Tim. Not by his Breath, that is more miferable. Freely command; thou wouldst have plung'd thy felf The Mouths, the Tongues, the Eyes, the Hearts of Men, Do on the Oak, have with one Winters brush Were all the Wealth I have fhut up in thee, I'd give thee leave to hang it. Get thee gone: Thus would I eat it. Apem. Here will I mend thy Feaft. [Eating a Root, Tim. First mend thy Company, take away thy felf. Apem. So I fhall mend mine own, by th'lack of thine, Tim. 'Tis not well mended fo, it is but botcht; If not, I would it were. Apem. What wouldst thou have to Athens? Tim. The best and trueft: For here it fleeps, and does no hired harm. Where feed'st thou a Days, Apemantus? Apem. Where my Stomach finds Meat, or rather where I eat it. Tim. Would Poifon were obedient, and knew my Mind. Apem. Where wouldst thou fend it? Tim. To fawce thy Dishes. Apem. The middle of humanity thou never kneweft, but the extremity of both ends. When thou waft in thy Gilt, and thy Perfume, they mockt thee, for too much curiofity; in thy Rags thou knoweft none, but art defpis'd for the contrary. There's a Medler for thee, eat it. Tim. On what I hate, I feed not. Tim. Ay, though it look like thee. Apem. And th'hadft hated Medlers fooner, thou shouldst have loved thy felf better now. What Man did'ft thou ever know unthrift, that was beloved after his Means? Tim. Who without thofe Means thou talk'ft of, didft thou ever know beloved? Apem. My felf. Tim. I understand thee, thou hadft fome Means to keep a Dog. Apem. What things in the World canft thou nearest compare to thy Flatterers? Tim. Women neareft; but Men, Men are the things themselves. What wouldst thou do with the World, Apemantus, if it lay in thy Power? Apem. Give it the Beafts, to be rid of the Men. Tim. Wouldst thou have thy felf fall in the confufion of Men, and remain a Beaft with the Beafts, Apem. By, Timon. Tim. A beaftly Ambition, which the Gods grants thee t'attain t'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 fufpect thee, when peradventure thou wert accus'd by the Afs; if thou wert the Afs, thy dulnefs would torment thee; and ftill thou liv'ft but as a Breakfaft to the Wolf. If thou wert the Wolf, thy greedinefs would affli& thee, and oft thou fhould hazard thy Life for thy Dinner. Wert thou the Unicorn, Pride and Wrath would confound thee, and make trine own felf the Conqueft of thy Fury. Wert thou a Bear, thou would't be kill'd by the Horfe; wert thou a Horfe, thou wouldst be feized by the Leopard; wert thou a Leopard, thou wert German to the Lion, and the fpots of thy Kindred, were Jurors on thy Life. All thy fafety were remotion, and thy Defence abfence. What Beaft couldft thou be, that were not fubject to a Beaft; and what a Beaft art thou already, and feeft not thy Lofs in Tranf formation. Apem. If thou couldst please me With speaking to me, thou might'ft The Commonwealth of Athens is become A Foreft of Beafts. Tim. How has the Afs broke the Wall, that thou art out of the City. Apem. Yonder comes a Poet and a Painter The Plague of Company light upon thee; When I know not what else to do, I'll fee 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 fpit upon. Apem. A Plague on thee.. Thou art too bad to Curfe. Tim. All Villains That That do ftand by thee, are pure. Tim. If I name thee, I'll beat thee; Apem. I would my Tongue Could rot them off. Tim. Away thou iffue of a mangy Dog! Apem. Would thou wouldst burit. Tim. Away thou tedious Rogue, I am forry I fhall lofe a Stone by thee. Apem. Beaft! Tim. Slave! Apem. Toad! Tim. Rogue! Rogue! Rogue! I am fick of this falfe World, and will love nought Then Timon prefently prepare thy Grave; And mak'It them kifs; that fpeak'ft with every Tongue Apem. Would 'twere fo, But not till I am dead. I'll fay th’haft Gold; Tim. Throng'd too? Apem Apem. Ay. Tim. Thy Back, I prithee. Apem. Live, and love thy Mifery. Tim. Long live fo, and so die. I am quit. Ear, Timon, and abhor them. Enter the Banditti. [Exit Apeman. 1 Band. Where should he have this Gold? It is fome poor Fragment, fome flender Ort of his Remainder: The meer want of Gold, and the falling from of his Friends, drove him into this Melancholy. 2 Band. It is nois'd He hath a Mass of Treafure. 3 Band. Let us make the affay upon him, if he care not for't, he will fupply us cafily: If he covetoufly referve it, how fhall's get it? 2 Band. True; for he bears it not about him: 'Tis hid. I Band. Is not this he? All. Where? 2 Band. 'Tis his Description, All. Soldiers, not Thieves. Tim. Both too, and Womens Sons. All. We are not Thieves, but Men That much do want. Tim. Your greatest want is, you want much of Meat: Why fhould you want? Behold, the Earth hath Roots; Within this Mile break forth an hundred Springs; The Oaks bear Maft, the Briers Scarlet Hips, The bounteous Hufwife Nature, on each Bush, Lays her full Mefs before you. Want? why want? 1 Band. We cannot live on Grafs, on Berries, Water, As Beafts, and Birds, and Fishes. Tim. Nor on the Beafts themselves, the Birds and Fishes, You must eat Men. Yet thanks I must you con, That you are Thieves profeft; that you work not In holier Shapes; for there is boundless Theft In |