• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

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,