Act V.]

TIMON OF ATHENS.

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Who, like a boar too savage, doth root upHis country’s peace.

2 Sen. And shakes his threat’ning swordAgainst the walls of Athens.

1 Sen. Therefore, Timon,—

Tim. Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir;Thus,—

If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,

Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,

That—Timon cares not. But if lie sack fairAthens ,

And take our goodly aged men by the beards,Giving our holy virgins to the stainOf contumelious, beastly, mad-brain’d war ;Then, let him know,—and tell him, Timonspeaks it,

In pity of our aged, and our youth,

I cannot choose but tell him, that—I care not,And let him take’t at worst; for their knivescare not,

While you have throats to answer: for myself,There’s not a whittle in the unruly camp,

But I do prize it at my love, before

The reverend’st throat in Athens . So I leave you

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,

It will be seen to-morrow ; My long sicknessOf health, and living, now begins to mend,

And nothing brings me all things. Go, live still;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 notOne that rejoices in the common wreck,

As common bruit doth put it.

1 Sen. That’s well spoke.

Tim. Commend me to my loving country-men,—

1 Sen. These words become your lips as they

pass through them.

2 Sen. And enter in our ears like great tri-

umphers

In their applauding gates.

Tim.. Commend me to them ;

And tell them, that, to ease them of their griefs,Their fears of hostile strokes, their aches, losses,Their pangs of love, with other incident throesThat nature’s fragile vessel doth sustainIn life’s uncertain voyage, I will some kindnessdo them:

I’ll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades ’ wrath.2 Sen. I like this well, he will return again.Tim. I have a tree, which grows here in myclose,

That mine own use invites me to cut down,And shortly must I fell it; Tell my friends,Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree,

From high to low throughout, that whoso pleaseTo stop affliction, let him take his haste,

Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe,

And hang himself:—I pray you, do my greeting.

Flav. Trouble him no further, thus you stillshall find him.

Tim. Come not to me again : but say to Athens ,Timon hath made his everlasting mansionUpon the beached verge of the salt flood;Which once a day with his embossed frothThe turbulent surge shall cover ; thither come,And let my grave-stone be your oracle.—

Lips, let sour words go by, and language end:What is amiss, plague and infection mend !Graves only be men’s works ; and death, theirgain!

Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done hisreign. \Fxit Timon.

1 Sen. Ilis discontents are unremoveablyCoupled to nature.

2 Sen. Our hope in him is dead : let us return,And strain what other means is left unto us

In our dear peril.

1 Sen. It requires swift foot. ^Exeunt.

SCENE III.— The walls of Athens .

Enter two Senators, and a Messenger.

1 Sen. Thou hast painfully discover’d; are

his files

As full as thy report ?

Mess. I have spoke the least:

Besides, his expedition promisesPresent approach.

2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring

not Timon.

Mess. I met a courier, one mine ancientfriend;—

Whom, though in general part we were oppos’d,Yet our old love made a particular force,

And made us speak like friends:—this man wasriding

From Alcibiades to Timon’s cave,

With letters of entreaty, which importedHis fellowship i’the cause against your city,

In part for his sake mov’d.

Enter Senators from Timon.

1 Sen. Here come our brothers.

3 Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him ex-

pect.—

The enemies’ drum is heard, and fearful scouringDoth 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 atomb-stone seen.

Enter a Soldier, seeking Timon.

Sold. Byall description this should be theplace.Who’s here ? speak, ho!—No answer ?—Whatis this ?

Timon is dead, who hath outstretch’d his span :Some beast rear’d this; there does not live a man.Dead, sure ; and this his grave.—

What’s on this tomb I cannot read; the character