faft to the wolf. If thou wert the wolf, thy greediness would afflict thee; and oft thou shouldst hazard thy life for thy dinner. Wert thou the unicorn, pride and wrath would confound thee, and make thine own felf the conquest of thy fury. Wert thou a bear, thou wouldst be kill'd by the horse; wert thou a horse, thou wouldst be seiz'd by the leopard; wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion, and the spots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life. All thy safety were remotion, and thy defence abfence. What beast couldst thou be, that were not subject to a beast? and what a beaft art thou already, and seest not thy loss in transformation!

Apem. If thou couldst please me with speaking to me, thou might'st have hit upon it here. The Commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts.

Tim. How has the ass broke the wall, that thou art out of the City?

Apem. Yonder comes a Poet, and a Painter. The Plague of Company light upon thee! I will fear to catch it, and give way. When I know not what else to do, I'll fee thee again.

Tim. When there is nothing living but thee, thou shalt be welcome.

I had rather be a Beggar's dog, than Apemantus.
Apem. Thou art the cap of all the fools alive.
Tim. Would, thou wert clean enough to spit upon.
A plague on thee!

Apem. Thou art too bad to curse.

Tim. All villains, that do stand by thee, are pure. Apem. There is no leprosy but what thou speak'ft. Tim. If I name thee. - I'll beat thee; but I should

infect my hands.

Apem. I would my tongue could rot them off!
Tim. Away, thou issue of a mangy dog!

Choler does kill me, that thou art alive:
I fwoon to fee thee.

Apem.

01

10

Apem. 'Would, thou wouldst burst !

Tim. Away, thou tedious rogue, I am forry I shall

lose a stone by thee.

Apem. Beast!

20 Tim. Slave!

Apem. Toad!

Tim. Rogue! rogue! rogue!

[Apem. retreats backward, as going.

I am fick of this false world, and will love nought
But ev'n the mere neceffities upon it.
Then, Timon, presently prepare thy grave;
Lie where the light foam of the fea may beat
Thy grave-ftone daily; make thine epitaph;
That death in me at other's lives may laugh.
O thou fweet king-killer, and dear divorce

[Looking on the gold.

'Twixt natural fon and fire! thou bright defiler
Of Hymen's purest bed! thou valiant Mars!
Thou ever young, fresh, lov'd, and delicate wooer,
Whose blush doth thaw the confecrated snow,
That lies on Dian's lap! thou visible God,

- That fouldrest close impoffibilities,

And makst them kiss! that speak'st with every

tongue,

To every purpose! Oh, thou Touch of hearts!
Think, thy flave man rebels; and by thy virtue
Set them into confounding odds, that beasts

May have the world in empire.

Apem. 'Would 'twere fo,

But not 'till I am dead! I'll say, thou hast gold:

Thou wilt be throng'd to shortly.

Tim. Throng'd to?

Apem. Ay.

Tim. Thy back, I pr'ythee.

Apem. Live, and love thy misery!

Tim. Long live so, and so die! I am quit.

Apem. More things like men-Eat, Timon, and

abhor them.

[Exit Apem.

SCENE

1

Thief. W

SCENE VII.

Enter Thieves.

HERE should he have this gold? it is some poor fragment, some flender ort of his remainder: the mere want of gold, and the falling off of friends, drove him into this melancholy. 2 Thief. It is nois'd, he hath a mafs of treasure. 3 Thief. Let us make the assay upon him; if he care not for't, he will fupply us easily: if he covetously referve it, how shall's get it?

2 Thief. True; for he bears it not about him: 'tis hid.

1 Thief. Is not this he?

All. Where?

2 Thief. 'Tis his description.

3 Thief. He; I know him. All. Save thee, Timon.

Tim. Now, thieves.

All. Soldiers; not thieves.

Tim. Both too, and women's fons.

All. We are not thieves, but men that much do

want.

Tim. Your greatest want is, you want much of

meet.

Why should you want? behold, the earth hath roots;
Within this mile break forth an hundred springs;
The oaks bear masts, the briars scarlet hips:
The bounteous huswife nature on each bush
Lays her full mess before you. Want? why want?

1 Thief. We cannot live on grass, on berries, water, As beasts, and birds, and fishes.

Tim. Nor on the beasts themselves, the birds and fishes;

You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you con,
Tht you are thieves profest: that you work not
In holier shapes; for there is boundless theft

In

In limited professions. Rafcals, thieves,
Here's gold. Go, fuck the fubtle blood o'th' grape,
Till the high fever feeth your blood to froth,
And fo 'scape hanging. Trust not the physician,

d? His antidotes are poison, and he slays
der More than you rob, takes wealth and life together,
nd Do villany, do, fince you profess to do't,
cht Like workmen; I'll example you with thievery.
fur The Sun's a thief, and with his great attraction
Robs the vast Sea. The Moon's an arrant thief,
And her pale fire she snatches from the Sun.
* The Sea's a thief, whose liquid furge resolves
The Mounds into falt tears. The earth's a thief,
That feeds and breeds by a composture stoll'n
From gen'ral excrements: each thing's a thief.
The laws, your curb and whip, in their rough power
Have uncheck'd theft. Love not yourselves, away,
Rob one another, there's more gold; cut throats;
All that you meet are thieves: to Athens go,
Break open shops, for nothing can you steal
But thieves do lose it steal not lefs for what
I give, and gold confound you howsoever! Amen.

ch

S

an

ait

aD

[Exit.

3 Thief. Has almost charm'd me from my profeffion, by perfuading me to it.

1 Thief. 'Tis in the malice of mankind, that he thus advises us, not to have us thrive in our mystery. 2 Thief. I'll believe him as an enemy; and give over my trade.

* The Sea's a Thief, whose liquid furge refolves

The Moon into falt Tears. - The Sea melting the Moon into Tears, is, I believe, a Secret in Philofophy, which no body but Shakespear's deep Editors ever dream'd of. There is another Opinion, which 'tis more reasonable to believe that our Author may allude to; viz. that the Saltness of the Sea is caused by feveral Ranges, or Mounds of Rock-falt under Water, with which refolving Liquid the Sea was impregnated. This I think a fufficient Authority for changing Moon into Mounds.

I5

Warburton.

1 Thief.

1 Thief. * Let us first see peace in Athens.
2 Thief. There is no time so miferable, but a man

may be true.

ACT V.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.

H, you Gods!

Is yon despis'd and ruinous man my lord?

Full of decay and failing? oh, monument
And wonder of good deeds, evilly bestow'd!
What change of humour desp'rate want has made?
What viler thing upon the earth, than friends,
Who can bring noblest minds to basest ends?
How rarely does it meet with this time's guise,
When man was will'd to love his enemies:
Grant, I may ever love, and rather too,
Those that would mischief me, than those that woo!

H'as caught me in his eye, I will present
My honeft grief to him; and, as my lord,

Still ferve him with my life.

My dearest master!

Timon comes forward from his Cave.

Tim. Away! what art thou?

Flav. Have you forgot me, Sir?

Tim. Why doft thou ask That? I have forgot all

men.

Then, if thou grantest that thou art a man,
I have forgot thee.

* Let us first fee peace in Athens, &c.] This and the concluding little Speech have in all the Editions been placed to one Speaker: But, 'tis Evident, the latter Words ought to be put in the Mouth of the fecon d Thief, who is repenting, and leaving off his Trade.