The Life of Timon of Athens: ACT V , SCENE I. The woods. Before Timon's cave.

The Life of Timon of Athens: ACT V


	Introduction

	ACT I

	ACT II

	ACT III

	ACT IV

	ACT V

		SCENE I. The woods. Before Timon's cave.

		SCENE II. Before the walls of Athens.

		SCENE III. The woods. Timon's cave, and a rude tomb seen.

		SCENE IV. Before the walls of Athens.

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SCENE I. The woods. Before Timon's cave.

Enter Poet and Painter; TIMON watching them from his cave

Painter

As I took note of the place, it cannot be far where
he abides.

Poet

What's to be thought of him? does the rumour hold
for true, that he's so full of gold?

Painter

5     Certain: Alcibiades reports it; Phrynia and
      Timandra had gold of him: he likewise enriched poor
      straggling soldiers with great quantity: 'tis said
      he gave unto his steward a mighty sum.

Poet

Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his friends.

Painter

10    Nothing else: you shall see him a palm in Athens
      again, and flourish with the highest. Therefore
      'tis not amiss we tender our loves to him, in this
      supposed distress of his: it will show honestly in
      us; and is very likely to load our purposes with
15    what they travail for, if it be a just true report
      that goes of his having.

Poet

What have you now to present unto him?

Painter

Nothing at this time but my visitation: only I will
promise him an excellent piece.

Poet

20 I must serve him so too, tell him of an intent
that's coming toward him.

Painter

      Good as the best. Promising is the very air o' the
      time: it opens the eyes of expectation:
      performance is ever the duller for his act; and,
25    but in the plainer and simpler kind of people, the
      deed of saying is quite out of use. To promise is
      most courtly and fashionable: performance is a kind
      of will or testament which argues a great sickness
      in his judgment that makes it.

TIMON comes from his cave, behind

TIMON

30 (Aside) Excellent workman! thou canst not paint a
man so bad as is thyself.

Poet

      I am thinking what I shall say I have provided for
      him: it must be a personating of himself; a satire
      against the softness of prosperity, with a discovery
35    of the infinite flatteries that follow youth and opulency.

TIMON

      (Aside) Must thou needs stand for a villain in
      thine own work? wilt thou whip thine own faults in
      other men? Do so, I have gold for thee.

Poet

      Nay, let's seek him:
40    Then do we sin against our own estate,
      When we may profit meet, and come too late.

Painter

      True;
      When the day serves, before black-corner'd night,
      Find what thou want'st by free and offer'd light. Come.

TIMON

45    (Aside) I'll meet you at the turn. What a
      god's gold,
      That he is worshipp'd in a baser temple
      Than where swine feed!
      'Tis thou that rigg'st the bark and plough'st the foam,
50    Settlest admired reverence in a slave:
      To thee be worship! and thy saints for aye
      Be crown'd with plagues that thee alone obey!
      Fit I meet them.

Coming forward

Poet

Hail, worthy Timon!

Painter

55 Our late noble master!

TIMON

Have I once lived to see two honest men?

Poet

      Sir,
      Having often of your open bounty tasted,
      Hearing you were retired, your friends fall'n off,
60    Whose thankless natures--O abhorred spirits!--
      Not all the whips of heaven are large enough:
      What! to you,
      Whose star-like nobleness gave life and influence
      To their whole being! I am rapt and cannot cover
65    The monstrous bulk of this ingratitude
      With any size of words.

TIMON

      Let it go naked, men may see't the better:
      You that are honest, by being what you are,
      Make them best seen and known.

Painter

70    He and myself
      Have travail'd in the great shower of your gifts,
      And sweetly felt it.

TIMON

Ay, you are honest men.

Painter

We are hither come to offer you our service.

TIMON

75 Most honest men! Why, how shall I requite you?
Can you eat roots, and drink cold water? no.

Both

What we can do, we'll do, to do you service.

TIMON

Ye're honest men: ye've heard that I have gold;
I am sure you have: speak truth; ye're honest men.

Painter

80 So it is said, my noble lord; but therefore
Came not my friend nor I.

TIMON

      Good honest men! Thou draw'st a counterfeit
      Best in all Athens: thou'rt, indeed, the best;
      Thou counterfeit'st most lively.

Painter

85 So, so, my lord.

TIMON

      E'en so, sir, as I say. And, for thy fiction,
      Why, thy verse swells with stuff so fine and smooth
      That thou art even natural in thine art.
      But, for all this, my honest-natured friends,
90    I must needs say you have a little fault:
      Marry, 'tis not monstrous in you, neither wish I
      You take much pains to mend.

Both

Beseech your honour
To make it known to us.

TIMON

95 You'll take it ill.

Both

Most thankfully, my lord.

TIMON

Will you, indeed?

Both

Doubt it not, worthy lord.

TIMON

There's never a one of you but trusts a knave,
100 That mightily deceives you.

Both

Do we, my lord?

TIMON

      Ay, and you hear him cog, see him dissemble,
      Know his gross patchery, love him, feed him,
      Keep in your bosom: yet remain assured
105   That he's a made-up villain.

Painter

I know none such, my lord.

Poet

Nor I.

TIMON

      Look you, I love you well; I'll give you gold,
      Rid me these villains from your companies:
110   Hang them or stab them, drown them in a draught,
      Confound them by some course, and come to me,
      I'll give you gold enough.

Both

Name them, my lord, let's know them.

TIMON

      You that way and you this, but two in company;
115   Each man apart, all single and alone,
      Yet an arch-villain keeps him company.
      If where thou art two villains shall not be,
      Come not near him. If thou wouldst not reside
      But where one villain is, then him abandon.
120   Hence, pack! there's gold; you came for gold, ye slaves:

To Painter

You have work'd for me; there's payment for you: hence!

To Poet

You are an alchemist; make gold of that.
Out, rascal dogs!

Beats them out, and then retires to his cave

Enter FLAVIUS and two Senators

FLAVIUS

      It is in vain that you would speak with Timon;
125   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 the Athenians
130   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,
135   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,
140   By two of their most reverend senate, greet thee:
      Speak to them, noble Timon.

TIMON comes from his cave

TIMON

      Thou sun, that comfort'st, burn! Speak, and
      be hang'd:
      For each true word, a blister! and each false
145   Be as cauterizing to the root o' the 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

150 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
155   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:
160   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 fail, restraining aid to Timon;
      And send forth us, to make their sorrow'd render,
165   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,
170   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

175   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,
      Allow'd with absolute power and thy good name
      Live with authority: so soon we shall drive back
180   Of Alcibiades the 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

185 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 be sack fair Athens,
190   And take our goodly aged men by the 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,
195   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 the unruly camp
      But I do prize it at my love before
200   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;
205   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

210 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

215 Commend me to my loving countrymen,--

First Senator

These words become your lips as they pass
thorough them.

Second Senator

And enter in our ears like great triumphers
In their applauding gates.

TIMON

220   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
225   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,
230   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,
235   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;
240   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!
245   Graves only be men's works and death their gain!
      Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his reign.

Retires to his cave

First Senator

His discontents are unremoveably
Coupled to nature.

Second Senator

      Our hope in him is dead: let us return,
250   And strain what other means is left unto us
      In our dear peril.

First Senator

It requires swift foot.

Exeunt

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