SCENE changes to the Walls of Athens. Enter two other Senators, with a Messenger. 1 Sen. Hou haft painfully difcover'd; are his files As full as thy report? "TH Mef. I have fpoke the leaft. Befides, his expedition promifes Prefent approach. 2 Sen. We ftand much hazard, if they bring not Timon. Mef. I met a courier, one mine ancient friend; Who, though in general part we were oppos'd, Yet our old love made a particular force, And made us fpeak like friends. From Alcibiades to Timon's Cave, With letters of intreaty, which imported His fellowship i'th' caufe againft your city, for his fake mov'd. In part This man was riding Enter the other Senators. 1 Sen. Here come our brothers. 3 Sen. No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect.. The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful fcouring Doth choak the air with duft. In, and prepare ; Ours is the fall, I fear, our foes the fnare. [Exeunt. Enter a Soldier in the woods, feeking Timon. Timon is dead, who hath out-ftretch'd his fpan; (31) Seme Beaft read this: kere does not live a Man.] Some Beaft read what? the Soldier had yet only feen the rude Pile of Earth heap'd up for Tmon's Grave, and not the Infcription upon it. My Friend Mr Warburton ingenioufly advifed me to amend the Text, as I have done. The Soldier, feeking by Order for Timon, fees fuch an irregular Mole, as he concludes must have been the Workmaship of fome Beaft inhabiting the Woods; and fuch a Cavity, as either must have been fo over-arched, or happened by the cafual Failing in of the Ground. Dead, Dead, fure, 'and this his grave; what's on this tomb ? SCENE, before the Walls of Athens. [Exit. Trumpets founded. Enter Alcibiades with his Powers. Ound to this coward and lafcivious town Alc. Our terrible approach. [Sound a parley. The Senators appear upon the walls. 'Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the time With all licentious meafure, making your wills The scope of juftice. Till now myself, and fuch As flept within the fhadow of your power, Have wander'd with our traverft arms, and breath'd 1 Sen. Noble and young, When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit, To wipe out our ingratitude, with loves Above their quantity. t 2 Sen. So did we woo (32) (32) City's Love By bumble Meffage, and by promis'd means:] Promis'd Means mu import a Supply of Subftance, the recruiting his funk Fortunes; but that is not all, in my Mind, that the Poet would aim at. The Senate had wooed him with humble Meffage, and Promife of general Reparation for their Injuries and Ingratitude. This seems included in the flight Change which I have made and by promis d'mends: and this Word, a offriphe'd, or otherwise, is used in common with Amends. Tranf Transformed Timon to our city's love By humble meffage, and by promis'd 'mends: 1 Sen. These walls of ours Were not erected by their hands, from whom 2 Sen. Nor are they living, Who were the motives that you first went out : By decimation and a tithed death, If thy revenges hunger for that food Which nature loaths, take thou the destin'd tenth : Let die the spotted. 1 Sen. All have not offended: For those that were, it is not fquare to take On thofe that are, revenge: Crimes, like to lands, 2 Sen. What thou wilt, Shame, that (33) Shame, that they wanted Cunning in Excefs, Hath broke their Hea ts.] i. e. in other Terms, they were not the cunning'ft Men alive, hath been the Cause of their Death. For Cunning in Excess must mean this or nothing. O brave Editors! They had heard it faid, that too much Wit in fome Cafes might be dangerous, and why not an abfolute Want of it? But had they the Skill or Courage to remove one perplexing Comma, the easy and genuine Senfe would immediately arife. "Shame in "excefs (i. e. Extremity of Shame) that they wanted Cunning i. e. that they were not wife enough not to banish you ;) hath broke their Hearts." Thon Thou rather fhalt enforce it with thy fmile, 1 Sen. Set but thy foot Againft our rampir'd gates, and they fhall ope: z Sen. Throw thy glove, Or any token of thine honour elfe, That thou wilt ufe the wars as thy redress, Alc. Then there's my glove; Defcend, and open your uncharged ports; Both. 'Tis moft nobly spoken.- Enter a Soldier. Sol. My noble General, Timon is dead; [Alcibiades reads the epitaph.] Here lies a wretched coarfe, of wretched foul bereft : Scorn'dft our brains' flow, and thofe our droplets, which From From niggard nature fall; yet rich conceit (34) Hereafter more- -Bring me into your city, Make war breed peace; make peace ftint war; make each Let our drums strike.. [Exeunt. (24) 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.. All the Editors, in their Learning and Sagacity, have fuffered an unaccountable Abfurdity to pass them in this Paffage. Why was Neptune to weep on Timon's Faults forgiven? Or, indeed, what Faults had Timon committed, except against his own Fortune and happy Situation in Life? But the Corruption of the Text lies only in the bad Pointing, which I have difengaged, and restored to the true Meaning. Alcibiades's whole Speech, as the Editors might have obferved, is in Breaks, betwixt his Reflexions on Timon's Death, and his Addrefies to the Athenian Senators: and as foon as he has commented on the Place of Timon's Grave, he bids the Senate fet forward; tells them, he has forgiven their Faults; and promises to use them with Mercy. |