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, (oh, 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.

i Stran. For mine own part,
I never tasted Timon in my life,
Nor any of his bounties came o'er 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,
3 I would have put my wealth into donation, *
And the best half should have return'd to him,

-(in respect of his) ] i.e. considering Timon's claim for what he aks.

WARBURTON. -in respect of his,] That is, 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. Johnson.

3 I would have put my wealth into donation,

And the boji halj jould have return'd to him,]
Hanmer reads,

I would have put my wealth inta partition,

And the best half jould have attorn'd to him. Dr Warburton receives attorn'd. The only difficulty is in the word return'd, which, since he had received nothing from him, cannot be used but in a very low and licentious meaning.

JOHNSON. * Had his necesity made use of me, I would have put my fortune into a condition so be alienated, and i be best half of whai l bad gained my Self, or received from others, fould bave found its way to him. Either such licentious exposition must be allowed, or the passage remain in obscurity, as few readers will chuse to receive Hanmer's emendation.

STEEVENS.

So

So much I love his heart: but, I perceive,
Men must learn now with pity to dispense:
For policy sits above conscience.

[Exeunt.

SCE N E III.
Enter a third servant with Sempronius.
Sem. Must he needs trouble me in't? Hum! 'Bove

all others ?
He might have tried lord Lucius, or Lucullus;
And now Ventidius is wealthy too,
Whom he redeemed from prison : all these
Owe their estates unto him.

Serv. My lord, * They have all been touch'd, and all are found base

metal, For they have all deny'd him ?

Sem. How? have they deny'd him? Has Ventidius and Lucullus deny'd him? And does he send to me? Three! hum!It shews but little love or judgment in him. Must I be his last refuge ? s His friends, like physi

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

me ?

He

4 They have all been toucb'd,] That is, tried, alluding to the toucbione.

JOHNSON. -his friends like phyficians Thriv'd, give bim over ?] I have restored this old reading, only amending the pointing, which was faulty. Mr. Pope, suspecting the phrase, has substituted tbree in the room of ibriv'd, and so disarmed the poet's satire. Physicians ebrivid is no more than Physicians grown rich: Only the adjective passive of this verb, indeed, is not so common in use; and yet it is a familiar expreflion, to this day, to fay, Such a one is well thriven on his trade. THEOBALD,

The original reading is,

He has much disgrac'd me in't ; I'm angry at him,
That might have known my place. I see no sense for's,
But his occasions might have wooed me first;
For, in my conscience, I was the first man
That e'er receiv'd gift from him :
And does he think fo backwardly of me now,
That I'll require 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 fake;
• I had such a courage to do him good.
But now return :
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 men politick; he cross’d himself by't: and I cannot think, but in the end the villainies of mano

will his friends, (like physicians) Thrive, give bim over? which Theobald has misrepresented. Hanmer reads, try'd, plau. fibly enough. Instead of three proposed by Mr. Pope, I should read thrice. But perhaps the old reading is the true. JOHNSON.

Perhaps we fould read shriv'n. They give him over skrivid; that is, prepared for immediate death by fhrift.

Observations and Conjectures, &c. printed at Oxford, 1766, 6 I had such a courage] Such an ardour, such an eager desire.

Johnson. * Excellent, &c.] I suppose the former part of this speech ta þave been originally written in verse, as well as the latter; though the players having printed it as profe (omitting several syllables necessary to the metre) it cannot now be restored to metre without

, such additions as no editor is at liberty to insert in the text.

STEEvens. 8 The devil knew n't what he did,) I cannot but think that the pegative nor has intruded into this passage, and the reader will think so too, when he reads Dr. Warburton's explanation of the pext words,

Johnson. I will fet bim clear.] Set him clear does not mean acquit him

before

will set him clear. How fairly this lord strives to appear foul ? ' takes virtuous copies to be wicked : like those that under hot, ardent żeal, would fet whole realms on fire. Of such a nature is his politick love. This was my lord's best hope ; now all are fied, Save only the Gods. Now his friends are dead ; Doors, that were ne'er acquainted with their wards Many a bounteous year, must be employed Now to guard sure their master. And this is all a liberal course allows; Who cannot keep his wealth, mufl’ keep his house.

[Exit. before heaven ; for then the devil must be supposed to know what he did: but it signifies. puzzle him, outdo him at his own weapons.

WARBURTON. How the devil, or any other being, hould be set clear by being puzzled and outdone, the commentator has not explained. When in a crowd we would have an opening made, we say, Stand clear, that is, out of the way of danger. With some affinity to this use, though not without great harthness, to ft diar, may be to set aside. But I believe the original corruption is the infertion of the negative, which was obtruded by some transcriber, who supposed crosed to mean thwaried, when it meant, exempted from evil. The use of crolling, by way of protection or purification, was probably not worn out in Shakeipeare's time. "The sense of fet clear is now easy; he has no longer the guilt of tempting man. To crofs himself may mean, in a very familiar sense, to clear his jeore, to get out of debt, to quit his reckoning. He knew not what be did, may mean, he knew not how much good he was doing him. felf. There is then no need of emendation. JOHNSON.

takes virtuous copies to be wicked; like those, &c ] This is a reflection on the puritans of that time. These people were then fet upon a project of new-modelling the ecclesiastical and civil government according to scripture rules and examples; which makes him say, chat undir zeal for the word of God, they would set whole realms on fire. So Sempronius pretended to that warm affection and generous jealousy of friend!hip, that is affronted, if any other be applied to before it. At beit the fimilitude is an aukward one : but it ficted the audience, though not the speaker.

WARBURTON. 3-keep his house.] i. e. keep within doors for fear of duns.

JOHNSON. SCENE

YA

SCENE IV.

Changes to Timon's ball.
Enter Varro, Titus, Hortensius, ' Lucius, and other ser-

vants of Timon's creditors, who wait for his coming out.
Var. Well met; good morrow, Titus and Horten-

fius.
Tit. The like to you, kind Varró.
Hor. Lucius ? What do we meet together?

Luc. And, I think,
One business does command us all, for mine
Is money
Tit. So is theirs, and ours.

Enter Philotus.
Luc. And fir Philotus too.
Pbi. Good day, at once.

Luc. Welcome, good brother. What do you think the hour?

Phi. Labouring for nine.
Luc. So much?
Pbi. Is not my lord seen yet?
Luc. Not yet.
Phi, I wonder on't; he was wont to shine at seven.
Luc, Ay, but the days are waxed shorter with him:
You must consider that + a prodigal's course
Is like the sun's; but not like his recoverable.
I fear
'Tis deepest winter in lord Timon's purse ;
That is,
* Lucius is here again for the servant of Lucius. JOHNSON

-a prodigal's course
I like the sun's.]
Thatis, like him in blaze and fplendour.
Soles occidere et redire poffunt. Çatul. JOHNSON.

Onc

4