Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up His country's peace. 2 Sen. And shakes his threat'ning sword Against the walls of Athens. 1 Sen. Therefore, Timon, Flav. Trouble him no further, thus you still shall find him. Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Athens, Timon hath made his everlasting mansion Upon the beached verge of the salt flood; Tim. Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir; Which once a day with his embossed froth Thus, If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, And take our goodly aged men by the beards, Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brain'd war; Then, let him know,-and tell him, Timon speaks 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 knives care not, While you have throats to answer: for myself, The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave you Flav. Stay not, all's in vain. Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph, It will be seen to-morrow; My long sickness Of 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. The turbulent surge shall cover; thither come, Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his 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 promises Present approach. 2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not Timon. Mess. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend; Tim. But yet I love my country; and am not Whom, though in general part we were oppos'd, 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 country Yet our old love made a particular force, 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. I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath. SCENE IV.-The woods. Timon's cave, and a 2 Sen. I like this well, he will return again. Tim. I have a tree, which grows here in my close, That mine own use invites me to cut down, tomb-stone seen. Enter a Soldier, seeking Timon. Sold. 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: 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 I'll take with wax: Our captain hath in every figure skill; SCENE V. Before the walls of Athens Alcib. Sound to this coward and lascivious town Our terrible approach. [A parley sounded. Enter Senators on the walls. Our sufferance vainly: Now the time is flush, 1 Sen. Noble, and young, When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit, 2 Sen. So did we woo Transformed Timon to our city's love, By humble message, and by promis'd means: 1 Sen. These walls of ours Were not erected by their hands, from whom You have receiv'd your griefs: nor are they such, That these great towers, trophies, and schools should fall For private faults in them. 2 Sen. Nor are they living, Who were the motives that you first went out; And by the hazard of the spotted die, 1 Sen. All have not offended; Which, in the bluster of thy wrath, must fall With those that have offended: like a shepherd, Approach the fold, and cull the infected forth, But kill not altogether. 2 Sen. What thou wilt, Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy smile, 1 Sen. Set but thy foot Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope; 2 Sen. Throw thy glove, Or any token of thine honour else, Alcib. Then there's my glove; Both. 'Tis most nobly spoken. The Senators descend, and open the gates. Enter a Soldier. Sold. My noble general, Timon is dead; Entomb'd upon the very hem o'the sea: And, on his grave stone, this insculpture; which With wax I brought away, whose soft impression Interprets for my poor ignorance. Alcib. [Reads. Here lies a wretched corse, of wretched soul bereft: Seek not my name: A plague consume you wicked caitiff's left! Here lie I Timon; who, alive, all living men did hate; Pass by, and curse thy fill; but pass, and stay not here thy gait. These well express in thee thy latter spirits: Though thou abhorr'dst in us our human griefs, Scorn'dst our brain's flow, and those our drop lets which From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit Prescribe to other, as each other's leech.- SCENE, partly in Rome; and partly in the territories of the Volscians and Antiates. SCENE I.-Rome. A street. ACT I. Enter a Company of mutinous Citizens, with staves, clubs, and other weapons. 1 Cit. Before we proceed any farther, hear me speak. Cit. Speak, speak. [Several speaking at once. 1 Cit. You are all resolved rather to die, than to famish? Cit. Resolved, resolved. Cit. No more talking on't; let it be done : away, away. 2 Cit. One word, good citizens. 1 Cit. We are accounted poor citizens; the patricians, good: What authority surfeits on, would relieve us; If they would yield us but the superfluity, while it were wholesome, we might guess, they relieved us humanely; but they think, we are too dear: the leanness that af flicts us, the object of our misery, is as an in 1 Cit. First you know, Caius Marcius is chief ventory to particularize their abundance; our enemy to the people. Cit. We know't, we know't. sufferance is a gain to them.-Let us revenge this with our pikes, ere we become rakes: for 1 Cit. Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at the gods know, I speak this in hunger for bread, our own price. Is't a verdict? 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 conscienc'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? Where go you With bats and clubs? The matter? Speak, I Men. Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbours, Will you undo yourselves? 1 Cit. We cannot, sir, we are undone already. Men. I tell you, friends, most charitable care Have the patricians of you. For your wants, Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well Strike at the heaven with your staves, as lift them Against the Roman state; whose course will on The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs Of more strong link asunder, than can ever Appear in your impediment: For the dearth, The gods, not the patricians, make it ; and Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack, You are transported by calamity Thither where more attends you; and you slander The helms o'the state, who care for you like fathers, When you curse them as enemies. 1 Cit. Care for us!-True, indeed!-They | ne'er cared for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and their store-houses crammed with grain; make edicts for usury, to support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome act established against the rich; and provide more piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and there's all the love they bear us. Men. Either you must Confess yourselves wondrous malicious, 1 Cit. Well, I'll hear it, sir: yet you must not think to fob off our disgrace with a tale: but, an't please you, deliver. Men. There was a time, when all the body's members Rebell'd against the belly; thus accus'd it :- struments Did see, and hear, devise, instruct, walk, feel, 1 Cit. Well, sir, what answer made the belly? Men. Sir, I shall tell you.-With a kind of smile, Which ne'er came from the lungs, but even thus, 1 Cit. Your belly's answer: What! Men. What then? Which you do live upon and fit it is; And, through the cranks and offices of man, me, 1 Cit. Ay, sir; well, well. Men. Though all at once cannot See what I do deliver out to each; Yet I can make my audit up, that all From me do back receive the flower of all, And leave me but the bran. What say you to't? 1 Cit. It was an answer: How apply you this? Men. The senators of Rome are this good belly, And you the mutinous members: For examine Their counsels, and their cares; digest things rightly, Touching the weal o'the common; you shall find, No public benefit which you receive, But it proceeds, or comes, from them to you, And no way from yourselves.-What do you think? Which would increase his evil. He, that depends Upon your favours, swims with fins of lead, And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang ye! Trust ye? With every minute you do change a mind; And call him noble, that was now your hate, Him vile, that was your garland. What's the matter, That in these several places of the city You cry against the noble senate, who, Men. For corn at their own rates; whereof, they say, The city is well stor❜d. Mar. Hang 'em! They say? They'll sit by the fire, and presume to know What's done i'the Capitol : who's like to rise, Who thrives, and who declines: side factions, and give out Conjectural marriages: making parties strong, Would the nobility lay aside their ruth, Men. Nay, these are almost thoroughly persuaded; For though abundantly they lack discretion, Yet are they passing cowardly. But, I beseech you, What says the other troop? Mar. They are dissolv'd: Hang 'em! They said, they were an-hungry; sigh'd forth proverbs ; That, hunger broke stone walls; that, dogs must eat; That, meat was made for mouths; that, the gods sent not Corn for the rich men only :-With these shreds They vented their complainings; which being answer'd, And a petition granted them, a strange one, (To break the heart of generosity, And make bold power look pale,) they threw their caps As they would hang them on the horns o'the moon, Shouting their emulation. Men. What is granted them? Mar. Five tribunes, to defend their vulgar Of their own choice: One's Junius Brutus, Men. This is strange. |