1 Sen.

Enter Senators from TIMON.

Here come our brothers.

2 Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect.— The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful fcouring Doth choke the air with duft: In, and prepare; Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes the snare.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

The Woods. Timon's Cave, and a tomb-ftone feen.

Enter a Soldier, fecking TIMON.

Sol. By all defcription this fhould be the place.
Who's here? fpeak, ho!-No anfwer?-What is this?
Timon is dead, who hath out-ftretch'd his fpan :
Some beaft rear'd this; there does not live a man.
Dead, fure; and this his grave.

What's on this tomb I cannot read; the chara&ter
I'll take with wax:

Our captain hath in every figure skill;

An aged interpreter, though young in days:
Before proud Athens he's fet down by this,
Whofe fall the mark of his ambition is.

[Exit.

SCENE

Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the With all licentious measure, making your The scope of juftice; till now, myself, and As flept within the fhadow of your power Have wander'd with our travers'd arms, a Our fufferance vainly: Now the time is fil When crouching marrow, in the bearer ft Cries, of itself, No more: now breathlefs v Shall fit and pant in your great chairs of e And purfy infolence fhall break his wind, With fear, and horrid flight.

1 Sen.

Noble, and y When thy first griefs were but a mere cor Ere thou hadft power, or we had cause of We sent to thee; to give thy rages balm, To wipe out our ingratitude with loves Above their quantity.

2 Sen.

So did we woo Transformed Timon to our city's love, By humble meffage, and by promis'd mea We were not all unkind, nor all deserve The common stroke of war.

1 Sen.

Thefe walls of ours

Were not erected by their hands, from whom

You have receiv'd your griefs: nor are they fuch,
That these great towers, trophies, and fchools fhould fall
For private faults in them.

2 Sen.

Nor are they living,

Who were the motives that you first went out ;

Shame, that they wanted cunning, in excess
Hath broke their hearts. March, noble lord,
Into our city with thy banners spread :
By decimation, and a tithed death,

(If thy revenges hunger for that food,

Which nature loaths,) take thou the deftin'd tenth;
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 fquare, 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 blufter of thy wrath, must fall
With those that have offended: like a fhepherd,
Approach the fold, and cull the infected forth,
But kill not all together.

2 Sen.

What thou wilt,

Thou rather fhalt enforce it with thy fmile,

Than hew to't with thy fword.

I Sen.

Set but thy foot

Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope;

So thou wilt fend thy gentle heart before,

To fay, thou'lt enter friendly.

Or

2 Sen.

Throw thy glove,

any token of thine honour else,

That

Shall pass his quarter, or offend the stream Of regular justice in your city's bounds, But shall be remedied, to your public laws At heaviest answer.

Both.

'Tis most nobly spoke

Alcib. Defcend, and keep your words.

The Senators defcend, and open the

Enter a Soldier.

Sol. My noble general, Timon is dead Entomb'd upon the very hem o'the fea: And, on his grave-stone, this infculpture With wax I brought away, whofe foft im Interprets for my poor ignorance. Alcib. [Reads.] Here lies a wretched co foul bereft:

Seek not my name: A plague confume you left!

Here lie I Timon; who, alive, all living me Pafs by, and curfe thy fill; but pass, and gait.

These well express in thee thy latter fpirit Though thou abhorr'dst in us our human

9

Scorn'dft our brain's flow, and those our droplets which

From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit

Taught thee to make vaft Neptune weep for aye

On thy low grave, on faults forgiven. Dead
Is noble Timon; of whofe memory
Hereafter more.-Bring me into your city,
And I will ufe the olive with my fword:

Make war breed peace; make peace stint war; make each
Prefcribe to other, as each other's leech.-
Let our drums ftrike.

[Exeunt.