POVERTY I am going; follow me, Toil and Wisdom and the rest of you. ‘This man will soon find out whom he is deserting in me—a good helpmate and a teacher of all that is best, through whose instruction he kept well in body and sound in mind, leading the life of a real man, relying on himself and holding all this abundance and excess to be nothing to him, as indeed it is.

HERMES They are going ; let us approach him.

TIMON Who are you, plague take you, and what do you want that you come here to bother a man at work and earning his wage? You will go away sorry that you came, vile wretches that you are, every one of you; for I'll very soon throw these clods and stones at you and break every bone in your bodies.

HERMES No, no, Timon! don’t throw at us, for we are not men. I am Hermes and this is Riches. We were sent by Zeus in answer to your prayers. So desist from your labours and accept prosperity, and good luck to you! TIMON You shall catch it too, even if you are gods, as you say, for I hate all alike, both gods and men, and as for this blind fellow, whoever he may be, I shall certainly break his head with my pick.

RICHES Let’s go, Hermes, in the name of Zeus, in order that I may not come to some harm before going ; for the man is uncommonly crazy, it seems to me.

HERMES Let’s have no roughness, Timon. Lay aside this excessive rudeness and asperity, stretch out your hands and take your good fortune. Be rich once more and a leading man in Athens, and cut the acquaintance of those ingrates of old, keeping your wealth to yourself.

TIMON I don’t want anything of you; don’t bother me. My pick is riches enough for me, and in all other respects I am as happy as can be if only nobody comes near me.

HERMES Such an uncivil answer, friend ? Will you I carry to Zeus those words so repellent and stubborn ?Iliad, 15, 202 True enough, it is reasonable for you to hate men after they have treated you so horribly, but not in the least to hate the gods, who take such good care of you.

TIMON I am very much obliged to you, Hermes, and to Zeus for the care, but I must decline to take your friend Riches.

HERMES Why, pray?

TIMON Because in bygone days he caused me_ infinite harm by giving me over to toadies, setting plotters upon me, stirring up hatred against me, corrupting me with high living, making me envied and finally abandoning me in such a faithless and traitorous way. But my good friend Poverty developed my body with tasks of the most manly sort, conversed with me truthfully and frankly, gave me all that I needed if only I worked for it, and taught me to despise the wealth I once cherished, making me depend upon myself for my hope of a living and showing me wherein lay my own riches, which could not be taken away either by a toady with flattery or by a blackmailer with threats, by a mob in a gust of passion, a voter with his ballot or a tyrant with his intrigues.