Trumpets found. Enter TIMON, attended; the Servant of Ventidius talking with him. TIM. Imprifon'd is he, fay you?* VEN. SERV. Ay, my good lord: five talents is his debt; His means moft fhort, his creditors moft ftrait: To those have shut him up; which failing to him,' TIM. Noble Ventidius! Well; I am not of that feather, to shake off My friend when he muft need me.' I do know him A gentleman, that well deferves a help, Which he fhall have: I'll pay the debt, and free him. VEN. SERV. Your lordship ever binds him. TIM. Commend me to him: I will fend his ran fom; And, being enfranchis'd, bid him come to me:— 2 Imprifon'd is he, fay you?] Here we have another interpolation deftructive to the metre. Omitting-is he, we ought to read: Imprifon'd, fay you? STEEVENS. 3 which failing to him,] Thus the fecond folio. The first omits-to him, and confequently mutilates the verse. STEEVENS. 4 Periods his comfort.] To period is, perhaps, a verb of Shakfpeare's introduction into the English language. I find it, however, ufed by Heywood, after him, in A Maidenhead well Loft, 1634: "How eafy could I period all my care." Again, in The Country Girl, by T. B. 1647: "To period our vain-grievings." STEEVENS. S muft need me.] i. e. when he is compelled to have need of my affiftance; or, as Mr. Malone has more happily explained the phrafe," cannot but want my affiftance." STEEVENS. 'Tis not enough to help the feeble up, Enter an old Athenian. OLD ATH. Lord Timon, hear me speak. TIM. [Exit. Freely, good father. OLD ATH. Thou haft a fervant nam'd Lucilius. TIM. I have fo: What of him? OLD ATH. Moft noble Timon, call the man before thee. TIM. Attends he here, or no?-Lucilius! Enter LUCILIUS. Luc. Here, at your lordship's fervice. OLD ATH. This fellow here, lord Timon, this thy creature, By night frequents my houfe. I am a man TIM. Well; what further? 6 'Tis not enough &c.] This thought is better expreffed by Dr. Madden in his Elegy on Archbishop Boulter: "More than they afk'd he gave; and deem'd it mean Only to help the poor-to beg again." JOHNSON. It has been faid that Dr. Johnfon was paid ten guineas by Dr. Madden for correcting this poem. STEEVENS. 7 -your honour!] The common addrefs to a lord in our author's time, was your honour, which was indifferently ufed with your lordship. See any old letter, or dedication of that age; and Vol. X. p. 572, where a Purfuivant, fpeaking to Lord Haftings, fays, "I thank your honour." STEEVENS. OLD ATH. One only daughter have I, no kin else, TIM. The man is honeft. OLD ATH. Therefore he will be, Timon:* 8 Therefore he will be, Timon:] The thought is clofely expreffed. and obfcure: but this feems the meaning: "If the man be honest, my lord, for that reafon he will be fo in this; and not endeavour at the injuftice of gaining my daughter without my confent." WARBURTON. I rather think an emendation neceffary, and read: Therefore well be him, Timon: His honefty rewards him in itself. That is, "If he is honeft, bene fit illi, I wish him the proper happiness of an honeft man, but his honefty gives him no claim to my daughter." The firft tranfcriber probably wrote-will be with him, which the next, not understanding, changed to,-he will be. JOHNSON. I think Dr. Warburton's explanation is beft, because it exacts no change. So, in K. Henry VIII: May he continue Long in his highnefs' favour; and do juftice "For truth's fake and his confcience.” Again, more appofitely, in Cymbeline: "This hath been "Your faithful fervant: I dare lay mine honour Therefore he will be, Timon:] Therefore he will continue to be fo, and is fure of being fufficiently rewarded by the confcioufnefs of virtue; and he does not need the additional blessing of a beautiful and accomplished wife. It has been objected, I forget by whom, if the old Athenian means to fay that Lucilius will ftill continue to be virtuous, what occafion has he to apply to Timon to interfere relative to this marriage? But this is making Shakspeare write by the card. The His honefty rewards him in itself, TIM. Does the love him? OLD ATH. She is young, and apt: TIM. [to LUCILIUS] Love you the maid? I call the gods to witnefs, I will choose Mine heir from forth the beggars of the world, TIM. How fhall fhe be endow'd, If the be mated with an equal husband?2 OLD ATH. Three talents, on the prefent; in future, all. TIM. This gentleman of mine hath ferv'd me long; To build his fortune, I will strain a little, words mean undoubtedly, that he will be honeft in his general conduct through life; in every other action except that now complained of. MALONE. bear my daughter.] A fimilar expreffion occurs in Othello: "What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe, "If he can carry her thus !" STEEVENS. And difpoffefs her all. Tim. How shall he be endow'd, If the be mated with an equal husband?] The players, thofe avowed enemies to even a common ellipfis, have here again difordered the metre by interpolation. Will a fingle idea of our author's have been loft, if, omitting the ufelefs and repeated words-be be, we should regulate the paffage thus: How shall fhe be Endor'd, if mated with an equal husband? STEEVENS, 2 For 'tis a bond in men. Give him thy daughter: And make him weigh with her. OLD ATH. Moft noble lord, Pawn me to this your honour, fhe is his. TIM. My hand to thee; mine honour on my promise. Luc. Humbly I thank your lordship: Never may That state or fortune fall into my keeping, Which is not ow'd to you!" [Exeunt LUCILIUS and old Athenian. POET. Vouchfafe my labour, and long live your lordship! TIM. I thank you; you fhall hear from me anon: Go not away. What have you there, my friend? PAIN. A piece of painting; which I do befeech Your lordship to accept. TIM. Painting is welcome. For fince difhonour trafficks with man's nature, 2 Never may That ftate or fortune fall into my keeping, Which is not ow'd to you!] The meaning is, let me never henceforth confider any thing that I poffefs, but as owed or due to you; held for your fervice, and at your difpofal. JOHNSON. So Lady Macbeth fays to Duncan: "Your fervants ever "Have theirs, themfelves, and what is theirs, in compt, "To make their audit at your highness' pleasure, "Still to return your own." MALONE. -pencil'd figures are Even fuch as they give out.] Pictures have no hypocrify; they are what they profefs to be. JOHNSON. |