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

1 Sen. Bring us to his Cave. It is our part and promise to th' Athenians To speak with Timon.

2 Sen. At all times alike Men are not still the same ; '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.

Flav. Here is his Cave:
Peace and Content be here, Timon ! Timon !
Look out, and speak to Friends : Th' Athenians
By two of their most reverend Senate greet thee;
Speak to them, Noble Timon.

Enter Timon out of his Cave.
Tim. Thou Sun that comfort burn,
Speak and be hang’d:
For each true Word a Blister, and each false
Be as a Cauterizing to the root o'th' Tongue.
Consuming it with speaking.

1 Sen. Worthy Timon.

Tim. Of none but such as you, And you of Timon.

Sen. The Senators of Athens greet thee, Timon.
Tim. I thank them,
And would send them back the Plague,
. Could I but catch it for them.

I Sen. O forget
What we are sorry for our selves in thee :
The Senators, with one consent of love,
Intreat thee back to Athens, who have thought
On special Dignities, which vacant lye
For thy best use and wearing.

2 Sen. They confess
Toward thee, forgetfulness too general gross,
Which now the publick Body, which doth seldom
Play the Recanter, feeling in it self
A lack of Timon's Aid, hath Sence withal
Of it's own fall, restraining Aid to Timon,

And sends forth us to make their forrowed render,
Together with a Recompence more fruitful
Than their Offence can weigh down by the Dram,
Ay, cven such heaps and sums of Love and Wealth,
As Thall to thee blot out what Wrongs were theirs,
And write in thee the Figures of their Love,
Even 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 Senators.

I 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, Allowed with abfolure Power, and thy good Name Live with Authority; fo foon we shall drive back Of Alcibiades the approaches wild, Who like a Boar too savage, dorh root up His Country's Peace.

2 Sen. And shakes his chreatning Sword Against the Wall's of Athens.

I 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. But if he fack fair Athens, And take our goodly aged Men by th'Beards, Giving our Holy Virgins to the stain 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 chufe but tell him that I care nor, And let him take't átworft; for their Knives care not, While you have Throats to anfwer. 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 ió Athens. So I leave you To the Protection of the prosperous Gods, As Thieves to Keepers.

Flav. Stay not, att'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.

I Sen. We speak in vain.

Tim. But yet I love my Country, and am not
One that rejoices in the common wrack,
As common Brute doth put it.

1 Sen. That's well spoke.
Tim. Commend me to my loving Countrymen.

I Sen. These Words become your Lips, as they pass thro' them.

2 Sen. And enter into 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 Strokes, their Aches, Losses, Their pangs of Love, with other incident throws That Nature's fragile Vessel doth sustain In Life's uncertain Voyage, I will some kindness do them, I'll 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 Clofe,
That mine own use invites me to cut down,
And shortly must I fell it. Tell

Tell my Friends,
Tell Athens, in the frequence of degree,
From high to low throughout, that whoso please
To stop Affli&ion, let him take his hafte ;
Come hither e'er my Tree hath felt the Ax,
And hang himself. I pray you do my greeting.

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 Everlafting Manfion
Upon the beached Verge of the falt Flood,
Which once a Day with his embossed Froth
The turbulent Surge fhall cover ; thither come,
And let my Grave«ftone be your :

L 3

I.ips,

your Oracle ;

Lips, let four words go by, and Language end:
What is amiss, Plague and Infe&ion mend.
Graves only be Mens Works, and Death their Gain,
Sun, hide thy Beams, Timon hath done his Reign.

[Exit Timon. į Sen. His Discontents are unremoveably coupled to Nature.

2. Sen. Our hope in him is dead; let us return, And strain what other means is left unto us In our dead peril. i Sen. It requires swift foot.

[Excunt.
Enter two other Senators, with a Messenger.
I Sen. Thou hast painfully discover'd; are his Files
As full as they report?

Mes. I have spoke the least.
Besides, his Expedition promises present approach.

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

Mes. I met a Courier, one mine ancient Friend,
Whom though in general part we were opposid,
Yet our old love made a particular force,
And made us speak like Friends. This Man was riding
From Alcibiades to Timon's Cave,
With Letters of Intreaty, which imported
His Fellowship i'th'cause against your City,
In part for his fake mov'd.

Enter the other Senators.
I Sen. Here come our Brothers,

3 Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expe&,
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 Snare. [Exeunt.

Enter a Soldier in the Woods, seeking Timon.
Sol. By all Description this should be the Place.
Who's here? Speak ho.No answer? What is this?.--

?
Timon is dead, who hath out-stretcht his Span,
Some Beast read 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,
An aged Interpreter, tho' young in Days:

Before

Before proud Athens he's set down by this,
Whose Fall the mark of his Ambition is.'

[Exit SCENE II. The Walls of Athens, . Trumpers found. Enter Alcibiades with his Powers.

Alc. Sound to this coward and lascivious Town, Our terrible approach.

[Sound a Parley. The Senators appear upon the Walls. Till now you have gone on, and filled the time With all licentious Measure, making your Wills The scope of Justice. 'Till now my self, and fuch As slept within the shadow of your Power, Have wander'd with our traverst Arms, and breath'd Our sufferance vainly. Now the time is Aush, When crouching Marrow in the bearer strong Cries, of it self, no more: Now breathless wrong, Shall fit and

pant

in

your great Chairs of ease, And purfy Infolence shall break his Wind With fear and horrid flight.

I Sen. Noble and young;
When thy first Griefs were but a meer Conceit,
E’er thou hadft Power, or we had cause to fear,
We sent to thee, to give thy Rages Balm,
To wipe out our Ingratitude, with Loves
Above their quantity.

2 Sen. So did we woo
Transformed Timon to our City's Love
By humble Message, and by promis'd Means:
We were not all unkind, nor all deserve
The common stroke of War.

I Sen. These Walls of ours
Were not erected by their Hands, from whom
You have receiv'd your Grief : 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,
Shame, that they wanted Cunning in excess,
Hath broke their Hearts. March, Noble Lord,

I a

Into