Tim.

Ay, even such heaps and sums of love and wealth,
As shall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs,
And write in thee the figures of their love,

Ever to read them thine.

You witch me in it,

Surprise 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 senators.
First Sen. Therefore, so 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 absolute power, and thy good name
Live with authority: so soon we shall drive back
Of Alcibiades the approaches wild;

Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up

His country's peace.

Sec. Sen.

160

And shakes his threatening sword

Against the walls of Athens.

First Sen.

Therefore, Timon,- 170

Tim. Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir; thus:

If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,

Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,

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

Of contumelious, beastly, man-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,

180

And let him take 't at worst; 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'st throat in Athens. So I leave you
To the protection of the prosperous 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 sickness
Of health and living now begins to mend,
And nothing brings me all things.
Be Alcibiades your plague, you his,

And last so long enough!

First Sen.

Go, live still;

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.

First Sen.

That's well spoke.

Tim. Commend me to my loving countrymen,

190

First Sen. These words become your lips as they pass

thorough them.

Sec. Sen. And enter in our ears like great triumphers
In their applauding gates.

Tim.

Commend me to them; 200
And tell them that, to ease them of their griefs,
Their fears of hostile strokes, their aches, losses,
Their pangs of love, with other incident throes
That nature's fragile vessel doth sustain

In life's uncertain voyage, I will some kindness do them:
I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath.
First Sen. I like this well; he will return again.
Tim. I have a tree, which grows here in my close,

That mine own use invites me to cut down,
And shortly must I fell it: tell my friends,

210

Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree
From high to low throughout, that whoso please
To stop affliction, let him take his haste,

Come hither ere my tree hath felt the axe,

220

And hang himself: I pray you, do my greeting. Flav. Trouble him no further; thus you still shall find him. Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Athens, Timon hath made his everlasting mansion Upon the beached verge of the salt flood; Who once a day with his embossed froth The turbulent surge shall cover: thither come, And let my grave-stone be your oracle. Lips, let sour words go by and language end: What is amiss, plague and infection mend! Graves only be men's works, and death their gain! Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his reign. [Retires to his cave.

First Sen. His discontents are unremoveably

Coupled to nature.

Sec. Sen. Our hope in him is dead: let us return,
And strain what other means is left unto us

In our dear peril.

First Sen.

It requires swift foot.

Scene II.

Before the walls of Athens.

Enter two Senators and a Messenger.

230

[Exeunt.

First Sen. Thou hast painfully discover'd: are his files
As full as thy report?

Mess.

I have spoke the least:

Besides, his expedition promises

Present approach.

Sec. 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 opposed,
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 sake moved.

First Sen.

Here come our brothers.

Enter Senators from Timon.

Third Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect.
The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scouring
Doth choke the air with dust: in, and prepare:
Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes the snare.

Scene III.

The woods. Timon's cave, and a rude tomb seen.
Enter a Soldier, seeking Timon.

ΙΟ

[Exeunt.

Sold. By all description this should be the place.
Who's here? speak, ho! No answer! What is this?
Timon is dead, who hath outstretch'd his span:
Some beast read this; there does not live a man.
Dead, sure; 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 aged interpreter, though young in days:
Before proud Athens he's set down by this,
Whose fall the mark of his ambition is.

[Exit. 10

Scene IV.

Before the walls of Athens.

Trumpets sound. Enter Alcibiades with his powers.

Alcib. Sound to this coward and lascivious town

Our terrible approach.

[A parley sounded.

Enter Senators upon the walls.

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

Have wander'd with our traversed arms and breathed
Our sufferance vainly; now the time is flush,
When crouching marrow in the bearer strong
Cries of itself 'No more': now breathless wrong IO
Shall sit and pant in your great chairs of ease,
And pursy insolence shall break his wind.
With fear and horrid flight.

First Sen.

Noble and young,

When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit,
Ere thou hadst power or we had cause of fear,
We sent to thee, to give thy rages balm,

To wipe out our ingratitude with loves
Above their quantity.

Sec. Sen.

So did we woo

Transformed Timon to our city's love

By humble message and by promised means:
We were not all unkind, nor all deserve

The common stroke of war.

First Sen.

These walls of ours

20