You take much pains to mene.

Both. Beseech your honour,

To take it known to ns.

Confound them by some course, and come to me, I'll give you gold enough.

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. Flar. 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 man, Is friendly with him.

1 Sen. Bring us to his cave:

ft 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,

That fram'd him thus: time, with his fairer Land,

As a portrait was then called.

Entreat thee back to Athens; who have thought

On special dignities, which vacant lie

For thy best use and wearing.

2 Sen. 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 its own fall, restraining aid to Timon;
And send forth us, to make their sorrowed
render, t

Together with recompense more fruitful
Than their off/ace 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.

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

name

Live with authority:-so soon we shall drive back
Of Alcibiades the approaches wild;
Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up
His country's peace.

2 Sen. And shakes his threat'ning sword Against the walls of Athens.

1 Sen. Therefore, Timon,

Tim. Well, Sir, I will; therefore, I will, Sir: Thus,

[Athens,

If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,
Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,
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, And let him tak't at worse; 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 reveiend'st throat in Athens. So I leave

With an united voice of affection.
Licensed.
A clasp knis.

From Alciabiades 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, Doth choke the air with dust in and prepare; Our's is the fall, I fear; our foes, the snare.

men,

wrath.

2 Sen. I like this well, he will return again.
Tim. 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 trends,
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 greet-
ing.

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.

[Exeunt.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-The Woods.-TIMON's Care, and a Tomb-stone seen.

Enter a SOLDIER, seeking TIMON.

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 man. Dead, sure; and this his grave.—

What's on this tomb I cannot read; the character
I'll take with wax.

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 ALÇIBIADES, and Forces.

Alcib. Sound to this coward and lascivious town Our terrible approach. [A Parley sounded.

Enter SENATORS on the Walls. Till now you bave 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 +
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,
To wipe out our ingratitude with loves
Above their quantity.

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, 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

Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope:
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 atone 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,
Eat 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 With wax I brought away, whose soft impression 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:

Pass by, and curse thy fill; but pass, and stay not here thy gait.

These well express in thee thy latter spirits:
Though thou abhorr'dst in us our human griefs,
Scorn'dst our brain's flow, and those our drop
lets which

From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit
Taught thee to make vast Neptune weep for aye
On thy low grave, on faults forgiven. Dead
Is noble Timon; of whose memory
Hereafter more.-Bring me into your city.
And I will use the olive with my sword:
Make war breed peace; make peace stint † war;
make each

Prescribe to other, as each other's leech.
Let our drums strike.

[Exeunt.

To seek her as a bed-fellow,
In marriage pleasures play fellow :
Which to prevent, he made a law,
(To keep her still, and men in awe,)
That whoso ask'd her for his wife,
His riddle told not, lost his life:
So for her many a wight did die,
As you grit looks do testify.⚫

Ant. Read the conclusion then; Which read, and not expounded, 'tis decreed, As these before thee, thou thyself shalt bleed. Daugh. In all, save that, may'st thou prove prosperous!

Per. Like a bold champion, I assume the lists,

Nor ask advice of any other thought

your eye

I give, my cause who best can justify.

[Exit. SCENE I.-Antioch.-A Room in the Palace. Enter ANTIOCHUS, PERICLES, and Attendants. Ant. Young prince of Tyre, you have at large receiv'd

The danger of the task you undertake.

Per. I have, Antiochus; and with a soul Embolden'd with the glory of her praise, Think death no hazard, in this enterprise.

[Music. Ant. Bring in our daughter clothed like a bride,

For the embracements even of Jove himself;
-At whose conception, (till Lucina reign'd,)
Nature this dowry gave, to glad her presence,
The senate-house of planets all did sit,
To knit in her their best perfections.

Enter the DAUGHTER of ANTIOCHUS. Per. See where she comes, apparell'd like the spring,

Graces her subjects, and her thoughts the king
Of every virtne + gives renown to inen!
Her face, the book of praises, where is read
Nothing but curious pleasures, as from thence
Sorrow were ever raz'd, and testy wrath
Could never be her mild companion.
Ye gods that made me man, and sway in love,
That have inflam'd desire within my breast,
To taste the fruit of yon celestial tree,
Or die in the adventure,-be my helps,
As I am son and servant to your will,
To compass such a boundless happiness!
Ant. Prince Pericies,--

Per. That would be son to great Antiochus.
Ant. Before thee stands this fair Hesperides,
With golden fruit, but dangerous to be touch'd;
For death-like dragons here affright thee hard;
Her face, like heaven, enticeth thee to view
A countless glory, which desert must gain:
And which, without desert, because thine eye
Presumes to reach, all thy whole heap must die.
You' sometime famous princes, like thyself,
Drawn by report, advent'rous by desire,
Tell thee with speechless tongues, and semblance
pale,

That, without covering, save yon' field of stars,
They here stand martyrs, slain in Cupid's wars:
And with dead cheeks advise thee to desist,
For going on death's net, whom none resist.
Per. Antiochus, I thank thee, who hast taught
My frail mortality to know itself,
And by those fearful objects to prepare
This body, like to them, to what I must:
For death remember'd, should be like a mirror,
Who tells us life's but breath; to trust it, error.
I'll make my will then; and as sick men do,
Who know the world, see heaven, but feeling
woe,

Gripe not at earthly joys, as erst they did:
So I bequeath a happy peace to you,
And all good men, as every prince should do;
My riches to the earth from whence they came;
But my unspotted fire of love to you.

To the DAUGHTER of ANTIOCHUS.
Thus ready for the way of life or death,
I wait the sharpest blow, Antiochus,
Scorning advice.

• Pointing to the scene of the palace gate at Antioch, on which the heads of these unfortunate wights were fied. + I. e. That gives.

[He reads the Riddle.]

I am no viper, yet I feed

On mother's flesh, which did me breed:
I sought a husband, in which labour,
I found that kindness in a father.
He's father, son, and husband mild,
I mother, wife, and yet his child.
How they may be, and yet in two,
As you will live, resolve it you.
Sharp physic is the last but, O you powers!
That give heaven countless eyes to view men's
acts,

Why cloud they not their sights perpetually,
If this be true, which makes me pale to read it?
Fair glass of light, I lov'd you, and could still,

[Takes hold of the hand of the princess.
Were not this glorious casket stor'd with ill
But I must tell you,-now, my thoughts revolt;
For he's no man on whom perfections wait,
That knowing sin within, will touch the gate.
You're a fair viol, and your sense the strings;
Who, finger'd to make man his lawful music,
Would draw heaven down, and all the gods to
hearken;

But, being play'd upon before your time,
Hell only danceth at so harsh a chime:
Good sooth, I care not for you.

Ant. Prince Pericles, touch not, upon thy life, For that's an article within our law,

As dangerous as the rest. Your time's expir'd : Either expound now, or receive your sentence. Per. Great king,

Few love to hear the sins they love to act:
'Twould 'braid yourself too near for me to
tell it.

Who has a book of all that monarchs do,
He's more secure to keep it shut, than shown;
For vice repeated, is like the wand'ring wind,
Blows dust in others' eyes, to spread itself;
And yet the end of all is bought thus dear,
The breath is gone, and the sore eyes see clear:
To stop the air would hurt them. The blind
mole casts

Copp'd hills towards heaven, to tell the earth
is wrong'd
[die for't.
By man's oppresion; and the poor worm doth
Kings are earth's gods: in vice their law's

their will;

And if Jove stray, who dares say, Jove doth ill?
It is enough you know; and it is fit,
What, being more known, grows worse, to
smother it.

All love the womb that their first beings bred, Then give my tongue like leave to love my head.

Ant. Heaven, that I had thy head; He has found the meaning:But I will gloze + with him. [Aside.] Young prince of Tyre,

Though by the tenour of our strict edict,
Your exposition misinterpreting,
We might proceed to cancel of your days;
Yet hope, succeeding from so fair a tree
As your fair self, doth tune us otherwise :
Forty days longer we do respite you;
If by which time our secret be undone,
This mercy shows, we'll joy in such a son;
And, until then, your entertain shall be,
As doth befit our honour, and your worth.
[Exeunt ANTIOCHUS, his DAUGHTER, and

Attendants.