semble,

Know his gross patchery, love him, feed him,
Keep in your bosom: yet remain assur'd,
That he's a made-up villain.t

Pain. I know none such, my lord.
Poet. Nor I.

Tim. 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 I'll give you gold enough. [me,

Both. Name them, my lord, let's know them. Tim. You that way, and you this, but two in company:

Each man apart, all single and alone, Yet an arch-villain keeps him company. If, where thou art, two villains shall not be. [To the PAINTER. Come not near him. If thou would'st not reside [To the POET. But where one villain is, then him abandon.Hence! pack! there's gold, ye came for gold, ye slaves: [Hence! You have done work for me, there's payment: You are an alchymist, make gold of that:Out, rascal dogs!

[Exit, beating and driving them out. SCENE II.-The same.

Enter FLAVIUS, and two SENATORS.

Flav. It is in vain that you would speak with For he is set so only to himself, [Timon; That nothing but himself, which looks like Is friendly with him.

[man,

1 Sen. Bring us to his cave: It is our part, and promise to the Athenians, To speak with Timon.

2 Sen. At all times alike

Men are not still the same: 'Twas time, and

griefs,

[hand,

That fram'd him thus: time, with his fairer Offering the fortunes of his former days,

The former man may make him: Bring us to And chance it as it may.

A portrait was so called.

[him,

↑'A complete, a finished villain, ‡ In a jakes.

By two of their most reverend senate, greet Speak to them, noble Timon. [thee:

Enter TIMON.

Tim. Thou sun, that comfort'st, burn ! Speak, and be hang'd:

For each true word, a blister! and each false Be as a caut'rizing to the root o'the tongue, Consuming it with speaking!

1 Sen. Worthy Timon

Tim. Of none but such as you, and you of Timon.

2 Sen. The senators of Athens greet thee, Ti

mon.

Tim. I thank them; and would send them

back the plague,

Could I but catch it for them.

1 Sen. 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.

2 Sen. They confess,

[dom

Toward thee, forgetfulness too general, gross:
Which now the public body, which doth sel-
Play the recanter, -feeling in itself
A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal
Of its own fall, restraining aid to Timon;
And send forth us, to make their sorrowed

render,t

Together with a recompense more fruitful
Than their offence can weigh down by the
dram;
[wealth,
Ay, even such heaps and sums of love and
As shall to thee blot out what wrongs were
theirs,

And write in thee the figures of their love,
Ever to read them thine.

Tim. 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 sena-
tors.

1 Sen. 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

If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,
Let Alcibiades know this of Timon, [Athens,
That-Timon cares not. But if he sack fair
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,
I cannot chuse but tell him, that I care not,

* With one united voice of affection.

+ Confession. Licensed, uncontrolle),

And let him tak'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 [you The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave To the protection of the prosperous gods,t As thieves to keepers.

Flav. Stay not, all's in vain.

Tim. 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 Be Alcibiades your plague, you his,

And last so long enough!

1 Sen. We speak in vain.

[still;

Tim. But yet I love my country; and am not One that rejoices in the common wreck,

As common bruits doth put it.

1 Sen. That's well spoke.

Tim. Commend me to my loving country.

ness do them:

I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath.

2 Sen. I like this well, he will return again. Tim. I have a tree, which grows here inimy 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. Flav. Trouble him no further, thus you still shall find him.

Tim. Come not to me again: but say to Athens, Timon hath made his everlasting mansion Upon the beached verge of the salt flood; Which 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! Graves only be men's works; and death, their gain!

Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his reign. [Exit TIMON. 1 Sen. His discontents are unremoveably Coupled to nature.

2 Sen. Our hope in him is dead: let us return, And strain what other means is left unto us In

our

dear** peril.

3 Sen. It requires swift foot.

A clasp knife.

[Exeunt.

mankind.

Report, rumour.

was riding

From Alcibiades to Timon's cave,

With letters of entreaty, which imported
His fellowship i'the cause against your city,
In part for his sake mov'd.

Enter SENATORS from TIMON.

1 Sen. Here come our brothers.

2 Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect.[ing The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scourDoth choke the air with dust: in and prepare; Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes, the snare. [Exeunt. SCENE IV.-The Woods.-TIMON'S Cave, and a Tomb-stone seen.

Enter a SOLDIER, seeking TΙΜΟΝ.

Sol. 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; there does not live a
Dead, sure; and this his grave.- [man.
What's on this tomb I cannot read; the cha-
I'll take with wax.
[racter

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 V.-Before the Walls of Athens.
Trumpets sound. Enter ALCIBIADES, and
Forces.

Alcib. Sound to this coward and lascivious
town

Our terrible approach. [A Parley sounded. Enter SENATORS on 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,t 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.

1 Sen. 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,

tenth;

And by the hazard of the spotted die,
Let die the spotted.

1 Sen. All have not offended; For those that were, it is not square,t to take, On those that are, revenges: 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 the infected forth, But kill not altogether.

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

1 Sen. Set but thy foot [ope; Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall So thou wilt send thy gentle heart before, To say, thou'lt enter friendly.

2 Sen. 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.

Alcib. 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 atonet 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 remedied, to your public laws At heaviest answer.

Both. 'Tis most nobly spoken.

Alcib. Descend, and keep your words.

The SENATORS descend, and open the Gates. Enter a SOLDIER.

Sold. My noble general, Timon is dead; Entomb'd upon the very hem o'the sea: And on his grave-stone, this insculpture; which [sion With wax I brought away, whose soft impres Interprets for my poor ignorance.

Alcib. [Reads.] 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:

father

Was call'd Sicilius, who did join his honour,
Against the Romans, with Cassibelan;
But had his titles by Tenantius, whom
He serv'd with glory and admir'd success:
So gain'd the sur-addition, Leonatus:
And had, besides this gentleman in question,
Two other sons, who, in the wars o'the time,
Died with their swords in hand; for which their
father

(Then old and fond of issue,) took such sorrow,
That he quit being; and this gentle lady,
Big of this gentleman, our theme, deceas'd
As he was born. The king, he takes the babe
To his protection; calls him Posthumus;
Breeds him, and makes him of his bed-cham-
ber:

Puts him to all the learnings that his time Could make him the receiver of; which he took,

As we do air, fast as 'twas minister'd; and In his spring became a harvest: Liv'd in court,

* I. e. You praise him extensively.

+ My praise, however extensive, is within his ment.
The father of Cymbeline.

So slackly guarded! And the search so slow, That could not trace them!

1 Gent. Howsoe'er 'tis strange,

Re-enter QUEEN.

769

Queen. Be brief, I pray you: If the king come, I shall incur I know not How much of his displeasure :-Yet I'll move him [Aside.

To walk this way: I never do him wrong, But he does buy my injuries, to be friends; Pays dear for my offences.

[Exit.

As long a term as yet we have to live,
Post. Should we be taking leave
The loathness to depart would grow: Adieu!
Imo. Nay, stay a little: 1

Were you but riding forth to air yourself,
Such parting were too petty. Look here, love;
This diamond was my mother's: take it, heart;
But keep it till you woo another wife,

When Imogen is dead.

Post. How! how! another?You gentle gods, give me but this I have, And sear up my embracements from a next With bonds of death!-Remain thou here

While senset can keep it on! And sweetest, [Putting on the Ring. fairest,

As I my poor self did exchange for you,

2 Gent. I do well believe you. 1 Gent. We must forbear: Here comes the queen and princess.

SCENE II.-The same.

[Exeunt.

Enter the QUEEN, POSTHUMUS, and IMOGEN. Queen. No, be assur'd, you shall not find me, daughter,

After the slander of most step-mothers,
Evil-ey'd unto you: you are my prisoner, but
Your jailer shall deliver you the keys (mus,
That lock up your restraint. For you, Posthú-
So soon as I can win the offended king,

I will be known your advocate: marry, yet
The fire of rage is in him; and 'twere good,
You lean'd unto his sentence, with what pa-
Your wisdom may inform you.
Post. Please your highness,

I will from hence to-day.

Queen. You know the peril:

king

[tience

I'll fetch a turn about the garden, pitying
The pangs of barr'd affections; though the
Hath charg'd you should not speak together.
[Exit QUEEN.
Imo. O
Dissembling courtesy! How fine this tyrant
Can tickle where she wounds!- My dearest
[thing,

husband,

I something fear my father's wrath; but no-
Always reserv'd my holy duty,) what
His rage can do on me: You must be gone;
And I shall here abide the hourly shot
Of angry eyes; nor comforted to live,
But that there is this jewel in this world,
That I may see again.

Post. My queen! my mistress!

O, lady, weep no more; lest I give cause
To be suspected of more tenderness

Than doth become a man! I will remain
The loyal'st husband that did e'er plight troth.
My residence in Rome at one Philario's;
Who to my father was a friend, to me
Known but by letter: thither write, my queen,
And with mine eyes I'll drink the words you
Though ink be made of gall.

Formed their manners.

[send,

I still win of you: For my sake, wear this;
It is a manacle of love; I'll place it
Upon this fairest prisoner.

[Putting a Bracelet on her Arm.

Imo. O, the gods! When shall we see again?

Enter CYMBELINE and LORDS.

Post. Alack, the king!

Cym. Thou basest thing, avoid! hence, from my sight!

If, after this command, thou fraught the court With thy unworthiness, thou diest: Away! Thou art poison to my blood.

Post. The gods protect you! And bless the good remainders of the court! I am gone.

[Exit.

Imo. There cannot be a pinch in death More sharp than this is.

Cym. O disloyal thing,

That should'st repair my youth; thou heapest
A year's age on me!
Imo.

I beseech you, Sir,

Harm not yourself with your vexation; I
Am senseless of your wrath; a touch more
Subdues all pangs, all fears.
[rares

Cym. Past grace? obedience?
Imo. Past hope, and in despair; that way,

past grace.

Cym. That might'st have had the sole || son of

my queen!

Imo. O bless'd, that I might not! I chose

an eagle,

And did avoid a puttock.

Cym. Thou took'st a beggar; would'st have

Imo. Sir,