I SEN. Here come our brothers.

3
SEN. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect.
The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful fcouring
Doth choke the air with duft: In, and prepare ;
Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes the fnare.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. The Woods. Timon's Cave, and a tomb-ftone

Seen.

Enter a SOLDIER, feeking Timon.

SOL. By all description this should be the place. Who's here? fpeak, ho!-No answer?What is this? Timon is dead, who hath out-ftretch'd his fpan: Some beast rear'd this; there does not live a man.

Dead, fure; and this his grave.

What's on this tomb I cannot read; the character
I'll take with wax:

Our captain hath in every figure skill;

An ag'd interpreter, though young in days:
Before proud Athens he's set down by this,
Whose fall the mark of his ambition is.

[Exit.

SCENE V. Before the walls of Athens. Trumpets found. Enter ALCIBIADES, and Forces. ALCIB. Sound to this coward and lafcivious town [A parley founded.

Our terrible approach.

Enter SENATORS on the Walls.

Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the time
With all licentious measure, making your wills
The scope of juftice; till now, myself, and fuch
As slept within the fhadow of your power,

Have wander'd with our travers'd arms, and breath'd
Our fufferance vainly: Now the time is flush,
When crouching marrow, in the bearer ftrong,

Cries, of itself, No more: now breathlefs wrong
Shall fit and pant in your great chairs of cafe;
And purfy infolence shall break his wind,
With fear, and horrid flight.

1 SEN. Noble, and young,

When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit,
Ere thou hadst power, or we had cause of fear,
We fent to thee; to give thy rages balm,
To wipe out our ingratitude with loves
Above their quantity.

2 SEN. So did we woo

Transformed Timon to our city's love,
By humble meffage, and by promis'd means;
We were not all unkind, nor all deferve
The common ftroke of war.

I SEN. These walls of ours

Were not erected by their hands, from whom
You have receiv'd your griefs: nor are they fuch,
That these great towers, trophies, and schools fhould fall
For private faults in them.

2 SEN. Nor are they living,

Who were the motives that you firft 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 deftin'd tenth ;
And by the hazard of the fpotted die,

Let die the spotted.

I SEN. All have not offended;

For those that were, it is not square, to take,
On those that are, revenges: crimes, like lands,

VOL. V.

F

Are not inherited. Then, dear countryman, Bring in thy ranks, but leave without thy rage: Spare thy Athenian cradle, and those kin, Which, in the blufter of thy wrath, muft fall With those that have offended: like a fhepherd, Approach the fold, and cull the infected forth, But kill not all together.

2 SEN. What thou wilt,

Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy fmile,
Than hew to't with thy fword.

I SEN. Set but thy foot

Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope;
So thou wilt fend thy gentle heart before,
To say, thou❜lt enter friendly.

2 SEN. Throw thy glove,

Or any token of thine honour elfe,
That thou wilt ufe the wars as thy redress,
And not as our confufion, all thy powers
Shall make their harbour in our town, till we
Have feal'd thy full defire.

ALCIB. Then there's my glove;

Defcend, and open your uncharged ports:
Those enemies of Timon's, and mine own,
Whom you yourselves fhall fet 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 juftice in your city's bounds,
But shall be remedied, to your publick laws
At heaviest answer.

BOTн. 'Tis most nobly spoken.

ALCIB. Defcend, and keep your words.

The SENATORS defcend, and open the gates,

Enter a SOLDIER.

SOL. My noble general, Timon is dead;
Entomb'd upon the very hem o'the fea:

And, on his grave-stone, this infculpture; which
With wax I brought away, whose soft impreffion
Interprets for my poor ignorance..

ALCIB. [Reads.] Here lies a wretched corfe, of wretched foul bereft :

Seek not my name: A plague confume you wicked caitiffs left! Here lie I Timon; who, alive, all living men did hate :

Pafs by, and curfe thy fill; but pafs, and ftay not here thy gait.
These well exprefs in thee thy latter fpirits:

Though thou abhorr'dft in us our human griefs,
Scorn'dft our brain's flow, and thofe our droplets which
From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit
Taught thee to make vaft Neptune weep for
On thy low grave, on faults forgiven. Dead

Is noble Timon; of whofe memory
Hereafter more.—Bring me into your city,
And I will use the olive with my fword:

aye

Make war breed peace; make peace ftint war; make each Prefcribe to other, as each other's leech.

Let our drums ftrike.

[Exeunt.

Fij