Tim. I'H hunt with him; And let them be receiv'd, Not without fair reward. What will this come to? He commands us to provide, and give great gifts, And all out of an empty coffer. Nor will he know his purse; or yield me this, Happier is he that has no friend to feed, Than such as do even enemies exceed. [Exit. You do yourselves Much wrong, you bate too much of your own merits: Here, my lord, a trifle of our love." 2 Lord. With more than common thanks I will receive it. S Lord. O, he is the very soul of bounty! Sen. And late, five thousand to Varro; and to He owes nine thousand; besides my former sum, Tim. And now I remember me, my lord, you gave If I would sell my horse, and buy twenty more Good words the other day of a bay courser I rode on it is yours, because you lik'd it. 3 Lord. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, in that. Tim. All to you.2-Lights, more lights. 1 Lord. The best of happiness, Honour, and fortunes, keep with you, lord Timon! Tim. Ready for his friends. [Exeunt Alcibiades, Lords, &c. Apem. What a coil's here! Serving of becks,3 and jutting out of bums! 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'd be good to thee. No, I'll nothing: for, Apem. Thou giv'st so long, Timon, I fear me, thou (1) i. e. Could dispense them on every side with an ungrudging distribution, like that with which I could deal out cards. (2) i. e. All happiness to you, (s) Offering salutations, Better than he, why, give my horse to Timon, 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 Have smit my credit: I love, and honour him; Sen. I go, sir?-Take the bonds along with you, Go. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The same. A hall in Timon's house. Enter Flavius, with many bills in his hand. Flav. 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 no care Of what is to continue; Never mind (4) i. e. Be ruined by his securities entered into. (5) By his heaven he means good advice; the only thing by which he could be saved. (6) Stopped, N2 Enter Timon, Alcibiades, and Lords, &c. Of Athens here, my lord. Caph. Please it your lordship, he hath put me off To call upon his own; and humbly prays you, Tim. Mine honest friend, I pr'ythee, but repair to me next morning. 2 Tim. Var. Serv. 'Twas due on forfeiture, my lord, six And past, Caph. Where's the fool now? Apem. He last asked the question.-Poor rogues, 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 Enter Page. Fool. Look you, here comes my mistress' 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. Pr'ythee, Apemantus, read me the superscription of these letters; I know not which is which. Apem. Canst not read? 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'lt die a bawd. Page. Thou wast whelped a dog; and thou shalt famish, a dog's death. Answer not, I am gone. [Exil Page. Apem. Even so thou out-run'st grace. Fool, I Isid. Serv. Your steward puts me off, my lord; will go with you to lord Timon's. And I am sent expressly to your lordship. Tim. Give me breath: you I do beseech you, good my lords, keep on; Flav. Tim. See them well entertain'd. Do so, my friends: Enter Apemantus and a Fool. 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' 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 whoremaster, and a knave; which notwithstanding thou shalt be no less esteemed. Var. Serv. What is a whoremaster, fool? Fool. A fool in good clothes, and something like thee. 'Tis a spirit: sometime, it appears like a lord; Caph. Stay, stay, here comes the fool with Ape- sometime, like a lawyer; sometime, like a philoso mantus; let's have 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? (1) Good even was the usual salutation from poon, pher, with two stones more than his artificial one: Var. Serv. Thou art not altogether a fool. (2) i. e. To hunting; in our author's time it wa the custom to hunt as well after dinner as before. O, my good lord! Flav. Let all my land be sold. Tim. To Lacedæmon did my land extend. Tim. You tell me true. What heart, head, sword, force, means, but is lord Great Timon, noble, worthy, royal Timon? Tim. To think I shall lack friends? Secure thy heart; Flav. That I account them blessings; for by these Enter Flaminius, Servilius, and other Servants. Tim. I will despatch you severally.-You, to To lord Lucullus you; I hunted with his ators (Of whom, even to the state's best health, I have Deserv'd this hearing,) bid 'em send o'the instant A thousand talents to me. Flav. I have been bold Flav. If you suspect my husbandry, or falsehood, That now they are at fall," want treasure, cannot strelsy; I have retir'd me to a wasteful cock,4 Tim. Pr'ythee, no more. Flav. Heavens, have I said, the bounty of this How many prodigal bits have slaves, and peasants, (1) He does not mean, so great a sum, but a certain sum. (2) i. e. As the world itself may be comprised in a word, you might give it away in a breath. (3) The apartments allotted to culinary offices, &c. (4) A pipe with a turning stopple running to waste. But yet they could have wish'd-they know not but May catch a wrench-would all were well-'tis pity And so, intending other serious matters, You gods, reward them! (5) If I would (says Timon,) by borrowing, try of what men's hearts are composed, what they have in them, &c. (6) Dignified, made respectable. (7) i. e. At an ebb. (8) Intending, had anciently the same meaning as attending. (9) Broken hints, abrupt remarks. (10) A half-cap is a cap slightly moved, not put off I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly; These old fellows Thou art true, and honest; ingeniously' I speak, Buried his father; by whose death, he's stepp'd I clear'd him with five talents; Greet him from me; To whom 'tis instant due. Ne'er speak, or think, Feing free itself, it thinks all others so. [Exeunt. ACT III. Lucul. Flaminius, I have noted thee always wise. Here's to thee. Flam. Your lordship speaks your pleasure. And we alive, that liv'd?' Fly, damned baseness, [Throwing the money away. Let molten coin be thy damnation, Thou disease of a friend, and not himself! Has friendship such a faint and milky heart, It turns in less than two nights? O you gods, I feel my master's passion! This slave Unto his honour, has my lord's meat in him: Enter a Servant Why should it thrive, and turn to nutriment, When he is turn'd to poison? SCENE I-The same. A room in Lucullus's house. Flaminius waiting. to him. O, may diseases only work upon't! Serv. I have told my lord of you, he is coming And when he is sick to death, let not that part of down to you. Flam. I thank you, sir. Enter Lucullus. Flam. His health is well, sir. Lucul. I am right glad that his health is well, sir; And what hast thou there under thy cloak, pretty Flaminius? Flam. 'Faith, nothing but an empty box, sir: which, in my lord's behalf, I come to entreat your honour to supply; who, having great and instant occasion to use fifty talents, hath sent to your lordship to furnish him; nothing doubting your present assistance therein. nature Which my lord paid for, be of any power [Exit. A public place. Enter Lucius, with three Strangers. Luc. Who, the lord Timon? he is my very good friend, and an honourable gentleman. 1 Stran. We know him for no less, though we are but strangers to him. But I can tell you one thing, my lord, and which I hear from common ru mours; now lord Timon's happy hours are done' and past, and his estate shrinks from him. for money." 2 Stran. But believe you this, my lord, that, not long ago, one of his men was with the lord Lucul lus, to borrow so many talents; nay, urged extremely for't, and showed what necessity belonged to't, and vet was denied. Luc. How? 2 Stran. I tell you, denied, my lord. Lucul. La, la, la, la,-nothing doubting, says he? Luc. What a strange case was that? now, be alas, good lord! a noble gentleman 'tis, if he would fore the gods, I am asham'd on't. Denied that not keep so good a house. Many a time and often honourable man? there was very little honour I have dined with him, and told him on't; and showed in't. For my own part, I must needs concome again to supper to him, of purpose to have fess, I have received some small kindnesses from him spend less: and yet he would embrace no coun- him, as money, plate, jewels, and such like trifles, sel, take no warning by my coming. Every man nothing comparing to his; yet, had he mistook him, has his fault and honesty is his: I have told him and sent to me, I should ne'er have denied his ocon't, but I could never get him from it. casion so many talents. Re-enter Servant, with wine. Serv. Please your lordship, here is the wine. sweat to see his honour.-My honoured lord,- Ser. May it please your honour, my lord hath sent Luc. Ha! what has he sent? I am so much endeared to that lord; he's ever sending: How shall I thank him, thinkest thou? And what has he sent now?' Ser. He hs only sent his present occasion now, my lord; requesting your lordship to supply his instant use with so many talents. Luc. know, his lordship is but merry with me; Ser. But in the mean time he wants less, my lord. Luc. Dost thou speak seriously, Servilius? [Exeunt. Men must learn now with pity to dispense: Sem. Must he needs trouble me in't? Humph! He might have tried lord Lucius, or Lucullus ; for They have all denied him! Thrive, give him over; Must I take the cure upon Luc. What a wicked beast was I, to disfurnish myself against such a good time, when I might have shown myself honourable! how unluckily it happened, that I should purchase the day before for a He has much disgrac'd me in't; I am angry at him, little part, and undo a great deal of honour!-Ser- That might have known my place: I see no sense vilius, now before the gods, I am not able to do't; for't, the more beast, I say:-I was sending to use lord But his occasions might have woo'd me first; Timon myself, these gentlemen can witness; but I For, in my conscience, I was the first man would not, for the wealth of Athens, I had done it That e'er receiv'd gift from him: now. Commend me bountifully to his good lord-And does he think so backwardly of me now, ship; and I hope, his honour will conceive the That I'll requite it last? No: so it may prove fairest of me, because I have no power to be kind: An argument of laughter to the rest, And tell him this from me, I count it one of my And I amongst the lords be thought a fool. greatest afflictions, say, that I cannot pleasure such I had rather than the worth of thrice the sum, an honourable gentleman. Good Servilius, will you He had sent to me first, but for my mind's sake; befriend me so far as to use mine own words to I had such a courage to do him good. But now aim? return, Ser. Yes, sir, I shall. And with their faint reply this answer join; Luc. I will look you out a good turn, Servilius,-Who bates mine honour, shall not know my coin. [Exit Servilius. True, as you said, Timon is shrunk, indeed; And he, that's once denied, will hardly speed. [Exit Lucius. 1 Stran. Do you observe this, Hostilius? 2 Stran. Ay, too well. 1 Stran. Why this Is the world's soul; and just of the same piece For mine own part, I never tasted Timon in my life, Had his necessity made use of me, I would have put my wealth into donation,2 (1) If he did not want it for a good use.' [Exit. Serv. Excellent! Your lordship's a goodly villain. The devil knew not what he did, when he made man politic; he cross'd himself by't: and I cannot think, but, in the end, the villanies of man will set him clear. How fairly this lord strives to appear foul? takes virtuous copies to be wicked; like those that, under hot ardent zeal, would set whole realms on fire. Of such a nature is his politic love. This was my lord's best hope; now all are fled, SCENE IV.-The same. A hall in Timon's Var. Serv. Well met; good-morrow, Titus and Tit. The like to you, kind Varro. What, do we meet together? Luc. Serv. Lucius! Ay, and, I think, One business does command us all; for mine (3) Tried. |