ACT V. SCENE I. The woods. Before TIMON's cave  Enter POET and PAINTER    PAINTER. As I took note of the place, it cannot be far where he     abides.   POET. to be thought of him? Does the rumour hold for true that he's     so full of gold?   PAINTER. Certain. Alcibiades reports it; Phrynia and Timandra had     gold of him. He likewise enrich'd 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. 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 suppos'd distress of his; it will show     honestly in us, and is very likely to load our purposes with what     they travail for, if it be just and 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. 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' th' time;     it opens the eyes of expectation. Performance is ever the duller     for his act, and 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.                      Enter TIMON from his cave    TIMON. [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 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;     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. [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 rig'st the bark and plough'st the foam,     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.                   [Advancing from his cave]   POET. Hail, worthy Timon!   PAINTER. Our late noble master!   TIMON. Have I once liv'd to see two honest men?   POET. Sir,     Having often of your open bounty tasted,     Hearing you were retir'd, your friends fall'n off,     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     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. He and myself     Have travail'd in the great show'r of your gifts,     And sweetly felt it.   TIMON. Ay, you are honest men.   PAINTER. We are hither come to offer you our service.   TIMON. 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. Y'are honest men. Y'have heard that I have gold;     I am sure you have. Speak truth; y'are honest men.   PAINTER. 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. Th'art indeed the best;     Thou counterfeit'st most lively.   PAINTER. So, so, my lord.   TIMON. E'en so, sir, as I say. [To To POET] 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-natur'd friends,     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. 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     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 assur'd     That he's a made-up villain.   PAINTER. I know not 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.     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;     Each man apart, all single and alone,     Yet an arch-villain keeps him company.     [To the PAINTER] If, where thou art, two villians shall not be,     Come not near him. [To the POET] If thou wouldst not reside     But where one villain is, then him abandon.-     Hence, pack! there's gold; you came for gold, ye slaves.     [To the PAINTER] You have work for me; there's payment; hence!     [To the POET] You are an alchemist; make gold of that.-     Out, rascal dogs!                [Beats and drives them out]                      Enter FLAVIUS and two SENATORS    FLAVIUS. It is vain that you would speak with Timon;     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 th' Athenians     To speak with Timon.   SECOND SENATOR. At all times alike     Men are not still the same; 'twas time and griefs     That fram'd him thus. Time, with his fairer hand,     Offering the fortunes of his former days,     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. Th' Athenians     By two of their most reverend Senate greet thee.     Speak to them, noble Timon.                     Enter TIMON out of his cave    TIMON. Thou sun that comforts, burn. Speak and be hang'd!     For each true word a blister, and each false     Be as a cauterizing to the root o' th' 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. 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     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;     Which now the public body, which doth seldom     Play the recanter, feeling in itself     A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal     Of it own fail, restraining aid to Timon,     And send forth us to make their sorrowed render,     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,     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. 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     Of Alcibiades th' approaches wild,     Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up     His country's peace.   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 gods,     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 pass 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. Noble 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 ingratitude with loves     Above their quantity.   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, noble lord,     Into our city with thy banners spread.     By decimation and a tithed 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 bluster 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 noble meaning, not a man     Shall pass 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 nobly spoken.   ALCIBIADES. Descend, and keep your words.                        [The SENATORS descend and open the gates]                   Enter a SOLDIER as a Messenger    SOLDIER. My noble 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.     Pass by, and curse thy fill; but pass, 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 niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit     Taught thee to make vast Neptune weep for aye     On thy low grave, on faults forgiven. Dead     Is noble 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