THE LIFE OF TIMON OF ATHENS
Page: 38

And to make whores a bawd. Hold up, you sluts,
Your aprons mountant: you are not oathable,
Although, I know, you'll swear, terribly swear
Into strong shudders and to heavenly agues,
The immortal gods that hear you, spare your oaths,
I'll trust to your conditions: be whores still;
And he whose pious breath seeks to convert you,
Be strong in whore, allure him, burn him up;
Let your close fire predominate his smoke,
And be no turncoats: yet may your pains, six months,
Be quite contrary: and thatch your poor thin roofs
With burdens of the dead; some that were hang'd,
No matter; wear them, betray with them: whore still;
Paint till a horse may mire upon your face:
A pox of wrinkles!

PHRYNIA AND TIMANDRA.
Well, more gold. What then?
Believe't that we'll do anything for gold.

TIMON.
Consumptions sow
In hollow bones of man; strike their sharp shins,
And mar men's spurring. Crack the lawyer's voice,
That he may never more false title plead,
Nor sound his quillets shrilly; hoar the flamen,
That scolds against the quality of flesh,
And not believes himself: down with the nose,
Down with it flat; take the bridge quite away
Of him that, his particular to foresee,
Smells from the general weal: make curl'd-pate ruffians bald,
And let the unscarr'd braggarts of the war
Derive some pain from you: plague all,
That your activity may defeat and quell
The source of all erection. There's more gold;
Do you damn others, and let this damn you,
And ditches grave you all!

PHRYNIA AND TIMANDRA.
More counsel with more money, bounteous Timon.

TIMON.
More whore, more mischief first; I have given you earnest.

ALCIBIADES.
Strike up the drum towards Athens! Farewell, Timon:
If I thrive well, I'll visit thee again.

TIMON.
If I hope well, I'll never see thee more.

ALCIBIADES.
I never did thee harm.

TIMON.
Yes, thou spok'st well of me.

ALCIBIADES.
Call'st thou that harm?

TIMON.
Men daily find it. Get thee away, and take
Thy beagles with thee.

ALCIBIADES.
We but offend him. Strike!

[Drum beats. Exeunt all but TIMON.]

TIMON.
That nature, being sick of man's unkindness,