Tim. Near! why then, another time I'll hear

thee : I prithee, let's be provided to show them enter

tainment. Flav. [Aside] I scarce know how.

Enter a second Servant.
Sec. Serv. May it please your honour, Lord

Lucius,
Out of his free love, hath presented to you
Four milk-white horses, trapp'd in silver.

Tim. I shall accept them fairly: let the presents 190 Be worthily entertain'd.

Enter a third Servant.

How now! what news ? Third Seru. Please you, my lord, that honourable gentleman, Lord Lucullus, entreats your company to-morrow to hunt with him, and has sent your honour two brace of greyhounds, Tim. I'll hunt with him; and let them be re

a ceived, Not without fair reward. Flav.

[Aside] 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, To show him what a beggar his heart is, Being of no power to make his wishes good : His promises fly so beyond his state That what he speaks is all in debt, he owes For every word : he is so kind that he now Pays interest for 't; his land's put to their books. Well, would I were gently put out of office Before I were forced out! Happier is he that has no friend to feed

200 210

Than such that do e'en enemies exceed.
I bleed inwardly for my lord.

[Exit.
Tim.

You do yourselves Much wrong, you bate too much of your own

merits :
Here, my lord, a trifle of our love.
Sec. Lord. With more than common thanks I

will receive it.
Third Lord. O, he's the very soul of bounty!

Tim. And now I remember, my lord, you gave
Good words the other day of a bay courser
I rode on: it is yours, because you liked it.
Sec. Lord. O, I beseech you, pardon me, my

lord, in that. Tim. You may take my word, my lord; I know,

no man

220

Can justly praise but what he does affect :
I weigh my friend's affection with mine own;
I'll tell you true.

I'll call to you.
All Lords.

O, none so welcome.
Tim. I take all and your several visitations
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 soldier, therefore seldom rich;
It comes in charity to thee : for all thy living
Is 'mongst the dead, and all the lands thou hast
Lie in a pitch'd field.
Alcib.

Ay, defiled land, my lord.
First Lord. We are so virtuously bound-
Tim.

And so
Am I to you.

Sec. Lord. So infinitely endear'd-
Tim. All to you. Lights, more lights !
First Lord.

The best of happiness, Honour and fortunes, keep with you, Lord Timon !

330

Tim. Ready for his friends.

[Exeunt all but Apemantus and Timon. Apem.

What a coil's here ! Serving of becks and jutting-out of bums ! I doubt whether their legs be worth the sums That are given for 'em. Friendship 's full of dregs : 240 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 250 once, I am sworn not to give regard to you. Farewell; and come with better music. [Exit.

Apem. So:
Thou wilt not hear me now; thou shalt not then:
I'll lock thy heaven from thee.
O, that men's ears should be
To counsel deaf, but not to flattery! [Exit.

Enter 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 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 his state in safety. Caphis, ho !
Caphis, I say !

6

20

Enter CAPHIS.
Caph. Here, sir ; what is your pleasure ?
Sen. Get on your cloak, and haste you to Lord

Timon;
Importune him for my moneys; be not ceased
With slight denial; nor then silenced when-
Commend me to your master'—and the cap
Plays in the right hand, thus: but tell him,
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 aspect,
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 phonix. Get you gone.
20. uses, necessities.

30

Caph. I go, sir.
Sen. 'I go, sir!'-Take the bonds along with

you,
And have the dates in compt.
Caph.

I will, sir. Sen.

Go. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The same.

A hall in Timon's house.

Enter FLAVIUS, with many bills in his hand. Flavius. No care, no stop! so senseless of ex

pense, 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 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. Caph.

Good even, Varro : what,
You come for money?
Var. Serv.

Is't not your business too?
Caph. It is : and yours too, Isidore ?
Isid. Serv.

It is so.
Caph. Would we were all discharged !
Var. Serv.

I fear it. Caph. Here comes the lord. 35. in compt, kept count of, so that the interest might be duly computed.