SCENE V. Tim.HAT nature being fick of man's unkind THA nefs, Should yet be hungry! Common mother, thou Whose womb unmeasurable, and infinite breast Teems, and feeds all; oh thou! whofe felf-fame mettle (Whereof thy proud child, arrogant man, is puft) Engenders the black toad, and adder blue, The gilded newt, and eyelefs venom'd worm; * Let it no more bring out to ingrateful man. Never presented-O, a root-dear thanks! SCENE Enter Apemantus. More man? plague! plague! VI. Apem. I was directed hither. Men report, Thou dost affect my manners, and dost use them. * Let it no more bring out ingrateful Man.] This is an abfurd Reading. Shakespear Wrote, bring out to ingrateful Man, i. e. Fruits for his Suftinence and Support; but let it rather teen with Monsters to his Deftru&ion. VOL. VII. I Tim. Tim. 'Tis then, because thou doft not keep a dog Whom I would imitate; confumption catch thee! Apem. This is in thee a nature but affected, A poor unmanly melancholy, fprung From change of fortune. place? Why this fpade? this This flave-like habit, and these looks of care? Thou gav'ft thine ears, like tapfters, that bid welcome So long a mad-man, now a fool. What, think'ft thou, Candied with ice, cawdle thy morning tafte Of wreakful heav'n, whofe bare unhoufed trunks, Answer mere nature; bid them flatter thee; ..Tim. A fool of thee; depart. Apem. I love thee better now, than e'er I did. Tim. I hate thee worse. Apem. Why? Tim. Thou flatt'reft mifery. Apem. I flatter not; but fay, thou art a caytiff. Tim. Why doft thou seek me out? Apem. To vex thee. Tim. Always a villain's office, or a fool's. Doft please thyself in't? Apem. Ay. Tim. What a knave thou! Apem. If thou didft put this four cold habit on The other, at high wish: Best states, contentless, Thou shouldft defire to die, being miferable. Tim. Not by his breath, that is more miferable. Thou art a flave, whom fortune's tender arm With favour never claspt; but bred a dog. Hadft thou, like us, from our firft fwath proceeded Through sweet degrees that this brief world affords, To fuch as may the paffive drugs of it Freely command; thou wouldst have plung'd thy felf In general riot, melted down thy youth In different beds of luft, and never learn'd The mouths, the tongues, the eyes, the hearts of men At duty, more than I could frame employments; That numberless upon me fluck, as leaves Do on the oak; have with one winter's brush Fall'n from their boughs, and left me open, bare Hath made thee hard in't. Why fhouldft thou hate men ? They never flatter'd thee. What haft thou given? Apem. Art thou proud yet? Tim. Ay, that I am not thee. Were all the wealth I have, shut up in thee, Thus would I eat it. · [Eating a root. Apem. Here, I will mend thy feast. Tim. 'Tis not well mended fo, it is but betcht; If not, I would it were. Apem. What would'ft thou have to Athens? Tim. Thee thither in a whirlwind; if thou wilt, Tell them there, I have gold; look, fo I have. Apem. Here is no ufe for gold. Tim. The best and trueft: For here it fleeps, and does no hired harm. Apem. Where lyft o'nights, Timon? Tim. Under that's above me. Where feed'ft thou o'days, Apemantus? Apem. Where my ftomach finds meat; or rather, where I eat it. Tim. 'Would poison were obedient, and knew my mind! Apem. Where would'ft thou fend it? Tim. To fauce thy dishes. Apem. The middle of humanity thou never knewest, but the extremity of both ends. When thou waft in thy gilt, and thy perfume, they mockt thee for too much curiofity; in thy rags thou knoweft none, but art defpis'd for the contrary. There's a medlar for thee, eat it. Tim. On what I hate I feed not. Tim. Ay, though it look like thee. Apem. An th' hadft hated medlers fooner, thou fhould't have loved thyfelf better now. What man didst thou ever know unthrift, that was beloved after his means? Tim. Who, without those means thou talk'st of, didft thou ever know beloved? Apem. Myfelf. Tim. I understand thee, thou hadft fome means to keep a dog. Apem. What things in the world canft thou nearest compare to thy flatterers? Tim. Women nearest; but men, men, are the things themselves. What wouldft thou do with the world, Apemantus, if it lay in thy power? Apem. Give it the beafts, to be rid of the men. Tim. Wouldst thou have thyself fall in the confufion of men, or remain a beast with the beasts? Apem. Ay, Timon. Tim. A beaftly ambition, which the Gods grant thee to attain to! If thou wert a lion, the fox would beguile thee; if thou wert a lamb, the fox would eat thee; if thou wert the fox, the lion would suspect thee, when, peradventure, thou wert accus'd by the afs; if thou wert the afs, thy dulnefs would torment thee; and ftill thou liv'dft but as a break |