Isid. Your steward puts me off, my lord; and I Am sent expressly to your lordship.

Tim. Give me breath :

I do beseech you, good my lords, keep on; [Exeunt Alcibiades, &c. 10I'll wait uponyou instantly.-Come hither,pray you. [To Flavius. How goes the world, that I am thus encounter'd With clamorous demands of broken bonds, And the detention of long-since-due debts, 15 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
20 Wherefore you are not paid.

Enter Caphis, with the servants of Isidore and Varro. 25
Fye, fye, fye, fye!

Caph. Good even*, Varro: What,

You come for money?

Var. Is't not your business too?

Caph. It is;-And yours too, Isidore?
Isid. It is so.

Caph. 'Would we were all discharg'd!
Var. I fear it.

Caph. Here comes the lord.

Enter Timon, Alcibiades, &c.

Tim. Do so, my friends: See them well enter

tain'd.

Flav. Pray draw near.

[Exit Timon.
[Exit Flavius.
Enter Apemantus, and a Fool.
Caph. Stay, stay, here comes the fool with
Apemantus;

Let's have some sport with 'em.
Var. Hang him, he'll abuse us.
Isid. A plague upon him, dog!
Var. How dost, fool?

30

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

35

Apem. No, thou stand'st single, thou art not on him yet.

Apem. No, 'tis to thyself.-Come away.

Isid. [To Var.] There's the fool hangs on your back already.

[To the Fool.

Tim.So soon as dinner's done, we'll forth again, My Alcibiades.-With me? What is your will? [They present their bills.

Caph. My lord, here is a note of certain dues.
Tim. Dues? Whence are you?
Cuph. Of Athens here, my lord.
Tim. Go to my steward.

Caph. Please it your lordship, he hath put me off
To the succession of new days this month:
My master is awak'd by great occasion,

To call upon his own; and humbly prays you,
That with your other noble parts you'll suit,
In giving him his right.

Tim. Mine honest friend,

I pr'ythee, but repair to me next morning.
Caph. Nay, good my lord,-

Tim. Contain thyself, good friend.

Var. One Varro's servant, my good lord,—
Isid. From Isidore;

He humbly prays your speedy payment,—

40

45

Caph. Where's the fool now?

Apem. He last ask'd the question. Poorrogues,

and usurers' men! bawds between gold and want! All. What are we, Apemantus?

Apem. Asses.

All. Why?

Apem. That you ask me, what you are, and do not know yourselves.—Speak to 'em, fool.

Fool. How do you, gentlemen?

All. Gramercies, good fool: How does your mistress?

50 Fool. She's e'en setting on water to scald such chickens as you are. 'Would, we could see you at Corinth.

1 A gull is a bird as remarkable for the poverty of its feathers, as a phoenix is supposed to be for the richness of its plumage. 2 Which is here used for who, and refers to Timon. Warburton sup

plies the sense of this passage thus: Never mind was [made] to be so unwise, [in order] to be so kind : i. e. Nature, in order to make a profuse mind, never before endowed any man with so large a share of folly. Good even, or, as it is sometimes less accurately written, Good den, was the usual salutation from noon, the moment that Good morrow became improper. "The old name for a certain disease was the brenning, and a sense of scalding is one of its first symptoms. A cant name for a bawdy-house, probably from the dissoluteness of that ancient Greek city.

Poge

Page. Thou wast whelp'd a dog; and thou 15 shalt famish, a dog's death. Answer not, I am [Exit.

gone.

Apem. Even so, thou out-runn'st grace. Fool, I will go with you to lord Timon's. Fool. Will you leave me there?

Apem. If Timon stay at home.-You three

serve three usurers?

All. Ay; 'would they serv'd us!

Apem. So would I,-as good a trick as ever hangman serv'd thief.

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

As I had leave of means?

Flar. You would not hear me,
At many leisures I propos'd.
Tin. Go to:

took

Perchance, some single vantages you
When my indisposition put you back;
And that unaptness made your minister,
Thus to excuse yourself.

Flav. 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
20 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,
25 And your great flow of debts. My dear-lov'd lord,
Though you hear now, yet now's too late a time;
The greatest of your having lacks a half
To pay your present debts.

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 30 approach sadly, and go away merry; but they enter my master's house merrily, and go away sadly: The reason of this?

Var. I could render one.

Apem. Do it then, that we may account thee 35 a whore-master, and a knave; which notwithstanding, thou shalt be no less esteemed.

Var. What is a whore-master, fool?

Fool. A fool in good clothes, and something like thee. 'Tis a spirit: sometime, it appears 40 like a lord; sometime, like a lawyer; sometime, like a philosopher, with two stones more than 's 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 spi-45

rit walks in.

Var. Thou art not altogether a fool.

Fool. Nor thou altogether a wise man; as much foolery as I have, so much wit thou lack'st. Apem. That answer might have become Ape-50

mantus.

All. Aside, aside; here comes lord Timon.
Re-enter Timon, and Flavius.

Apem. Come with me, fool, come.

Fool. I do not always follow lover, elder bro-5 ther, and woman; sometime, the philosopher.

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.
Flar. O my good lord, the world is but a word2;
Were it all yours, to give it in a breath,
How quickly were it gone?

Tim. You tell me true.

Flav. If you suspect my husbandry, or falsehood,
Call me before the exactest auditors,
And set me on the proof. So the gods bless me,
When all our offices have been opprest
With riotous feeders'; when our vaults have wept
With drunken spilth of wine; when every room
Hath blaz'd with lights, and bray'dwith minstrelsy;
I have retir'd me to a wasteful cock,
And set mine eyes at flow.

Tim. Pr'ythee, no more.

[lord!

Flac. Heavens, have I said, the bounty of this How many prodigal bits have slaves, and peasants, This night englutted! Who is not Timon's? What heart, head, sword, force, means, but is lord

Timon's?

Great Timon's, noble, worthy, royal Timon's!
Ah! when the means are gone, that buy this praise,

2 The

1 Meaning the celebrated philosopher's stone, which was in those times much talked of. meaning is, As the world itself may be comprised in a word, you might give it away in a breath. 3Feeders are servants, whose low debaucheries are practised in the offices of a house. It appears, that what we now call offices, were anciently called houses of office. A wasteful cock is what we now call a waste pipe; a pipe which is continually running, and thereby prevents the overflow of cisterns and other reservoirs, by carrying off their superfluous water.-This circumstance scrved to. keep the idea of Timon's unceasing prodigality in the mind of the steward, while its remoteness from the scenes of luxury within the house, was favourable to meditation.

The

1 nese nies are coucn a.

Tim. Come, sermon me no further:
No villainous bounty yet hath past my heart;
Unwisely, not ignobly have I given. [lack,
Why dost thou weep? Can'st thou the conscience
To think I shall lack friends? Secure thy heart;
If I would broach the vessels of my love,
And try the argument of hearts by borrowing,
Men, and men's fortunes, could I frankly use,
As I can bid thee speak.

1

Flav. Assurance bless your thoughts!

Tim. And, in some sort, these wants of mine
are crown'd,

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!-Flaminius! Servilius!

5

Lim. Ist true? can ́t be

Flav.They answer, in a joi That now they are at fall, w Do what they would; are nourable,

But yet they could have wis Something hath been amiss 10 May catch a wrench-wo pity

Enter Flaminius, Servilius, and other Servants. [20
Serv. My lord, my lord,—

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

To lord Lucullus you; I hunted with his
Honour to-day,-You, to Sempronius ;-
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 Lucullus? hum!— Tim. Go you, sir, to the senators, [To Flavius.. (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 2 way) To them to use your signet, and your name;

And so, intending 3 other s
After distasteful looks, and
With certain half-caps, an
15 They froze me into silence.
Tim. You gods, reward t
I pr'ythee, man, look cheer
Have their ingratitude in th
Their blood is cak'd, 'tis co
'Tis lack of kindly warmth,
And nature, as it grows aga
Is fashion'd for the journey,
Go to Ventidius,-Pr'ythe
Thou art true, and honest;
25 No blame belongs to thee:-
Bury'd his father; by whos
Into a great estate: when he
Imprison'd, and in scarcity
I clear'd him with five taler
30 Bid him suppose, some goo
Touches his friend, which cra
With those five talents:-T
fellows

To whom 'tis instant due. N 35 That Tinon's fortunes'mon Flav. I would, I could thought is bounty's Being free itself, it thinks a

1 Argument may here be put for contents, as the arguments of a book; or for e i. e. compendious way. 3To intend and to attend had anciently the same mea here mean broken hints, interrupted sentences, abrupt remarks." A halfmoved, not put off. i. e. liberal, i. e. respectfully.

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, it he 5 would not keep so good a house. Many a time and often I ha' din'd 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 10 man has his fault, and honesty is his; I ha' told him on 't, but I could never get him from 't.

Re-enter Servant, with wine.
Serv. Please your lordship, here is the wine.
Lucul. Flaminius, I have noted thee always wise.
Here's to thee.

15

Flam. Your lordship speaks your pleasure. Lucul. I have observ'd thee always for a towardly prompt spirit,-give thee thy due,-and one that knows what belongs to reason; and canst 20 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 know'st well enough, although 25 thou com'st 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.

Fam. Is't possible, the world should so much
differ;

And we alive, that liv'd2? Fly, damned baseness,
To him that worships thee!

30

[Throwing the money away. 35 Lucul. Ha! Now I see, thou art a tool, 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! This slave,
Unto his honour, has my lord's meat in him:
Why should it thrive, and turn to nutriment,
When he is turned to poison?
O, may diseases only work upon't! [nature
And, when he's sick to death, let not that part of
Which my lord paid for, be of any power
To expel sickness, but prolong his hour! [Exit.

SCENE II.

A public Street.

Enter Lucius, with three Strangers, Luc. Who, the lord Timon? he is my very good friend, and an honourable gentleman.

thing, my lord, and which I hear from com rumours, now lord Timon's happy hours are and past, and his estate shrinks from him. Luc. Fye, no, do not believe it; he cannot for money.

40

45

2 Stran. But believe you this, my lord, not long ago, one of his men was with the Lucullus, to borrow so many talents; nay, extremely for 't, and shew'd what necessit long'd to 't, and yet was deny'd.

Luc. How?

2 Stran. I tell you, deny'd, my lord.

Luc. What a strange case was that! Now fore the gods, I am asham'd on 't, Deny'd honourable man? there was very little ho shew'd in't. For my own part, I must needs fess, I have receiv'd some small kindnesses him, as money, plate, jewels, and such like ti nothing comparing to his; yet, had he mi him, and sent to me, I should ne'er have de his occasion so many talents.

Enter Serolius.

Luc. Ha! what hath he sent? I am so endear'd to that lord; he's ever sending; shall i thank him, think'st thou? And wha he sent now?

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

Luc. I know, his lordship is but merry with he cannot want fitty-five hundred talents. Ser. But in the mean time he wants less lord.

If his occasion were not virtuous 4,
I should not urge it half so faithfully".
Luc. Dost thou speak seriously, Serviliu
Ser. Upon my soul, 'tis true, sir.

Luc. What a wicked beast was I, to disfu myself against such a good time, when I have shewn myself honourable? how unluc happen'd,that I should purchase the day befo 50 a little part, and undo a great deal of honou Servilius, now before the gods, I am not a do't; the more beast, I say:-I was sendi use lord Timon myself, these gentlemen ca ness, but I would not, for the wealth of A 55I had done it now. Commend me bountifu his good lordship; and, I hope, his honou conceive the fairest of me, because I have no to be kind:-And tell him this from me, I it one of my greatest afflictions, say, that I pleasure such an honourable Gentleman.

1 Stran. We know him for no less, though we are but strangers to him, But I can tell you one 60

' Mr. Steevens believes this coin to be from the mint of the poet. then, alive now: As much as to sav. in so short a tima

د

All..

2 i. e. and we who wer

Luc. I'll look you out a good turn, Servilius.--
[Exit Servilius. 5
True, as you said, Timon is shrunk, indeed;
And he, that's once deny'd, will hardly speed.

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

[Exit.

1 Stran. Why, this is the world's sport;
And just of the same piece is every flatterer's soul.
Who can call him his friend,

That dips in the same dish? for, in my knowing,
Timon has 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,
And the best half should have return'd to him2,
So much I love his heart: But I perceive,
Men must learn now with pity to dispense;
For policy sits above conscience.

SCENE III.
Sempronius's House.

[Exeunt.

Enter Sempronius, with a Servant of Timon's.
Sem. Must he needs trouble me in't? Hum!

10

Sem. How! have they deny'd him?
Have Ventidius and Lucullus deny'd him ?
And does he send to me? Three? hum!-
It shews but little love or judgement in him.
Must I be his last refuge? His friends, like phy-
sicians,
[me?
Thrive, give him over; Must I take the cure upon
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 received gift from him:
And does he think so backwardly of me now,
15 That I'll requite it last? No:

So it may prove an argument of laughter

To the rest, and I'mongst lords be thought a fool. I had rather than the worth of thrice the sum, He had sent to me first, but for my mind's sake; 201 had such a courage' to do him good. But now return,

25

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 marle man politick; he cross'd himself by't: and I cannot think, but, in the end, the villainies of man will set him clear. How fairly this lord 30 strives to appear foul! take 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, 35 Save only the gods: 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.

40

And this is all a liberal course allows;

Who cannot keep his wealth,must keep his house.

SCENE IV.
Timon's Hall.

[Exit.

45 Enter l'arro, Titus, Hortensius, Lucius, and
other Servants of Timon's Creditors, who wait
for his coming out.

Var. Well met: good morrow, Titus, and
Hortensius.

1i. e. In respect of his fortune, what Lucius denies to Timon is, in proportion to what Lucius possesses, less than the usual alms given by good men to beggars. That is, I would have treated my wealth as a present originally received from him, and on this occasion have return'd him the half of that whole for which I supposed myself to be indebted to his bounty. 3 i. e. tried, alluding to the touchstone. That is, "His friends, like physicians, thrive by his bounty and fees, and either relinquish, and forsake him, or give his case up as desperate." To give over has no reference to the irremediable condition of a patient, but simply means to leave, to forsake, to quit. ' i. e. I had such an ardour, such an eager desire. Set him clear does not mean, acquit him before heaven; but it signifies, puzzle him, outdo him at his own weapons. And the meaning of the passage is, "If the devil made men politic, he has thwarted his own interest, because the superior cunning of man will at last puzzle him, or be above the reach of his temptations." This is a reflection on

the puritans of that time. These people were then set upon a project of new-modelling the ecclesiastical and civil government according to Scripture rules and examples; which makes him say, that under zeal for the word of God, they would set whole realms on fire. So Sempronius pretended to that warm affection and generous jealousy of friendship, that is affronted, if any other be applied to before it. i. e. keep within doors for fear of duns.