Good for their meat, and safer 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 the readiest man to kill him: it has been
If I
[proved.
Were a huge man, I should fear to drink at
meals;
[notes:
Lest they should spy my windpipe's dangerous
Great men should drink with harness on their
throats.
[go round.
Tim. My lord, in heart+; and let the health
2 Lord, Let it flow this way, my good lord.
Арет.
Flow this way!
A brave fellow!-he keeps his tides well.
Timon,
[look ill.
Those healths will make thee and thy state
Here's that which is too weak to be a sinner,
Honest water, which ne'er left man i'the mire:
This, and my food, are equals; there's no odds.
Feasts 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 trust man on his oath or bond;
Or a harlot, for her weeping;
Or a dog, that seems a sleeping;
Or a keeper with my freedom;
Or my friends, if I should need 'em.
Amen. So fall toʻt:

Rich men sin, and I eat root.
[Eats and drinks.
Much good dich thy good heart, Apemantus!
Tim. Captain Alcibiades, your heart's in

the field now.

Alcib. My heart is ever at your service, my

lord.

Tim. You had rather be at a breakfast of enemies, than a dinner of friends.

Alcib. So they were bleeding new, my lord, there's no meat like them; I could wish my best friend at such a feast.

Apem. 'Would all those flatterers were thine enemies then; that then thou might'st kill 'em, and bid me to 'em.

1 Lord, Might we but have that happiness, my lord, that you would once use our hearts, whereby we might express some part of our zeals, we should think ourselves for ever per

fects.

Tim. O, no doubt, my good friends, but the gods themselves have provided that I shall have much help from you: How had you been my friends else? why have you that charitable title from thousands, did you not chiefly belong to my heart? I have told more of you to myself, than you can with modesty spek in your own behalf; and thus far I confirm you. O, you gods, think I, what need we have any friends, if we should never have need of them? they were the most needless creatures living, should we ne'er have use for them: and would most resemble sweet instruments hung up in cases, that keep their sounds to themselves.

• Armour. + With sincerity. I Foolish. Endearing.

Why, I have often wished myself poorer, that 1 might come nearer to you. We are born to do benefits: and what better or properer can we call our own, than the riches of our friends? O, what a precious comfort 'tis, to have so many, like brothers, commanding one another's fortunes! O joy, e'en made away ere it can be born! Mine eyes cannot hold out water, methinks: to forget their faults, I drink to you.

Apem. Thou weepest to make them driuk, Timon. [eyes, 2 Lord. Joy had the like conception in our And, at that instant, like a babe sprung np. Apem. Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a bastard. [me minch. 3 Lord. I promise you, iny lord, you moved Apem. Much ¶! [Tucket sounded. Tim. What means that trump ?-How now? Enter a Servant.

Serv. Please you, my lord, there are certain ladies most desirous of admittance.

Tim. Ladies? what are their wills? Serv. There comes with them a forerunner, my lord, which bears that office, to signify their pleasures.

Tim. I pray, let then be admitted.
Enter CUPID.

Cup. Hail to thee, worthy Timon; and to all That of his bounties taste!-The five best senses Acknowledge thee their patron; and come freely

To gratulate thy plenteous bosom: The ear, Taste, touch, smell, all pleased from thy table rise;

They only now come but to feast thine eyes.
Tim. They are welcome all; let them have
kind admittance:
Music, make their welcome.

[Exit CUPID. 1 Lord. You see, my lord, how ample you are beloved.

Music. Re-enter CUPID, with a masque of Ladies as Amazons, with lutes in their hands, dancing, and playing.

Apem. Hey day, what a sweep of vanity comes this way!

They dance! they are mad women.
Like madness is the glory of this life,
As this pomp shows to a little oil and root.
We make ourselves fools, to disport ourselves;
And spend our flatteries, to drink those men,
Upon whose age we void it up again,
With poisonous spite and envy.

I

that's not

Who lives,

nator's 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,
[motion
Which makes it five and twenty.-Still in
Of raging waste? It cannot hold; it will not.
If I want gold, steal but a beggar's dog,
And give it Timon, why, the dog coins gold:
If I would sell my horse, and buy twenty
[mon,
Better than he, why, give my horse to Ti-
Ask nothing, give it him, it foals me straight
And able horses: No porter at his gate;
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!

more

Enter CAPHIS.

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 h. nour him;
But must not break my back to heal his finger:
Immediate are iny needs; and any 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 aspéct,
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.
[you,
Sen. I go, sir?-take the bonds along with
And have the dates in compt.
I will, sir.

Caph.

Sen.

Go. [Exeunt.

House.

Enter FLAVIUS, with many bills in his hand.

Flav. No care, no stop! so senseless of ex.

pense,

[it, That he will neither know how to maintain 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 Was to be so unwise, to be so kind. [feel: What shall be done? He will not hear, till I must be round with him now he comes from Fie, tie, fie, fie! [hunting. Enter CAPHIS, and the Servants of ISIDORE and VARRO.

Caph.
Good evens, Varro : What,
You come for money?

Var. Serv. Is't not your business too?
Cuph. It is;-And yours too, Isidore?
Isid. Serv.

It is so.

Caph. 'Would we were all discharged! Vur. Serv.

I fear it.

Caph. Here comes the lord. Enter TIMON, ALCIBIADES, and Lords, &c. Tim. So soon as dinner's done, we'll forth

again!!,

[will?

My Alcibiades.-With me? What's your
Caph. My lord, here is a note of certain
Tim. Dues? Whence are you? [dues.
Caph.
Of Athens here, my lord.
Tim. Go to my steward.
[me off
Caph. Please it your lordship, he hath put
To the succession of new days this month:
My master is awaked 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.Serv. OneVarro's servant,my good lord. Isid. Serv. From Isidore; He humbly prays your speedy payment,—— Caph. If you did know, my lord, my mas ter's wants,--- [lord, six weeks, Var. Serv. 'Twas due on forfeiture, my And past,——

+ By his heaven, he means good advice; Good even was the usual

as well after dinner as before.

Isid. Serv. 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 and Lords.
I'll wait upon you instantly.-Come hither,
pray you.
[TO FLAVIUS.
How goes the world, that I am thus encoun-
ter'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.

I

Do so, my friends: [Exit TIMON. pray, draw near. [Exit FLAVIUS. Enter APEMANTUS and a Fool. Caph. Stay, stay, here comes the fool with Apemantus; 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. Apem. No; 'tis to thyself,-Come away. [To the Fool. Isid. Serv. [To VAR. Serv.] There's the fool hangs on your back already.

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

Caph. Where's the fool now?

Apem. He last asked the question.-Poor rognes, and usurers' men! bawds between gold and want!

All Serv. What are we, Apemantus?
Apem. Asses.

All Serv. Why?

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

Fool. How do you, gentlemen?

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

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

Apem. Good! gramercy.
Enter Page.

Fool. Look you, here comes my mistress' page.

Page. [To the Fool.] Why, how now, captain? what do you in this wise company? -How dost thou, Apemantus?

Apem. 'Would I had a rod in my mouth, that I might answer thee profitably.

Page. Pr'ythee, Apemantus, read me the superscription of these letters; I know not which is which.

Apem. Canst not read?
Puge. No.

Apem. There will little learning die then, that day thou art hanged. This is to lord

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

Fool. Are you three usurers' men?

All Serv. Ay, fool.

Fool. I think, no usurer but has a fool to his servant: My inistress 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 whoremaster, and a knave; which notwithstanding, thou shalt be no less esteemed.

a

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; 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.

Var. Serv. Thou art not altogether a fool.

Fool. Nor thou altogether a wise man as much foolery as I have, so much wit thou lackest.

Apem. That answer might have become A pemantus.

All Serv. 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 brother, and woman; sometime, the philosopher. [Exeunt AFEMANTUS and Fool. Flav. 'Pray you, walk near; I'll speak with [Exeunt Serv. Tim. You make me marvel: Wherefore, ere this time,

you anon.

Had you not fully laid my state before me;
That I might so have rated my expense,
As I had leave of means?
Flav.

You would not hear me, At many leisures I proposed.

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

Flav.
O my good lord!
At many times I brought in my accounts, [off,
Laid them before you; you would throw them
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; [you Yea, 'gainst the authority of manners, pray'd To hold your hand more close: I did endure Not seldom, nor no elight checks; when I have Prompted you, in the ebb of your estate, And your great ficw of debts. My dear-loved lord, [time, Though you hear now, (too late!) yet now's a The greatest of your having lacks a half To pay your present debts. Tim. Let all my land be sold. Flav. 'Tis all engaged, 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 Were it all yours to give it in a breath, [wordt; How quickly were it gone? You tell me true.

Tim. Flav. If you suspect my husbandry, or falseCall me before the exactest auditors, [hood, And set me on the proof. So the gods bless me, When all our offices have been oppress'd [wept With riotous feeders; when our vaults have Withdrunken spilth of wine; when every room Hath blazed with lights, and bray'd with minI have retired me to a wasteful cocks. [strelsy; And set mine eyes at flow. Tim. Pr'ythee, no more. Flav. Heavens, have I said, the bounty of this lord! [sants How many prodigal bits have slaves and peaThis night englutted! Who is not Timon's? What heart, head, sword, force, means, but is lord Timon's?

Great Timou, 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 show-
These flies are couch'd.
[ers,
Tim.
Come, sermon me no further:
No villanous bounty yet hath pass'd my heart;
Unwisely, not ignobly, have I given. [lack,
Why dost thou weep? Canst 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.
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, ho!-Flaminius! Servilius! Enter FLAMINIUS, SERVILIUS, and other

Servants.

Serv. My lord, my lord,- [lord Lucias;Tim. I will despatch you severally.-You, to To lord Lucullus you; I hunted with his Honour to day;-You, to Sempronius; [say, Commend me to their loves; and, I am proud, 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

senators,

(Of whom, even to the state's best health, I have Deserved this hearing,) bid 'em send o'the inA thousand talents to me. [stant

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,

[not That now they are at fall**, want treasure, canDo what they would; are sorry-you are honourable,-[not-but

But yet they could have wish'd-they know Something hath been amiss-a noble nature May catch a wrench-would all were well'tis pity-

And so, intendingtt other serious matters, After distasteful looks, and these hard frac tions,

With certain half-caps, and cold-moving nods,
They froze me into silence.
Tim.

You gods, reward them!I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly; These old fel lows

Have their ingratitude in them hereditary: Their blood is caked, 'tis cold, it seldom flows; 'Tis lack of kindly warmth they are not kind; And nature, as it grows again toward earth, Is fashiou'd for the journey, dull and heavy. Go to Ventidius,To a Serv.] 'Pr'ythee, [To FLAVIUS,] be not sad,

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

[me;

Buried his father; by whose death he 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
Bid him suppose, some good necessity [ber'd
Touches his friend, which craves to be remem.

Dignified, made respectable.

same meaning as attending. cap slightly moved, not put off.