Poet. Nay, let's seek him: Then do we sin against our own estate, When we may profit meet, and come too late. Pain. True; [night, When the day serves, before black-corner'd Find what thou want'st, by free and offer'd light. Come.

T. I'll meet you at the turn. What a god's gold, That he is worshipp'd in a baser temple, Than where swine feed!

"Tis thou that rigg'st the bark, and plough'st the
Settlest admired reverence in a slave: [foam;
To thee be worship! and thy saints for aye
Be crown'd with plagues, that thee alone obey!
'Fit I do meet them.
[Advancing.

Poet. Hail, worthy Timon!
Pain.

Our late noble master.

Tim. Have I once liv'd to see two honest men? Poet. Sir,

Having often of your open bounty tasted,
Hearing you were retired, your friends fall'n off,
Whose thankless natures-O abhorred spirits!
Not all the whips of heaven are large enough-
What! to you!

Whose star-like nobleness gave life and influence
To their whole being! I'm rapt, and cannot cover
The monstrous bulk of this ingratitude
With any size of words.

Tim. Let it go naked, men may see't the better: You, that are honest, by being what you are, Make them best seen, and known.

Pain. He, and myself, Have travell'd in the great shower of your gifts, And sweetly felt it.

Tim.

Ay, you are honest men.

Pa. We are hither come to offer you our service. Tim. Most honest men! Why, how shall I re

quite you?

Car you at roots, and drink cold water? no,
Both. What we can do, we'll do, to do you service.
Tim. You are honest men: You have heard
that I have gold:
[men.
I am sure you have: speak truth: you are honest
Pain. So it is said, my noble lord: but therefore
Came not my friend, nor I.

T. Good honest men:-Thou draw'st a counterfeit1

Best in all Athens: thou art, indeed, the best; Thou counterfeit'st most lively.

Pain.

So, so, my lord.

Tim. Even so, sir, as I say:-[To the Poet]
And, for thy fiction,

Whythyverse swells with stuff so fine and smooth
That thou art even natural in thine art.-
But, for all this, my honest-natur'd friends,
I must needs say, you have a little fault:
Marry, 'tis not monstrous in you; neither wish I,
You take much pains to mend.
Both.
To make it known to us.

Tim.

Beseech your honour,

You'll take it ill.

Will you, indeed?

Both. Most thankfully, my lord.,

Tim.

Both. Doubt it not, worthy lord.

T. There's ne'er a one of you but trusts a knave,

That mightily deceives you.

Tim Look you, I love you well; I'll give you gold,

Rid me these villains from your companies: Hang them, or stab them, drown them in a draught,

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. [To the Painter. ] If, where thou art, two villains shall not be,

Come not near him.-[To the Poet.]-If thou wouldst not reside

But where one villain is, then him abandon.Hence! pack! there's gold, ye came for gold,

ye slaves:

You have done work for me, there's payment: hence !

You are an alchemist, make gold of that:
Out, rascal dogs!

[Exit, beating and driving them out.

SCENE II.-THE SAME.

Enter Flavius, and two Senators. Flav. 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: It is our part, and promise to the Athenians, To speak with Timon.

2 Sen. At all times alike [griefs, Men are not still the same: 'Twas time, and That fram'd him thus: time, with his fairer hand, Offering the fortunes of his former days, The former man may make him: Bring us to him, And chance it as it may.

Flav.

Here is his cave.

Both.

Do we, my lord?

1 A portrait

What we are sorry for ourselves in thee.
The senators, with one consent of love,
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 publick body,-which doth
Play the recanter,-feeling in itself [seldom

A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal
Of its own fall, restraining aid to Timon:
And sentforth us, to make their sorrow'd render,1
Together with a recompense more fruitful
Than their offence can weigh down by the dram2;
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 senators.
1S. 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
Of Alcibiades the approaches wild; [back
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, T.Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir; Thus,If Alcibiades kill my countrymen, Let Alcibiades know this of Timon, [Athens, 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 In pity of our aged, and our youth, [speaks it, I cannot choose but tell him, that I care not, And let him take't at worst; for their knives care not

[you

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
The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave
To the protection of the prosperous 5 gods,
As thieves to keepers.

Flav.
Stay not, all's in vain.
Tim. Why, I was writing of my epitaph,
It will be seen to-morrow; My long sickness
Of health, and living, now begins to mend,
Al nothing brings me all things. Go, live still;
Be Alcibiades your plague, you his,
And last so long enough!

We speak in vain.

1 Sen. Tim. But yet I love my country; and am not One that rejoices in the common wreck, As common bruit doth put it.

1 Sen. That's well spoke. Tim. Commend me to my loving countrymen,1 Sen. These words become your lips as they pass through them.

2S. And enter in our cars like great triumphers In their applauding gates.

Tim. Commend me to them; And tell them, that to ease them of their griefs, Their fears of hostile strokes, their aches, losses, Their pangs of love, with other incident throes That nature's fragile vessel doth sustain In life's uncertain voyage, I will some kindness do them:

I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath.

2 Sen. I like this well, he will return again. T 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 friends, 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 greeting. Fl. 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 dear1 peril. 1 Sen.

It requires swift foot. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.-THE WALLS OF ATHENS.
Enter two Senators, and a Messenger.

1 Sen. Thou hast painfully discovered; are his As full as thy report? [files 2 Mess. I have spoke the least: Besides, his expedition promises Present approach.

2 Sen. We stand much hazard, if they bring not Timon.

Mess. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend;Whom, though in general part we were oppos'd, Yet our old love made a particular force, And made us speak like friends:-this man was From Alcibiades to Timon's cave, [riding 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. 28. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect.The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scouring Doth choke the air with dust: in and prepare; Ours is the fall, I fear; our foes, the snare.

1 Dreadful

[Exeunt.

2 (Of soldiers.)

CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS, a noble Roman.
TITUS LARTIUS, Generals against the Vol-
COMINIUS,
scians.

MENENIUS AGRIPPA, Friend to Coriolanus.

SICINIUS VELUTUS,

Tribunes of the People.

JUNIUS BRUTUS,

Young MARCIUS, Son to Coriolanus.

A Roman Herald.

TULLUS AUFIDIUS, General of the Volscians. Lieutenant to Aufidius.

Conspirators with Aufidius.

A Citizen of Antium. Two Volscian Guards.

Act First.

SCENE I.-ROME. A STREET.

Enter a Company of mutinous Citizens, with Staves, Clubs, and other Weapons.

1 Cit. Before we proceed any further, hear me speak.

Cit. Speak, speak. [Several speaking at once. 1 Cit. You are all resolv'd rather to die, than to famish.

Cit. Resolved, resolved.

1 Cit. First, you know, Caius Marcius is chief enemy to the people.

Cit. We know't, we know't.

1 Cit. Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at our own price. Is't a verdict?

Cit. No more talking on't; let it be done; away, away.

2 Cit. One word, good citizens.

1 Cit. We are accounted poor citizens; the patricians, good1: What authority surfeits on, would relieve us; If they would yield us but the superfluity, while it were wholesome, we might guess, they relieved us humanely! but they think, we are too dear: the leanness that afflicts us, the object of our misery, is an inventory to particularize their abundance; our sufferance is a gain to them.-Let us revenge this with our pikes, ere we become rakes2: for the gods know, I speak this in hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge. 2 Cit. Would you proceed especially against Caius Marcius?

Cit. Against him first; he's a very dog to the commonalty.

2 Cit. Consider you what services he has done for his country?

1 Cit. Very well; and could be content to give him good report for't, but that he pays himself with being proud.

2 Cit. Nay, but speak not maliciously. 1 Cit. I say unto you, what he hath done famously, he did it to that end: though soft con2 (Thin as rakes.)

1 Rich.

scienc'd men can be content to say it was for his country, he did it to please his mother, and to be partly proud; which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue.

2 Cit. What he cannot help in his nature, you account a vice in him: You must in no way say, he is covetous.

1 Cit. If I must not, I need not be barren of accusations; he hath faults, with surplus, to tire in repetition. [Shouts within.] What shouts are these? The other side o' the city is risen: Why stay we prating here? to the Capitol. Cit. Come, come.

1 Cit. Soft; who comes here?

Enter Menenius Agrippa.

2 Cit. Worthy Menenius Agrippa; one that hath always loved the people.

1 Cit. He's one honest enough; 'Would all the rest were so!

Men. What works, my countrymen, in hand? Where go you [you. With bats and clubs? The matter speak, I pray 1 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the senate; they have had inkling this fortnight, what we intend to do, which now we'll show 'em in deeds. They say, poor suitors have strong breaths; they shall know we have strong arms too. Men. Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbours, Will you undo yourselves?

1 Cit. We cannot, sir, we are undone already. Men. I tell you, friends, most charitable care Have the patricians of you. For your wants, Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well Strike at the heaven with your staves, as lift them Against the Roman state; whose course will on The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs Of more strong link asunder, than can ever Appear in your impediment: For the dearth, The gods, not the patricians, make it; and Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack, You are transported by calamity Thither where more attends you; and you slander