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Look out, and speak to friends. The Athenians,
By two of their most reverend senate, greet thee:
Speak to them, noble Timon.

Enter TIMON, from his cave.

Tim. Thousun, that comfort'st, burn! Speak,
and be hang'd:
136

For each true word, a blister! and each false
Be as a cauterizing to the root o' the tongue,
Consuming it with speaking!

First Sen.
Worthy Timon,—
Tim. Of none but such as you, and you of
Timon.
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Sec. Sen. The senators of Athens greet thee,
Timon.

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In pity of our aged and our youth

180

I cannot choose but tell him, that I care not, And let him take 't at worst; for their knives care not

Tim. I thank them; and would send them While you have throats to answer: for myself, back the plague,

Could I but catch it for them.

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152

A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal
Of its own fail, restraining aid to Timon;
And send forth us, to make their sorrow'd
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 block out what wrongs were
theirs,

And write in thee the figures of their love,
Ever to read them thine.

Tim.
You witch me in it; 160
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 sena-
tors.

First Sen. Therefore so please thee to return
with us,
164

And of our Athens-thine and ours-to take
The captainship, thou shalt be met with thanks,
Allow'd with absolute power, and thy good

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There's not a whittle in the unruly camp

But I do prize it at my love before

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The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave

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Sec. Sen. And enter in 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 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.

208

Sec. Sen. I like this well; he will return again.
Tim. 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, 212

Therefore, Timon,- 172

Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree, From high to low throughout, that whoso please

To stop affliction, let him take his haste,

Doth choke the air with dust. In, and prepare: Ours is the fall, I fear; our foes the snare.

17

[Exeunt.

rude Tomb seen.

Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe, 216 SCENE III.-The Woods. TIMON's Cave, and a
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,

224

Timon hath made his everlasting mansion 220
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 grave-stone 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.
First Sen. His discontents are unremovably
Coupled to nature.

Sec. Sen. Our hope in him is dead: let us return,

And strain what other means is left unto us 232
In our dear peril.
First Sen.

It requires swift foot. [Exeunt.

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Enter a Soldier, seeking TIMON.

Sold. 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

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[A parley sounded.

Enter Senators, on the Walls.

Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the time
With all licentious measure, making your wills 4
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

Whom, though in general part we were op- Shall sit and pant in your great chairs of ease, pos'd,

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And made us speak like friends: this man was riding

From Alcibiades to Timon's cave,

With letters of entreaty, which imported

And pursy insolence shall break his wind
With fear and horrid flight.
First Sen.
Noble and young,

12

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,

His fellowship i' the cause against your city, 12 To wipe out our ingratitude with loves
In part for his sake mov'd.

First Sen.

Above their quantity.

Sec. Sen.

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So did we woo Transformed Timon to our city's love By humble message and by promis'd means: 20 Third Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of We were not all unkind, nor all deserve

Here come our brothers.

Enter Senators from TIMON.

him expect.

The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scouring

The common stroke of war. First Sen.

These walls of ours

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40

For those that were, it is not square to take 36
On those 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 those kin
Which in the bluster of thy wrath must fall
With those that have offended: like a shepherd,
Approach the fold and cull th' infected forth,
But kill not all together.

Sec. Sen.
What thou wilt,
Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy smile
Than hew to't with thy sword.

44

First Sen. Set but thy foot Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope, So thou wilt send thy gentle heart before, 48 To say thou'lt enter friendly. Sec. Sen.

Throw thy glove, Or any token of thine honour else, That thou wilt use the wars as thy redress And not as our confusion, all thy powers Shall make their harbour in our town, till we Have seal'd thy full desire.

52

Alcib. Then there's my glove; Descend, and open your uncharged ports:

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SCENE.-During a great part of the Play, at Rome; afterwards, Sardis and near Philippi.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Rome. A Street.

Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and certain

Commoners.

Flav. Thou art a cobbler, art thou?

Sec. Com. Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl: I meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor women's matters, but with awl. I am, indeed, sir, a surgeon to old shoes; when they are

Flav. Hence! home, you idle creatures, get in great danger, I recover them. As proper men you home:

Is this a holiday? What! know you not,
Being mechanical, you ought not walk
Upon a labouring day without the sign

4

Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou?
First Com. Why, sir, a carpenter.

Mar. Where is thy leather apron, and thy
rule?

What dost thou with thy best apparel on?
You, sir, what trade are you?

8

Second Com. Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as you would say, a cobbler. Mar. But what trade art thou? Answer me directly.

12

Sec. Com. A trade, sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles.

Mar. What trade, thou knave? thou naughty knave, what trade? 16

Sec. Com. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you. Mar. What meanest thou by that? Mend me, thou saucy fellow!

Sec. Com. Why, sir, cobble you.

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as ever trod upon neat's leather have gone upon my handiwork.

29

Flav. But wherefore art not in thy shop today?

Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? Sec. Com. Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into more work. But, indeed, sir, we make holiday to see Cæsar and to rejoice in his triumph.

Mar. Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?

36

What tributaries follow him to Rome
To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels?
You blocks, you stones, you worse than sense-
less things!

O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, 40
Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements.
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops.
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The livelong day, with patient expectation, 45
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome:
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have you not made a universal shout,

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