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.

Tim.

You witch me in it ;

Surprize 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.

1 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 1, 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

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, mad-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,

And let him tak'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

Allow'd with absolute power,] Allowed is licensed, privileged, uncontrolled.

There's not a whittle,] A whittle is still in the midland counties the common name for a pocket clasp knife, such as children use. Chaucer speaks of a Sheffield thwittell.

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 3
Of health, and living, now begins to mend,
And nothing brings me all things. Go, live still;
Be Alcibiades your plague, you his,
And last so long enough!

1 Sen.

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.

1 Sen. That's well spoke. Tim. Commend me to my loving countrymen, →→→→ 1 Sen. These words become your lips as they pass through them.

2 Sen. And enter in our ears, like great triúmphers In their applauding gates.

Tim.

Commend me to them;

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.

2 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, Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree, 5

4

5

lowest.

bruit-] i. e. report, rumour.

in the sequence of degree,] Methodically, from highest to

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,

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;
+ Which 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.
[Exit TIMON.

1 Sen. His discontents are unremoveably Coupled to nature.

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

Enter Two Senators, and a Messenger.

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

t

6 embossed froth, -] Embossed froth, is swollen froth; from bosse, Fr. a tumour.

7 In our dear peril.] Dear, in Shakspeare's language, is dire, dreadful, but may, in the present instance, signify immediate, or imminent.

Mess.

I have spoke the least:

Besides, his expedition promises

Present approach.

2 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 oppos'd, Yet our old love made a particular force,

And made us speak like friends:

From Alcibiades to Timon's cave,

this man was riding

With letters of entreaty, which imported
His fellowship i'the cause against your city,
In part for his sake mov'd.

Enter Senators from TIMON.

1 Sen. Here come our brothers. 3 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.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

The Woods. TIMON'S Cave, and a Tomb-stone seen.

Enter a Soldier, seeking TIMON.

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 rear'd this; there does not live a man.
Dead, sure; and this his grave.

What's on this tomb I cannot read; the character

s I cannot read, &c.] There is something elaborately unskilful in the contrivance of sending a soldier, who cannot read, to take the

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 sound. Enter ALCIBIADES, and Forces.

Alcib. Sound to this coward and lascivious town [A Parley sounded.

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 justice; till now, myself, and such
As slept within the shadow of your power,

Have wander❜d with our travers'd arms, and breath'd
Our sufferance vainly: Now the time is flush,'
When crouching marrow, in the bearer strong,
Cries, of itself, No more: now breathless wrong
Shall sit and pant in your great chairs of ease;
And pursy insolence shall break his wind,

With fear, and horrid flight.

1 Sen.

Noble, and young,

When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit,

epithet in wax, only that it may close the play by being read with

more solemnity in the last scene. JOHNSON.

9 travers'd arms,] Arms across.

the time is flush,] A bird is flush when his feathers are grown, and he can leave the nest.

Flush is mature.