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Alc. Muft it be fo? it must not be :

My Lords, I do befeech you, know me.

2 Sen. How!

Alc. Call me to your remembrances.

3 Sen. What, Sir!

Al. I cannot think but your age hath forgot me,
It could not elfe be I should prove fo base,

To fue, and be deny'd fuch common grace.
My wounds ake at you.

I Sen. Do you dare our anger?

'Tis in few words, but fpacious in effect: We banish thee for ever.

Alc. Banish me!

Banish your dotage, banish ufury,
That make the fenate ugly.

1 Sen. If, after two days fhine, Athens contains thee Attend our weightier judgment.

2 Sen. And, (not to fwell our fpirit,) he shall then Be executed presently.

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[Exeunt, Ale. Gods keep you old enough, that you may live Only in bone, that none may look on you! I'm worfe than mad: I have kept back their foes, While they have told their mony and let out Their coin upon large intereft; I my self, Rich only in large hurts.

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All thofe, for this?
Is this the balfam that the ufuring fenate
Pours into captains wounds? ha! Banishment!
It comes not ill: I hate not to be banish'd,
It is a caufe worthy my fpleen and fury,
That I may ftrike at Athens. I'll cheer up
My difcontented troops, and lay for hearts.
'Tis honour with moft lands to be at odds;
Soldiers as little fhould brook wrongs, as Gods,

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SCENE VII. Timen's House. Enter divers Senators at feveral Donrs. 1 Sen. The good time of the day to you, Sir! 2 Sen. I alfo with it to you: I think this honourable Lord did but try us this other day.

1 Sen. Upon that were my thoughts tiring when we en

D 2

Countred.

countred. I hope is is not fo low with him, as he made it seem in the tryal of his feveral friends.

2 Sen. It should not be, by the perfuafion of his new feafting.

I Sen. I fhould think fo: he hath fent me an earnest inviting, which many my near occafions did urge me to put off: but he hath conjur'd me beyond them, and I muft needs appear.

2 Sen. In like manner was I in debt to my importunate bufinefs; but he would not hear my excufe. I am forry, when he fent to borrow of me, that my provifion was out. 1 Sen. I am fick of that grief too, as I understand how all things go.

2 Sen. Every man here's fo. What would he have bor rowed of you?

1 Sen. A thousand pieces.

2 Sen. A thousand pieces! I Sen. What of you?

3 Sen. He fent to me, Sir-here he comes.

Enter Timon and Attendants.

Tim. With all my heart, gentlemen both

fare you?

and how

I Sen. Ever at the beft, hearing well of your Lordship. 2 Sen. The fwallow follows not fummer more willingly, than we your Lordship.

Tim. Nor more willingly leaves winter: fuch fummerbirds are men. Gentlemen, our dinner will not recompence this long ftay: feaft your ears with the mufick a while; if they will fare fo harfhly as on the trumpet's found we fhall to't presently.

I Sen. I hope it remains not unkindly with your Lordfhip, that I return'd you an empty meffenger. Tim. O Sir, let it not trouble you.

2 Sen. My noble Lord,

Tim. Ah my good friend, what cheer?

The Banquet brought in. 2 Sen. My moft honourable Lord, I'm e'en fick of fhame, that when your Lordship t' other day fent to me, I was fo unfortunate a beggar.

Tim. Think not on't, Sir.

2 Sen. If you had fent but two hours before →→→→ Tim. Let it not cumber your better remembrance. Come, bring in all together.

2 Sen. All cover'd difhes!

1 Sen. Royal cheer, I warrant you.

3 Sen. Doubt not that, if mony and the season can yield it.
1 Sen. How do you? what's the news?

3 Sen. Alcibiades is banish'd: hear you of it?
Both. Alcibiades banish'd!

3 Sen. 'Tis fo, be fure of it.

1 Sen. How? how?

2 Sen. I pray you, upon what?

Tim. My worthy friends, will you draw near?

3 Sen. I'll tell you more anon. Here's a noble feaft toward. 2 Sen. This is the old man ftill.

3 Sen. Will't hold ? will't hold ?

2 Sen. It does, but time will, and fo

3 Sen. I do conceive.

Tim, Each man to his ftool, with that fpur as he would to the lip of his mistress: your diet fhall be in all places alike. Make not a city feaft of it, to let the meat cool ere we can agree upon the first place. Sit, fit.

The Gods require our thanks.

the Gods.

You great Benefactors, fprinkle our fociety with thankfulness. For your own gifts, make your felves prais'd: but referve ftill to give, left your deities be defpifed. Lend to each man enough, that one need not lend to another. For were your Godbeads to borrow of men, men would for fake Make the meat beloved, more than the man that gives it. Let no assembly of twenty be without a score of villains. If there fit twelve women at the table, let a dozen of them be as they are The rest of your foes, O Gods, the Senators of Athens, together with the common lag of people, what is amifs in them, you Gods, make fuitable for deftruc tion: For thefe my friends

as they are to me nothing, fo in nothing blefs them, and to nothing are they welcome.

Uncover, dogs, and lap.

Some fpeak. What does his Lordship mean?
Some other. I know not.

D3

Tim.

Tim. May you a better feast never behold,

You knot of mouth-friends! fmoke, and lukewarm water
Is your perfection. This is Timon's laft,

Who ftuck and fpangled with your flatteries
Washes them off, and fprinkles in your faces
Your reaking villainy. Live loath'd, and long,
Moft smiling, fmooth, detefted parafites,
Courteous deftroyers, affable wolves, meek bears,
You fools of fortune, trencher-friends, time-flies,
Cap-and-knee flaves, vapors, and minute-jacks;
Of man and beaft the infinite maladies

Cruft you quite o'er ! -What, doft thou go?
Soft, take thy phyfick first thou too

and thou

*

[Throwing the dishes at them, and drives 'em out.

Stay, I will lend thee mony, borrow none.
What! all in motion? henceforth be no feaft,
Whereat a villain's not a welcome gueft.

Burn house, fink Athens, henceforth hated be
Of Timon, man, and all humanity!

Re-enter the Senators.

1 Sen. How now, my Lords?

[Exit.

2 Sen. Know you the quality of Lord Timen's fury? 3 Sen. Pith! did you fee my cap?

4 Sen. I've loft my gown.

1 Sen. He's but a mad Lord, and nought but humour fways him. He gave me a jewel th' other day, and now he has beat it out of my cap. Did you see my jewel? 2 Sen. Did you see my cap?

3 Sen. Here 'tis.

4 Sen. Here lyes my gown. 1 Sen. Let's make no ftay. 2 Sen. Lord Timon's mad.

3 Sen. I feel't upon my bones.

4. Sen. One day he gives us diamonds, next day ftones.

Exeunt.

Meaning probably the ignis fatuus often call'd Fack with a lan

thorn, appearing and vanifhing in a minute.

ACT

A C T IV. SCENE I
Without the walls of Athens.
Enter Timon.

ET me look back upon thee, O thou wall,

Tim. That girdleft in thofe wolves! dive in the earth,

And fence not Athens! Matrons, turn incontinent;
Obedience fail in children; flaves and fools
Pluck the grave wrinkled fenate from the bench,
And minifter in their fteads: to general filth
Convert o' th' inftant, green virginity!

Do't in your parents eyes. Bankrupts, hold faft;
Rather than render back, out with your knives,
And cut your trufters throats. Bound fervants, fteal;
Large-handed robbers your grave masters are,
And pill by law. Maid, to thy master's bed;
Thy miftrefs is i' th' brothel. Son of fixteen,
Pluck the lin'd crutch from thy old limping fire,
And with it beat his brains out. Fear and piety,
Religion to the Gods, peace, juftice, truth,
Domeftick awe, night-reft, and neighbourhood,
Instruction, manners, myfteries and trades,
Degrees, obfervances, cuftoms and laws,
Decline to your confounding contraries !
And let confufion live! plagues incident to men,
Your potent and infectious fevers heap

On Aibens, ripe for ftroke! Thou cold Sciatica,
Cripple our fenators, that their limbs may halt
As lamely as their manners! Luft and liberty
Creep in the minds and marrows of our youth,
That 'gainst the stream of virtue they may ftrive,
And drown themselves in riot! Itches, blains,
Sow all the Athenian bofoms, and their crop
Be general leprofie! breath infect breath,
That their fociety (as their friendship) may
Be meerly poifon! Nothing I'll bear from thee,
But nakedness, thou town deteftable!
Take thou that too, with multiplying banns :
Timon will to the woods, where he shall find
Th' unkindeft beaft much kinder than mankind.

The

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