Timon of Athens Part 13

[To the PAINTER] You have work for me; there's payment; hence!

[To the POET] You are an alchemist; make gold of that.- Out, rascal dogs! [Beats and drives them out]

Enter FLAVIUS and two SENATORS

FLAVIUS. It is vain that you would speak with Timon; For he is set so only to himself That nothing but himself which looks like man Is friendly with him.

FIRST SENATOR. Bring us to his cave.

It is our part and promise to th' Athenians To speak with Timon.

SECOND SENATOR. 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.

FLAVIUS. Here is his cave.

Peace and content be here! Lord Timon! Timon!

Look out, and speak to friends. Th' Athenians By two of their most reverend Senate greet thee.

Speak to them, n.o.ble Timon.

Enter TIMON out of his cave

TIMON. Thou sun that comforts, 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!

FIRST SENATOR. Worthy Timon- TIMON. Of none but such as you, and you of Timon.

FIRST SENATOR. The senators of Athens greet thee, Timon.

TIMON. I thank them; and would send them back the plague, Could I but catch it for them.

FIRST SENATOR. O, forget What we are sorry for ourselves in thee.

The senators with one consent of love Entreat thee back to Athens, who have thought On special dignities, which vacant lie For thy best use and wearing.

SECOND SENATOR. They confess Toward thee forgetfulness too general, gross; Which now the public body, which doth seldom Play the recanter, feeling in itself A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal Of it own fail, restraining aid to Timon, And send forth us to make their sorrowed render, Together with a recompense more fruitful Than their offence can weigh down by the dram; Ay, even such heaps and sums of love and wealth As shall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs And write in thee the figures of their love, Ever to read them thine.

TIMON. You witch me in it; Surprise 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.

FIRST SENATOR. Therefore so please thee to return with us, And of our Athens, thine and ours, to take The captains.h.i.+p, thou shalt be met with thanks, Allow'd with absolute power, and thy good name Live with authority. So soon we shall drive back Of Alcibiades th' approaches wild, Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up His country's peace.

SECOND SENATOR. And shakes his threat'ning sword Against the walls of Athens.

FIRST SENATOR. Therefore, Timon- TIMON. 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 sack 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 choose 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 myself, There's not a whittle in th' unruly camp But I do prize it at my love before The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave you To the protection of the prosperous G.o.ds, As thieves to keepers.

FLAVIUS. Stay not, all's in vain.

TIMON. 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!

FIRST SENATOR. We speak in vain.

TIMON. But yet I love my country, and am not One that rejoices in the common wreck, As common bruit doth put it.

FIRST SENATOR. That's well spoke.

TIMON. Commend me to my loving countrymen- FIRST SENATOR. These words become your lips as they pa.s.s through them.

SECOND SENATOR. And enter in our ears like great triumphers In their applauding gates.

TIMON. Commend me to them, And tell them that, to ease them of their griefs, Their fears of hostile strokes, their aches, losses, Their pangs of love, with other incident throes 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.

FIRST SENATOR. I like this well; he will return again.

TIMON. I have a tree, which grows here in my close, That mine own use invites me to cut down, And shortly must I fell it. Tell my friends, Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree From high to low throughout, that whoso please To stop affliction, let him take his haste, Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe, And hang himself. I pray you do my greeting.

FLAVIUS. Trouble him no further; thus you still shall find him.

TIMON. Come not to me again; but say to Athens Timon hath made his everlasting mansion Upon the beached verge of the salt flood, Who once a day with his embossed froth The turbulent surge shall cover. Thither come, And let my gravestone be your oracle.

Lips, let sour words go by and language end: What is amiss, 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 into his cave FIRST SENATOR. His discontents are unremovably Coupled to nature.

SECOND SENATOR. Our hope in him is dead. Let us return And strain what other means is left unto us In our dear peril.

FIRST SENATOR. It requires swift foot. Exeunt

SCENE II.

Before the walls of Athens

Enter two other SENATORS with a MESSENGER

FIRST SENATOR. Thou hast painfully discover'd; are his files As full as thy report?

MESSENGER. I have spoke the least.

Besides, his expedition promises Present approach.

SECOND SENATOR. We stand much hazard if they bring not Timon.

MESSENGER. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend, Whom, though in general part we were oppos'd, Yet our old love had a particular force, And made us speak like friends. This man was riding From Alcibiades to Timon's cave With letters of entreaty, which imported His fellows.h.i.+p i' th' cause against your city, In part for his sake mov'd.

Enter the other SENATORS, from TIMON

FIRST SENATOR. Here come our brothers.

THIRD SENATOR. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect.

The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scouring Doth choke the air with dust. In, and prepare.

Ours is the fall, I fear; our foes the snare. Exeunt

SCENE III.

The TIMON's cave, and a rude tomb seen

Enter a SOLDIER in the woods, seeking TIMON

SOLDIER. By all description this should be the place.

Who's here? Speak, ho! No answer? What is this?

Timon is dead, who hath outstretch'd his span.

Some beast rear'd this; here 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 ag'd interpreter, though young in days; Before proud Athens he's set down by this, Whose fall the mark of his ambition is. Exit

SCENE IV.

Before the walls of Athens

Trumpets sound. Enter ALCIBIADES with his powers before Athens

ALCIBIADES. 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 fill'd the time With all licentious measure, making your wills The scope of justice; till now, myself, and such As slept within the shadow of your power, Have wander'd with our travers'd arms, and breath'd Our sufferance vainly. Now the time is flush, When crouching marrow, in the bearer strong, Cries of itself 'No more!' Now breathless wrong Shall sit and pant in your great chairs of ease, And pursy insolence shall break his wind With fear and horrid flight.

FIRST SENATOR. n.o.ble and young, When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit, Ere thou hadst power or we had cause of fear, We sent to thee, to give thy rages balm, To wipe out our ingrat.i.tude with loves Above their quant.i.ty.

SECOND SENATOR. 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.