The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1050 page)

In our dear peril.

We have no more hope in him: let's go back,

and do whatever other things we have left

to save us from our danger.

First Senator

It requires swift foot.

We shall have to hurry.

Exeunt

Enter two Senators and a Messenger

First Senator

Thou hast painfully discover'd: are his files

As full as thy report?

This news of yours is painful: are his forces

as large as you say?

Messenger

I have spoke the least:

Besides, his expedition promises

Present approach.

That's the lowest estimate:

besides, he's coming so quickly

that he will be here almost immediately.

Second Senator

We stand much hazard, if they bring not Timon.

We are in great danger, if they don't bring Timon back.

Messenger

I met a courier, one mine ancient friend;

Whom, though in general part we were opposed,

Yet our old love made a particular force,

And made us speak like friends: this man was riding

From Alcibiades to Timon's cave,

With letters of entreaty, which imported

His fellowship i' the cause against your city,

In part for his sake moved.

I met a messenger, an old friend of mine;

although we are fighting on different sides

our old liking for each other was strong,

and we spoke like friends: this man was riding

from Alcibiades to Timon's cave,

with letters asking him

to join forces against your city,

as the expedition was begun partly for his sake.

First Senator

Here come our brothers.

Here come our brothers.

Enter the Senators from TIMON

Third Senator

No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect.

The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scouring

Doth choke the air with dust: in, and prepare:

Ours is the fall, I fear; our foes the snare.

Don't talk about Timon, don't expect anything from him.

The drums of the enemy have been heard, and the terrifying preparations

are filling the air with dust: go in, and prepare:

I fear we are going to succumb to our enemy's plans.

Exeunt

Enter a Soldier, seeking TIMON

Soldier

By all description this should be the place.

Who's here? speak, ho! No answer! What is this?

"Timon is dead, who hath outstretch'd his span:

Some beast read this; there does not live a man."

Dead, sure; and this his grave. What's on this tomb

I cannot read; the character I'll take with wax:

Our captain hath in every figure skill,

An aged interpreter, though young in days:

Before proud Athens he's set down by this,

Whose fall the mark of his ambition is.

From everything I was told this should be the place.

Who's here? Hello! No answer! What is this?

“Timon is dead, having outlived his time:

some animal can read this; no man lives here.”

He's dead, for certain; this is his grave. I can't read

what's on this tomb; I'll take an impression of the inscription with wax:

our captain knows all languages,

an experienced interpreter, even though he's young:

he's already pitched his tents in front of proud Athens,

the fall of which is his goal.

Exit

Trumpets sound. Enter ALCIBIADES with his powers

ALCIBIADES

Sound to this coward and lascivious town

Our terrible approach.

A parley sounded

Enter Senators on 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

Hav e wander'd with our traversed arms and breathed

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.

Notify this cowardly and lustful town

of our terrifying approach.

Until now you have carried on and filled your time

with every sort of depraved behaviour, making justice

the servant of your desires; until now myself

and those who dwelt in the shadow of your power

have wandered with our swords sheathed and

complained in vain: now the time is ripe,

when the courage rises inside a man

and cries out, ‘No more’: now the breathless wronged ones

shall sit and rest in your great luxurious thrones,

while you burst your lungs

with fear and flight.

First Senator

Noble and young,

When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit,

Ere thou hadst power or we had cause of fear,

We sent to thee, to give thy rages balm,

To wipe out our ingratitude with loves

Above their quantity.

Noble young man,

when you had only thoughts of these actions,

before you had power or we had reason to be afraid,

we sent you messages to address your grievances,

offering to compensate you for our ingratitude with honours

greater than the harm we had done you.

Second Senator

So did we woo

Transformed Timon to our city's love

By humble message and by promised means:

We were not all unkind, nor all deserve

The common stroke of war.

In the same way we tried

to bring Timon back into the fold,

with humble messages and promised rewards:

not all of us were unkind, and not all of us deserve

to suffer the indiscriminate blows of war.

First Senator

These walls of ours

Were not erected by their hands from whom

You have received your griefs; nor are they such

That these great towers, trophies and schools

should fall

For private faults in them.

These walls of ours

were not built by the hands of those who

have harmed you; nor should all

these great towers, monuments and public buildings

fall because of

the individual faults of those people.

Second Senator

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 lord,

Into our city with thy banners spread:

By decimation, and a tithed death--

If thy revenges hunger for that food

Which nature loathes--take thou the destined tenth,

And by the hazard of the spotted die

Let die the spotted.

Nor are the ones who first drove you away

still living;

ashamed that they couldn't carry through their plans,

their hearts have been broken. March, noble lord,

into our city with your banners unfurled:

kill one person in every ten,

if your revenge is hungry for that unnatural

reward, take the allocated tenth

and let the spotted dice decide which of those

who are spotted with guilt should die.

First Senator

All have not offended;

For those that were, it is not square to take

On those that are, revenges: crimes, like 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.

Not everyone has injured you;

it is not fair to take revenge on those who didn't

to punish those who did: crimes are not inherited

like property. So, dear countryman,

bring in your forces, but leave your anger outside:

Spare the city of your birth and your brothers

who must fall in the storm of your anger

alongside those who have injured you: like a shepherd,