ACT IV. SCENE I.- Without the Walls of Athens. Enter TIMON. Tim. Let me look back upon thee, O thou wall, Pluck the lin'd crutch from the old limping sire, Degrees, observances, customs, and laws, Decline to your confounding contraries, And we, poor mates, stand on the dying deck, Flav. Nay, put out all your hands. [Giving them money. Not one word more: parting poor. [Exeunt Servants. To have his pomp, and all what state compounds, And yet confusion live! - Plagues, incident to men, Poor honest lord, brought low by his own heart; Your potent and infectious fevers heap On Athens, ripe for stroke! thou cold sciatica, Take thou that too, with multiplying banns! 6 [Exit. SCENE II. Athens. A Room in Timon's House. Enter FLAVIUS, with two or three Servants. 1 Serv. Hear you, master steward, where's our Are we undone? cast off? nothing remaining? I am as poor as you. 1 Serv. Such a house broke ! So noble a master fallen! All gone! and not 2 Serv. Slink all away; leave their false vows with him, Undone by goodness! Strange, unusual blood, - Tim. O blessed breeding sun, draw from the earth The greater scorns the lesser: Not nature, Raise me this beggar, and denude that lord; It is the pasture lards the brother's sides, And say, This man's a flatterer? If one be, 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; 6 Accumulated curses, With thy most operant poison! What is here! Wrong, right; basc, noble; old, young; coward, Ha, you gods! why this? What this, you gods? Will lug your priests and servants from your sides; Will knit and break religions; bless the accurs'd; Alcib. Speak. manner. What art thou there? Tim. A beast, as thou art. The canker gnaw thy heart, For showing me again the eyes of man! Tim. That Why me, Timon? By killing villains, thou wast born to conquer Put up thy gold: Go on, here's gold,—go on; Make soft thy trenchant 3 sword; spare not the babe, Think it a bastard, whom the oracle Hath doubtfully pronounc'd thy throat shall cut, Alcib. What is thy name? Is man so hateful to Put armour on thine ears, and on thine eyes; thee, Whose proof, nor yells of mothers, maids, nor babes, Alcib. Hast thou gold yet? I'll take the gold But in thy fortunes am unlearn'd and strange. know thee, I not desire to know. Follow thy drum; Then what should war he? Alcib. How came the noble Timon to this change? What friendship may I do thee? Tim. Maintain my opinion. Noble Timon, None, but to Alcib. Alcib. I have heard in some sort of thy miseries. I had rather be alone. 2 Sorrowful Cominon 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 7, With all the abhorred births below crisp heaven Whercon 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 ungrateful man! Go great with tigers, dragons, wolves, and bears; Teem with new monsters, whom thy upward face 3 Cutting. 4 An allusion to the tale of Edipus, 5 Without pity. 6. e. Against objects of charity and compassion. 7 The serpent called the blind worm. * Curved Hath to the marbled mansion all above Enter APEMANTUS. More man? Plague! plague! Apem. I was directed hither: Men report, 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 From change of fortune. Why this spade? this place? 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 his 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 welcome, 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 nadman 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 trees, That have outliv'd the eagle, page thy heels, And skip when thou point'st out? Will the cold brook, Candied with ice, caudle thy morning taste, Of wreakful heaven; whose bare unhoused trunks, To the conflicting elements expos'd, Answer mere nature, O! thou shalt find 1 bid them flatter thee; Tim. Apem. Tim. Why? Thou flatter'st misery. Apem. I flatter not; but say thou art a caitiff." Apem. Ay. Tim. Thou shouldst desire to die, being miserable. ? i. e. Arrives sooner at the completion of its wishes. Thou art a slave, whom fortune's tender arm The sweet degrees that this brief world affords They never flatter'd thee: What hast thou given? Apem. No prodigal. Tim. Art thou proud yet? I, that I was 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 life of Athens were in this! Thus would I eat it. Apem. [Eating a Root. Here; I will mend thy feast. [Offering him something. Tim. First mend my company, take away thyself. Apem. So I shall mend mine own, by the lack of thine. Tim. 'Tis not well mended so, it is but botch'd; If not, I would it were. Apem. What wouldst thou have to Athens? Tim. Thee thither in a whirlwind. If thou wilt Tell them there, I have gold; look, so I have. Apem. Here is no use for gold. Tim. The best and truest; For here it sleeps, and does no hired harm. Apem. Where ly'st o'nights, Timon? Tim. Under that's above me. Where feed'st thou o'days, Apemantus? Apem. Where my stomach finds meat; or, rather, where I eat it. Tim. Would poison were obedient, and knew my mind! Apem. Where wouldst thou send it? Apem. The middle of humanity thou never knewest, but the extremity of both ends: When thou wast in thy gilt, and thy perfume, they mocked thee for too much curiosity 9; in thy rags thou knowest none, but art despised for the contrary. There's a medlar for thee, eat it. Tim. On what I hate, I feed not. Apem. An thou hadst hated medlars sooner, thou shouldst have loved thyself better now. What man didst thou ever know unthrift, that was beloved after his means? Tim. Who, without those means thou talkest of, | That solder'st close impossibilities, didst thou ever know beloved? Apem. Myself. Tim. I understand thee; thou hadst some means to keep a dog. Apem. What things in the world canst thou nearest compare to thy flatterers? Tim. Women nearest : 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 beasts, to be rid of the men. Tim. Wouldst thou have thyself fall in the confusion of men, and remain a beast with the beasts? Apem. Ay, Timon. And mak'st them kiss! that speak'st with every tongue, To every purpose! O thou touch 6 of hearts! But not till I am dead!— I'll say, thou hast gold- Tim. Apem. Tim. Thy back, I pr'ythee. Apem. Throng'd to? Live, and love thy misery: Tim. Long live so, and so die! — I am quit. [Exit APEMANTUS. More things like men?- Eat, Timon, and abhor them. Tim. A beastly ambition, which the gods grant thee to 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 suspect thee, when, peradventure, thou wert accused by the ass if thou wert the ass, thy dulness would torment thee; and still thou livedst but as a break- 1 Thief. Where should he have this gold? It is fast to the wolf: if thou wert the wolf, thy greedi-mainder: The mere want of gold, and the fallingsome poor fragment, some slender ort of his re ness would afflict thee, and oft thou shouldst hazard thy life for thy dinner: wert thou the unicorn, pride and wrath would confound thee, and make thine own self the conquest of thy fury: wert thou a bear, thou wouldst be killed by the horse: wert thou a horse, thou wouldst be seized by the leopard: wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion, and the spots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life: all thy safety were remotion; and thy defence, absence. What beast couldst thou be, that were not subject to a beast? and what a beast art thou already, that seest not thy loss in transformation? Apem. If thou couldst please me with speaking to me, thou mightst have hit upon it here: The commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts. Tim. How has the ass 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! I will fear to catch it, and give way: When I know not what else to do, I'll see 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 5 of all the fools alive. Tim. Away, Thou tedious rogue! I am sorry, I shall lose A stone by thee. [Throws a Stone at him. Арет. Tim. Арет. Tim. Beast! Slave! : Toad! Rogue, rogue, rogue! [APEMANTUS retreats backward, as going. I am sick of this false world; and will love nought But even the mere necessities upon it. Then, Timon, presently prepare thy grave; Lie where the light foam of the sea may beat Thy grave-stone daily make thine epitaph, That death in me at others' lives may laugh. O thou sweet king-killer, and dear divorce [Looking on the Gold. 'Twixt natural son and sire! thou bright defiler Of Hymen's purest bed! thou valiant Mars! Thou ever young, fresh, lov'd and delicate wooer, Whose blush doth thaw the consecrated snow That lies on Dian's lap; thou visible god, 4 Remoteness; the being placed at a distance from the lion. The top, the principal. Enter Thieves. from of his friends, drove him into this melancholy. 2 Thief. It is noised, he hath a mass of treasure. 3 Thief. Let 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, 'tis hid. 1 Thief. Is not this he? Thieves. Where? 2 Thief. 'Tis his description. 3 Thief. He; I know him. Thieves. Save thee, Timon. Tim. Now, thieves? Thieves. Soldiers, not thieves. Tim. Both too; and women's sons. do want. Tim. Your greatest want is, you wantmuch of meat. Why should you want? Behold the earth hath roots; Within this mile break forth a hundred springs : The oaks bear masts, 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, water, As beasts, and birds, and fishes. Tim. Nor on the beasts themselves, the birds, and fishes; You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you con, More than you rob: take wealth and lives together · |