_Of the straunge and beastlie nature of Timon of Athens, enemie to
mankinde, with his death, buriall, and Epitaphe._
Al the beastes of the worlde do applye theimselues to other beastes of
theyr kind, Timon of Athens onely excepted: of whose straunge nature
Plutarche is astonied, in the life of Marcus Antonius. Plato and
Aristophanes do report his marueylous nature, because hee was a man but
by shape onely, in qualities hee was the capitall enemie of mankinde,
which he confessed franckely vtterly to abhorre and hate. He dwelt alone
in a litle cabane in the fieldes not farre from Athenes, separated from
all neighbours and company: he neuer wente to the citie, or to any other
habitable place, except he were constrayned: he could not abide any mans
company and conuersation: he was neuer seen to goe, to any mannes house,
ne yet would suffer them to come to him. At the same time there was in
Athenes another of like qualitie, called Apemantus, of the very same
nature, differente from the naturall kinde of man, and lodged likewise
in the middes of the fields. On a day they two being alone together at
dinner, Apemantus said vnto him: “O Timon what a pleasant feast is this,
and what a merie companie are wee, being no more but thou and I.” “Naie
(quoth Timon) it would be a merie banquet in deede, if there were none
here but my selfe.”
Wherein he shewed how like a beast (in deede) he was: for he could not
abide any other man, beinge not able to suffer the company of him, which
was of like nature. And if by chaunce hee happened to goe to Athenes, it
was onelye to speake with Alcibiades, who then was an excellente
Captaine there, wherat many did marueile: and therefore Apemantus
demaunded of him, why he spake to no man, but to Alcibiades. “I speake
to him sometimes, said Timon, because I know that by his occasion, the
Atheniens shall receiue great hurt and trouble.” Which wordes many times
he told to Alcibiades himselfe. He had a garden adioyning to his house
in the fields, wherin was a Figge tree, wheruppon many desperate men
ordinarily did hange themselues: in place whereof, he purposed to set vp
a house, and therefore was forced to cutte it downe, for which cause hee
went to Athenes, and in the markette place, hee called the people about
him, saying that hee had newes to tell them: when the people vnderstoode
that he was about to make a discourse vnto them, which was wont to
speake to no man, they marueiled, and the citizens on euery parte of the
citie, ranne to heare him: to whom he saide, that he purposed to cutte
downe his Figge tree, to builde a house vpon the place where it stoode.
“Wherefore (quoth he) if there be any man amonges you all in this
company, that is disposed to hange himselfe, let him come betimes,
before it be cutte downe.” Hauing thus bestowed his charitie amonges the
people, hee retourned to his lodging, wher he liued a certaine time
after, without alteration of nature; and because that nature chaunged
not in his life time, he would not suffer that death should alter, or
varie the same. For like as he liued a beastly and chorlish life, euen
so he required to haue his funerall done after that maner. By his last
will, he ordeined himselfe to be interred vpon the sea shore, that the
waues and surges might beate and vexe his dead carcas. Yea, and that if
it were possible, his desire was to be buried in the depth of the Sea:
causing an Epitaphe to be made, wherin was described the qualities of
his brutishe life. Plutarche also reporteth an other to be made by
Calimachus, much like to that which Timon made himselfe, whose owne
soundeth to this effect in Englishe Verse.
_My wretched catife dayes,
expired now and past:
My carren corps intered here,
is fast in grounde:
In waltring waues of swel-
ling Sea, by surges cast,
My name if thou desire,
The Gods thee doe confounde._