i. The Life of Timon.
[From Painter's " Palace of Pleasure? 1566, voL i.]
THE TWENTY-EIGHTH NOUELL.
Of the straunge and beast lie 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 theyre 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 conversation : 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