You are an Alchymift, make gold of that:

Out, rafcal dogs!

[Beating, and driving 'em out.

would fpeak with Timon:

Enter Flavius and two Senators.

Fla. It is in vain that you

For he is fet fo only to himself,

That nothing but himself, which looks like man,
Is friendly with him.

1 Sen. Bring us to his Cave.

It is our part and promife to th' Athenians
To fpeak with Timon.

2 Sen. At all times alike

Men are not ftill the fame; 'twas time and griefs
That fram'd him thus. Time, with his fairer hand
Offering the fortunes of his former days,

The former man may make him; bring us to him,
And chance it as it may.

Fla. Here is his Cave:

Peace and Content be here, lord Timon! Timon!
Look out, and fpeak to friends, th' Athenians
By two of their most rev'rend fenate greet thee;
Speak to them, noble Timon.

Enter Timon out of his Cave.

Tim. Thou Sun, that comfort'ft, burn!

Speak, and be hang'd;

For each true word a blifter, and each false
Be cauterizing to the root o'th' tongue,
Confuming it with speaking!

1 Sen. Worthy Timon,

Tim. Of none but fuch as you,

and you

of Timon.

And would fend them back the

2 Sen. The fenators of Athens greet thee, Timon.

Tim. I thank them.

plague,

Could I but catch it for them.

1 Sen. O, forget

What we are forry for our felves, in thee:

The Senators, with one confent of love,

Intreat thee back to Athens; who have thought

On fpecial dignities, which vacant lie

For

For thy best use and wearing.

2 Sen. They confefs

Tow'rd thee forgetfulness, too general, grofs;

Which now the publick body, (which doth feldom
Play the recanter) feeling in it felf

A lack of Timon's aid, hath fenfe withal
Of its own Fall, restraining aid to Timon;
And fends forth us to make their forrowed Tender,
Together with a recompence more fruitful

Than their offence can weigh down by the dram;
Ay, ev'n fuch heaps and fums of love and wealth,
As hall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs ;
And write in thee the figures of their love,
Ever to read them thine.

Tim. You witch me in it,

Surprize me to the very brink of tears:
Lend me a fool's heart, and a woman's eyes,
And I'll beweep these comforts, worthy fenators.

1 Sen. Therefore so please thee to return with us,
And of our Athens, thine and ours, to take
The Captainship: thou shalt be met with thanks,
Allow'd with abfolute power, and thy good name
Live with authority: foon we shall drive back
Of Alcibiades th' approaches wild,

Who, like a boar too favage, doth root up
His country's peace.

2 Sen. And Thakes his threatning fword Against 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. If he fack fair Athens,
And take our goodly aged men by th' beards,
Giving our holy virgins to the ftain

Of contumelious, beaftly, mad-brain'd war ;
Then let him know, and tell him, Timon speaks it;
In pity of our aged, and our youth,

I cannot chufe 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 my felf,
There's not a whittle in th' unruly camp,
But I do prize it at my love, before
The reverend'ft throat in Athens. So I leave
To the protection of the profp'rous Gods,
As thieves to keepers.

Fla. Stay not, all's in vain.

you

Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph,
It will be seen to morrow. My long fickness
Of health and living now begins to mend,
And nothing brings me all things. Go, live ftill;
Be Alcibiades your plague; you his;
And laft fo long enough!

1 Sen. We speak in vain.

Tim. But yet I love my Country, and am not One that rejoices in the common wreck,

As common Bruite doth put it.

1 Sen. That's well spoke.

Tim. Commend me to my loving countrymen.

1 Sen. These words become your lips, as they pass thro' them.

2 Sen. And enter in our ears, like great triumphers In their applauding gates.

Tim. Commend me to them,

And tell them, that to ease them of their griefs,
Their fears of hoftile ftrokes, their aches, loffes,
Their pangs of love, with other incident Throes,
That nature's fragile veffel doth sustain

In life's uncertain voyage, I will do

Some kindness to them, 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 my Close, That mine own ufe invites me to cut down,

And fhortly muft I fell it. Tell my friends,
Tell Athens, in the frequence of degree,
From high to low throughout, that whofo please
To ftop affliction, let him take his Hafte;
Come hither, ere my Tree hath felt the ax,
And hang himself-I pray you, do my Greeting.

Fla.

Fla. Vex him no further, thus you ftill fhall find him. Tim. Come not to me again, but fay to Athens, Timon hath made his everlaiting manfion

Upon the beached verge of the falt flood;
Which once a-day with his emboffed froth
The turbulent furge fhall cover: Thither come,
And let my grave-ftone be your oracle.
Lips, let four words go by, and language end:
What is amifs, plague and infection mend!
Graves only be men's works, and death their gain!
Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his Reign.
[Exit Timon.
1 Sen. His difcontents are unremoveably coupled to

his nature.

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

In our dear peril.

1 Sen. It requires swift foot.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the Walls of Athens.

Enter two other Senators, with a Messenger.

Sen, HOU haft painfully discover'd; are his files As full as thy report?

T

Mef. I have spoke the least. Befides, his expedition promises

Prefent Approach.

2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not Timon.

Mef. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend;

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

And made us fpeak like friends. This man was riding
From Alcibiades to Timon's Cave,

With letters of intreaty, which imported

His fellowship i'th' Caufe against your City,
In part for his fake mov❜d,

Enter

Enter the other Senators.

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 choak the air with duft. In, and prepare; Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes the fnare.

Exeunt.

Enter a Soldier in the woods, feeking Timon. Sol. By all Description this fhould be the place. Who's here? fpeak, ho. No answer?

What is this?

Timon is dead, who hath out-ftretch'd his span;
Some beaft rear'd this; here does not live a man. (31)
Dead, fure, 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,
An ag'd interpreter, tho' young in days:
Before proud Athens he's fet down by this,
Who's Fall the mark of his ambition is.

SCENE, before the Walls of Athens.

[Exit.

Trumpets found. Enter Alcibiades with his Powers.

Alc.

OOUND to this coward and lafcivious town
Our terrible Approach.

[Sound a parley. The Senators appear upon the walls. "Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the time With all licentious measure, making your wills The scope of juftice. 'Till now my felf, and fuch

(31) Some beast read this: here does not live a Man.] Some Beaft read what? The Soldier had yet only feen the rude Pile of Earth heap'd up for Timon's Grave, and not the Infcription upon it. My Friend Mr. Warburton ingeniously advis'd me to amend the Text, as I have done. The Soldier, feeking by Order for Timon, fees fuch an irregular Mole, as he concludes muft have been the Workmanship of fome Beaft inhabiting the Woods; and fuch a Cavity, as either muft have been fo over arch'd, or happen'd by the cafual Falling in of the Ground.

As