Poet. I am thinking what I fhall fay I have provided for him. It must be a perfonating of himielf; a fatire against the foftnefs of profperity, with a difcovery of the infinite flatteries that follow youth and opulency.

Tim. Muft thou needs ftand for a villain in thine own work? Wilt thou whip thine own faults in other men? Do fo, I have gold for thee.

Poet. Nay, let's feek him.

Then do we fin against our own eftate,

When we may profit meet, and come too late.
Pain. I rue:

While the day ferves, before black-corner'd night,
Find what thou want'it, by free and offer'd light.
Come.

Tim I'll meet you at the turn.

What a God's gold, that he is worshipped
In bafer temples, than where Swine do feed!

'Tis thou that rigg'ft the bark, and plow'ft the foam, Settleft admired rev'rence in a flave.

To thee be Worthip, and thy faints for aye.

Be crown'd with plagues, that thee alone obey!

-'Tis fit I meet them.

Poet. Hail! worthy Timon.

Pain. Our late noble mafter.

Tim. Have I once liv'd to fee two honest men ? Poet. Sir, having often of your bounty tasted, Hearing you were retir'd, your friends fall'n off, Whofe thanklefs natures, (oh abhorred fpirits!)

Not all the whips of heav'n are large enough-
What! to you!

Whofe ftar-like nobleness gave life and influence
To their whole being! I am rapt, and cannot
Cover the monstrous bulk of this ingratitude
With any fize of words.

Tim. Let it go naked, men may fee't the better;
You that are honeft, by being what you are,
Make them best seen and known.

Pain. He, and myself,

Have travell'd in the great fhower of your gifts,
And fweetly felt it.

Tim. Ay, you're honest men..

Pain. We're hither come to offer you our service. Tim. Most honeft men! Why, how fhall I requite you?

Can you eat roots, and drink cold water? no.

Both. What we can do,
Tim. Y'are honest men.

gold;

I'm fure, you have.

we'll do, to do you fervice.

You've heard, that I have

Speak truth, y'are honest men.

Pain. So it is faid, my noble Lord, but therefore Came not my friend, nor I.

Tim. Good honeft man; thou draw'ft a counterfeit Beft in all Athens; thou'rt, indeed, the beft; Thou counterfeit'ft most lively.

Pain. So, fo, my Lord.

Tim. E'en fo, Sir, as I fay. And for thy fiction,

[To the Poet. Why, thy verfe fwells with ftuff fo fine and fmooth, That thou art even natural in thine art. But for all this, my honeft-natur'd friends, I must needs fay, you have a little fault;

6 Let it go naked, men may fee't the better: The humour of this reply is incomparable. It infinuates not only the higheft contempt of the flatterer in particular, but this ufeful leffon in

general, that the images of things are cleareft feen through a fimplicity of phrafe; of which in the words of the precept, and in thofe which occafion'd it, he has given us examples. WARB.

Mar

Marry, 'tis not monftrous in you; neither wish I,
You take much pains to mend.

Both. Befeech your Honour

To make it known to us.

Tim. You'll take it ill.

Both. Moft thankfully, my Lord.

Tim. Will you, indeed?

Both. Doubt it not, worthy Lord.

Tim. There's ne'er a one of you but trufts a knave, That mightily deceives you.

Both. Do we, my Lord?

Tim. Ay, and you hear him cogg, fee him diffemble, Know his grofs patchery, love him, and feed him; Keep in your bofom, yet remain affur'd,

That he's a made up villain.

Pain. I know none fuch, my Lord.

Poet. Nor I.

Tim. Look you, I love you well. I'll give you gold. Rid me thefe villains from your companies;

Hang them, or ftab them, drown them in a draught,
Confound them by fome course, and come to me,
I'll give you gold enough.

Both. Name them, my Lord, let's know them.
Tim. You that way, and you this.

company

Each man apart, all fingle and alone,
Yet an arch villain keeps him company.

8 But two in

If where thou art, two villains fhall not be,

[To the Painter.

Come not near him.-If thou wouldst not refide

But where one villain is, then him abandon.
Hence, pack, there's gold; ye came for gold, ye flaves.
You have work for me; there is your payment. Hence!
You are an Alchymift, make gold of that.

[Beating, and driving 'em out.

Out, rafcal dogs!

Enter Flavius and two Senators.

Flav. It is in vain that you would speak with Timon: For he is fet fo only to himfelf,

That nothing but himfelf, which looks like man,
Is friendly with him.

1 Sen. Bring us to his Cave.

It is our part and promise to th' Athenians
To fpeak with Timon.

2 Sen. At all times alike

Men are not ftill the fame; 'twas time and griefs That fram'd him thus. Time, with his fairer hand Offering the fortunes of his former days,

The former man may make him; bring us to him, And chance it as it may.

Flav. Here is his Cave,

Peace and Content be here. Lord Timon! Timon! Look out, and fpeak to friends. Th' Athenians By two of their most rev'rend fenate greet thee. Speak to them, noble Timon.

Enter Timon out of his Cave.

Tim. Thou Sun, that comfort'ft, burn!—Speak,
and be hang'd!

For each true word a blister, and each false
Be cauterizing to the root o'th' tongue,

Confuming it with speaking!

7

1 Sen. Worthy Timon,

-

Tim. Of none but fuch as you, and you of Timon. 2 Sen. The fenators of Athens greet thee, Timon.

And would fend them back

Could I but catch it for them.

1 Sen. O, forget

What we are forry for; ourselves, in thee.

The Senators, with one confent of love,

Intreat thee back to Athens; who have thought
On fpecial dignities, which vacant lie

For thy best use and wearing.

2 Sen. They confefs

Tow'rd thee forgetfulness, too general, grofs;
And now the publick body, which doth feldom
Play the recanter, feeling in itself

A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal
'Of its own Fall, restraining aid to Timon ;

And fends forth us to make their forrowed Tender, Together with a recompence more fruitful

3 Than their offence can weigh. Down by the dram, Ay, ev'n fuch heaps and fums of love and wealth, As fhall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs ;