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One may reach deep enough, and yet find little.
Phi. I am of your fear for that.

Tit. I'll fhew how to observe a strange event.
Your lord fends now for money.

Hor. Moft true, he does.

Tit. And he wears jewels now of Timon's gift, For which I wait for money.

Hor. It is against my heart.

Luc. Mark how strange it shows,

Timon in this should pay more than he owes :
And e'en as if your lord fhould wear rich jewels,
And fend for money for 'em.

Hor. I am weary of this charge, the Gods can witness.

I know, my lord hath spent of Timon's wealth,
And now ingratitude makes it worse than ftealth.
Var. Yes, mine's three thousand crowns: what's
yours?

6

Luc. Five thousand mine.

Var. 'Tis much deep; and it should seem by the fum,

Your mafter's confidence was above mine:

Elfe, furely, his had equall'd.

Enter Flaminius.

Tit. One of Lord Timon's men.

Luc. Flaminius! Sir, a word. Pray, is my lord Ready to come forth?

Flam. No, indeed, he is not.

Tit. We attend his lordship; pray, fignify fo much. Flam. I need not tell him that; he knows, you are too diligent.

51 am weary of this charge,] That is, of this commiflion, of this employment.

JOHNSON.

6

Elfe, furely, bis bad equall'd.] Should it not be, elje, jurely, mine had equall'd.

JOHNSON.

Enter

Enter Flavius in a cloak muffled.

Luc. Ha! is not that his fteward muffled fo? He goes away in a cloud: call him, call him. Tit. Do you hear, fir

Var. By your leave, fir.

Flav. What do you afk of me, my friend?
Tit. We wait for certain money here, fir.

Flav. Ay, if money were as certain as your waiting, 'Twere fure enough.

Why then preferr'd you not your fums and bills,
When your false mafters eat of my lord's meat?
Then they would fmile and fawn upon his debts,
And take down the intereft in their gluttonous maws;
You do yourselves but wrong to ftir me up,
Let me pafs quietly.

Believ't, my lord and I have made an end;
I have no more to reckon, he to spend.
Luc. Ay, but this anfwer will not serve.
Flav. If 'twill not ferve, 'tis not fo bafe as you;
For you ferve knaves.

[Exit. Var. How! what does his cashier'd worship mutter? Tit. No matter what: he's poor,

And that's revenge enough. Who can speak broader Than he that has no houfe to put his head in? Such may rail 'gainft great buildings.

7 Enter Servilius.

Tit. Oh, here's Servilius; now we shall know Some answer.

Serv. If I might befeech you, gentlemen,

To repair fome other hour, I fhould
Derive much from it: for, take it on my foul,
My lord leans wond'roufly to discontent:

7 Enter Servilius.] It may be obferved that Shakespeare has unfkilfully filled his Greek flory with Roman names.

JOHNSON.

His comfortable temper has forfook him;

He is much out of health, and keeps his chamber.
Luc. Many do keep their chambers, are not fick :
And if he be fo far beyond his health,

Methinks he should the fooner pay his debts,
And make a clear way to the Gods.

Ser. Good Gods!

Tit. We cannot take this for an answer.

Flam. [witbin.] Servilius, help !-my lord! my lord!

Enter Timon.

Tim. What, are my doors oppos'd against my pasfage?

Have I been ever free, and muft my house
Be my retentive enemy, my jail?

The place, which I have feafted, does it now,
Like all mankind, fhew me an iron heart?

Luc. Put in now, Titus.

Tit. My lord, here is my bill.

Luc. Here's mine.

Var. And mine, my lord,

Caph. And ours, my

Phi. All our bills.

lord.

Tim. Knock me down with 'em : cleave me to the

girdle.

Luc. Alas! my lord.

Tim. Cut my heart in fums.

Tit. Mine, fifty talents.

Tim.. Tell out my blood.

Luc. Five thoufand crowns, my lord.

Tim. Five thousand drops pay that.

What yours?—and yours?

Var. My lord,

Caph. My lord,——

Tim. Tear me, take me, and the Gods fall on you!

[Exit.

Hor.

Hor. 'Faith, I perceive, our mafters may throw their caps at their money. Thefe debts may be well call'd defperate ones, for a madman owes 'em.

Re-enter Timon and Flavius.

[Exeunt,

Tim. They have e'en put my breath from me, the flaves :

Creditors!-devils.

Flav. My dear lord,

Tim. What if it should be fo?
Flav. My dear lord,--

Tim. I'll have it fo:-my fteward!
Flav. Here, my lord.

Tim. So fitly?-Go, bid all my

friends again,

Lucius, Lucullus, and Sempronius. All:
I'll once more feaft the rafcals.

Flav. O my lord!

You only speak from your distracted foul;
There's not fo much left as to furnifh out
A moderate table.

Tim. Be it not in thy care: go,

I charge thee, invite them all: let in the tide
Of knaves once more; my cook and I'll provide.

SCENE V..

Changes to the Senate-house.

Senators and Alcibiades.

[Exeunt.

1 Sen. My lord, you have my voice to't: the fault's bloody.

'Tis neceffary he should die:

Nothing emboldens fin fo much as mercy.

Lucius, Lucullus, &c.] The old copy reads, Lucius, Lucul

lus, and Sempronius Vllorxa; all.

STEEVENS.

2 Sen. Moft true; the law fhall bruife him. Alc. Honour, health, and compaffion to the fenate! 1 Sen. Now, Captain?

virtues ;

Alc. I am an humble fuitor to your
For pity is the virtue of the law,
And none but tyrants ufe it cruelly.
It pleases time and fortune to lie heavy
Upon a friend of mine, who, in hot blood
Hath stept into the law, which is past depth
To thofe that, without heed, do plunge into it.
'He is a man, fetting his fate afide,
Of comely virtues :

Nor did he foil the fact with cowardise;
(An honour in him which buys out his fault)
But with a noble fury, and fair fpirit,
Seeing his reputation touch'd to death,
He did oppose his foe:

And with fuch fober 2 and unnoted paffion
3 He did behave, his anger ere 'twas spent,
As if he had but prov'd an argument.

I Sen.

9 He is a man, &c.] I have printed thefe lines after the original copy, except that, for an honour, it is there, and honour. All the latter editions deviate unwarrantably from the original, and give the lines thus:

He is a man, fetting his fault afide,

Of virtuous honour, which buys out his fault;
Nor did he foil, &c.

JOHNSON.

[ocr errors]

-fitting HIS fault afide,]

We must read,

THIS fault

WARBURTON..

The reading of the old copy is,-fetting his fate afide, i. e. putting this action of his, which was pre-determined by fate, out of the question.

STEEVENS.

2 -and unnoted passion] Unnoted, for common, bounded. WARBURTON.

3 He did behave bis anger] Behave, for curb, manage. But the Oxford editor equips the old poet with a more modish phrase,

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