Which once a day with his emboffed froth
The turbulent furge fhall cover; thither come,
And let my grave-stone 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,

1 Sen. His difcontents are unremovably Coupled to 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.

Sen. It requires fwift foot.

SCENE IV. The Walls of Athens.

[Exeunt.

Enter two other Senators, with a Messenger.

1 Sen. Thou haft painfully discover'd; are his files As full as thy report?

Mef. I have spoke the leaft:

Befides, his expedition promifes
Prefent approach.

2 Sen We ftand 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 From Alcibiades to Timon's cave,

[riding

With letters of entreaty, which imported
His fellowship i' the 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 fcouring. Doth choke the air with duft: In, and prepare; Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes the fnare. [Exeunt.

SCENE V. Changes to the Wood,

Enter a Soldier, fecking TIMON,

Sol. By all defcription, this fhould be the place. Who's here? fpeak, ho!-No anfwer?-What is this?

Timon is dead, who hath out-ftretch'd his fpan: Some beaft read this; there does not live a man, 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, though young in days:
Before proud Athens he's fet down by this,
Whofe fall the mark of his ambition is.

[Exit.

SCENE VI. Before the Walls of Athens.

Trumpets found. Enter ALCIBIADES, with his Powers, Alc. Sound 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 fcope of justice; 'till now, myself, and fuch As flept within the fhadow of your power,

Have

Aay Have wander'd with our traverst arms, and breath'd Our fufferance vainly: Now the time is flush, When crouching narrow, in the bearer strong, Cries, of itself, No more: now breathless wrong Shall fit and pant in your great chairs of eafe; And purfy infolence fhall break his wind, With fear, and horrid flight.

1 Sen. Noble, and young,.

When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit,
Ere thou hadst power, or we had cause to fear,
We fent to thee; to give thy rages balm,
To wipe out our ingratitudes with loves
Above their quantity.

2 Sen. So did we woo

Transformed Timon to our city's love,
By humble meffage, and by promis'd means;
We were not all unkind, nor all deferve
The common ftroke of war.

1 Sen. Thefe walls of ours,

Were not erected by their hands, from whom
You have receiv'd your grieves: nor are they fuch,
That thefe great towers, trophies, and fchools
For private faults in them.
[fhould fail

2-Sen. Nor are they living,

Who were the motives that you first went out;
Shame, that they wanted cunning, in excels
Hath broke their hearts. March, ncble lord,
Into our city with thý banners fpread:
By decimation, and a tithed death
(If thy revenges hunger for that food,
Which nature loaths), take thou the dettin'd tenth;
And by the hazard of the fpotted die,
Let die the spotted.

1 Sen. All have not offended;

For

For those that were it is not fquare, to take,
On thofe that are, revenges; crimes, like lands,
Are not inherited. Then, dear countryman,
Bring in thy ranks, but leave without thy rage:
Spare thy Athenian cradle, and thofe kin,
Which in the bluster of thy wrath, must fall
With those that have offended: like a fhepherd,
Approach the fold, and cull the infected forth,
But kill not altogether.

2 Sen. What thou wilt,

Thou rather fhalt enforce it with thy fmile,
Than hew to't with thy fword.

1 Sen. Set but thyfoot

Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope;
So thou wilt fend thy gentle heart before,
To fay thou'lt enter friendly.

Or

2 Sen. Throw thy glove,

any token of thine honour elle,

That thou wilt ufe the wars as thy redress,

And not as our confufion, all thy powers
Shall make their harbour in our town, 'till we
Have feal'd thy full defire.

Alc. Then there's my glove;

Defcend, and open your uncharged ports?
Thofe enemies of Timon's, and mine own,
Whom you yourselves shall set out for reproof,
Fall, and no more: and,-to atone your fears
With my more noble meaning,-not a man
Shall pais his quarter, or offend the stream
Of regular juftice in your city's bounds,
But fhall be remedy'd by your public laws
At heaviest answer.

Both. 'Tis moft nobly spoken.

Alc. Defcend, and keep your words.

Enter

Enter a Soldier.

Sol. My noble general, Timon is dead; Entomb'd upon the very hem o' the fea : And, on his grave-ftone, this infculpture; which With wax I brought away, whofe foft impreffion Interpreteth for my poor ignorance.

[ALCIUIADES reads the Epitaph.]

Here lies a wretched corfe, of wretched foul bereft : Seek not my name: A plague confume you wicked caitiffs left!

Here lie I Timon; who, alive, all living men did hate? Pafs by, and curfe thy fill; but pafs, and ftay not here thy gait.

Thefe well exprefs in thee thy latter fpirits: Though thou abhor'dft in us our human griefs, Scorn'dft our brains flow, and those our droplets which

From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit
Taught thee to make vaft Neptune weep for aye.
On thy low grave.-On:-Faults forgiven.--Dead
Is noble Timon; of whofe memory

Hereafter more.-Bring me into your city.
And I will ufe the olive with my fword:
Make war breed peace; make peace flint war;