Tim. You may take my word, my lord: I know no man can juftly praife, but what he does affect. I weigh my friend's affection with my own; I'll tell you true. I'll call on you..

All Lords. O, none fo welcome.

Tim. I take all, and your feveral vifitations
So kind to heart, 'tis not enough to give ;
Methinks, I could deal Kingdoms to my friends,
And ne'er be weary.
Alcibiades,

Thou art a foldier, therefore feldom rich,
It comes in charity to thee; thy living

Is 'mongst the dead; and all the lands thou haft
Lye in a pitcht field.

Alc. I defie land, my lord.

1 Lord. We are so virtuously bound Tim. And fo am I to you.

2 Lord. So infinitely endear'd

Tim. All to you. Lights! more lights, more lights. 3 Lord. The best of happiness, honour and fortunes, Keep with you, lord Timon

Tim. Ready for his friends.
Apem. What a coil's here,

[Exeunt Lords.

Serving of becks and jutting out of bums!

I doubt, whether their legs be worth the fums
That are given for 'em. Friendfhip's full of dregs;
Methinks, falfe hearts fhould never have found legs.
Thus honeft fools lay out their wealth on court'fies.
Tim. Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not fullen,
I would be good to thee.

Apem. No, I'll nothing; for if I fhould be brib'd too, there would be none left to rail upon thee, and then thou wouldst fin the fafter. Thou giv'ft fo long, Timon, (9) I fear me, thou wilt give away thy felf in

proper

(9) I fear me, thou wilt give away thyself in paper shortly.] i. e. be ruin'd by his Securities entred into. But this Senfe, as Mr. Warburton obferves, is cold; and relishes very little of that Salt which is in Apemantus's other Reflections. He proposes, give away thy felf in proper fhortly.

i. e. in Perfon; thy proper Self. This latter is an Expreffion

of

proper fhortly. What need these feafts, pomps, and vain-glories?

Tim. Nay, if you begin to rail on fociety once, I am fworn not to give regard to you. Farewel, and come with better mufick.

Apem. So-thou wilt not hear me now, thou shalt not then.

I'll lock thy heaven from thee:
Oh, that men's ears fhould be

To counfel deaf, but not to flattery!

[Exit.

ACT

II.

SCENE, A publick place in the City.

A

Enter a Senator.

SENATO R.

ND late, five thoufand: to Varro and to Ifidore He owes nine thousand, befides my former Sum; Which makes it five and twenty.-Still in motion Of raging wafte? It cannot hold, it will not. If I want gold, fteal but a Beggar's dog, And give it Timon, why, the dog coins gold. If I would fell my horse, and buy ten more Better thah he; why, give my horfe to Timon; Ask nothing, give it him, it foals me ftraight Ten able horfe. No porter at his gate, (10)

of our Author's in the Tempeft;

And ev'n with fuch like Valour Men bang and drown
Their proper felves.

(10) Ask nothing, give it bim, it foals me freight

But

An able borse,] The Stupidity of this Corruption will be very obvious, if we take the whole Context together. "If I want "Gold, (fays the Senator) let me steal a Beggar's Dog, and give it to Timon, the Dog coins me Gold. If I would fell

"my

But rather one that fmiles, and ftill invites
All that pafs by it. It cannot hold; no reason
Can found his ftate in fafety. Caphis, hoa!
Caphis, I fay.

Enter Caphis.

Cap. Here, Sir, what is your pleasure?

Sen. Get on your cloak, and hafte you to lord Timon ; Importune him for monies, be not ceaft With flight denial; nor then filenc'd with "Commend me to your mafter

and the cap

but tell him, firrah,

Plays in the right hand, thus:
My ufes cry to me, I muft ferve my turn
Out of mine own; his days and times are past,
And my reliance on his fracted dates

Has fmit my credit. I love and honour him;
But muft not break my back, to heal his finger.
Immediate are my needs, and my relief
Muft not be toft and turn'd to me in words,
But find Supply immediate. Get you gone.
Fut on a most importunate afpect,

A vifage of demand: for I do fear,
When every feather sticks in his own wing,
Lord Timon will be left a naked Gull,

Who flashes now a Phoenix Get you gone.

Cap. I go, Sir.

Sen. Igo, Sir?-Take the bonds along with you, (11)

And

my borse, and had a Mind to buy ten better instead of him; "why, I need but give my Horfe to Timon, to gain this Point; " and it presently fetches me an borfe." But is that gaining the Point propos'd? Senfe and Reafon warrant the Reading, that I have reftor'd to the Text. The first Folio reads, lefs cor ruptly than the modern Impreffions,

Which Reading, join'd to the Reasoning of the Paffage, gave me the Hint for this Emendation.

(11)

take the Bonds along with you,

And bave the Dates in. Come.] The Abfurdity of this Paffage is fo glaring, that one cannot help wondering, None of our

Poet's

And have the dates in Compt.

Cap. I will, Sir.

Sen. Go.

[Exeunt

SCENE changes to Timon's Hall.

Flav.

Enter Flavius, with many bills in his hand.

NT

O care, no ftop? fo fenfeless of expence, That he will neither know how to maintain it, Nor ceafe his flow of riot? Takes no account How things go from him, and refumes no care Of what is to continue: never Mind

Was to be fo unwife, to be fo 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, Ifidore, and Varro.

Cap. Good evening, Varro,; what, you come for money?
Var. Is't not your business too?

Cap. It is; and your's too, Ifidore?
Ifid. It is fo.

Cap. 'Would we were all discharg'd!
Var. I fear it.

Cap. Here comes the lord.

Enter Timon, and his train.

Tim. So foon as dinner's done, we'll forth again.

My Alcibiades,

Well, what's your Will?
[They prefent their bills.

Cap. My lord, here is a note of certain dues.

Poet's Editors fhould have been fagacious enough to stumble at it. Certainly, ever fince Bonds were given, the Date was put in when the Bond was enter'd into: And thefe Bonds Timon had already given, and the Time limited for their Payment was laps'd. The Senator's Charge to his Servant must be to the Tenour as I have amended the Text; viz. Take good Notice of the Dates, for the better Computation of the Intereft due upon them,

Tim. Dues whence are you?

Cap. Of Athens here, my lord.
Tim. Go to my Steward.

Cap. Please it your lordship, he hath put me off
To the fucceffion of new days, this month:
My mafter is awak'd by great occafion,

To call upon his own; and humbly prays you,
That with your other noble parts you'll fuit,
In giving him his Right.

Tim. Mine honeft friend,

I pr'ythee, but repair to me next morning.
Cap. Nay, good my lord-

Tim. Contain thy felf, good friend.

Var. One Varro's fervant, my good lord

Ifid. From Ifidore, he prays your fpeedy payment— Cap. If you did know, my lord, my master's wantsVar. 'Twas due on forfeiture, my lord, fix weeks, and past.

Ifid. Your Steward puts me off, my lord, and I Am fent exprefly to your lordship.

Tim. Give me breath:

I do beseech you, good my lords, keep on, [Ex. lords. I'll wait upon you inftantly.

Come hither:

How goes the world, that I am thus encountred

With clam'rous claims of debt, of broken bonds,
And the detention of long-fince-due debts,

Against my honour?

Fla. Please you, gentlemen,

The time is unagreeable to this business:
Your importunity ceafe, 'till after dinner;
That I may make his lordship understand
Wherefore you are not paid.

Tim. Do fo, my friends; fee them well entertain'd.

Flav. Pray, draw near.

Enter Apemantus, and Fool.

[Exit Timon.

[Exit Flavius.

Cap. Stay, ftay, here comes the Fool with Apemantus,

let's have fome sport with 'em.

Var. Hang him, he'll abuse us.