Among the rout of nations, I will make thee
Do thy right nature. – [March afar off.]
Ha! a drum? thou'rt quick,
But yet I'll bury thee: thou'lt go, strong thief,
When gouty keepers of thee cannot stand:
Nay, stay thou out for earnest.
[Keeping some gold.]
[Enter ALCIBIADES, with drum and fife, in warlike manner; PHRYNIA and TIMANDRA.]
ALCIBIADES
What art thou there? speak.
TIMON
A beast, as thou art. The canker gnaw thy heart,
For showing me again the eyes of man!
ALCIBIADES
What is thy name? Is man so hateful to thee,
That art thyself a man?
TIMON
I am Misanthropos, and hate mankind.
For thy part, I do wish thou wert a dog,
That I might love thee something.
ALCIBIADES
I know thee well,
But in thy fortunes am unlearn'd and strange.
TIMON
I know thee too; and more than that I know thee
I not desire to know. Follow thy drum;
With man's blood paint the ground, gules, gules;
Religious canons, civil laws are cruel;
Then what should war be? This fell whore of thine
Hath in her more destruction than thy sword
For all her cherubin look.
PHRYNIA
Thy lips rot off!
TIMON
I will not kiss thee; then the rot returns
To thine own lips again.
ALCIBIADES
How came the noble Timon to this change?
TIMON
As the moon does, by wanting light to give:
But then renew I could not like the moon;
There were no suns to borrow of.
ALCIBIADES
Noble Timon,
What friendship may I do thee?
TIMON
None, but to maintain my opinion.
ALCIBIADES
What is it, Timon?
TIMON. Promise me friendship, but perform none: if thou wilt not promise, the gods plague thee, for thou art man! If thou dost perform, confound thee, for thou art a man!
ALCIBIADES
I have heard in some sort of thy miseries.
TIMON
Thou saw'st them when I had prosperity.
ALCIBIADES
I see them now; then was a blessed time.
TIMON
As thine is now, held with a brace of harlots.
TIMANDRA
Is this the Athenian minion whom the world
Voic'd so regardfully?