That the whole life of Athens were in this!
Thus would I eat it.

Apem. Here; I will mend thy feast,

[Eating a root.

[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.

Apein. 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?

Tim. To sauce thy dishes.

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; 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. Dost hate a medlar ?

Tim. Ay, though it look like thee.

thou

Apem. An thou hadst hated medlers sooner, 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, 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?

[1] For too much finical delicacy.

WARBURTON.

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.

:

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 breakfast to the wolf: if thou wert the wolf, thy greediness 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 might'st 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 Ape

mantus.

Apem. Thou art the cap of all the fools alive.*

Tim. 'Would thou wert clean enough, to spit upon.
Apem. A plague on thee, thou art too bad to curse.
Tim. All villains, that do stand by thee, are pure.

[2] The account given of the unicorn is this: that he and the lion being enemies by nature, as soon as the lion sees the unicorn, he betakes himself to a tree: the unicorn in his fury, and with all the swiftness of his course, running at him, sticks his horn fast in the tree, and then the lion falls upon him, and kills him. Gesner's Hist. Animal. See note on Julius Cæsar, p. 29, n. 1. HANMER.

[3] This seems to be an allusion to the Turkish policy:

"Bears, like the Turk, no brother near the throne."---Pope. STEEVENS. [4] The top the principal. The remaining dialogue has more malignity than wit. JOHNSON.

Apem. There is no leprosy but what thou speak'st.
Tim. If I name thee.-

I'll beat thee,-but I should infect my hands.

Apem. I would, my tongue could rot them off!
Tim. Away, thou issue of a mangy dog!

Choler does kill me, that thou art alive;

I swoon to see thee.

Apem. 'Would thou wouldst burst!
Tim. Away,

Thou tedious rogue! I am sorry, I shall lose

A stone by thee.

Apem. Beast!

Tim. Slave!

Apem. Toad!

Tim. Rogue, rogue, rogue!

[Throws a stone at him.

[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,
That solder'st close impossibilities,

And make them kiss! that speak'st with every tongue,

To every purpose! O thou touch of hearts !

Think, thy slave man rebels; and by thy virtue

Set them into confounding odds, that beasts

May have the world in empire!

Apem. 'Would 'twere so ;

But not till I am dead!--I'll say, thou hast gold:

Thou wilt be throng'd to shortly.

Tim. Throng'd to?

Apem. Ay.

Tim. Thy back, I pr'ythee.

Apem. Live, and love thy misery!

Tim. Long live so, and so die !-I am quit. [Exit APEм.

[5] The imagery is here exquisitely beautiful and sublime.

阎

Touch for touchstone. STEEVENS.

WARBURTON.

-More things like men ?-Eat, Timon, and abhor them. Enter Thieves.

1 Thief. Where should he have this gold? It is some poor fragment, some slender ort of his remainder: The mere want of gold, and the falling-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.

Thieves. We are not thieves, but men that much do want. Tim. Your greatest want is, you want much of meat. Why should you want? Behold, the earth hath roots ;7 Within this mile break forth a hundred springs : The oaks bear mast, 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,

That you are thieves profess'd; that you work not

In holier shapes for there is boundless theft.

:

In limited professions. Rascal thieves,

Here's gold Go, suck the subtle blood of the grape,
'Till the high fever seeth your blood to froth,
And so 'scape hanging: trust not the physician;
His antidotes are poison, and he slays

More than you rob: take wealth and lives together;
Do villany, do, since you profess to do't,
Like workmen. I'll example you with thievery :

"Vile olus, et duris hærentia mora rubetis,

Pugnantis stomachi composuere famem:

Flumine vicino stultus sitit."

I do not suppose these to be imitations, but only to be similar thoughts on similar orcasions.

JOHNSON.

The sun's a thief, and with his great attraction
Robs the vast sea: the moon's an arrant thief,
And her pale fire she snatches from the sun :
The sea's a thief, whose liquid surge resolves
The moon into salt tears: the earth's a thief,
That feeds and breeds by a composture stolen
From general excrement: each thing's a thief;
The laws, your curb and whip, in their rough power
Have uncheck'd theft. Love not yourselves; away;
Rob one another. There's more gold: Cut throats;
All that you meet are thieves: To Athens, go,
Break open shops; nothing can you steal,
But thieves do lose it: Steal not less, for this
I give you; and gold confound you howsoever!
Amen.
[TIMON retires to his cave.
3 Thief. He has almost charmed me from my profession,
by persuading me to it.

1 Thief. 'Tis in the malice of mankind, that he thus advises us; not to have us thrive in our mystery.

2 Thief. I'll believe him as an enemy, and give over my trade.

1 Thief. Let us first see peace in Athens: There is no time so miserable, but a man may be true. [Exe. Thieves. Enter FLAVIUS.

Flav. O you gods!

Is yon despis'd and ruinous man my lord?
Full of decay and failing? O monument
And wonder of good deeds evilly bestow'd!
What an alteration of honour has

Desperate want made !9

What viler thing upon the earth, than friends,
Who can bring noblest minds to basest ends!
How rarely does it meet with this time's guise,
When man was wish'd to love his enemies :"
Grant, I may ever love, and rather woo

Those that would mischief me, than those that do !'
He has caught me in his eye: I will present
My honest grief unto him; and, as my lord,

Still serve him with my life.-My dearest master!

[9] An alteration of honour is an alteration of an honourable state to a state of dis grace. JOHNSON. [1] Rarely for fitly; not for seldom. WARBURTON. [2] Wish'd means here recommended. REED. [3] The sense is, Let me rather woo or caress those that would mischief, that profess to mean me mischief, than those that really do me mischief, under false professions of kindness. The Spaniards, I think, have this proverb; " Defend me from my friends, and from my enemies I will defend myself." This proverb is a sufficient comment on the passage. JOHNSON