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 framed 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.

(Calling) 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 hanged.

For each true word a blister, and each false

Be as a cantherizing 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,

Allowed 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-brained 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 (to Senators) Stay not; all’s in vain.

TIMON

Why, I was writing of my epitaph.

It will be seen tomorrow. 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 wrack

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 (aside)

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 (to Senators)

Trouble him no further. Thus you still shall find him.