And write in thee the figures of their love, Tim. You witch me in it, Surprize me to the very brink of tears. 1 Sen. Therefore so please thee to return with us, Who, like a boar too favage, doth root up 2 Sen. And shakes his threatning fword Against the walls of Athens. Sen. Therefore, Timon Tim. Well, Sir, I will. Therefore I will, Sir. ThusIf Alcibiades kill my countrymen, Let Alcibiades know this of Timon, That-Timon cares not. But if he fack fair Athens, Of contumelious, beaftly, mad-brain'd war; I cannot chufe but tell him, that-I care not. 4 Allow'd with a folute power,] This is neither Engih nor fenfe. We should read, Hallow'd with abfolute power, i. e. Thy perfon fhall be held facred. For abfolute power being an attribute of the Gods, the ancients thought that he who had it in fociety, was become facred, and his perfon inviolable: On which account, the Romans cal WARBURTON. Allowed is licensed, privilezed, controlled. So of a Buffoon in Love's Labour loft, it is faid, that he is allowed, that is, at liberty to fay what he will, a privi leged fcoffer. But But I do prize it at my love, before The reverend'ft throat in Athens. So I leave you As thieves to keepers. Flav. Stay not. All's in vain. Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph, It will be feen to-morrow. *My long fickness Of health and living now begins to mend, And nothing brings me all things. Go, live ftill: 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 noɛ 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 pafs 'thro' them. 2 Sen. And enter in our ears, like great triumphers In their applauding gates. Tim. Commend me to them, And tell them, that to ease them of their griefs, In life's uncertain voyage, I will do Some kindness to them, I'll teach them to prevent 2 Sen. I like this well, he will return again. My long fickness] The difeafe of life begins to promife me a period. 5-in the fequence of degree,] Methodically, from highest to lowest. To To ftop affliction, let him take his Haste; Tim. Come not to me again, but fay to Athens, Lips, let four words go by, and language end: What is amifs, plague and infection mend! Graves only be mens' works, and death their gain! Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his Reign. [Exit Timon. 1 Sen. His difcontents are unremoveably coupled to his nature. 2 Sen. Our hope in him is dead. Let us return, And ftrain what other means is left unto us Sen. SCENE IV. Changes to the Walls of Athens. [Exeunt. Enter two ather Senators, with a Messenger. HOU haft painfully difcover'd; are his THO files As full as thy report? 6. In our dear peril. So the Felis, and rightly. The Oxford Editor alters dear to dread, Not knowing that dear, in the language of that time, fignified dread, and is fo ufed by Shakefear in numberlefs places. WARBURTON. Be 7 Befides, his expedition promises Prefent Approach. 2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not Timon. Mef. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend; Who, though in general part we were oppos'd, 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 intreaty, which imported His fellowship i'th' Caufe against your City, part for his fake mov'd. In Enter the other Senators. 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 choak the air with duft. In, and prepare; Ours is the fall, I fear, our foe's the fnare. [Exeunt: Sol. SCENE V. Changes to the Woods. Enter a Soldier, feeking Timon. Timon is dead, who hath out-ftretch'd his span; 7 Some beaft read this; here dres not live a man.] Some beaft read what? The foldier had yet only feen the rude pile of earth heap'd up for Timon's grave, and not the Infcription upon it. VOL. VI. We fhould read, Dead, Some beast REAR'D this;~~ The foldier feeking, by order, for Timon, fees fuch an irregular mole, as he concludes must have been the workmanship of fome S 8 beaft Dead, fure, and this his grave; what's on this tomb SCENE [Exit. VI. Before the Walls of Athens. Trumpets found. Enter Alcibiades with his Powers. Alc. OUND to this coward and lafcivious town Our terrible Approach. [Sound a parley. The Senators appear upon the walls. 'Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the time With all licentious measure, making your wills The scope of juftice. 'Till now my felf, and fuch As flept within the fhadow of your Power, Have wander'd with our traverft arms, and breath'd Our fufferance vainly. Now the time is flufh, When crouching marrow in the bearer ftrong beaft inhabiting the woods; and fuch a cavity, as either muft have been fo, over-arched, or happened by the cafual falling in of the ground. WARBURTON. Notwithstanding this remark, I believe the old reading to be the right. The foldier had only Jeen the rude heap of earth. He had evidently feen fomething that told him Timen was dead; and what could tell that but his tomb? The tomb he fees, and the infcription upon it, which not being able to read, and finding none to read it for him, he exclaims peevishly, fome beast read this, for it must be read, happened by the cafual falling in of the ground. WARB. Notwithstanding this wafpifh remark, I believe the old reading to be the right. The foldier Cries, and in this place it cannot be read by man. There is fomething elaborately unfkilful in the contrivance of fending a foldier, who cannot read, to take the epitaph in wax, only that it may close the play by being read with more folemnity in the laft fcene. 8 -traverst arms,-] Arms acrofs. 9 the time is flush.] A bird is flush when his feathers are grown, and he can leave the nett. Flush is mature. When crouching marrow in the bearer frong Cries, of itself, no more:] The mar |
