Auf. My lords, when you shall know-as in this

rage,

Provoked by him, you cannot-the great danger
Which this man's life did owe you, you'll rejoice
That he is thus cut off. Please it your honours
To call me to your senate, I'll deliver

Myself your loyal servant, or endure
Your heaviest censure.

First Lord.

Bear from hence his body;

And mourn you for him: let him be regarded
As the most noble corse that ever herald

Did follow to his urn.

Sec. Lord.

His own impatience

Takes from Aufidius a great part of blame.
Let's make the best of it.

Auf.
My rage is gone;
And I am struck with sorrow. Take him up.
Help, three o' the chiefest soldiers; I'll be one.
Beat thou the drum, that it speak mournfully:
Trail your steel pikes. Though in this city he
Hath widow'd and unchilded many a one,
Which to this hour bewail the injury,
Yet he shall have a noble memory.

Assist.

[Exeunt, bearing the body of Coriolanus. A dead march sounded.

139. did owe you, made you liable to.

140

150

VOL. X

145

L

TIMON OF ATHENS

Other Lords, Senators, Officers, Soldiers, Banditti, and Attendants

SCENE: Athens, and the neighbouring woods.

Historic Time.—414 B.C. was the date of Alcibiades' disgrace.

INTRODUCTION

THE LYFE OF TIMON OF ATHENS was first printed in the Folio of 1623, as the fourth of the Tragedies. It is there divided neither into Acts nor Scenes, and the text is very corrupt.

It is now generally agreed that large tracts of Timon are not the work of Shakespeare. The following table gives a conspectus of the most currently accepted division, and of the resulting distribution of the characters :