Tim. Your greatest want is, you want much of meat. Why should you want? Behold, the earth hath roots; Within this mile break forth a hundred springs: The oaks bear mast, the briars scarlet hips;. The bounteous housewife, nature, on each bush Lays her full mess before you. Want? why want? 1 Thief. We cannot live on grass, on berries, water, As beasts, and birds, and fishes. Tim. Nor on the beasts themselves, the birds, and fishes; You must eat men. Yet thanks I must you con, That you are thieves profess'd; that you work not Here's gold: Go, suck the subtle blood of the grape, More than you rob: take wealth and lives together; + In limited professions.] Regular, orderly professions. 5 I give you; and gold confound you howsoever! Amen. [TIMON retires to his Cave. 3 Thief. He has almost charmed me from my profession, by persuading me to it. 1 Thief. 'Tis in the malice of mankind, that he thus advises us; not to have us thrive in our mystery. 2 Thief. I'll believe him as an enemy, and give over my trade. 1 Thief. Let us first see peace in Athens: There is no time so miserable, but a man may be true. [Exeunt Thieves. Enter FLAVIUS. Flav. O you gods! Is yon despis'd and ruinous man my lord? What viler thing upon the earth, than friends, 8 Grant, I may ever love, and rather woo Those that would mischief me, than those that do!9 6 What an alteration of honour has Desperate want made!] An alteration of honour, is an alteration of an honourable state to a state of disgrace. 7 How rarely does it meet-] How curiously; how happily. 8 When man was wish'd-] i. e. recommended. 9 Grant, I may ever love, and rather woo Those that would mischief me, than those that do !] It is plain, that in this whole speech friends and enemies are taken only for those who profess friendship and profess enmity; for the friend is supposed not to be more kind, but more dangerous than the enemy. The sense is, Let me rather woo or caress those that would mischief, that profess to mean me mischief, than those that really do me mischief, My honest grief unto him; and, as my lord, Still serve him with life.my My dearest master! TIMON comes forward from his Cave. Tim. Away! what art thou? Flav. Have you forgot me, sir? Tim. Why dost ask that? I have forgot all men; Then, if thou grant'st thou'rt mant, I have forgot thee. Flav. An honest poor servant of yours. Tim. I know thee not: I ne'er had honest man Flav. Ne'er did poor steward wear a truer grief Then The gods are witness eyes for you. Come nearer : For his undone lord, than mine then I love thee, Because thou art a woman, and disclaim'st Flinty mankind; whose eyes do never give, But thorough lust, and laughter. Pity's sleeping: Strange times, that weep with laughing, not with weeping! Flav. I beg of you to know me, good my lord, To accept my grief, and, whilst this poor wealth lasts, To entertain me as your steward still. Tim. Had I a steward so true, so just, and now So comfortable? It almost turns My dangerous nature wild.1 Let me behold under false professions of kindness. The Spaniards, I think, have this proverb: Defend me from my friends, and from my enemies I will defend myself. This proverb is a sufficient comment on the passage. JOHNSON. My dangerous nature wild.] To turn wild, is to distract. An appearance so unexpected, says Timon, almost turns my savageness to distraction. Thy face. Surely, this man was born of woman. Forgive my general and exceptless rashness, One honest man, mistake me not, but one: - and he is a steward. Methinks, thou art more honest now, than wise; Thou might'st have sooner got another service: Upon their first lord's neck. But tell me true, - If not a usuring kindness; and as rich men deal gifts, Expecting in return twenty for one? Flav. No, my most worthy master, in whose breast Doubt and suspect, alas, are plac'd too late; You should have fear'd false times, when you did feast: Suspect still comes where an estate is least. That which I show, heaven knows, is merely love, Duty and zeal to your unmatched mind, Care of your food and living and, believe it, My most honour'd lord, For any benefit that points to me, Either in hope, or present, I'd exchange For this one wish, That you had power and wealth Tim. Look thee, 'tis so! Thou singly honest man, Here, take: the gods out of my misery Have sent thee treasure. Go, live rich, and happy: +"You perpetual," &c. MALONE. 2 from men ;] Away from human habitations, Ere thou relieve the beggar: give to dogs What thou deny'st to men; let prisons swallow them, Debts wither them+: Be men like blasted woods, And may diseases lick up their false bloods! And so, farewell, and thrive. Flav. And comfort you, my master. O, let me stay, If thou hat'st Curses, stay not; fly, whilst thou'rt bless'd and free: Ne'er see thou man, and let me ne'er see thee. [Exeunt severally. ACT V. SCENE I. The same. Before Timon's Cave. Enter Poet and Painter; TIMON behind, unseen. Pain. 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 is so full of gold? Pain. 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. Pain. 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 what they + "Debts wither them to nothing:" MALONE. |