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Tim. I'll hunt with him; And let them be receiv'd,

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 forc'd out!

Happier is he that has no friend to feed,
Than such as do even 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.
2 Lord. With more than common thanks I will

receive it.

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Am I to you.

And so

2 Lord. So infinitely endear'd,Tim. All to you.2-Lights, more lights. 1 Lord. The best of happiness, Honour, and fortunes, keep with you, lord 'Timon! Tim. Ready for his friends. [Exeunt Alcibiades, Lords, &c. Apem. What a coil's here! Serving of becks,3 and jutting out of bums! I doubt whether their legs be worth the sums That are given for 'em. Friendship's full of dregs: 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'd be good to thee. No, I'll nothing for, Apem. If I should be brib'd too, there would be none left To rail upon thee; and then thou would'st sin the faster.

:

Thou giv'st so long, Timon, I fear me, thou
Wilt give away thyself in paper4 shortly:
What need these feasts, pomps, and vain glories?

(1) i. e. Could dispense them on every side with an ungrudging distribution, like that with which I could deal out cards.

(2) i. e. All happiness to you. (3) Offering salutations.

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SCENE I-The same. A room in a Senator' house. Enter a 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,
If I would sell my horse, and buy twenty more
And give it Timon, why, the dog coins gold:
Better than he, why, give my horse to Timon,
And able horses: No porter at his gate;
Ask nothing, give it him, it foals me, straight,
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!

Enter Caphis.

Caph. Here, sir; What is your pl arare?
Sen. Get on your cloak, and haste you to lord
Timon;

Importune him for my moneys; be not ceas'd
With slight denial; nor then silenc'd, when-
Commend me to your master-and the cap
Plays in the right hand, thus:-but tell him, sirrah,
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 phoenix. Get you gone.
Caph. I go, sir.

Sen. I go, sir? Take the bonds along with you,
And have the dates in compt.
Caph.
Sen.

I will, sir.

Go. [Exeunt.

SCENE II-The same. A hall in Timon's house. Enter Flavius, with many bills in his hand.

Flav. 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

(4) i. e. Be ruined by his securities entered into (5) By his heaven he means good advice; the only thing by which he could be saved. (6) Stopped.

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Contain thyself, good friend.
Var. Serv. One Varro's servant, my good lord,-
Isid. Serv.
From Isidore;
He humbly prays your speedy payment,-
Caph. If you did know, my lord, my master's

wants,

Var. Serv. 'Twas due on forfeiture, my lord, six weeks,

And past,

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Apem. Canst not read?
Page. No.

Apem. There will little learning die then, that day thou art hanged. This is to lord Timon; this to Alcibiades. Go; thou wast born a bastard, and thou'lt die a bawd.

Page. Thou wast whelped a dog; and thou shalt famish, a dog's death. Answer not, I am gone. [Exit Page.

Apem. Even so thou out-run'st grace. Fool, I

Isid. Serv. Your steward puts me off, my lord; will go with you to lord Timon's.

And I am sent expressly to your lordship.

Tim. Give me breath:

I do beseech you, good my lords, keep on;
[Exeunt Alcibiades and Lords.
I'll wait upon you instantly.-Come hither, pray

you

Fool. Will you leave me there?

Apem. If Timon stay at home.-You three serve three usurers.

All Serv. Ay; 'would they served us!
Apem. So would I,- -as good a trick as ever hang-

[To Flavius.man served thief.

How goes the world, that I am thus encounter'd
With clamorous demands of date-broke bonds,
And the detention of long-since-due debts,
Against my honour?

Flav.
Please you, gentlemen,
The time is unagreeable to this business:
Your importunacy cease, till after dinner;
That I may make his lordship understand
Wherefore you are not paid,"

Tim.

See them well entertain'd.
Flav.

Do so, my friends :
[Exit Timon.
I pray, draw near.
[Exit Flavius.

Enter Apemantus and a Fool.
Caph. Stay, stay, here comes the fool with
mantus; let's have some sport with 'em.
Var. Serv. Hang him, he'll abuse us.
Isid. Serv. A plague upon him, dog!
Var. Serv. How dost, fool?

Apem. Dost dialogue with thy shadow?
Var. Serv. I speak not to thee.

Fool. Are you three usurers' men?
All Serv. Ay, fool.

Fool. I think, no usurer but has a fool to his servant: My mistress is one, and I am her fool. When men come to borrow of your masters, they approach sadly, and go away merry; but they enter my mistress' house merrily, and go away sadly: The reason of this?

Var. Serv, I could render one.

Apem. Do it then, that we may account thee a whoremaster, and a knave; which notwithstanding,

thou shalt be no less esteemed.

Var. Serv. What is a whoremaster, fool?

Fool. A fool in good clothes, and something like thee. 'Tis a spirit: sometime, it appears like a lord; Ape-sometime, like a lawyer; sometime, like a philosopher, with two stones more than his artificial one: He is very often like a knight; and, generally in all shapes, that man goes up and down in, from fourscore to thirteen, this spirit walks in.

(1) Good even was the usual salutation from

2001.

Var. Serv. Thou art not altogether a fool.
Fool. Nor tnou altogether a wise man: as much

(2) 1. e. To hunting; in our author's time it was the custom to hunt as well after dinner as before.

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O, my good lord!

At many times I brought in my accounts,
Laid them before you; you would throw them off,
And say, you found them in mine honesty.
When, for some trifling present, you have bid me
Return so much, I have shook my head, and wept;
Yea, 'gainst the authority of manners, pray'd you
To hold your hand more close: I did endure
Not seldom, nor no slight checks; when I have
Prompted you, in the ebb of your estate,
And your great flow of debts. My dear-lov'd lord,
Though you hear now (too late!) yet now's a time,
The greatest of
your having lacks a half
To pay your present debts.

Tim.

Let all my land be sold. Flav. 'Tis all engag'd, some forfeited and gone; And what remains will hardly stop the mouth Of present dues: the future comes apace: What shall defend the interim? and at length How goes our reckoning?

Tim. To Lacedæmon did my land extend. Flav. O, my good lord, the world is but a word;2 Were it all yours to give it in a breath, How quickly were it gone?

Tim.

You tell me true.

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What heart, head, sword, force, means, but is lord
Timon's?

Great Timon, noble, worthy, royal Timon?
Ah! when the means are gone, that buy this praise,
The breath is gone whereof this praise is made:
Feast-won, fast-lost; one cloud of winter-showers,
These flies are couch'd.

Tim.

No villanous bounty yet hath pass'd my heart;
Unwisely, not ignobly, have I given.
Why dost thou weep? Canst thou the conscience
lack,

Come, sermon me no further:

If I would broach the vessels of my love,
To think I shall lack friends? Secure thy heart;
And try the arguments of hearts by borrowing,
Men, and men's fortunes, could I frankly use,
As I can bid thee speak.

Flav.
Assurance bless
your thoughts!
Tim. And, in some sort, these wants of mine
are crown'd,6

That I account them blessings; for by these
Shall I try friends: You shall perceive, how you
Mistake my fortunes; I am wealthy in my friends.
Within there, ho!--Flaminius! Servilius!

Enter Flaminius, Servilius, and other Servants.
Serv. My lord, my lord,-

Tim. I will despatch you severally.-You, to lord Lucius,

Honour to-day ;-You, to Sempronius;
To lord Lucullus you; I hunted with his
Commend me to their loves; and, I am proud, say,
That my occasions have found time to use them
Toward a supply of money: let the request
Be fifty talents.
Flam.

As you have said, my lord.
Flav. Lord Lucius, and lord Lucullus? humph!
[Aside.
Tim. Go you, sir, [To another Serv.] to the sen-

ators

(Of whom, even to the state's best health, I have Deserv'd this hearing,) bid 'em send o'the instant A thousand talents to me.

Flav.

I have been bold (For that I knew it the most general way,) To them to use your signet, and your name; But they do shake their heads, and I am here

No richer in return, Tim.

Is't true? can it be? Flav. They answer, in a joint and corporate

voice,

That now they are at fall,7 want treasure, cannot Do what they would; are sorry-you are honourable,-

But yet they could have wish'd-they know not—

but

Something hath been amiss—a noble nature
May catch a wrench-would all were well-'tis
pity-

And so, intendings other serious matters,
With certain half-caps,10 and cold-moving nods,
After distasteful looks, and these hard fractions,9
They froze me into silence.
Tim.

You gods, reward them!

(5) If I would (says Timon,) by borrowing, try of what men's hearts are composed, what they have in them, &c.

(6) Dignified, made respectable. (7) i. e. At an ebb.

(8) Intending, had anciently the same meaning as attending.

(9) Broken hints, abrupt remarks.

(10) A half-cap is a cap slightly moved, not put off.

I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly; These old fellows
Have their ingratitude in them hereditary:
Their blood is cak'd, 'tis cold, it seldom flows;
'Tis lack of kindly warmth, they are not kind;
And nature, as it grows again toward earth,
Is fashion'd for the journey, dull, and heavy.-
Go to Ventidius,-[To a Ser.] 'Pr'ythee [To Flav.]
be not sad,

Thou art true, and honest; ingeniously! I speak,
No blame belongs to thee:-[To Serv.] Ventidius
lately

Buried his father; by whose death, he's stepp'd
Into a great estate: when he was poor,
Imprison'd, and in scarcity of friends,

I clear'd him with five talents; Greet him from me;
Bid him suppose, some good necessity
Touches his friend, which craves to be remember'd
With those five talents:-that had,-[To Flav.]||
give it these fellows,

To whom 'tis instant due. Ne'er speak, or think,
That Timon's fortunes 'mong his friends can sink.
Flav. I would, I could not think it; That thought
is bounty's foe;

Being free? itself, it thinks all others so. [Exeunt.

ACT IN.

SCENE 1.--The same. A room in Lucullus's house. Flaminius waiting. Enter a Servant to him.

Lucul. Flaminius, I have noted thee always wise. Here's to thee.

Flam. Your lordship speaks your pleasure.

Lucul. I have observed thee always for a towardly prompt spirit,-give thee thy due,--and one that knows what belongs to reason: and canst use the time well, if the time use thee well: good parts in thee.-Get you_gone, sirrah.—[To the Servant, who goes out.]-Draw nearer, honest Flaminius. Thy lord's a bountiful gentleman: but thou art wise; and thou knowest well enough, although thou comest to me, that this is no time to lend money; especially upon bare friendship, without security. Here's three solidares for thee; good boy, wink at me, and say, thou saw'st me not. Fare thee well. Flam. Is't possible, the world should so much differ;

And we alive, that liv'd?5 Fly, damned baseness, To him that worships thee.

[Throwing the money away. Lucul. Ha! Now I see, thou art a fool, and fit for thy master. [Exit Lucullus. Flam. May these add to the number that may scald thee!

Let molten coin be thy damnation,

Thou disease of a friend, and not himself!
Has friendship such a faint and milky heart,
It turns in less than two nights? O you gods,
I feel my master's passion !6 This slave
Unto his honour, has my lord's meat in him:
Why should it thrive, and turn to nutriment,
When he is turn'd to poison?
O, may

diseases only work upon't!

Serv. I have told my lord of you, he is coming And, when he is sick to death, let not that part of

down to you.

Flam. I thank you, sir.

Enter Lucullus.

Serv. Here's my lord. Lucul. [Aside.] One of lord Timon's men? a gift, I warrant. Why, this hits right; I dreamt of a silver bason and ewer to-night. Flaminius, honest Flaminius; you are very respectively welcome, sir.-Fill me some wine.-[Exit Servant.] And how does that honourable, complete, free-hearted gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful good lord and master?

Flam. His health is well, sir.

Lucul. I am right glad that his health is well, sir: And what hast thou there under thy cloak, pretty Flaminius?

Flam. 'Faith, nothing but an empty box, sir; which, in my lord's behalf, I come to entreat your honour to supply; who, having great and instant occasion to use fifty talents, hath sent to your lordship to furnish him; nothing doubting your present assistance therein.

Lucul. La, la, la, la,-nothing doubting, says he? alas, good lord! a noble gentleman 'tis, if he would not keep so good a house. Many a time and often I have dined with him, and told him on't; and come again to supper to him, of purpose to have him spend less: and yet he would embrace no counsel, take no warning by my coming. Every man has his fault, and honesty4 is his; I have told him on't, but I could never get him from it.

Re-enter Servant, with wine.

Serv. Please your lordship, here is the wine.

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nature

Which my lord paid for, be of any power
To expel sickness, but prolong his hour! [Exit.

SCENE II.-The same. A public place. En

ter Lucius, with three Strangers.

Luc. Who, the lord Timon? he is my very good friend, and an honourable gentleman.

1 Stran. We knows him for no less, though we are but strangers to him. But I can tell you one thing, my lord, and which I hear from common rumours; now lord Timon's happy hours are done? and past, and his estate shrinks from him.

Luc. Fie, no, do not believe it; he cannot want for money.

2 Stran. But believe you this, my lord, that, not long ago, one of his men was with the lord Lucullus, to borrow so many talents; nay, urged extremely for't, and showed what necessity belonged to't, and yet was denied.

Luc. How?

2 Stran. I tell you, denied, my lord.

Luc. What a strange case was that? now, before the gods, I am asham'd on't. Denied that honourable man? there was very little honour showed in't. For my own part, I must needs confess, I have received some small kindnesses from him, as money, plate, jewels, and such like trifles, nothing comparing to his; yet, had he mistook him, and sent to me, I should ne'er have denied his occasion so many talents.

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sweat to see his honour.-My honoured lord,-
[To Lucius.
Luc. Servilius! you are kindly met, sir. Fare
thee well :--Commend me to thy honourable-vir-
tuous lord, my very exquisite friend.

Ser. May it please your honour, my lord hath

sent

Luc. Ha! what has he sent? I am so much endeared to that lord; he's ever sending: How shall I thank him, thinkest thou? And what has he sent now?

Ser. He has only sent his present occasion now, my lord; requesting your lordship to supply his instant use with so many talents.

Luc. I know, his lordship is but merry with me; He cannot want fifty-five hundred talents.

Ser. But in the mean time he wants less, my lord. If his occasion were not virtuous,

I should not urge it half so faithfully.

Luc. Dost thou speak seriously, Servilius?
Ser. Upon my soul, 'tis true, sir.

[Exeunt.

Men must learn now with pity to dispense:
For policy sits above conscience.
SCENE III-The same. A room in Sempro-
nius's house. Enter Sempronius, and a Ser-
vant of Timon's.

Sem. Must he needs trouble me in't? Humph!
'Bove all others?

He might have tried lord Lucius, or Lucullus;
And now Ventidius is wealthy too,
Whom he redeem'd from prison: All these three
Owe their estates unto him.
O my lord,
They have all been touch'd,3 and found base metal;
for

Serv.

They have all denied him!
Sem.
How have they denied him?
Has Ventidius and Lucullus denied him?
And does he send to me? Three? humph!--
It shows but little love or judgment in him.
Must I be his last refuge? His friends, like physi-
cians,

Thrive, give him over; Must I take the cure upon
me?

He has much disgrac'd me in't; I am angry at him,
That might have known my place: I see no sense
for't,

But his occasions might have woo'd me first;
For, in my conscience, I was the first man
That e'er receiv'd gift from himn:

Luc. What a wicked beast was I, to disfurnish myself against such a good time, when I might have shown myself honourable! how unluckily it happened, that I should purchase the day before for a little part, and undo a great deal of honour!-Servilius, now before the gods, I am not able to do't; the more beast, I say:-I was sending to use lord Timon myself, these gentlemen can witness; but I would not, for the wealth of Athens, I had done it now. Commend me bountifully to his good lord-And does he think so backwardly of me now, ship; and I hope, his honour will conceive the That I'll requite it last? No: So it may prove fairest of me, because I have no power to be kind: An argument of laughter to the rest, And tell him this from me, I count it one of my And I amongst the lords be thought a fool. greatest afflictions, say, that I cannot pleasure such I had rather than the worth of thrice the sum, an honourable gentleman. Good Servilius, will you He had sent to me first, but for my mind's sake; befriend me so far, as to use mine own words to I had such a courage to do him good. But now him? return,

Ser. Yes, sir, I shall.

Luc. I will look you out a good turn, Servilius,-
[Exit Servilius.
True, as you said, Timon is shrunk, indeed;
And he, that's once denied, will hardly speed.
[Exit Lucius,

1 Stran. Do you observe this, Hostilius?
2 Stran. Ay, too well.
1 Stran. Why this

Is the world's soul; and just of the same piece
Is every flatterer's spirit. Who can call him
His friend, that dips in the same dish? for, in
My knowing, Timon hath been this lord's father,
And kept his credit with his purse;
Supported his estate; nay, Timon's money
Has paid his men their wages: He ne'er drinks,
But Timon's silver treads upon his lip;
And yet, (0, see the monstrousness of man
When he looks out in an ungrateful shape!)
He does deny him, in respect of his,
What charitable men afford to beggars.
3 Stran. Religion groans at it.
1 Stran.

For mine own part,
I never tasted Timon in my life,
Nor came any of his bounties over me,
To mark me for his friend; yet, I protest,
For his right noble mind, illustrious virtue,
And honourable carriage,

Had his necessity made use of me,

I would have put my wealth into donation,2
And the best half should have return'd to him,
So much I love his heart: But, I perceive,

(1) If he did not want it for a good use.'
(2) This means, to put his wealth down in ac-
count as a donation

And with their faint reply this answer join;
Who bates mine honour, shall not know my coin.
[Exit.

Serv. Excellent! Your lordship's a goodly villain. The devil knew not what he did, when he made man politic; he cross'd himself by't: and I cannot think, but, in the end, the villanies of man will set him clear. How fairly this lord strives to appear foul? takes virtuous copies to be wicked; like those that, under hot ardent zeal, would set whole realms on fire.

Of such a nature is his politic love.

This was my lord's best hope; now all are fled,
Save the gods only: Now his friends are dead,
Doors, that were ne'er acquainted with their wards
Many a bounteous year, must be employ'd
Now to guard sure their master.
And this is all a liberal course allows;
Who cannot keep his wealth, must keep his house.5
[Exit.

SCENE IV-The same. A hall in Timon's
house. Enter two Servants of Varro, and the
Servant of Lucius, meeting Titus, Hortensius,
and other Servants to Timon's creditors, wait-
ing his coming out.

Var. Serv. Well met; good-morrow, Titus and
Hortensius.

Tit. The like to you, kind Varro.
Hor.

What, do we meet together?

Luc. Serv.

Lucius!

Ay, and, I think,
One business does command us all; for mine

(3) Tried. (4) Ardour, eager desire.
(5) i. e. Keep within doors for fear of duns..

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