Hamlet. Where wilt thou lead me! speak, I'll go no further.
Ghoft. Mark me!
Ham. I will.
Let it no more bring out ingrateful man:
Go great with tygers, dragons, wolves, and bears;
Teem with new monfters, whom thy upward face
Hath to the marbled manfion all above
Never prefented-O, a root-Dear thanks!
Dry up thy marrows, vines, and plough-torn leas,
Whereof ingrateful man, with liquorifh draughts,
And morfels unctuous, greases his pure mind,
That from it all confideration flips.
Enter Apemantus.
More man! Plague! plague!
Apem. I was directed hither. Men report
Thou dost affect my manners, and doft ufe them.
Tim. 'Tis then becaufe 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. Why this fpade? this place?
This flave-like habit, and thefe looks of care?
Thy flatterers yet wear filk, drink wine, lie foft;
Hug their difeas'd perfumes, and have forgot
That ever Timon was. Shame not these woods,
By putting on the cunning of a carper.
Be thou a flatterer now, and seek to thrive
By that which has undone thee; hinge thy knee,
And let his very breath, whom thou 'It obferve,
Blow off thy cap; praise his moft vicious ftrain,
And call it excellent. Thou waft told thus ;
Thou gav't thine ears (like tapfters, that bid welcome).
To knaves and all approachers: 'tis most just
That thou turn rascal. Hadft thou wealth again,
Rafcals fhould have 't. Do not affume my likeness.
Tim. Were I like thee, I'd throw away myself.
Apem. Thou'ft caft away thyfelf, being like thy felf,
So long a madman, now a fool. What think'ft thou,
That the bleak air, thy boisterous chamberlain,
Will put thy fhirt on warm? Will these moift trees,
That have out-liv'd the eagle, page thy heels,
And skip when thou point'lt out? Will the cold brook,
Candied with ice, cawdle thy morning tafte,
To cure thy o'er-night's furfeit? Call the creatures,
Whofe naked natures live in all the spight
Of wreakful heaven, whose bare unhoused trunks,
To the conflicting elements expos'd,
Aniver mere nature; bid them flatter thee;
Oh! thou fhalt find
Tim. A fool of thee; depart.
Apem. I love thee better now than e'er I did.
Tim. I hate thee worse.
Tim. Thou flatt'rest misery.
Apem. I flatter not; but fay, thou art a caitiff.
Tim. Why dost thou seek me out?
Tim. Always a villain's office, or a fool's. Doft please thyself in't?
Tim. What! a knave too?
Apem. If thou didst put this four cold habit on
To caftigate thy pride, 'twere well; but thou
Doft it enforcedly: thou'dit courtier be,
Wert thou not beggar. Willing mifery
Outlives incertain pomp; is crown'd before;
The one is filling ftill, never complete ;
The other, at high wish. Beft ftates, contentlefs,
Have a distracted and moft wretched being;
Worfe than the worst, content.
Thou fhould'ft defire to die, being miserable.
Tim. Not by his breath, that is more miferable.
Thou art a flave, whom fortune's tender arm
With favour never clafp'd; but bred a dog.
Hadft thou, like us from our firft fwath, proceeded
Through fweet degrees that this brief world affords,
To fuch as may the paffive drugs of it
Freely command, thou wouldst have plung'd thyfelf
In general riot, melted down thy youth
In different beds of luft, and never learn'd
The icy precepts of refpect, but followed
The fugar'd game before thee. But myself,
Who had the world as my confectionary,
The mouths, the tongues, the eyes, the hearts of men
At duty, more than I could frame employments
That numberless upon me stuck, as leaves
Do on the oak; have with one winter's brush
Fall'n from their boughs, and left me open, bare
For every ftorm that blows. I to bear this,
That never knew but better, is fome burden.
Thy nature did commence in fuffrance; time
Hath made thee hard in't. Why fhouldft thou hate men?
They never flatter'd thee. What haft thou given ?
If thou wilt curfe, thy father, that poor rag,
Must be thy fubject, who in fpite put ftuff
To fome the beggar, and compounded thee,
Poor rogue hereditary. Hence! Be gone
If thou hadit not been born the worst of men,
Thou hadst been knave and flatterer.
Apem. Art thou proud yet?
Tim. Ay, that I am not thee.
Apem. I, that I was no prodigal.
Tim. I, that I am one now.
Were all the wealth I have, fhut up in thee,
I'd give thee leave to hang it. Get thee gone.
--That the whole life of Athens were in this!
Thus would I eat it.
[Eating a root.
Apem. Here. I will mend thy feaft. [Offering him another.
Tim. Firft mend my company; take away thyfelf.
Apem. So I fhall mend my own, by th' lack of thine.
Tim. 'Tis not well mended fo, it is but botch'd;
If not, I would it were.
Apem. What wouldst thou have to Athens?
Tim. Thee thither in a whirlwind, if thou wilt. Tell them there, I have gold. Look, so I have., Apem. Here is no ufe for gold.
For here it fleeps, and does no hired harm.
Apem. Where ly'ft o' nights, Timon ?
Tim. Under that's above me.
Where feed'st 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!
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