I doubt whether their legs be worth the sums
That are given for 'em. Friendship's full of dregs:
Methinks, false hearts should never have sound legs.
Thus honest fools lay out their wealth on court'sies.
Tim. Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not sullen,
I would be good to thee.

Apem. No, I'll nothing: for if I should be bribed too, there would be none left to rail upon thee; and then thou wouldst sin the faster. Thou givest so long, Timon, I fear me thou wilt give away thyself in paper shortly: what need these feasts, pomps, and vain-glories?

Tim. Nay, an you begin to rail on society once, I am sworn not to give regard to you. Farewell; and come with

better music.

not then, I'll lock thy heaven from thee.

[Exit.

Apem. So; (23)-thou wilt not hear me now,-thou shalt

O, that men's ears should be

To counsel deaf, but not to flattery!

[Exit.

ACT II.

SCENE I. The same. A room in a Senator's house.

Enter a Senator, with papers in his hand.

Sen. And late, five thousand;-to Varro and to Isidore
He owes nine thousand;-besides my former sum,
Which makes it five-and-twenty.-Still in motion
Of raging waste? It cannot hold; it will not.

If I want gold, steal but a beggar's dog,
And give it Timon, why, the dog coins gold:
If I would sell my horse, and buy twenty (24) more
Better than he, why, give my horse to Timon,
Ask nothing, give it him, it foals me, straight,
And able horses: no porter at his gate;
But rather one that smiles, and still invites
All that pass by. It cannot hold; no reason

Can found (25) his state in safety.—Caphis, ho!

Caphis, I say!

Caph.

Enter CAPHIS.

Here, sir; what is your pleasure?

Sen. Get on your cloak, and haste you to Lord Timon;
Impórtune him for my moneys; be not ceas'd
With slight denial; nor then silenc'd, when-
"Commend me to your master"--and the cap
Plays in the right hand, thus:—but tell him,(26)
My uses cry to me, I must serve my turn
Out of mine own; his days and times are past,
And my reliances on his fracted dates.
Have smit my credit: I love and honour him;
But must not break my back to heal his finger:
Immediate are my needs; and my relief
Must not be toss'd and turn'd to me in words,
But find supply immediate. Get you gone:
Put on a most importunate aspéct,

A visage of demand; for, I do fear,
When every feather sticks in his own wing,
Lord Timon will be left a naked gull,
Which flashes now a phoenix. Get you gone.

Caph. I go, sir.

Enter FLAVIUS, with many bills in his hand.

Flavius. No care, no stop! so senseless of expense, That he will neither know how to maintain it,

Nor cease his flow of riot: takes no account

How things go from him; nor resumes (28) no care
Of what is to continue: never mind

Was to be so unwise, to be so kind.

What shall be done? he will not hear, till feel:

I must be round with him, now he comes from hunting.
Fie, fie, fie, fie!

Enter CAPHIS, and the Servants of ISIDORE and VARRO.

Enter TIMON, ALCIBIADES, and Lords, &c.

Tim. So soon as dinner 's done, we'll forth again, My Alcibiades.-With me? what is your will? Caph. My lord, here is a note of certain dues. Tim. Dues! Whence are you?

Caph.

Tim. Go to my steward.

Of Athens here, my lord.

Caph. Please it your lordship, he hath put me off

To the succession of new days this month:

My master is awak'd by great occasion

To call upon his own; and humbly prays you,
That with your other noble parts you'll suit,

In giving him his right.

Tim.

Mine honest friend,

I prithee, but repair to me next morning.

Contain thyself, good friend.

Caph. Nay, good my lord,—
Tim.
Var. Serv. One Varro's servant, my good lord,-
Isid. Serv.

He humbly prays your speedy payment,

From Isidore;

Caph. If you did know, my lord, my master's wants,Var. Serv. 'Twas due on forfeiture, my lord, six weeks

And past,

Isid. Serv. Your steward puts me off, my lord; And I am sent expressly to your lordship.

Tim. Give me breath.

I do beseech you, good my lords, keep on;

I'll wait upon you instantly.

[Exeunt Alcibiades and Lords. Come hither: pray you, [To Flav.

How goes the world, that I am thus encounter'd
With clamorous demands of date-broke bonds, (29)
And the detention of long-since-due debts,

Against my honour?

Flav.
Please you, gentlemen,
The time is unagreeable to this business:
Your importunacy cease till after dinner;
That I may make his lordship understand
Wherefore you are not paid.

Tim.

See them well entertain'd.

Flav.

Do so, my friends.—

Pray, draw near.

[Exit.

[Exit.

Enter APEMANTUS and Fool.

Caph. Stay, stay, here comes the fool with Apemantus:

let's ha' some sport with 'em.

Var. Serv. Hang him, he'll abuse us.

Isid. Serv. A plague upon him, dog!
Var. Serv. How dost, fool?

Apem. Dost dialogue with thy shadow?
Var. Serv. I speak not to thee.

Apem. No, 'tis to thyself.-Come away.

[To the Fool.

Isid. Serv. [to Var. Serv.] There's the fool hangs on your

back already.

Apem. No, thou stand'st single, thou'rt not on him

yet.

Caph. Where's the fool now?

Apem. He last asked the question.-Poor rogues, and

usurers' men! bawds between gold and want!

All Serv. What are we, Apemantus?

Apem. Asses.

All Serv. Why?

Apem. That you ask me what you are, and do not know yourselves. Speak to 'em, fool.

Fool. How do you, gentlemen?

All Serv. Gramercies, good fool: how does your mistress?

Fool. She's e'en setting on water to scald such chickens. as you are. Would we could see you at Corinth!

Apem. Good! gramercy.

Fool. Look you, here comes my mistress'(30) page.

Enter Page.

Page [to the Fool]. Why, how now, captain! what do you in this wise company?-How dost thou, Apemantus?

Apem. Would I had a rod in my mouth, that I might answer thee profitably.

Page. Prithee, Apemantus, read me the superscription of these letters: I know not which is which.

Apem. Canst not read?

Page. No.

Apem. There will little learning die, then, that day thou art hanged. This is to Lord Timon; this to Alcibiades. Go; thou wast born a bastard, and thou't die a bawd.

Page. Thou wast whelped a dog, and thou shalt famish a dog's death. Answer not, I am gone.

Apem. E'en so thou outrunnest grace. [Exit Page.] Fool, I will go with you to Lord Timon's.

Fool. Will you leave me there?

Apem. If Timon stay at home. You three serve three

usurers?

All Serv. Ay; would they served us!

Apem. So would I,-as good a trick as ever hangman served thief.

Fool. Are you three usurers' men?

All Serv. Ay, fool.

Fool. I think no usurer but has a fool to his servant: my mistress is one, and I am her fool. When men come to borrow of your masters, they approach sadly, and go away merry; but they enter my mistress' (31) house merrily, and go away sadly: the reason of this?

Var. Serv. I could render one.

Apem. Do it, then, that we may account thee a whore