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 framed 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. The Athenians
By two of their most reverend senate greet thee.
Speak to them, noble Timon.
Enter Timon out of his cave.
TIMON.
Thou sun that comforts, burn! Speak and be hanged!
For each true word, a blister, and each false
Be as a cantherizing 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.
[Aside.] 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 its own fall, 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 captainship, thou shalt be met with thanks,
Allowed 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 threatening 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-brained 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 gods,
As thieves to keepers.
FLAVIUS.
Stay not, all’s in vain.
TIMON.
Why, I was writing of my epitaph;
It will be seen tomorrow. 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 wrack,
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 pass 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.
[Aside.] 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.]
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