THE LIFE OF TIMON OF ATHENS

Act 4 Scene 3

(Enter Timon from his cave in the woods, half naked, and with a spade)
l1l	Timon	 O blessèd breeding sun, draw from the earth
l2l		Rotten humidity# below thy sister’s orb
l3l		Infect the air. Twinned brothers of one womb,
l4l		Whose procreation, residence, and birth
l5l		Scarce is dividant, touch them with several fortunes,
l6l		The greater scorns the lesser. Not nature,
l7l		To whom all sores lay siege, can bear great fortune
l8l		But by contempt of nature.
l9l		It is the pasture lards the brother’s sides,
l10l		The want that makes him lean.
l11l		Raise me this beggar and demit that lord,
l12l		The senator shall bear contempt hereditary,
l13l		The beggar native honour. Who dares, who dares
l14l		In purity of manhood stand upright
l15l		And say “This man’s a flatterer”? If one be,
l16l		So are they all, for every grece of fortune
l17l		Is smoothed by that below. The learnèd pate
l18l		Ducks to the golden fool. All’s obliquy#
l19l		There’s nothing level in our cursèd natures
l20l		But direct villainy. Therefore be abhorred
l21l		All feasts, societies, and throngs of men.
l22l		His semblable, yea, himself, Timon disdains.
l23l		Destruction fang mankind. Earth, yield me roots.
		(He digs)
l24l		Who seeks for better of thee, sauce his palate
l25l		With thy most operant poison.
		(He finds gold)
		 What is here?
l26l		Gold? Yellow, glittering, precious gold?
l27l		No, gods, I am no idle votarist:
l28l		Roots, you clear heavens. Thus much of this will make
l29l		Black white, foul fair, wrong right,
l30l		Base noble, old young, coward valiant.
l31l		Ha, you gods! Why this, what, this, you gods? Why, this
l32l		Will lug your priests and servants from your sides,
l33l		Pluck stout men’s pillows from below their heads.
l34l		This yellow slave
l35l		Will knit and break religions, bless th’ accursed,
l36l		Make the hoar leprosy adored, place thieves,
l37l		And give them title, knee, and approbation
l38l		With senators on the bench. This is it
l39l		That makes the wappered widow wed again.
l40l		She whom the spittle house and ulcerous sores
l41l		Would cast the gorge at, this embalms and spices
l42l		To th’ April day again. Come, damnèd earth,
l43l		Thou common whore of mankind, that puts odds
l44l		Among the rout of nations# I will make thee
l45l		Do thy right nature.
		(March afar off)
		 Ha, a drum! Thou’rt quick#
l46l		But yet I’ll bury thee.
		(He buries gold)
		 Thou’lt go, strong thief,
l47l		When gouty keepers of thee cannot stand.
		(He keeps some gold)
l48l		Nay, stay thou out for earnest.
		(Enter Alcibiades, with soldiers playing drum and fife, in warlike manner; and Phrynia and Timandra)
		
	Alcibiades	 What art thou there? Speak.
l49l	Timon	A beast, as thou art. The canker gnaw thy heart
l50l		For showing me again the eyes of man.
l51l	Alcibiades	What is thy name? Is man so hateful to thee
l52l		That art thyself a man?
l53l	Timon	I am Misanthropos, and hate mankind.
l54l		For thy part, I do wish thou wert a dog,
l55l		That I might love thee something.
	Alcibiades	I know thee well,
l56l		But in thy fortunes am unlearned and strange.
l57l	Timon	I know thee too, and more than that I know thee
l58l		I not desire to know. Follow thy drum.
l59l		With man’s blood paint the ground gules, gules.
l60l		Religious canons, civil laws, are cruel#
l61l		Then what should war be? This fell whore of thine
l62l		Hath in her more destruction than thy sword,
l63l		For all her cherubin look.
	Phrynia	Thy lips rot off!
l64l	Timon	I will not kiss thee# then the rot returns
l65l		To thine own lips again.
l66l	Alcibiades	How came the noble Timon to this change?
l67l	Timon	As the moon does, by wanting light to give.
l68l		But then renew I could not like the moon#
l69l		There were no suns to borrow of.
l70l	Alcibiades	Noble Timon, what friendship may I do thee?
l71l	Timon	None but to maintain my opinion.
l72l	Alcibiades	What is it, Timon?
l73l	Timon	 Promise me friendship, but perform none. If thou
l74l		wilt promise, the gods plague thee, for thou art a man. If
l75l		thou dost not perform, confound thee, for thou art a
l76l		man.
l77l	Alcibiades	 I have heard in some sort of thy miseries.
l78l	Timon	Thou saw’st them when I had prosperity.
l79l	Alcibiades	I see them now# then was a blessèd time.
l80l	Timon	As thine is now, held with a brace of harlots.
l81l	Timandra	Is this th’ Athenian minion, whom the world
l82l		Voiced so regardfully?
	Timon	Art thou Timandra?
l83l	Timandra	Yes.
l84l	Timon	Be a whore still. They love thee not that use thee.
l85l		Give them diseases, leaving with thee their lust.
l86l		Make use of thy salt hours: season the slaves
l87l		For tubs and baths, bring down rose-cheeked youth
l88l		To the tub-fast and the diet.
	Timandra	Hang thee, monster!
l89l	Alcibiades	Pardon him, sweet Timandra, for his wits
l90l		Are drowned and lost in his calamities.
l91l		I have but little gold of late, brave Timon,
l92l		The want whereof doth daily make revolt
l93l		In my penurious band. I have heard and grieved
l94l		How cursèd Athens, mindless of thy worth,
l95l		Forgetting thy great deeds, when neighbour states
l96l		But for thy sword and fortune trod upon them—
l97l	Timon	I prithee, beat thy drum and get thee gone.
l98l	Alcibiades	I am thy friend, and pity thee, dear Timon.
l99l	Timon	How dost thou pity him whom thou dost trouble?
l100l		I had rather be alone.
	Alcibiades	Why, fare thee well.
l101l		Here is some gold for thee.
	Timon	Keep it. I cannot eat it.
l102l	Alcibiades	When I have laid proud Athens on a heap—
l103l	Timon	Warr’st thou ’gainst Athens?
	Alcibiades	Ay, Timon, and have cause.
l104l	Timon	The gods confound them all in thy conquest,
l105l		And thee after, when thou hast conquerèd.
l106l	Alcibiades	Why me, Timon?
	Timon	That by killing of villains
l107l		Thou wast born to conquer my country.
l108l		Put up thy gold.
		(He gives Alcibiades gold)
		 Go on# here’s gold# go on.
l109l		Be as a planetary plague when Jove
l110l		Will o’er some high-viced city hang his poison
l111l		In the sick air. Let not thy sword skip one.
l112l		Pity not honoured age for his white beard#
l113l		He is an usurer. Strike me the counterfeit matron#
l114l		It is her habit only that is honest,
l115l		Herself’s a bawd. Let not the virgin’s cheek
l116l		Make soft thy trenchant sword# for those milk paps
l117l		That through the window-bars bore at men’s eyes
l118l		Are not within the leaf of pity writ#
l119l		But set them down horrible traitors. Spare not the babe
l120l		Whose dimpled smiles from fools exhaust their mercy.
l121l		Think it a bastard whom the oracle
l122l		Hath doubtfully pronounced thy throat shall cut,
l123l		And mince it sans remorse. Swear against objects.
l124l		Put armour on thine ears and on thine eyes
l125l		Whose proof nor yells of mothers, maids, nor babes,
l126l		Nor sight of priests in holy vestments bleeding,
l127l		Shall pierce a jot. There’s gold to pay thy soldiers.
l128l		Make large confusion, and, thy fury spent,
l129l		Confounded be thyself. Speak not. Be gone.
l130l	Alcibiades	Hast thou gold yet? I’ll take the gold thou giv’st me,
l131l		Not all thy counsel.
l132l	Timon	Dost thou or dost thou not, heaven’s curse upon thee!
l133l	Phrynia And Timandra	Give us some gold, good Timon. Hast thou more?
l134l	Timon	Enough to make a whore forswear her trade,
l135l		And to make wholesomeness a bawd. Hold up, you sluts,
l136l		Your aprons mountant.
		(He throws gold into their aprons)
		 You are not oathable,
l137l		Although I know you’ll swear, terribly swear,
l138l		Into strong shudders and to heavenly agues
l139l		Th’ immortal gods that hear you. Spare your oaths#
l140l		I’ll trust to your conditions. Be whores still,
l141l		And he whose pious breath seeks to convert you,
l142l		Be strong in whore, allure him, burn him up.
l143l		Let your close fire predominate his smoke#
l144l		And be no turncoats. Yet may your pain-sick months
l145l		Be quite contrary, and thatch your poor thin roofs
l146l		With burdens of the dead—some that were hanged,
l147l		No matter. Wear them, betray with them# whore still#
l148l		Paint till a horse may mire upon your face.
l149l		A pox of wrinkles!
	Phrynia And Timandra	Well, more gold# what then?
l150l		Believe ’t that we’ll do anything for gold.
l151l	Timon	Consumptions sow
l152l		In hollow bones of man, strike their sharp shins,
l153l		And mar men’s spurring. Crack the lawyer’s voice,
l154l		That he may never more false title plead
l155l		Nor sound his quillets shrilly. Hoar the flamen
l156l		That scolds against the quality of flesh
l157l		And not believes himself. Down with the nose,
l158l		Down with it flat# take the bridge quite away
l159l		Of him that his particular to foresee
l160l		Smells from the general weal. Make curled-pate ruffians bald,
l161l		And let the unscarred braggarts of the war
l162l		Derive some pain from you. Plague all,
l163l		That your activity may defeat and quell
l164l		The source of all erection. There’s more gold.
l165l		Do you damn others, and let this damn you#
l166l		And ditches grave you all!
l167l	Phrynia And Timandra	More counsel with more money, bounteous Timon.
l168l	Timon	More whore, more mischief first# I have given you earnest.
l169l	Alcibiades	Strike up the drum towards Athens. Farewell, Timon.
l170l		If I thrive well, I’ll visit thee again.
l171l	Timon	If I hope well, I’ll never see thee more.
l172l	Alcibiades	I never did thee harm.
l173l	Timon	Yes, thou spok’st well of me.
l174l	Alcibiades	Call’st thou that harm?
l175l	Timon	Men daily find it. Get thee away,
l176l		And take thy beagles with thee.
	Alcibiades	We but offend him. Strike!
		(Exeunt to drum and fife all but Timon)
l177l	Timon	 That nature, being sick of man’s unkindness,
l178l		Should yet be hungry!
		(He digs the earth)
		 Common mother—thou
l179l		Whose womb unmeasurable and infinite breast
l180l		Teems and feeds all, whose selfsame mettle
l181l		Whereof thy proud child, arrogant man, is puffed
l182l		Engenders the black toad and adder blue,
l183l		The gilded newt and eyeless venomed worm,
l184l		With all th’ abhorrèd births below crisp heaven
l185l		Whereon Hyperion’s quick’ning fire doth shine—
l186l		Yield him who all thy human sons do hate
l187l		From forth thy plenteous bosom, one poor root.
l188l		Ensear thy fertile and conceptious womb#
l189l		Let it no more bring out ingrateful man.
l190l		Go great with tigers, dragons, wolves, and bears#
l191l		Teem with new monsters whom thy upward face
l192l		Hath to the marbled mansion all above
l193l		Never presented.
		(He finds a root)
		 O, a root! Dear thanks.
l194l		Dry up thy marrows, vines, and plough-torn leas,
l195l		Whereof ingrateful man with liquorish draughts
l196l		And morsels unctuous greases his pure mind,
l197l		That from it all consideration slips!—
		(Enter Apemantus)
l198l		More man? Plague, plague!
l199l	Apemantus	I was directed hither. Men report
l200l		Thou dost affect my manners, and dost use them.
l201l	Timon	’Tis then because thou dost not keep a dog
l202l		Whom I would imitate. Consumption catch thee!
l203l	Apemantus	This is in thee a nature but infected,
l204l		A poor unmanly melancholy, sprung
l205l		From change of fortune. Why this spade, this place,
l206l		This slave-like habit, and these looks of care?
l207l		Thy flatterers yet wear silk, drink wine, lie soft,
l208l		Hug their diseased perfumes, and have forgot
l209l		That ever Timon was. Shame not these woods
l210l		By putting on the cunning of a carper.
l211l		Be thou a flatterer now, and seek to thrive
l212l		By that which has undone thee. Hinge thy knee,
l213l		And let his very breath whom thou’lt observe
l214l		Blow off thy cap. Praise his most vicious strain,
l215l		And call it excellent. Thou wast told thus.
l216l		Thou gav’st thine ears like tapsters that bade welcome
l217l		To knaves and all approachers. ’Tis most just
l218l		That thou turn rascal. Hadst thou wealth again,
l219l		Rascals should have ’t. Do not assume my likeness.
l220l	Timon	Were I like thee, I’d throw away myself.
l221l	Apemantus	Thou hast cast away thyself being like thyself—
l222l		A madman so long, now a fool. What, think’st
l223l		That the bleak air, thy boisterous chamberlain,
l224l		Will put thy shirt on warm? Will these mossed trees
l225l		That have outlived the eagle page thy heels
l226l		And skip when thou point’st out? Will the cold brook,
l227l		Candied with ice, caudle thy morning taste
l228l		To cure thy o’ernight’s surfeit? Call the creatures
l229l		Whose naked natures live in all the spite
l230l		Of wreakful heaven, whose bare unhousèd trunks
l231l		To the conflicting elements exposed
l232l		Answer mere nature# bid them flatter thee.
l233l		O, thou shalt find—
	Timon	A fool of thee! Depart.
l234l	Apemantus	I love thee better now than e’er I did.
l235l	Timon	I hate thee worse.
	Apemantus	Why?
	Timon	Thou flatter’st misery.
l236l	Apemantus	I flatter not, but say thou art a caitiff.
l237l	Timon	Why dost thou seek me out?
	Apemantus	To vex thee.
l238l	Timon	Always a villain’s office, or a fool’s.
l239l		Dost please thyself in ’t?
	Apemantus	Ay.
	Timon	What, a knave too?
l240l	Apemantus	If thou didst put this sour cold habit on
l241l		To castigate thy pride, ’twere well# but thou
l242l		Dost it enforcèdly. Thou’dst courtier be again
l243l		Wert thou not beggar. Willing misery
l244l		Outlives incertain pomp, is crowned before.
l245l		The one is filling still, never complete#
l246l		The other at high wish. Best state, contentless,
l247l		Hath a distracted and most wretched being,
l248l		Worse than the worst, content.
l249l		Thou shouldst desire to die, being miserable.
l250l	Timon	Not by his breath that is more miserable.
l251l		Thou art a slave whom fortune’s tender arm
l252l		With favour never clasped, but bred a dog.
l253l		Hadst thou like us from our first swathe proceeded
l254l		The sweet degrees that this brief world affords
l255l		To such as may the passive drudges of it
l256l		Freely command, thou wouldst have plunged thyself
l257l		In general riot, melted down thy youth
l258l		In different beds of lust, and never learned
l259l		The icy precepts of respect, but followed
l260l		The sugared game before thee. But myself,
l261l		Who had the world as my confectionary,
l262l		The mouths, the tongues, the eyes and hearts of men
l263l		At duty, more than I could frame employment,
l264l		That numberless upon me stuck, as leaves
l265l		Do on the oak, have with one winter’s brush
l266l		Fell from their boughs, and left me open, bare
l267l		For every storm that blows—I to bear this,
l268l		That never knew but better, is some burden.
l269l		Thy nature did commence in sufferance, time
l270l		Hath made thee hard in ’t. Why shouldst thou hate men?
l271l		They never flattered thee. What hast thou given?
l272l		If thou wilt curse, thy father, that poor rag,
l273l		Must be thy subject, who in spite put stuff
l274l		To some she-beggar and compounded thee
l275l		Poor rogue hereditary. Hence, be gone.
l276l		If thou hadst not been born the worst of men
l277l		Thou hadst been a knave and flatterer.
l278l	Apemantus	Art thou proud yet?
l279l	Timon	Ay, that I am not thee.
l280l	Apemantus	I that I was
l281l		No prodigal.
	Timon	I that I am one now.
l282l		Were all the wealth I have shut up in thee
l283l		I’d give thee leave to hang it. Get thee gone.
l284l		That the whole life of Athens were in this!
l285l		Thus would I eat it.
		(He bites the root)
		
	Apemantus	
		( 285B offering food)
		 Here, I will mend thy feast.
l286l	Timon	First mend my company: take away thyself.
l287l	Apemantus	So I shall mend mine own by th’ lack of thine.
l288l	Timon	’Tis not well mended so, it is but botched#
l289l		If not, I would it were.
	Apemantus	What wouldst thou have to Athens?
l290l	Timon	Thee thither in a whirlwind. If thou wilt,
l291l		Tell them there I have gold. Look, so I have.
l292l	Apemantus	Here is no use for gold.
	Timon	The best and truest,
l293l		For here it sleeps and does no hirèd harm.
l294l	Apemantus	 Where liest a-nights, Timon?
l295l	Timon	Under that’s above me. Where feed’st thou a-days,
l296l		Apemantus?
l297l	Apemantus	Where my stomach finds meat# or rather,
l298l		where I eat it.
l299l	Timon	Would poison were obedient, and knew my mind!
l300l	Apemantus	Where wouldst thou send it?
l301l	Timon	To sauce thy dishes.
l302l	Apemantus	The middle of humanity thou never knewest,
l303l		but the extremity of both ends. When thou wast in thy
l304l		gilt and thy perfume, they mocked thee for too much
l305l		curiosity# in thy rags thou know’st none, but art
l306l		despised for the contrary. There’s a medlar for thee#
l307l		eat it.
l308l	Timon	On what I hate I feed not.
l309l	Apemantus	Dost hate a medlar?
l310l	Timon	Ay, though it look like thee.
l311l	Apemantus	An thou’dst hated meddlers sooner, thou
l312l		shouldst have loved thyself better now. What man didst
l313l		thou ever know unthrift that was beloved after his
l314l		means?
l315l	Timon	Who, without those means thou talk’st of, didst
l316l		thou ever know beloved?
l317l	Apemantus	Myself.
l318l	Timon	I understand thee: thou hadst some means to keep
l319l		a dog.
l320l	Apemantus	What things in the world canst thou nearest
l321l		compare to thy flatterers?
l322l	Timon	Women nearest# but men, men are the things
l323l		themselves. What wouldst thou do with the world,
l324l		Apemantus, if it lay in thy power?
l325l	Apemantus	Give it the beasts, to be rid of the men.
l326l	Timon	Wouldst thou have thyself fall in the confusion of
l327l		men, and remain a beast with the beasts?
l328l	Apemantus	Ay, Timon.
l329l	Timon	A beastly ambition, which the gods grant thee
l330l		t’ attain to. If thou wert the lion, the fox would beguile
l331l		thee. If thou wert the lamb, the fox would eat thee. If
l332l		thou wert the fox, the lion would suspect thee when
l333l		peradventure thou wert accused by the ass. If thou
l334l		wert the ass, thy dullness would torment thee, and still
l335l		thou lived’st but as a breakfast to the wolf. If thou wert
l336l		the wolf, thy greediness would afflict thee, and oft thou
l337l		shouldst hazard thy life for thy dinner. Wert thou the
l338l		unicorn, pride and wrath would confound thee, and
l339l		make thine own self the conquest of thy fury. Wert
l340l		thou a bear, thou wouldst be killed by the horse. Wert
l341l		thou a horse, thou wouldst be seized by the leopard.
l342l		Wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion,
l343l		and the spots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life#
l344l		all thy safety were remotion, and thy defence absence.
l345l		What beast couldst thou be that were not subject to a
l346l		beast? And what a beast art thou already, that seest
l347l		not thy loss in transformation!
l348l	Apemantus	If thou couldst please me with speaking to
l349l		me, thou mightst have hit upon it here. The commonwealth
l350l		of Athens is become a forest of beasts.
l351l	Timon	How, has the ass broke the wall, that thou art out
l352l		of the city?
l353l	Apemantus	Yonder comes a poet and a painter. The
l354l		plague of company light upon thee! I will fear to catch
l355l		it, and give way. When I know not what else to do,
l356l		I’ll see thee again.
l357l	Timon	When there is nothing living but thee, thou shalt
l358l		be welcome. I had rather be a beggar’s dog than
l359l		Apemantus.
l360l	Apemantus	 Thou art the cap of all the fools alive.
l361l	Timon	Would thou wert clean enough to spit upon.
l362l	Apemantus	A plague on thee! Thou art too bad to curse.
l363l	Timon	All villains that do stand by thee are pure.
l364l	Apemantus	There is no leprosy but what thou speak’st.
l365l	Timon	If I name thee.
l366l		I’d beat thee, but I should infect my hands.
l367l	Apemantus	I would my tongue could rot them off.
l368l	Timon	Away, thou issue of a mangy dog!
l369l		Choler does kill me that thou art alive.
l370l		I swoon to see thee.
l371l	Apemantus	Would thou wouldst burst!
l372l	Timon	Away, thou tedious rogue!
		(He throws a stone at Apemantus)
l373l		I am sorry I shall lose a stone by thee.
l374l	Apemantus	Beast!
l375l	Timon	Slave!
l376l	Apemantus	Toad!
l377l	Timon	Rogue, rogue, rogue!
l378l		I am sick of this false world, and will love naught
l379l		But even the mere necessities upon ’t.
l380l		Then, Timon, presently prepare thy grave.
l381l		Lie where the light foam of the sea may beat
l382l		Thy gravestone daily. Make thine epitaph,
l383l		That death in me at others’ lives may laugh.
		(He looks on the gold)
l384l		O, thou sweet king-killer, and dear divorce
l385l		’Twixt natural son and sire# thou bright defiler
l386l		Of Hymen’s purest bed# thou valiant Mars#
l387l		Thou ever young, fresh, loved, and delicate wooer,
l388l		Whose blush doth thaw the consecrated snow
l389l		That lies on Dian’s lap# thou visible god,
l390l		That sold’rest close impossibilities
l391l		And mak’st them kiss, that speak’st with every tongue
l392l		To every purpose# O thou touch of hearts:
l393l		Think thy slave man rebels, and by thy virtue
l394l		Set them into confounding odds, that beasts
l395l		May have the world in empire.
	Apemantus	Would ’twere so,
l396l		But not till I am dead. I’ll say thou’st gold.
l397l		Thou wilt be thronged to shortly.
	Timon	Thronged to?
	Apemantus	Ay.
l398l	Timon	Thy back, I prithee.
	Apemantus	Live, and love thy misery.
l399l	Timon	Long live so, and so die. I am quit.
		(Enter the Banditti, thieves)
l400l	Apemantus	 More things like men. Eat, Timon, and abhor them.
		(Exit)
l401l	First Thief	 Where should he have this gold? It is some
l402l		poor fragment, some slender ort of his remainder. The
l403l		mere want of gold and the falling-from of his friends
l404l		drove him into this melancholy.
l405l	Second Thief	It is noised he hath a mass of treasure.
l406l	Third Thief	Let us make the assay upon him. If he care
l407l		not for ’t, he will supply us easily. If he covetously
l408l		reserve it, how shall ’s get it?
l409l	Second Thief	True, for he bears it not about him# ’tis hid.
l410l	First Thief	Is not this he?
l411l	Other Thieves	Where?
l412l	Second Thief	’Tis his description.
l413l	Third Thief	He, I know him.
l414l	All Thieves	(coming forward)
		 Save thee, Timon.
l415l	Timon	Now, thieves.
l416l	All Thieves	 Soldiers, not thieves.
	Timon	Both, too, and women’s sons.
l417l	All Thieves	We are not thieves, but men that much do want.
l418l	Timon	Your greatest want is, you want much of meat.
l419l		Why should you want? Behold, the earth hath roots.
l420l		Within this mile break forth a hundred springs.
l421l		The oaks bear mast, the briars scarlet hips.
l422l		The bounteous housewife nature on each bush
l423l		Lays her full mess before you. Want? Why want?
l424l	First Thief	We cannot live on grass, on berries, water,
l425l		As beasts and birds and fishes.
l426l	Timon	Nor on the beasts themselves, the birds and fishes#
l427l		You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you con
l428l		That you are thieves professed, that you work not
l429l		In holier shapes# for there is boundless theft
l430l		In limited professions.
		(Giving gold)
		 Rascal thieves,
l431l		Here’s gold. Go suck the subtle blood o’ th’ grape
l432l		Till the high fever seethe your blood to froth,
l433l		And so scape hanging. Trust not the physician#
l434l		His antidotes are poison, and he slays
l435l		More than you rob. Take wealth and lives together.
l436l		Do villainy# do, since you protest to do ’t,
l437l		Like workmen. I’ll example you with thievery.
l438l		The sun’s a thief, and with his great attraction
l439l		Robs the vast sea. The moon’s an arrant thief,
l440l		And her pale fire she snatches from the sun.
l441l		The sea’s a thief, whose liquid surge resolves
l442l		The moon into salt tears. The earth’s a thief,
l443l		That feeds and breeds by a composture stol’n
l444l		From gen’ral excrement. Each thing’s a thief.
l445l		The laws, your curb and whip, in their rough power
l446l		Has unchecked theft. Love not yourselves. Away,
l447l		Rob one another. There’s more gold. Cut throats#
l448l		All that you meet are thieves. To Athens go,
l449l		Break open shops# nothing can you steal
l450l		But thieves do lose it. Steal no less for this I give you,
l451l		And gold confound you howsoe’er. Amen.
l452l	Third Thief	 He’s almost charmed me from my profession
l453l		by persuading me to it.
l454l	First Thief	’Tis in the malice of mankind that he thus
l455l		advises us, not to have us thrive in our mystery.
l456l	Second Thief	I’ll believe him as an enemy, and give over
l457l		my trade.
l458l	First Thief	Let us first see peace in Athens. There is no
l459l		time so miserable but a man may be true.
		(Exeunt Thieves)
l460l	>
	(Enter Flavius to Timon)
		Flavius	 O you gods!
l461l		Is yon despised and ruinous man my lord,
l462l		Full of decay and failing? O monument
l463l		And wonder of good deeds evilly bestowed!
l464l		What an alteration of honour has desp’rate want made!
l465l		What viler thing upon the earth than friends,
l466l		Who can bring noblest minds to basest ends!
l467l		How rarely does it meet with this time’s guise,
l468l		When man was wished to love his enemies!
l469l		Grant I may ever love and rather woo
l470l		Those that would mischief me than those that do!
		(Timon sees him)
l471l		He’s caught me in his eye. I will present
l472l		My honest grief unto him, and as my lord
l473l		Still serve him with my life.—My dearest master.
l474l	Timon	Away! What art thou?
	Flavius	Have you forgot me, sir?
l475l	Timon	Why dost ask that? I have forgot all men#
l476l		Then if thou grant’st thou’rt man, I have forgot thee.
l477l	Flavius	 An honest poor servant of yours.
l478l	Timon	 Then I know thee not. I never had
l479l		Honest man about me# ay, all I kept were knaves,
l480l		To serve in meat to villains.
	Flavius	The gods are witness,
l481l		Ne’er did poor steward wear a truer grief
l482l		For his undone lord than mine eyes for you.
l483l	Timon	What, dost thou weep? Come nearer then# I love thee
l484l		Because thou art a woman, and disclaim’st
l485l		Flinty mankind whose eyes do never give
l486l		But thorough lust and laughter. Pity’s sleeping.
l487l		Strange times, that weep with laughing, not with weeping!
l488l	Flavius	I beg of you to know me, good my lord,
l489l		T’ accept my grief,
		(He offers his money)
		 and whilst this poor wealth lasts
l490l		To entertain me as your steward still.
l491l	Timon	Had I a steward
l492l		So true, so just, and now so comfortable?
l493l		It almost turns my dangerous nature mild.
l494l		Let me behold thy face. Surely this man
l495l		Was born of woman.
l496l		Forgive my general and exceptless rashness,
l497l		You perpetual sober gods! I do proclaim
l498l		One honest man—mistake me not, but one,
l499l		No more, I pray—and he’s a steward.
l500l		How fain would I have hated all mankind,
l501l		And thou redeem’st thyself! But all save thee
l502l		I fell with curses.
l503l		Methinks thou art more honest now than wise,
l504l		For by oppressing and betraying me
l505l		Thou mightst have sooner got another service#
l506l		For many so arrive at second masters
l507l		Upon their first lord’s neck. But tell me true—
l508l		For I must ever doubt, though ne’er so sure—
l509l		Is not thy kindness subtle, covetous,
l510l		A usuring kindness, and, as rich men deal gifts,
l511l		Expecting in return twenty for one?
l512l	Flavius	No, my most worthy master, in whose breast
l513l		Doubt and suspect, alas, are placed too late.
l514l		You should have feared false times when you did feast.
l515l		Suspect still comes where an estate is least.
l516l		That which I show, heaven knows, is merely love,
l517l		Duty and zeal to your unmatchèd mind,
l518l		Care of your food and living# and, believe it,
l519l		My most honoured lord,
l520l		For any benefit that points to me,
l521l		Either in hope or present, I’d exchange
l522l		For this one wish: that you had power and wealth
l523l		To requite me by making rich yourself.
l524l	Timon	Look thee, ’tis so. Thou singly honest man,
		(He gives Flavius gold)
l525l		Here, take. The gods, out of my misery,
l526l		Has sent thee treasure. Go, live rich and happy,
l527l		But thus conditioned: thou shalt build from men,
l528l		Hate all, curse all, show charity to none,
l529l		But let the famished flesh slide from the bone
l530l		Ere thou relieve the beggar. Give to dogs
l531l		What thou deniest to men. Let prisons swallow ’em,
l532l		Debts wither ’em to nothing# be men like blasted woods,
l533l		And may diseases lick up their false bloods.
l534l		And so farewell, and thrive.
	Flavius	O, let me stay
l535l		And comfort you, my master.
	Timon	If thou hat’st curses,
l536l		Stay not. Fly whilst thou art blest and free.
l537l		Ne’er see thou man, and let me ne’er see thee.
		(Exeunt Timon into his cave, Flavius another way)
	>