Page:Masterpieces of Greek Literature (1902).djvu/477

447 TIMON OF ATHENS. ACT III 447

treaty. Let the wilderness be my boundary, so far as they are concerned. The terms, fellow - tribes- men, fellow - clansmen, fellow - citizens, and the very name fatherland shall be frigid, useless appellations, and objects of rivalry among men of no understand- ing. Timon shall have the exclusive enjoyment of his wealth and look down upon all ; he shall fare sumptuously apart by himself, free from flattery and wearisome compliments, and sacrifice to the gods and feast with nobody but himself as neighbor and boon companion, a great way o£P from everybody else. Be it decreed once for all that he alone bid himself fare- well, and when he must needs die, place a garland upon his brow. " The Misanthrope " shall be my most agreeable name ; and pee shness, roughness of manner, and awkwardness, anger and dislike of men, shall be tokens of my character. If I should see a man burning up and imploring me to put the fire out, be it decreed to quench it with pitch and oil. And if a winter torrent should carry a man past me and he should stretch out his arms and beg me to give him a helping hand, be it ordained to push even such a one away, and plunge him in head-foremost, that he may not be able to pop up again. For thus they would receive an impartial fate. Timon, son of Echecra- tides, of the township of Collytus, proposed this law ; the same Timon put the question to the assembly. Amen ! Let this stand as our decree, and let us in manly fashion abide by it. Albeit I should lay great stress upon having the fact that I am again rolling in wealth pretty well known to all men. For that would answer as well as a hanging for them. — But what does this mean ? Heavens I what hurrying ! From all quarters people are rushing hither in such haste as