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provide, and give great gifts, and all out of an empty coffer: Nor will he know his purse, or yield me this, To fhew him what a beggar his heart is,

Being of no power to make his wifhes good;
His promises fly fo beyond his ftate,

That what he speaks is all in debt; he owes for ev'ry word:
He is fo kind, that he pays interest for❜t ·

His land's put to their books. Well, 'would I were
Gently put out of office, ere I were forc'd!
Happier is he that has no friend to feed,
Than fuch that do e'en enemies exceed.
I bleed inwardly for my Lord.

[Exit.

Tim. You do yourfelves much wrong, you 'bate too much of your own merits. Here, my Lord, a trifle of our love.

1 Lord. With more than common thanks I will receive it.

3 Lord. He has the very foul of bounty.

Tim. And now I remember, my Lord, you gave good words the other day of a bay courfer I rode on.

'Tis

yours, becaufe you lik'd it.

2 Lord. Oh, I befeech you, pardon me, my Lord, in that.

Tim. You may take my word, my Lord: I know no man can juftly praife, but what he does affe&t. I weigh my friend's affection with my own; I'll tell I'll call on you.

you true.

All Lords, O, none fo welcome.

Tim. I take all, and your several 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
Lie in a pitcht field.

Alc. I defy land, my Lord.

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

2 Lord. So infinitely endear'd

F 3

Tim

Tim. All to you. Lights! more lights, more lights. 3 Lord. The beft 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 giv'n for 'em. Friendship'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't fo long, Timon, (9) I fear me, thou wilt give away thyself in 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 fhalt not then.

I'll lock thy heaven from thee:

Oh, that men's ears fhould be

To counfel deaf, but not to flattery!

[Exit.

(9) 1 fear me, thou wilt give away thyself in paper fhortly.] i. e. be ruined by his Securities entered into. Eut this Senfe, as Mr. War. burton obferves, is cold; and relishes very little of that Salt which is in Apemantus's other Reflections. He propofes,

—give away thyself in proper fortly.

i. e. in Perfon; thy proper Self. This latter is an Expreffion of our Author's in the Tempeft;

And even with fuch like Valour Men bang and drown

Their proper felves.

ACT

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ACT II.

SCENE, A publick place in the City.

A

Enter a Senator,

SENATOR.

ND late, five thousand: to Varro and to Ifidore He owes nine thousand, befides my former fum; Which makes it five and twenty.-Still in motion Of raging wafte? It cannot hold, it will not. It I want gold, steal but a beggar's dog, And give it Timon, why, the dog coins gold. If I would fell my horfe, and buy ten more Better than he; why, give my horfe to Timon; Afk nothing, give it him, it foals me ftraight Ten able horfe. No porter at his gate, (10) But rather one that fmiles, and ftill invites All that pafs by it. It cannot hold; no reafon Can found his ftate in fafety. Caphis, hoa! Caphis, I fay.

(10) Ask nothing. give it him, it foals me ftraight

An able borje,] 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 fteal a Beggar's Dog, and give it to "Timon, the Dog coins me Gold. If I would fell my borfe, and "had a Mind to buy ten better inftead of him; why, I need but "give my Horfe to Timon, to gain this Point; and it presently "fetches me an horfe." But is that gaining the Point propofed ? Senfe and Reason warrant the Reading, that I have restored to the Text. The first Folio reads, lefs corruptly than the modern Impreffions,

And able Horfes.

Which Reading, joined to the Reasoning of the Paffage, gave me the Hint for this Emendation.

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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 ceas'd With flight denial; nor then filenc'd with

66

Commend me to your mafter"—and the cap

Plays in the right hand, thus :-but tell him, firrah,
My ufes cry to me, I must 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 must 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 fupply immediate. Get you gone.
Put on a most importunate afpect,
A vifage of demand: for I do fear,
When every feather fticks 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. I go, Sir?-Take the bonds along with
And have the dates in compt.

Cap. I will, Sir.

Sen. Go.

(11)

-take the Bonds along with you,

you, (11)

[Exeunt.

And bave the Dates in. Come.] The Abfurdity of this Paffage is fo glaring, that one cannot help wondering, None of our 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 entered into: And thefe Bonds Timon had already given, and the Time limited for their Payment was lapfed. 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.

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SCENE changes to Timon's Hall.

Enter Flavius, with many bills in his hand.

O

Flav. No care, no ftop ? fo fenfeless of expence,

That he will neither know how to maintain it, Nor cease 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.
Fy, fy, fy, fy.

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.

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 honest friend,

I pr'ythee, but repair to me next morning.

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Cap

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