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 Serv. 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 received,

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

Than such that do e'en enemies exceed.

I bleed inwardly for my lord.

Tim.

210

[Exit.

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

Can justly praise but what he does affect:

I weigh my friend's affection with mine own;
I'll tell you true.

All Lords.

I'll call to you.

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.

Am I to you.

Sec. Lord. So infinitely endear'd—

And so

220

230

Tim. All to you.

First Lord.

Lights, more lights!

The best of happiness,

Honour and fortunes, keep with you, Lord Timon!

Tim. Ready for his friends.

Apem.

[Exeunt all but Apemantus and Timon.

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.

ACT II.

SCENE I. A Senator's house.

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

It cannot hold; no reason
Caphis, ho!

All that pass by.
Can found his state in safety.
Caphis, I say!

Caph.

Enter CAPHIS.

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 aspéct,

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 phoenix. Get you gone.

20. uses, necessities.

22. fracted, broken.

Caph. I go, sir.

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

Enter FLAVIUS, with many bills in his hand. Flavius. 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

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.

Is 't not your business too? 10

It is so.

I fear it.

Caph. It is and yours too, Isidore?
Isid. Serv.

Caph. Would we were all discharged !
Var. Serv.

Caph. Here comes the lord.

35. in compt, kept count of, so that the interest might be duly computed.