yield me roots!
[digging.

Who seeks for better of thee, sauce his palate
With thy most operant poison! What is here?
Gold? yellow, glittering, precious gold? No, gods,
I am no idle votarist. Roots, you clear heavens!
This much of this, will make black, white; foul,
fair;
[valiant.
Wrong, right; base, noble; old, young; coward
Ha, you gods! Why this? What this, you gods?
Why this

Will lug your priests and servants from your sides
Pluck stout men's pillows from below their heads:
This yellow slave

Will knit and break religions; bless the accurs'd:
Make the hoar leprosy ador'd; place thieves,
And give them title, knee, and approbation,
With senators on the bench: this is it,
That makes the wappen'd widow wed again;
She whom the spital-house and ulcerous sores
Would cast the gorge at, this embalins and spices
To the April day again. Come, damned earth,
Thou common whore of mankind, that put'st odds
Among the rout of nations, I will make thee
Do thy right nature.-[march afar off]-Ha! a
drum? Thou'rt quick,
But yet I'll bury thec. Thou'lt go, strong thief,
When gouty keepers of thee cannot stand :-
Nay, stay thou out for earnest. [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.

thy heart,

The canker gnaw

Alcib. We but offend him.Strike. [drumbeats: exeunt Alcib. Phry, and Timan. Tim. That nature, being sick of man's unkiud

ness,

Should yet be hungry! Common mother, thou,

[digging. Whose womb unmeasurable, and infinite breast, Teems, and feeds all; whose self-same mettle, Whereof thy proud child, arrogant man, is puff'd, Engenders the black toad, and adder blue, The gilded newt, and eyeless venom'd worm, With all the abhorred births below crisp heaven, Whereon Hyperion's quickening fire doth shine; Yield him, who all thy human sons doth hate, From forth thy plenteous bosom, one poor root! Ensear thy fertile and conceptious womb, Let it no more bring out ingrateful man! Go great with tigers, dragons, wolves, and bears; Teem with new monsters, whom thy upward face Hath to the marbled mansion all above Never presented !—O, a root,—dear thanks! Dry up thy marrows, vines, and plough-torn leas; Whereof ingrateful man, with liquorish draughts, And morsels unctuous, greases his pure mind, That from it all consideration slips. Enter Apemantus. More man? Plague! Plague! Apem. I was directed hither. Thou dost affect my manners, and dost use them. Tim. 'Tis then, because thou dost not keep a dog Whom I would imitate. Consumption catch thee! Apem. This is in thee a nature but affected; A poor unmanly melancholy, sprung [place? From change of fortune. Why this spade? this This slave-like habit? and these looks of care? Thy flatterers yet wear silk, drink wine, lie soft; Hug their diseas'd perfumes, and have forgot That ever Timon was. Shame not these woods, By putting on the cunning of a carper. Be thou a flatterer now, and seek to thrive By that which has undone thee: hinge thy knee, And let this very breath, whom thou'lt observe, Blow off thy cap; praise his most vicious strain, And call it excellent. Thou wast told thus ; Thou gav'st thine ears, like tapsters, that bid wel

come,

Men report,

To knaves, and all approachers. 'Tis most just,
That thou turn rascal; hadst thou wealth again,
Rascals should have't. Do not assume my likeness.
Tim. Were I like thee, I'd throw away myself.
Apem. Thou hast cast away thyself, being like
thyself;

A madman so long, now a fool. What, think'st
That the bleak air, thy boisterous chamberlain,
Will put thy shirt on warm? Will these moss'd
That have outliv'd the eagle, page thy heels, [trees,
And skip when thou point'st out? Will the cold
Candied with ice, caudle thy morning taste, [brook,
To cure thy o'er-night's surfeit? Call the crea-
Whose naked natures live in all the spite [tures,—
Of wreakful heaven; whose bare unhoused trunks,
To the conflicting elements expos'd,
Auswer mere nature,-bid them flatter thee:
O! thou shalt find-

Tim. A fool of thee: depart.

Apem. I love thee better now than e're I did.

Tim. Always a villain's office, or a fool's.
Dost please thyself in't?
Apem. Ay.

Tim. What! a knave too?

Apem. If thou didst put this sour-cold habit on To castigate thy pride, 'twere well: but thou Dost it enforcedly; thou'dst courtier be again, Wert thou not beggar. Willing misery Outlives incertain pomp, is crown'd before: The one is filling still, never complete; The other, at high wish. Best state, contentless, Hath a distracted and most wretched being, Worse than the worst, content.

Thou should'st desire to die, being miserable.

[self

Tim. Not by his breath, that is more miserable.
Thou art a slave, whom Fortune's tender arm
With favour never clasp'd; but bred a dog.
Had'st thou, like us, from our first swath, proceeded
The sweet degrees that this brief world affords
To such as may the passive drugs of it
Freely command, thou would'st have plung'd thy-
In general riot; melted down thy youth
In different beds of lust; and never learn'd
The icy precepts of respect, but follow'd
The sugar'd game before thee.
But myself,
Who had the world as my confectionary; [men
The mouths, the tongues, the eyes, and hearts of
At duty, more than I could frame employment;
That numberless upon me stuck, as leaves
Do on the oak, have with one winter's brush
Fell from their boughs, and left me open, bare
For every storm that blows;-I, to bear this.
That never knew but better, is some burden;
Thy nature did commence in sufferance, time
Hath made thee hard in't. Why should'st thou
hate men?

They never flatter'd thee: what hast thou given?
If thou wilt curse, thy father, that poor rag,
Must be thy subject; who, in spite, put stuff
To some she beggar, and compounded thee,
Poor rogue hereditary. Hence! be gone!—

If thou had'st not been born the worst of men,
Thou had'st been a knave and flatterer.
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. Get thee gone.— That the whole of Athens were in this! Thus would I eat it.

[eating a root. Apem. Here; I will mend thy feast. [offers something Tim. First mend my company, take away thy. [of thine. Apem. So I shall mend mine own, by the lack Tim. 'Tis not well mended so, it is but botch'd; If not, I would it were.

self.

Apem. What would'st thou have to Athens'

2 Thief. It is noised, he hath a mass of treasure. 3 Thief. Let et 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, 1 Thief. Is not this he? ['tis hid. Thieves. Where?

2 Thief. 'Tis his description, 3 Thief. He; I know him. Thieves. Save thee, Timon. Tim. Now, thieves.

Thieves. Soldiers, not thieves.

meat.

415

Tim. Both too; and women's sons. [do want. Thieves. We are not thieves, but men that much Tim. Your greatest want is, you want much of [roots; Why should you want? Behold, the earth hath 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? 1 Thief. We cannot live on grass, on berries, As beasts, and birds, and fishes. [water, 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 ho thus advises us; not to have us thrive in our inystery.

2 Thief. I'll believe him as an enemy, and give over my trade.

1 Thief. Let us first see peace in Athens. There
no time so miserable, but a man may be true.
[exeunt Thieves.

Enter Flavius.

And wonder of good deeds evilly bestow'd!
What an alteration of honour has min women ui
Desperate want made!

What viler thing upon the earth, than friends, I
Who can bring noblest minds to basest ends !
How rarely does it meet with this time's guise,
When man was wish'd to love his enemies:
Grant, I may ever love, and rather woo
Those that would mischief me, than those that do'
He has caught me in his eye: I will present
My honest grief unto him; and, as my lord,
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 Flav. An honest poor servant of yours. [thee. Tim. Then

I know thee not; I never had honest man
About me, I; all that I kept were knaves,
To serve in meat to villains.

Flav. 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
Expecting in return twenty for one? [gifts,
Flav. No, my most worthy master, in whose
breast