As flept within the fhadow of your Power, 1 Sen. Noble and young, When thy first griefs were but a meer conceit, 2 Sen. So did we woo (32) Transformed Timon to our city's love By humble meffage, and by promis'd 'mends: 1 Sen. These walls of ours Were not erected by their hands, from whom 2 Sen. Nor are they living, Who were the motives that you first went out: So did we wooe (32)- Hath By humble Meffage, and by promis'd means:] Promis'd Means muft import a Supply of Substance, the recruiting his funk For tunes; but that is not all, in my Mind, that the Poet would aim at. The Senate had wooed him with humble Message, and Promise of general Reparation for their Injuries and Ingratitude. This seems included in the flight Change which f have made and by promis'd 'mends: and this Word, apoftrophe'd, or otherwise, is used in common with Amends. (33) Shame, that they wanted Cunning in Excess, Hath broke their Hearts.] i, e, in other Terms, -Shame, that they Hath brake their hearts. March on, oh, noble lord, If thy revenges hunger for that food Which nature loaths, take thou the deftin'd tenth : 1 Sen. All have not offended: For those that were, it is not fquare to take 2 Sen. What thou wilt, Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy fmile, I Sen. Set but thy foot Againft our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope: Or 2 Sen. Throw thy glove, any token of thine Honour elfe, That thou wilt ufe the wars as thy redress, And not as our confufion: all thy Powers Alc. Then there's my glove; they were not the cunning'ft Men alive, bath been the Caufe of their Death. For Cunning in Excefs must mean this or nothing. O brave Editors! They had heard it said, that too much Wit in fome Cafes might be dangerous, and why not an abfolute Want of it? But had they the Skill or Courage to remove one perplexing Comma, the easy and genuine Sense would immediately arife." Shame in Excefs (i. e. Extremity of "Shame) that they wanted Cunning (i. e. that they were not "wife enough not to banish you;) hath broke their Hearts.” Defcend, Defcend, and open your uncharged ports; Both. 'Tis moft nobly spoken. Alc. Defcend, and keep your words. Enter a Soldier. Sold. My noble General, Timon is dead; [Alcibiades reads the epitaph.] Here lies a wretched coarfe, of wretched foul bereft: These well exprefs in thee thy latter fpirits: Scorn'dft our brains' flow, and thofe our droplets, which Taught thee to make vast Neptune weep for aye Taught Hereafter more. -] All the Editors, in their Learning and Sagacity, have fuffer'd an unaccountable Abfurdity to pass them in this Paffage. Why was Neptune to weep on Timon's Faults forgiven? Or, indeed, what Faults had Timon committed, except against his own Fortune and happy Situation in Life? But the Corruption of the Text lies only in the bad Pointing, which Taught thee to make vaft Neptune weep for aye Is noble Timon, of whofe memory Hereafter more- -Bring me into your City, Make War breed Peace; make Peace ftint War; make each Prefcribe to other, as each other's Leach. Let our drums ftrike.. [Exeunt. I have difengag'd, and refter'd to the true Meaning. Alcibi ades's whole Speech, as the Editors might have obferv'd, is in Breaks, betwixt his Reflexions on Timon's Death, and his Addreffes to the Athenian Senators: and as foon as he has com mented on the Place of Timon's Grave, he bids the Senate set forward; tells 'em, he has forgiven their Faults; and promifes to use them with Mercy. |