THE LIFE OF TIMON OF ATHENS

Act 5 Scene 1

(Enter Poet and Painter)
l1l	Painter	 As I took note of the place, it cannot be far where
l2l		he abides.
l3l	Poet	What’s to be thought of him? Does the rumour hold
l4l		for true that he’s so full of gold?
l5l	Painter	Certain. Alcibiades reports it. Phrynia and
l6l		Timandra had gold of him. He likewise enriched poor
l7l		straggling soldiers with great quantity. ’Tis said he gave
l8l		unto his steward a mighty sum.
l9l	Poet	Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his
l10l		friends?
l11l	Painter	Nothing else. You shall see him a palm in Athens
l12l		again, and flourish with the highest. Therefore ’tis not
l13l		amiss we tender our loves to him in this supposed distress
l14l		of his. It will show honestly in us, and is very likely to
l15l		load our purposes with what they travail for, if it be a
l16l		just and true report that goes of his having.
l17l	Poet	What have you now to present unto him?
l18l	Painter	Nothing at this time, but my visitation# only I
l19l		will promise him an excellent piece.
l20l	Poet	I must serve him so too, tell him of an intent that’s
l21l		coming toward him.
l22l	Painter	Good as the best.
		(Enter Timon from his cave, unobserved)
l23l		Promising is the very air o’ th’ time# it opens the eyes of
l24l		expectation. Performance is ever the duller for his act,
l25l		and but in the plainer and simpler kind of people the
l26l		deed of saying is quite out of use. To promise is most
l27l		courtly and fashionable. Performance is a kind of will or
l28l		testament which argues a great sickness in his judgement
l29l		that makes it.
l30l	Timon	(aside)
		 Excellent workman, thou canst not paint a
l31l		man so bad as is thyself.
l32l	Poet	(to Painter)
		 I am thinking what I shall say I have
l33l		provided for him. It must be a personating of himself, a
l34l		satire against the softness of prosperity, with a discovery
l35l		of the infinite flatteries that follow youth and opulency.
l36l	Timon	(aside)
		 Must thou needs stand for a villain in thine
l37l		own work? Wilt thou whip thine own faults in other
l38l		men? Do so# I have gold for thee.
l39l	Poet	(to Painter)
		 Nay, let’s seek him.
l40l		Then do we sin against our own estate
l41l		When we may profit meet and come too late.
l42l	Painter	True.
l43l		When the day serves, before black-cornered night,
l44l		Find what thou want’st by free and offered light.
l45l		Come.
l46l	Timon	(aside)
		 I’ll meet you at the turn. What a god’s gold,
l47l		That he is worshipped in a baser temple
l48l		Than where swine feed!
l49l		’Tis thou that rigg’st the barque and plough’st the foam,
l50l		Settlest admirèd reverence in a slave.
l51l		To thee be worship, and thy saints for aye
l52l		Be crowned with plagues, that thee alone obey.
l53l		Fit I meet them.
		(He comes forward to them)
l54l	Poet	 Hail, worthy Timon!
	Painter	Our late noble master!
l55l	Timon	Have I once lived to see two honest men?
l56l	Poet	Sir, having often of your open bounty tasted,
l57l		Hearing you were retired, your friends fall’n off,
l58l		Whose thankless natures, O abhorrèd spirits,
l59l		Not all the whips of heaven are large enough—
l60l		What, to you,
l61l		Whose star-like nobleness gave life and influence
l62l		To their whole being! I am rapt, and cannot cover
l63l		The monstrous bulk of this ingratitude
l64l		With any size of words.
l65l	Timon	Let it go naked# men may see ’t the better.
l66l		You that are honest, by being what you are
l67l		Make them best seen and known.
	Painter	He and myself
l68l		Have travelled in the great show’r of your gifts,
l69l		And sweetly felt it.
	Timon	Ay, you are honest men.
l70l	Painter	We are hither come to offer you our service.
l71l	Timon	Most honest men. Why, how shall I requite you?
l72l		Can you eat roots and drink cold water? No.
l73l	Poet And Painter	What we can do we’ll do to do you service.
l74l	Timon	You’re honest men. You’ve heard that I have gold,
l75l		I am sure you have. Speak truth# you’re honest men.
l76l	Painter	So it is said, my noble lord, but therefor
l77l		Came not my friend nor I.
l78l	Timon	Good honest men.
		(To Painter)
		 Thou draw’st a counterfeit
l79l		Best in all Athens# thou’rt indeed the best#
l80l		Thou counterfeit’st most lively.
	Painter	So so, my lord.
l81l	Timon	E’en so, sir, as I say.
		(To Poet)
		 And for thy fiction,
l82l		Why, thy verse swells with stuff so fine and smooth
l83l		That thou art even natural in thine art.
l84l		But for all this, my honest-natured friends,
l85l		I must needs say you have a little fault.
l86l		Marry, ’tis not monstrous in you, neither wish I
l87l		You take much pains to mend.
	Poet And Painter	Beseech your honour
l88l		To make it known to us.
	Timon	You’ll take it ill.
l89l	Poet And Painter	Most thankfully, my lord.
l90l	Timon	Will you indeed?
l91l	Poet And Painter	Doubt it not, worthy lord.
l92l	Timon	There’s never a one of you but trusts a knave
l93l		That mightily deceives you.
	Poet And Painter	Do we, my lord?
l94l	Timon	Ay, and you hear him cog, see him dissemble,
l95l		Know his gross patchery, love him, feed him,
l96l		Keep in your bosom# yet remain assured
l97l		That he’s a made-up villain.
l98l	Painter	I know none such, my lord.
l99l	Poet	Nor I.
l100l	Timon	Look you, I love you well. I’ll give you gold,
l101l		Rid me these villains from your companies.
l102l		Hang them or stab them, drown them in a draught,
l103l		Confound them by some course, and come to me,
l104l		I’ll give you gold enough.
	Poet And Painter	Name them, my lord, let’s know them.
l105l	Timon	You that way and you this—but two in company—
l106l		Each man apart, all single and alone,
l107l		Yet an arch-villain keeps him company.
l108l		(To Painter)
		 If where thou art two villains shall not be,
l109l		Come not near him.
		(To Poet)
		 If thou wouldst not reside
l110l		But where one villain is, then him abandon.
l111l		Hence# pack!
		(Striking him)
		 There’s gold. You came for gold, ye slaves.
l112l		(Striking Painter)
		 You have work for me# there’s payment. Hence!
l113l		(Striking Poet)
		 You are an alchemist# make gold of that.
l114l		Out, rascal dogs!
		(Exeunt Poet and Painter one way,)
		Timon into his cave]