The Life Of Timon Of Athens

1 Enter Flavius and two Senators.
2 FLAVIUS.
3 It is vain that you would speak with Timon.
4 For he is set so only to himself
5 That nothing but himself which looks like man
6 Is friendly with him.
7 FIRST SENATOR.
8 Bring us to his cave.
9 It is our part and promise to th’ Athenians
10 To speak with Timon.
11 SECOND SENATOR.
12 At all times alike
13 Men are not still the same: ’twas time and griefs
14 That framed him thus. Time, with his fairer hand,
15 Offering the fortunes of his former days,
16 The former man may make him. Bring us to him
17 And chance it as it may.
18 FLAVIUS.
19 Here is his cave.
20 Peace and content be here! Lord Timon! Timon,
21 Look out and speak to friends. The Athenians
22 By two of their most reverend senate greet thee.
23 Speak to them, noble Timon.
24 Enter Timon out of his cave.
25 TIMON.
26 Thou sun that comforts, burn! Speak and be hanged!
27 For each true word, a blister, and each false
28 Be as a cantherizing to the root o’ th’ tongue,
29 Consuming it with speaking.
30 FIRST SENATOR.
31 Worthy Timon—
32 TIMON.
33 Of none but such as you, and you of Timon.
34 FIRST SENATOR.
35 The senators of Athens greet thee, Timon.
36 TIMON.
37 [_Aside_.] I thank them and would send them back the plague,
38 Could I but catch it for them.
39 FIRST SENATOR.
40 O, forget
41 What we are sorry for ourselves in thee.
42 The senators with one consent of love
43 Entreat thee back to Athens, who have thought
44 On special dignities, which vacant lie
45 For thy best use and wearing.
46 SECOND SENATOR.
47 They confess
48 Toward thee forgetfulness too general gross,
49 Which now the public body, which doth seldom
50 Play the recanter, feeling in itself
51 A lack of Timon’s aid, hath sense withal
52 Of its own fall, restraining aid to Timon,
53 And send forth us to make their sorrowed render,
54 Together with a recompense more fruitful
55 Than their offence can weigh down by the dram,
56 Ay, even such heaps and sums of love and wealth,
57 As shall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs,
58 And write in thee the figures of their love,
59 Ever to read them thine.
60 TIMON.
61 You witch me in it,
62 Surprise me to the very brink of tears.
63 Lend me a fool’s heart and a woman’s eyes
64 And I’ll beweep these comforts, worthy senators.
65 FIRST SENATOR.
66 Therefore so please thee to return with us,
67 And of our Athens, thine and ours, to take
68 The captainship, thou shalt be met with thanks,
69 Allowed with absolute power, and thy good name
70 Live with authority. So soon we shall drive back
71 Of Alcibiades th’ approaches wild,
72 Who like a boar too savage doth root up
73 His country’s peace.
74 SECOND SENATOR.
75 And shakes his threatening sword
76 Against the walls of Athens.
77 FIRST SENATOR.
78 Therefore, Timon—
79 TIMON.
80 Well, sir, I will. Therefore I will, sir, thus:
81 If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,
82 Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,
83 That Timon cares not. But if he sack fair Athens
84 And take our goodly aged men by th’ beards,
85 Giving our holy virgins to the stain
86 Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brained war,
87 Then let him know, and tell him Timon speaks it,
88 In pity of our aged and our youth,
89 I cannot choose but tell him that I care not;
90 And—let him take’t at worst—for their knives care not
91 While you have throats to answer. For myself,
92 There’s not a whittle in th’ unruly camp
93 But I do prize it at my love before
94 The reverend’st throat in Athens. So I leave you
95 To the protection of the prosperous gods,
96 As thieves to keepers.
97 FLAVIUS.
98 Stay not, all’s in vain.
99 TIMON.
100 Why, I was writing of my epitaph;
101 It will be seen tomorrow. My long sickness
102 Of health and living now begins to mend
103 And nothing brings me all things. Go, live still,
104 Be Alcibiades your plague, you his,
105 And last so long enough.
106 FIRST SENATOR.
107 We speak in vain.
108 TIMON.
109 But yet I love my country and am not
110 One that rejoices in the common wrack,
111 As common bruit doth put it.
112 FIRST SENATOR.
113 That’s well spoke.
114 TIMON.
115 Commend me to my loving countrymen.
116 FIRST SENATOR.
117 These words become your lips as they pass through them.
118 SECOND SENATOR.
119 And enter in our ears like great triumphers
120 In their applauding gates.
121 TIMON.
122 Commend me to them,
123 And tell them that to ease them of their griefs,
124 Their fears of hostile strokes, their aches, losses,
125 Their pangs of love, with other incident throes
126 That nature’s fragile vessel doth sustain
127 In life’s uncertain voyage, I will some kindness do them;
128 I’ll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades’ wrath.
129 FIRST SENATOR.
130 [_Aside_.] I like this well, he will return again.
131 TIMON.
132 I have a tree which grows here in my close
133 That mine own use invites me to cut down,
134 And shortly must I fell it. Tell my friends,
135 Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree
136 From high to low throughout, that whoso please
137 To stop affliction, let him take his haste,
138 Come hither ere my tree hath felt the axe
139 And hang himself. I pray you do my greeting.
140 FLAVIUS.
141 Trouble him no further; thus you still shall find him.
142 TIMON.
143 Come not to me again, but say to Athens
144 Timon hath made his everlasting mansion
145 Upon the beached verge of the salt flood,
146 Who once a day with his embossed froth
147 The turbulent surge shall cover; thither come,
148 And let my gravestone be your oracle.
149 Lips, let sour words go by, and language end:
150 What is amiss, plague and infection mend;
151 Graves only be men’s works and death their gain,
152 Sun, hide thy beams, Timon hath done his reign.
153 [_Exit Timon into his cave._]
154 FIRST SENATOR.
155 His discontents are unremovably
156 Coupled to nature.
157 SECOND SENATOR.
158 Our hope in him is dead. Let us return
159 And strain what other means is left unto us
160 In our dear peril.
161 FIRST SENATOR.
162 It requires swift foot.
163 [_Exeunt._]