Timon. There's more gold, do you damn others, and let this damn you, and ditches grave you all.

OBSERVATIONS.

THE story of the Misanthrope is told in almost every collection of the time, and particularly in two books, with which Shakspeare was intimately acquainted; the Palace of Pleasure, and the English Plutarch.

FARMER.

Timon of Athens was written, I imagine, in the year 1610.

MALONE.

This play was altered by Shadwell, and brought upon the stage in 1678. In the modest title-page he calls it "Timon of Athens, or the Man-hater, as it is acted at the Duke's Theatre, made into a play." STEEVENS.

Spon says, there is a building near Athens, yet remaining, called Timon's Tower. MALONE.

The play of Timon is a domestic tragedy, and therefore strongly fastens on the attention of the reader. In the plan there is not much art, but the incidents are natural, and the characters various and exact. The catastrophe affords a very powerful warning against that ostentatious liberality, which scatters bounty, but confers no benefits, and buys flattery, but not friendship.

In this tragedy are many passages perplexed, obscure, and probably corrupt, which I have endeavoured to rectify, or explain, with due diligence; but having only one copy, cannot promise myself that my endeavours shall be much applauded.

JOHNSON.

TIMON, a noble Athenian.

LUCIUS,

LUCULLUS, lords, and flatterers of Timon.

SEMPRONIUS,

VENTIDIUS, one of Timon's false friends.

APEMANTUS, a churlish philosopher.

ALCIBIADES, an Athenian general.

FLAVIUS, steward to Timon.

Two Servants of VARRO, and the Servant of ISIDORE; two of Timon's creditors.

CUPID, and Maskers. Three Strangers.

Poet, Painter, Jeweller, and Merchant.
An old Athenian. A Page. A Fool.

PHRYNIA,*

TIMANDRA,

tresses to Alcibiades.

} mistres

Other Lords, Senators, Officers, Soldiers, Thieves, and Attendants.

SCENE, Athens; and the woods adjoining.

* Phrynia, (or as this name should have been written by Shakspeare, Phryne,) was an Athenian courtezan so exquisitely beautiful, that when her judges were proceeding to condemn her for numerous and enormous offences, a sight of her bosom (which, as we learn from Quintilian, had been artfully denuded by her advocate,) disarmed the court of its severity, and secured her life from the sentence of the law. STEEV.