Tim. Right welcome, Sir.

7 Ere we do part, we'll fhare a bounteous time In different pleasures. Pray you, let us in. [Exeunt.

Manet Apemantus. Enter Lucius and Lucullus. Luc. What time a day is't, Apemantus?

pem. Time to be honest.

Luc. That time ferves ftill.

Apem. The moft accurfed thou, that ftill omit'st it.
Lucul. Thou art going to Lord Timon's feaft.
Apem. Ay, to fee meat fill knaves, and wine heat
fools.

Lucul. Fare thee well, fare thee well.

pem. Thou art a fool to bid me farewel twice. Lucul. Why, Apemantus?

Apem. Thou fhouldít have kept one to thyself, for I mean to give thee none.

Lucul. Hang thyfelf.

Apem. No, I will do nothing at thy bidding; make thy requests to thy friend.

Lucul. Away, unpeaceable dog, or-I'll fpurn thee hence.

Apem. I will fly, like a dog, the heels o'th'ass.
Luc. He's oppofite to humanity.

Come, fhall we in, and tafte Lord Timon's bounty?
He, fure, outgoes the very heart of kindness.

Lucul. He pours it out. Plutus, the God of gold, Is but his Steward. No meed but he repays Seven-fold above itfelf; no gift to him, But breeds the Giver a Return exceeding

7 Ere we depart,-] Who depart? Though Alcibiades was to leave Timon, Timon was not to

depart. Common Senfe favours my Emendation.

THEOBALD.

All

All ufe of quittance.

Luc. The nobleft mind he carries,

That ever govern'd man.

Lucul. Long may he live in fortunes! Shall we in ? Lus. I'll keep you company.

SCENE V.

Another Apartment in Timon's Houfe.

[Exeunt.

Hautboys playing loud mufick. A great banquet ferv'd in; and then enter Timon, Alcibiades, Lucius, Lucullus, Sempronius, and other Athenian Senators, with Ventidius. Then comes dropping, after all,

Apemantus difcontentedly.

Ven.

ST honour'd Timon, it hath pleas'd the
Gods

MOST

To remember my father's age,

And call him to long peace.

He is gone happy, and has left me rich.

Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound

To your free heart, I do return thofe talents,
Doubled with thanks and fervice, from whofe help

I deriv'd liberty.

Tim. O, by no means,

Honeft Ventidius. You miftake my love;

I gave it freely eyer, and there's none
Can truly fay he gives, if he receives.

"If our Betters play at that game, we must not dare
T'imitate them, Faults that are rich, are fair.

Ven.

9 If our Betters play at that

game, we must not dare To imitate them. Faults that

are rich are fair.] Thefe two lines are abfurdly given to Timon. They should be read thus: Tim,

Ven. A noble fpirit.

[They all stand ceremoniously looking on Timon.
Tim. Nay, ceremony was but devis'd at first
To set a glofs on faint deeds, hollow welcomes,
Recanting goodness, forry ere 'tis fhown,

But where there is true friendfhip, there needs none.
Pray, fit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes,
Than they to me.
[They fit down.

Luc. We always have confest it.

Apem. Ho, ho, confeft it? hang'd it, have you not? Tim. O Apemantus! you are welcome.

Apem. No; you fhall not make me welcome. I come to have thee thruft me out of doors.

Tim. Fy, th'art a churl; ye have got a humour there
Does not become a man, 'tis much to blame.
They fay, my Lords, that Ira furor brevis eft,
But yonder man is ever angry.

Go, let him have a table by himself:
For he does neither affect company,
Nor is he fit for't, indeed.

Tim. If our betters play at that game, we must not. Apem. Dare to imitate them: faults that are rich are fair. This is faid fatirically and in character.

It was a fober reflection in Timon; who by our betters meant the Gods, which require to be repaid for benefits received; but it would be impiety in men to expect the fame obfervance for the trifling good they do. Apemantus, agreeably to his character, perverts this fentiment; as if Timon had spoke of earthly grandees and potentates, who expect largest returns for their favours; and therefore, ironically, replies as above. WARB.

I cannot fee that these lines

are more proper in any other
mouth than in Timon's, to whofe
character of generofity and con-
defcenfion they are very fuitable.
To fuppofe that by our betters
are meant the Gods, is very
harfh, because to imitate the
Gods has been hitherto reckoned
the highest pitch of human vir-
tue. The whole is a trite and
obvious thought, uttered by Ti-
mon with a kind of affected
modeity. If I would make any
alteration it should be only to
reform the numbers thus:

Our betters play that game; we
must not dare
T'imitate them: faults that are
rich, are fair.

Арет.

Apem. Let me ftay at thy peril, Timon. I come to obferve. I give thee warning on't.

Tim. I take no heed of thee; th'art an Athenian, therefore welcome; I myself would have no power. -Pr'ythee, let my meat make thee filent.

Apem. I fcorn thy meat; 'twould choak me, for I fhould ne'er flatter thee. O you Gods! what a number of men eat Timon, and he sees 'em not? It grieves me to fee

3 So many dip their meat in one man's blood,

*

And, all the madness is, he cheers them up too.
I wonder, men dare trust themselves with men !
Methinks, they should invite them without knives;
Good for their meat, and fafer for their lives.
There's much example for't; the fellow, that
Sits next him now, parts bread with him, and pledges
The breath of him in a divided draught,

Is th' readieft man to kill him. 'T has been prov'd,
Were I a Great man, I should fear to drink,

I myself would have no power] If this be the true reading, the fenfe is, all Athenians are welcome to share my fortune: I would myfelf have no exclufive right or power in this houfe. Perhaps we might read, I myself would have no poor. I would have every Athenian confider himself as joint poffeffor of my fortune.

2 I fcorn thy meat, 'twould choak me: FOR I Should NE'ER flatter thee.] A very pretty reafon why his meat would choak him, because he should never flatter him. We should read and point this nonsense thus,

I fcorn thy meat: 'twould choak me 'FORE

I fhould E'ER flatter thee. i. e. before I fhould ever flatter

thee.

WARBURTON.

Of this emendation there is little need. The meaning is, I could not fwallow thy meat, for I could not pay for it with flattery; and what was given me with an ill will would flick in my throat.

3 So many dip their meat in one

man's blood.] The allufion is to a pack of hounds trained to purfuit by being gratified with the blood of the animal which they kill, and the wonder is that the animal on which they are feeding cheers them to the chase.

-he cheers them up TOO.] I believe Shakespear wrote up to't, WARBURTON.

I believe not.

Left they should spy my 4 wind-pipe's dangerous notes i Great men fhould drink with harness on their throats. Tim. My Lord, in heart; and let the health go round.

Lucul. Let it flow this way, my good Lord.

ipem. Flow this way!-a brave fellow; he keeps his tides well. Thofe healths will make thee and thy ftate look ill, Timon. Here's that which is too weak to be a finner, honeft water, which ne'er left man i'th' mire;

This and my food are equal. There's no odds.
Feafts are too proud to give thanks to the Gods,

Apemantus's grace.

Immortal Gods, I crave no pelf;
I pray for no man but myself;
Grant, I may never prove so fond
To truft man on his oath, or bond,
Or a harlot for her weeping;
Or a dog, that feems a fleeping;
Or a keeper with my freedom;
Or my friends, if I fhould need 'em.
Amen, Amen; So fall to't:
Rich men fin, and I eat root.

[Eats and drinks,

Much good dich thy good heart, Apemantus!
Tim. Captain Alcibiades, your heart's in the field

now.

Alc. My heart is ever at your fervice, my Lord. Tim. You had rather been at a breakfast of enemies, than a dinner of friends.

Alc. So they were bleeding new, my Lord, there's

wind-pipe's dangerous notes;] The notes of the wind-pipe feem to be only the indications which fhew where the wind-pipe is.

5 My Lord, in heart;] That is, my Lord's health with fincerity. An emendation has been propofed thus: My Love in heart, but it is not neceffary.

no