Alcib. What art thou there? speak.[2398]
Tim. A beast, as thou art. The canker gnaw thy heart,[2399]
For showing me again the eyes of man!
Alcib. What is thy name? Is man so hateful to thee, 50
That art thyself a man?
Tim. I am misanthropos, and hate mankind.[2400]
For thy part, I do wish thou wert a dog,
That I might love thee something.
Alcib. I know thee well;
But in thy fortunes am unlearn'd and strange. 55
Tim. I know thee too; and more than that I know thee[2401]
I not desire to know. Follow thy drum;
With man's blood paint the ground, gules, gules:[2402]
Religious canons, civil laws are cruel;
Then what should war be? This fell whore of thine 60
Hath in her more destruction than thy sword,
For all her cherubin look.
Phry. Thy lips rot off!
Tim. I will not kiss thee; then the rot returns[2403]
To thine own lips again.
Alcib. How came the noble Timon to this change? 65
Tim. As the moon does, by wanting light to give:
But then renew I could not, like the moon;
There were no suns to borrow of.[2404]
Alcib. Noble Timon, what friendship may I do thee?[2405]
Alcib. What is it, Timon?[2405]
Tim. Promise me friendship, but perform none: if thou[2405]
wilt not promise, the gods plague thee, for thou art a man:[2405][2407]
if thou dost perform, confound thee, for thou art a man![2405][2408]
Alcib. I have heard in some sort of thy miseries.[2409] 75
Tim. Thou saw'st them when I had prosperity.
Alcib. I see them now; then was a blessed time.[2410]
Tim. As thine is now, held with a brace of harlots.
Timan. Is this the Athenian minion whom the world
Voiced so regardfully?
Tim. Art thou Timandra?[2411] 80
Timan. Hang thee, monster!
Alcib. Pardon him, sweet Timandra, for his wits
Are drown'd and lost in his calamities.[2417]
I have but little gold of late, brave Timon,[2418]
The want whereof doth daily make revolt 90
In my penurious band: I have heard, and grieved,[2419]
How cursed Athens, mindless of thy worth,[2420]
Forgetting thy great deeds, when neighbour states,
But for thy sword and fortune, trod upon them—[2421]
Tim. I prithee, beat thy drum, and get thee gone. 95
Alcib. I am thy friend and pity thee, dear Timon.
Tim. How dost thou pity him whom thou dost trouble?
I had rather be alone.
Alcib. Why, fare thee well:
Here is some gold for thee.[2422]
Tim. Keep it, I cannot eat it.[2423]
Alcib. When I have laid proud Athens on a heap—[2424] 100
Alcib. Ay, Timon, and have cause.[2426]
Tim. That by killing of villains[2426]
Thou wast born to conquer my country.[2426][2430] 105
Put up thy gold: go on,—here's gold,—go on;
Be as a planetary plague, when Jove[2431]
Will o'er some high-viced city hang his poison
In the sick air: let not thy sword skip one:
Pity not honour'd age for his white beard; 110
He is an usurer: strike me the counterfeit matron;[2432]
It is her habit only that is honest,
Herself's a bawd: let not the virgin's cheek
Make soft thy trenchant sword; for those milk-paps[2433]
That through the window-bars bore at men's eyes[2434] 115
Are not within the leaf of pity writ,
But set them down horrible traitors: spare not the babe[2435]
Whose dimpled smiles from fools exhaust their mercy;[2436]
Think it a bastard whom the oracle[2437]
Hath doubtfully pronounced thy throat shall cut,[2438] 120
And mince it sans remorse: swear against objects;[2439]
Put armour on thine ears and on thine eyes,
Whose proof nor yells of mothers, maids, nor babes,
Nor sight of priests in holy vestments bleeding,[2440]
Shall pierce a jot. There's gold to pay thy soldiers: 125
Make large confusion; and, thy fury spent,
Confounded be thyself! Speak not, be gone.
Alcib. Hast thou gold yet? I'll take the gold thou givest me,[2441]
Not all thy counsel.[2441][2442]
Tim. Dost thou or dost thou not, heaven's curse upon thee! 130
Phr. and Timan. Give us some gold, good Timon: hast thou more?[2443]
Tim. Enough to make a whore forswear her trade,
And to make whores, a bawd. Hold up, you sluts,[2444]
Your aprons mountant: you are not oathable;[2445]
Although, I know, you'll swear, terribly swear, 135
Into strong shudders and to heavenly agues,
The immortal gods that hear you; spare your oaths,
I'll trust to your conditions: be whores still;
And he whose pious breath seeks to convert you,
Be strong in whore, allure him, burn him up; 140
Let your close fire predominate his smoke,
And be no turncoats: yet may your pains, six months,[2446][2447]
Be quite contrary: and thatch your poor thin roofs[2446][2448]
With burdens of the dead;—some that were hang'd,[2446]
No matter:—wear them, betray with them: whore still;[2446][2449] 145
Paint till a horse may mire upon your face:
A pox of wrinkles![2443]
Phr. and Timan. Well, more gold: what then?
Believe't that we'll do any thing for gold.[2450]
Tim. Consumptions sow
In hollow bones of man; strike their sharp shins,[2451] 150
And mar men's spurring. Crack the lawyer's voice,[2451][2452]
That he may never more false title plead,
Nor sound his quillets shrilly: hoar the flamen,[2453]
That scolds against the quality of flesh[2454]
And not believes himself: down with the nose, 155
Down with it flat; take the bridge quite away
Of him that, his particular to foresee,[2455][2456]
Smells from the general weal: make curl'd-pate ruffians bald;[2455][2457]
And let the unscarr'd braggarts of the war
Derive some pain from you: plague all;[2458] 160
That your activity may defeat and quell
The source of all erection. There's more gold:
Do you damn others, and let this damn you,
And ditches grave you all!
Phr. and Timan. More counsel with more money, bounteous Timon.[2443][2459]165
Tim. More whore, more mischief first; I have given you earnest.[2459][2460]
Alcib. Strike up the drum towards Athens! Farewell, Timon:[2459]
If I thrive well, I'll visit thee again.[2459]
Tim. If I hope well, I'll never see thee more.
Alcib. I never did thee harm.[2461] 170
Tim. Yes, thou spokest well of me.
Alcib. Call'st thou that harm?
Alcib. We but offend him. Strike![2464]