University of Virginia Library

SCENE THE THIRD.

Demariste, Timoleon, Timophanes.
Tim.
Mother, come;
Ah! may thy intercession be availing
To make my brother's heart somewhat relent.

Timol.
Yes, mother, come; and may thy intercession
Avail to accomplish what my heart desires,
The restoration of a real brother.

Dem.
Ye love each other; why let jealousies
Disturb your friendship?

Tim.
His too austere virtue,
Not suited to the times ...

Timol.
His too exorbitant
And haughty wishes, worthy of the times,
But not of one whom I would call my brother.

Dem.
But what, his power, not gain'd by violence,
Can that afflict thee? He who saved his country,
Wouldst thou have him amidst the lowest people,
Degraded, undistinguish'd, obscure, nothing?

Timol.
What do I hear! Oh pestilential, fierce,
Insatiable desire of royal power!
How soon dost thou enervate every man
Unfurnished with defence from lofty thought!
How quickly does the insidious appetite
For arbitrary power, in every heart,
Tempted by fair occasions, root itself!—
Is it excluded from thy heart, oh mother?
Thyself a citizen, gav'st us our lives,
Brothers and citizens; nor deemedst thou
The name of citizen disgraceful then:
In a true country born, thou fed'st us here,
And in her service here thou brought'st us up.
And hear I words within these walls from thee,
Scarcely befitting the distemper'd weakness
Of a despotic oriental queen?

Tim.
Mother, thou seest it; he twists all to evil.
Hear how his indiscreet, fallacious zeal,
Makes him insensible to nature's cries.

Dem.
How many times have I not heard thyself
Revile this city? Its corrupted customs,
Its venal magistrates ...

Timol.
But tell me, mother,
Did'st thou e'er know me, e'en in words, prefer
To venal magistrates, corrupted customs,
A monarch absolute, and hireling troops?
Oh mother, for your honour and for mine
I will imagine thee yet innocent;
And thee, my brother, more impetuous
Than criminal. To what thy perilous schemes
May lead thee, seest thou not? I then will be
A light, a revelation to thy darkness.
Thou yet hast time. A noble reparation,
Worthy of a great citizen, remains;
A sacrifice most generous ...

Tim.
And 'tis ...

Dem.
'Twill be most surely a magnanimous deed,
If in thy generous breast it is conceived.
Reveal it to him.

Timol.
Thy authority,
Which by abusing it thou hast made guilty,
Spontaneously renounce it all.

Tim.
To thee
I will renounce it, if thou wilt accept it.

Timol.
From whom hast ta'en it? From thy brother? Speak,
Or from thy fellow-citizens? Restore
Thy country to its rights; suspect not me
Of perfidy. If any one but thou
Possest this power, he long ago had lost it.
Reflect, that hitherto with thee I've used
Explicit means.

Tim.
Timoleon, I reflect
That an authority the many gave,
The many only can resume. The law,
What I am now did constitute me first;
Let those who framed it, abrogate that law,
I yield at once.

Timol.
And dost thou speak of law,
Where an audacious mercenary band
Confounds the right by might?

Tim.
Would'st thou expose me,
Defenceless, to the brutal turbulence,
The envy, rage, revenge of Archidas,
And others equally with him malignant,
Whose fears alone restrain them?

Timol.
Be thou arm'd
By innocence, and not by bullying braggarts;
Nor make a pretext of the fears of others
To hide thine own. If thou art innocent,
Why fear? If thou art not, not only fear
The rage of Archidas, but that of all;—
—Fear mine.

Dem.
What do I hear? Alas! I came
To reconcile you both, and a new source
Of animosity inflames you both
To fiercer rage than ever! Woe is me! ...

Tim.
Mother, with thee I leave him. He, inflamed
With too much anger, now could ill with me
Contend.—Be our opinions what they may,
Accordant or discordant, no dissent
Can e'er obliterate from my constant heart
The recollection that I am thy brother.