1 SCENE I. ACT I. “Follow his strides, his lobbies fill with tendance." IN considering the character of Timon in our 'Studies,' we have referred to Mr. Charles Lamb's parallel between Shakspere and Hogarth. We here reprint the passage, particularly as it affords us an occasion of introducing a miniature copy of the scene in the 'Rake's Progress,' to which Mr. Lamb alludes. "One of the earliest and noblest enjoyments I had when a boy was in the contemplation of those capital prints by Hogarth, The Harlot's and Rake's Progresses,' which, along with some others, hung upon the walls of a great hall in an old-fashioned house in shire, and seemed the solitary tenants (with myself) of that antiquated and life-deserted apartment. "Recollection of the manner in which those prints used to affect me has often made me wonder, when I have heard Hogarth described as a mere comic painter, as one whose chief ambition was to raise a laugh. To deny that there are throughout the prints which I have mentioned circumstances introduced of a laughable tendency, would be to run counter to the common notions of mankind; but to suppose that in their ruling character they appeal chiefly to the risible faculty, and not first and foremost to the very heart of man, its best and most serious feelings, would be to mistake no less grossly their aim and purpose. A set of severer satires, (for they are not so much comedies, which they have been likened to, as they are strong and masculine satires,) less mingled with anything of mere fun, were never written upon paper, or graven upon copper. They resemble Juvenal, or the satiric touches in 'Timon of Athens.' "I was pleased with the reply of a gentleman, who being asked which book he esteemed most in his library, answered, 'Shakspere:' being asked which he esteemed the next best, replied, 'Hogarth.' His graphic representations are indeed books: they have the teeming, fruitful, suggestive meaning of words. Others' pictures we look at, his prints we read. "In pursuance of this parallel, I have some times entertained myself with comparing the 'Timon of Athens' of Shakspere (which I have just mentioned) and Hogarth's 'Rake's Progress' together. The story, the moral, in both is nearly the same. The wild course of riot and extravagance, ending in the one with driv the solitude of the deserts, and in the other with conducting the Rake through his several stages of dissipation into the still more complete desolations of the mad-house, in the play and in the picture are described with almost equal force and nature. The Levee of the ACT III. 2 SCENE VI. called Choce at Athens, (to wit, the feasts of the fices for the dead,) and that they two then seated together by themselves, Apemantus said unto the other: 'O, here is a trim banquet, Timon.' Timon answered again, 'Yea,' said he, 'so thou wert not here.' It is reported of him also, that this Timon on a time (the people being assembled in the market-place about despatch of some affairs) got up into the pulpit for ora tions, where the orators commonly used to speak unto the people; and silence being made, every man listening to hear what he would say, because it was a wonder to see him in that place; at length he began to speak in this manner :My lords of Athens, I have a little yard in my house, where there groweth a fig-tree, on the which many citizens have hanged themselves; and because I mean to make some building upon that place, I thought good to let you all understand it, that before the fig-tree be cut down, if any of you be desperate, you may there in time go hang yourselves.' He died in the city of Thales, and was buried upon the seaside. Now it chanced so, that the sea getting in, it compassed his tomb round about, that no and upon the same was “Burn house; sink, Athens! henceforth hated be dead, where they made sprinklings and sacriOf Timon, man, and all humanity." PLUTARCH distinctly records the circumstance which converted the generous Timon into a misanthrope. We subjoin from North's translation the entire passage relating to Timon :— "Antonius forsook the city (Alexandria) and company of his friends, and built him a house in the sea, by the Isle of Pharos, upon certain forced mounts which he caused to be cast into the sea, and dwelt there as a man that banished himself from all men's company: saying that he would lead Timon's life, because he had the like wrong offered him that was afore offered unto Timon; and that for the unthankfulness of those he had done good unto, and whom he took to be his friends, he was angry with all men, and would trust no man. This Timon was a citizen of Athens, that lived about the war of Peloponnesus, as appeareth by Plato and Aristophanes' comedies: in the which they mocked him, calling him a viper, and malicious man unto mankind, to shun all other men's companies but the company of young Alcibiades, a bold and insolent youth, whom he would greatly feast and make much of, and kissed him very gladly. Apemantus pondering at it, asked him the cause what he meant to make so much of that young man alone, and to hate all others: Timon answered him, 'I do it,' said he, 'because I know that one day he shall do great mischief unto the Athenians.' This Timon sometimes would have Apemantus in his company, because he was much like to his nature and conditions, and also followed him in manner of life. On a time when they solemnly celebrated the feasts man could come to it; : Here lies a wretched corse, of wretched soul bereft, It is reported that Timon himself when he lived 'Here lie I, Timon, who alive all living men did hate, 3 SCENE II. ACT V. "I have a tree, which grows here in my close." We have referred, in our Introductory Remarks, to the 28th novel of The Palace of Pleasure,' as an example of the popular notion of the character of Timon of Athens. The story of Timon's feast with Apemantus, as well as that of the fig-tree, is found also in Plutarch. (See Illustration of Act III.) We subjoin the 'Novel' from 'The Palace of Pleasure' without abridgment: "Of the strange and beastly nature of Timon of Athens, enemy to mankind, with his death, burial, and epitaph. "All the beasts of the world do apply themselves to other beasts of their kind, Timon of Athens only excepted: of whose strange nature Plutarch is astonied, in the life of Marcus Antonius. Plato and Aristophanes do report his marvellous nature, because he was a man but by shape only; in qualities he was the capital enemy of mankind, which he confessed frankly utterly to abhor and hate. He dwelt alone in a little cabin in the fields not far from Athens, separated from all neighbours and company: he never went to the city, or to any other habitable place, except he was constrained. he could not abide any man's company and conversation: he was never seen to go to any man's house, nor yet would suffer them to come to him. At the same time there was in Athens another of like quality, called Apemantus, of the very same nature, different from the natural kind of man, and lodged likewise in the middle of the fields. On a day they two being alone together at dinner, Apemantus said unto him, 'O, Timon, what a pleasant feast is this! and what a merry company are we, being no more but thou and I!' 'Nay, (quoth Timon,) it would be a merry banquet indeed, if there were none here but myself.' "Wherein he showed how like a beast (indeed) he was: for he could not abide any other man, being not able to suffer the company of him, which was of like nature. And if by chance he happened to go to Athens, it was only to speak with Alcibiades, who then was an excellent captain there, whereat many did marvel; and therefore Apemantus demanded of him, why he spake to no man but to Alcibiades? I speak to him sometimes,' said Timon, because I know that by his occasion the Athenians shall receive great hurt and trouble.' Which words many times he told to Alcibiades himself. He had a garden adjoining to his house in the fields, wherein was a fig-tree, whereupon many desperate men ordinarily did hang themselves; in place whereof he purposed to set up a house, and therefore was forced to cut it down, for which cause he went to Athens, and, in the market-place, he called the people about him, saying that he had news to tell them when the people understood that he was about to make a discourse unto them, which was wont to speak to no man, they marvelled, and the citizens on every part of the city ran to hear him; to whom he said, that he purposed to cut down his fig-tree to build a house upon the place where it stood. 'Wherefore (quoth he) if there be any man among you all in this company that is disposed to hang himself, let him come betimes before it be cut down.' Having thus bestowed his charity among the people, he returned to his lodging, where he lived a certain time after without alteration of nature; and because that nature changed not in his life-time, he would not suffer that death should alter or vary the same: for like as he lived a beastly and churlish life, even so he re quired to have his funeral done after that manner. By his last will he ordained himself to be interred upon the sea-shore, that the waves and surges might beat and vex his dead carcase. Yea, and that if it were possible, his desire was to be buried in the depth of the sea; causing an epitaph to be made, wherein were described the qualities of his brutish life. Plutarch also reporteth another to be made by Callimachus, much like to that which Timon made himself, whose own soundeth to this effect in English verse:"My wretched catife days, Expired now and past: My carren corpse interred here, In waltring waves of swel- |