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 Suspect still comes where an estate is least. For any benefit that points to me, Either in hope, or present, I'd exchange For this one wish, That you had power and wealth To requite me, by making rich yourself. Tim. Look thee, 'tis so!-Thou singly honest man, Here take:-the gods out of my misery Have sent thee treasure. Go, live rich, and happy : What thou deny'st to men; let prisons swallow them, And so, farewell, and thrive. O, let me stay, Those that would mischief me, than those that do! And may diseases lick up their false bloods! And comfort you, my master. Then I know thee not: I ne'er had honest man Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st Flav. I beg of you to know me, good my lord, To accept my grief, and while this poor wealth lasts, To entertain me as your steward still. Tim. Had I a steward so true, so just, and now So comfortable? It almost turns My dangerous nature wild. Let me behold Methinks, thou art more honest now, than wise; If not a usuring kindness; and as rich men deal gifts, Expecting in return twenty for one? Flav. No, my most worthy master, in whose breast Doubt and suspect, alas, are plac'd too late: You should have fear'd false times, when you did feast: (1) An alteration of honour is an alteration of an honourable state to a state of disgrace. (2) How happily. (3) Recommended. ACT V. SCENE I-The same. Before Timon's cave. Enter Poet and Painter; Timon behind, unseen. Pain. As I took note of the place, it cannot be far where he abides. Poet. What's to be thought of him? Does the rumour hold for true, that he is so full of gold? Prin. Certain: Alcibiades reports it; Phrynia and Timandra had gold of him: he likewise enrich'd poor straggling soldiers with great quantity: 'Tis said, he gave unto his steward a mighty sum. Poet. Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his friends. Pain. Nothing else; you shall see him a palm in Athens again, and flourish with the highest. Therefore, 'tis not amiss, we tender our loves to him, in this supposed distress of his: it will show honestly in us; and is very likely to load our purposes with what they travel for, if it be a just and true report that goes of his having. Poet. What have you now to present unto him? Pain. Nothing at this time but my visitation: only I will promise him an excellent piece. Poet. I must serve him so too; tell him of an intent that's coming toward him. Pain. Good as the best. Promising is the very air o'the time: it opens the eyes of expectation: performance is ever the duller for his act; and, but in the plainer and simpler kind of people, the deed of saying is quite out of use. To promise is most courtly and fashionable: performance is a kind of will and testament, which argues a great sickness in his judgment that makes it. Tim. Excellent workman! Thou canst not paint a man so bad as is thyself. Poet. I am thinking, what I shall say I have provided for him: It must be a personating of himself: a satire against the softness of prosperity; with a discovery of the infinite flatteries that follow youth and opulency. (4) Away from human habitation. (5) The doing of that we said we would do. Tim. Must thou needs stand for a villain in thine] own work? Wilt thou whip thine own faults in other men? Do so, I have gold for thee. Poet. Nay, let's seek him: Then do we sin against our own estate, When the day serves, before black-corner'd night, Tim. I'll meet you at the turn. What a god's gold, That he is worshipp'd in a baser temple, Than where swine feed! Know his gross patchery, love him, feed him, Pain. I know none such, my lord. Nor I. Tim. Look you, I love you well; I'll give you gold, 'Tis thou that rigg'st the bark, and plough'st the Confound them by some course, and come to me, foam; Settlest admired reverence in a slave: To thee be worship! and thy saints for aye Poet. Hail, worthy Timon! [Advancing. Our late noble master. Tim. Have I once liv'd to see two honest men? Poet. Sir, Having often of your open bounty tasted, Whose star-like nobleness gave life and influence Tim. Let it go naked, men may see't the better: Pain. He, and myself, Have travell'd in the great shower of your gifts, And sweetly felt it. Tim. Ay, you are honest men. Pain. We are hither come to offer you our service. Tim. Most honest men! Why, how shall I re quite you! Can you eat roots, and drink cold water? no. Both. What we can do, we'll do, to do you service. Tim. You are honest men: You have heard that I have gold; I am sure you have: speak truth: you are honest men. Pain. So it is said, my noble lord: but therefore Came not my friend, nor I. Tim. Good honest men :-Thou draw'st a counterfeit1 Best in all Athens: thou art, indeed, the best! I'll give you gold enough. Both. Name them, my lord, let's know them. Tim. You that way, and you this, but two in company: Each man apart, all single and alone, [To the Painter. Come not near him.-If thou would'st not reside [To the Poet. But where one villain is, then him abandon. Hence! pack! there's gold, ye came for gold, ye slaves: You have done work for me, there's payment: You are an alchymist, make gold of that:- [Exit, beating and driving them out. SCENE II.-The same. Enter Flavius, and two • Senators. Flav. It is in vain that you would speak with For he is set so only to himself, Bring us to his cave: 2 Sen. Flav. Here is his cave.Peace and content be here! Lord Timon! Timon! Look out, and speak to friends: The Athenians, By two of their most reverend senate, greet thee: Speak to them, noble Timon. Will you, indeed? What we are sorry for ourselves in thee. Both. Doubt it not, worthy lord. (1) A portrait was so called. Entreat thee back to Athens; who have thought 2 Sen. They confess, A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal Tim. You witch me in it; Their pangs of love, with other incident throes In life's uncertain voyage, I will some kindness do I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath. Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Athens, And shakes his threat'ning sword Coupled to nature. If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, Let Alcibiades know, this of Timon, That-Timon cares not. But if he sack fair Athens, Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brain'd war, 1 Sen. It requires swift foot. [Exeunt 1 Sen. Thou hast painfully discover'd ; are his files Then, let him know,-and tell him Timon speaks it, Besides, his expedition promises In pity of our aged, and our youth, I cannot choose but tell him, that-I care not, But I do prize it at my love, before Present approach. 2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not Timon. Mess. I met a courier, once mine ancient friend ;Whom, though in general part we were oppos'd, Yet our old love made a particular force, The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave you And made us speak like friends:-this man was 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, And last so long enough! 1 Sen. 1 Sen. 2 Sen. And enter in our ears like great triumphers riding From Alcibiades to Timon's cave, 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. Sol. 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: (5) He means the disease of life begins to promise me a period. (6) Report, rumour. (7) Methodically, from highest to lowest. Dead, sure; and this his grave.— So thou wilt send thy gentle heart before, What's on this tomb I cannot read; the character To say, thoul't enter friendly. I'll take with wax. Enter Senators on the walls. Till now you have gone on, and filled the time Our sufferance vainly: Now the time is flush,2 1 Sen. 2 Sen. So did we woo Transformed Timon to our city's love, By humble message, and by promis'd means;3 1 Sen. These walls of ours For private faults in them. By decimation, and a tithed death, (If thy revenges hunger for that food, 2 Sen. Throw thy glove; Or any token of thine honour else, Alcib. Those enemies of Timon's and mine own, Both. The Senators descend, and open the gates. Enter Sold. My noble general, Timon is dead; Alcib. [Reads.] Here lies a wretched corse, of Seek not my name: A plague consume you wicked cailiff's left! Here lie I Timon; who, alive, all living men did hate: Pass by, and curse thy fill; but pass, and stay not These well express in thee thy latter spirits: which From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit Hereafter more. Bring me into your city, Prescribe to other, as each other's leech." Which nature loaths,) take thou the destined tenth; Let our drums strike. And by the hazard of the spotted die, Let die the spotted. 1 Sen. All have not offended; For those that were, it is not square,4 to take, 2 Sen. 1 Sen. Set but thy foot Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope; (1) Arms across. (2) Mature. (3) i. e. By promising him a competent subsis tence. VOL. II. [Exeunt. The play of Timon is a domestic tragedy, and therefore strongly fastens on the attention of the reader. In the plan there is not much art, but the incidents are natural, and the characters various and exact. The catastrophe affords a very powerful warning against that ostentatious liberality, which scatters bounty, but confers no benefits, and buys flattery, but not friendship. In this tragedy, are many passages perplexed, obscure, and probably corrupt, which I have endeavoured to rectify, or explain with due diligence; but having only one copy, cannot promise myself that my endeavours shall be much applauded. JOHNSON. 2 Cit. One word, good citizens. scienc'd men can be content to say, it was for his country, he did it to please his mother, and to be partly proud; which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue. 2 Cit. What he cannot help in his nature, you account a vice in him: You must in no way say, he is covetous. 1 Cit. If I must not, I need not be barren of accusations; he hath faults, with surplus, to tire in repetition. [Shouts within.] What shouts are these? The other side o'the city is risen: Why stay we prating here? to the Capitol. Cit. Come, come. 1 Cit. Soft; who comes here? Enter Menenius Agrippa. 2 Cit. Worthy Menenius Agrippa; one that hath always loved the people. 1 Cit. He's one honest enough; 'Would, all the rest were so! Men. What work's, my countrymen, in hand? 1 Cit. We are accounted poor citizens: the patricians, good: What authority surfeits on, would relieve us; If they would yield us but the super-With bats and clubs? The matter? Speak, I pray fluity, while it were wholesome, we might guess, you. they relieved us humanely; but they think, we are 1 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the senate; too dear: the leanness that afflicts us, the object they have had inkling, this fortnight, what we inof our misery, is as an inventory to particularize tend to do, which now we'll show 'em in deeds. their abundance; our sufferance is a gain to them.-They say, poor suitors have strong breaths; they Let us revenge this with our pikes, ere we become shall know, we have strong arms too. rakes: for the gods know, I speak this in hunger Men. Why, masters, my good friends, mine for bread, not in thirst for revenge. 2 Cit. Would you proceed especially against Caius Marcius? Cit. Against him first; he's a very dog to the commonalty. 2 Cit. Consider you what services he has done for his country? 1 Cit. Very well; and could be content to give him good report for't, but that he pays himself with being proud. 2 Cit. Nay, but speak not maliciously. 1 Cit. I say unto you, what he hath done famously, he did it to that end: though soft-con(2) Thin as rakes. (1) Rich. honest neighbours, 1 Cit. We cannot, sir, we are undone already. Thither where more attends you; and you slander |