The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 513

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 fellowship 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.

FIRST SENATOR. These walls of ours Were not erected by their hands from whom You have receiv'd your griefs; nor are they such That these great tow'rs, trophies, and schools, should fall For private faults in them.

SECOND SENATOR. Nor are they living Who were the motives that you first went out; Shame, that they wanted cunning, in excess Hath broke their hearts. March, n.o.ble lord, Into our city with thy banners spread.

By decimation and a t.i.thed death- If thy revenges hunger for that food Which nature loathes- take thou the destin'd tenth, And by the hazard of the spotted die Let die the spotted.

FIRST SENATOR. All have not offended; For those that were, it is not square to take, On those that are, revenge: 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 bl.u.s.ter 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.

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

FIRST SENATOR. Set but thy foot Against our rampir'd gates and they shall ope, So thou wilt send thy gentle heart before To say thou't enter friendly.

SECOND SENATOR. 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.

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

Those enemies of Timon's and mine own, Whom you yourselves shall set out for reproof, Fall, and no more. And, to atone your fears With my more n.o.ble meaning, not a man Shall pa.s.s his quarter or offend the stream Of regular justice in your city's bounds, But shall be render'd to your public laws At heaviest answer.

BOTH. 'Tis most n.o.bly spoken.

ALCIBIADES. Descend, and keep your words.

[The SENATORS descend and open the gates]

Enter a SOLDIER as a Messenger

SOLDIER. My n.o.ble General, Timon is dead; Entomb'd upon the very hem o' th' sea; And on his grave-stone this insculpture, which With wax I brought away, whose soft impression Interprets for my poor ignorance.

ALCIBIADES reads the Epitaph

'Here lies a wretched corse, of wretched soul bereft; Seek not my name. A plague consume you wicked caitiffs left!

Here lie I, Timon, who alive all living men did hate.

Pa.s.s by, and curse thy fill; but pa.s.s, and stay not here thy gait.'

These well express in thee thy latter spirits.

Though thou abhorr'dst in us our human griefs, Scorn'dst our brain's flow, and those our droplets which From n.i.g.g.ard nature fall, yet rich conceit Taught thee to make vast Neptune weep for aye On thy low grave, on faults forgiven. Dead Is n.o.ble Timon, of whose memory Hereafter more. Bring me into your city, And I will use the olive, with my sword; Make war breed peace, make peace stint war, make each Prescribe to other, as each other's leech.

Let our drums strike. Exeunt

THE END