Alc.
Sound to this coward and lascivious town
Our terrible approach. [Parley sounded. Enter Senators, &c. upon the Walls.
'Till now you have gone on, and fill'd the time
With all licentious measure, making your wills
The scope of justice; 'till now myself, and such
As slept within the shadow of your power,
Have wander'd with our traverst arms, and breath'd
Our sufferance vainly: Now the time is flush,
When crouching marrow, in the bearer strong,
Cries, of itself, No more: now breathless wrong
Shall sit and pant in your great chairs of ease;
And pursy insolence shall break his wind,
With fear, and horrid flight.

1. S.
Noble, and young,
When thy first griefs were but a meer conceit,
Ere thou had'st power, or we had cause of fear ^note,
We sent to thee; to give thy rages balm,
To wipe out our ingratitudes ^note with loves
Above their quantity.

2. S.
So did we woo
Transformed Timon to our city's love,
By humble message, and by promis'd 'mends ^note:

We were not all unkind, nor all deserve
The common stroke of war.

1. S.
These walls of ours
Were not erected by their hands, from whom
You have receiv'd your griefs: ^note nor are they such,
That these great towers, trophies, and schools should fall
For private faults in them.

2. S.
Nor are they living,
Who were the motives that you first went out;
Shame, that they wanted cunning, in excess
Hath broke their hearts. March, noble ^note lord,
Into our city with thy banners spred:
By decimation, and a tythed death,
(If thy revenges hunger for that food,
Which nature loaths) take thou the destin'd tenth;
And by the hazard of the spotted dye,
Let dye the spotted.

1. S.
All have not offended;
For those that were, it is not square, to take,
On those that are, revenge: crimes, like to lands,
Are not inherited. Then, dear countryman,
Bring in thy ranks, but leave without thy rage:
Spare thy Athenian cradle, and those kin,
Which, in the bluster of thy wrath, must fall
With those that have offended; like a shepherd
Approach the fold, and cull the infected forth,
But kill not all together.

2. S.
What thou wilt,
Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy smile,
Than hew to't with thy sword.

1. S.
Set but thy foot
Against our rampir'd gates, and they shall ope;

So thou wilt send thy gentle heart before,
To say, thou'lt enter friendly.

2. S.
Throw thy glove,
Or any token of thine honour else,
That thou wilt use the wars as thy redress,
And not as our confusion, All thy powers
Shall make their harbour in our town, 'till we
Have seal'd thy full desire.

Alc.
Then, there's my † glove;
Descend, and ^note open your uncharged ports:
Those enemies of Timon's, and mine own,
Whom you yourselves shall set out for reproof,
Fall, and no more: and,—to atone your fears
With my more noble meaning,—not a man
Shall pass his quarter, or offend the stream
Of regular justice in your city's bounds,
But shall be remedy'd by your ^note publick laws
At heaviest answer.

Sen.
'Tis most nobly spoken.

Alc.
Descend, and keep your words. Senators come from the Walls, and deliver their Keys to Alcibiades. Enter Soldier.

Sol.
My noble general, Timon is dead;
Intomb'd upon the very hem o'the sea:
And, on his grave-stone, this &dagger2; insculpture; which
With wax I brought away, whose soft impression
Interpreteth ^note for my poor ignorance.

Alc. [reads.]

Here lies a wretched corse,14Q1175 of wretched soul bereft:
Seek not my name: A plague consume you wicked caitiffs left! ^note

Here lie I Timon; who, alive, all living men did hate:
Pass by, and curse thy fill; but pass, and stay not here thy gate. ^note
These well express in thee thy latter spirits:
Though thou abhor'dst in us our human griefs,
Scorn'dst our brine's ^note flow, and those our droplets which
From niggard nature fall, yet rich conceit
Taught thee to make vast Neptune weep for aye
14Q1176On thy low grave.—On: faults forgiven. Dead
Is noble Timon; of whose memory
Hereafter more. Bring me into your city,
And I will use the olive with my sword:
Make war breed peace; make peace stint war; make each
Prescribe to other, as each other's leach.—
Let our drums strike. [Exeunt.

TITUS ANDRONICUS.

Previous section