It would unclew me quite.'

Jew. My lord, 'tis rated

As those, which sell, would give: But you well know,
Things of like value, differing in the owners,

Are prized by their masters 2 believe't, dear lord,
You mend the jewel by wearing it.

Tim. Well mock'd.

Mer. No, my good lord; he speaks the common tongue, Which all men speak with him.

Tim. Look, who comes here.

Will you be chid ?

Enter APEMANTUS. 3

Jew. We will bear, with your lordship.

Mer. He'll spare none.

Tim. Good morrow to thee, gentle Apemantus! Apem. Till I be gentle, stay for thy good morrow; When thou art Timon's dog, and these knaves honest.4 Tim. Why dost thou call them knaves? thou know'st them not.

Apem. Are they not Athenians?
Tim. Yes.

Apem. Then I repent not.

Jew. You know me, Apemantus.

Apem. Thou knowest, I do : I call'd thee by thy name. Tim. Thou art proud, Apemantus.

Apem. Of nothing so much, as that I am not like Timon.
Tim. Whither art going?

Apem. To knock out an honest Athenian's brains.
Tim. That's a deed thou'lt die for.

Apem. Right, if doing nothing be death by the law.
Tim. How likest thou this picture, Apemantus

Apem. The best, for the innocence.

Tim. Wrought he not well, that painted it?

Apem. He wrought better, that made the painter; and yet he's but a filthy piece of work.

Pain. You are a dog.

Apem. Thy mother's of my generation: What's she, if I be a dog?

Tim. Wilt dine with me, Apemantus ?

[1] To unclew is to unwind a ball of thread. To unclew a man is to draw out the whole mass of his fortunes. JOHNS.

[2] Are rated according to the esteem in which their possessor is held. JOH. [3] See this character of a cynic finely drawn by Lucian, in his Auction of the Philosophers; and how well Shakspeare has copied it. WARB. [4] Apemantus means to say, that Timon is not to receive a gentle goodmorrow from him till that shall happen which never will happen; till Timon is transformed to the shape of his dog, and his knavish followers become honest men. MAL.

Apem. No; I eat not lords.

Tim. An thou shouldst, thou'dst anger ladies.

Apem. O, they eat lords; so they come by great bellies. Tim. That's a lascivious apprehension.

Apem. So thou apprehend'st it. Take it for thy labour. Tim. How dost thou like this jewel, Apemantus ? Apem. Not so well as plain-dealing, which will not cost a man a doit.

Tim. What dost thou think 'tis worth?

Apem. Not worth my thinking.-How now, poet? Poet. How now, philosopher?

Apem. Thou liest.

Poet. Art not one?

Apem, Yes.

Poet. Then I lie not.

Apem. Art not a poet?

Poet. Yes.

Apem. Then thou liest: look in thy last work, where thou hast feign'd him a worthy fellow.

Poet. That's not feign'd, he is so.

Apem. Yes, he's worthy of thee, and to pay thee for thy labour: He, that loves to be flattered, is worthy o' the flatterer. Heavens, that I were a lord!

Tim. What wouldst do then, Apemantus?

Apem. Even as Apemantus does now, hate a lord with my heart.

Tim. What, thyself?

Apem. Ay.

Tim. Wherefore?

Apem. That I had no angry wit to be a lord.6-Art thou not a merchant?

Mer. Ay, Apemantus.

Apem. Traffic confound thee, if the gods will not!
Mer. If traffic do it, the gods do it.

Apem. Traffic's thy god, and thy god confound thee !
Trumpets sound. Enter a Servant.

Tim. What trumpet's that?

Serv. 'Tis Alcibiades, and

Some twenty horse, all of companionship.7

[5] Alluding to the proverb: " Plain-dealing is a jewel, but they that use it die beggars." STEEV.

[6] The meaning may be, I should hate myself for patiently enduring to be a lord. JOHNS

[7] This expression does not mean barely that they all belong to one company, but that they are all such as Alcibiades honours with his acquaintance, and sets on a level with himself. STEEV.

Tim. Pray, entertain them; give them guide to us. [Exeunt some Attendants. -You must needs dine with me :-Go not you hence, Till I have thank'd you; and, when dinner's done, Show me this piece.—I am joyful of your sights.— Enter ALCIBIADES, with his Company.

Most welcome, sir!

Apem. So, so; there !

[They salute.

Aches contract and starve your supple joints!-
That there should be small love 'mongst these sweet

knaves,

And all this court'sy!

The strain of man's bred out

Into baboon and monkey. 8

Alcib. Sir, you have sav'd my longing, and I feed Most hungrily on your sight.

Tim. Right welcome, sir:

Ere we depart, 9 we'll share a bounteous time
In different pleasures. Pray you, let us in.

[Exe. all but APEM.

Enter two Lords.

1 Lord. What time a day is't, Apemaatus? Apem. Time to be honest.

1 Lord. That time serves still.

I

Apem. The most accursed thou, that still omit'st it. 2 Lord. Thou art going to lord Timon's feast ?

Apem. Ay; to see meat fill knaves, and wine heat fools. 2 Lord. Fare thee well, fare thee well.

Apem. Thou art a fool, to bid me farewell twice. 2 Lord. Why, Apemantus?

Apem. Shouldst have kept one to thyself, for I mean to give thee none.

1 Lord. Hang thyself.

Apem. No, I will do nothing at thy bidding; make thy requests to thy friend.

2Lord. Away,unpeaceable dog, or I'll spurn thee hence. Apem. I will fly, like a dog, the heels of the ass. [Exit. 1 Lord. He's opposite to humanity. Come, shall we in, And taste lord Timon's bounty? he outgoes

The very heart of kindness.

2 Lord. He pours it out; Plutus, the god of gold,

[8] Man is exhausted and degenerated; his strain of lineage is worn down into a monkey.

[9] Depart, and part, mean the same thing. So in King John: "Hath willingly departed with a part."

i.e. hath willingly parted with a part of the thing in question. [1] Read: The more accursed thou, &c. RITSON.

STEEV.

Is but his steward: no meed, 2 but he repays
Seven fold above itself; no gift to him,
But breeds the giver a return exceeding
All use of quittance.3

1 Lord. The noblest mind he carries, That ever govern'd man.

2 Lord. Long may he live in fortunes! Shall we in? 1 Lord. I'll keep you company.

The same.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

A Room of State in TIMON's House. Hautboys playing loud music. A great Banquet served in; FLAVIUS and others attending; then enter TIMON, ALCIBIADES, LUCIUS, LUCULLUS, SEMPRONIUS, and other Athenian Senators, with VENTIDIUS, and Attendants. Then comes, dropping after all, APEMANTUS, discontentedly.

Ven. Most honour'd Timon, 't hath pleas'd the gods remember

My father's age, and call him to long peace.
He is gone happy, and has left me rich:
Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound
To your free heart, I do return those talents,
Doubled, with thanks, and service, from whose help
I deriv'd liberty.

Tim. O, by no means,

Honest Ventidius: You mistake my love;

I gave it freely ever; and there's none

Can truly say, he gives, if he receives :

If our betters play at that game, we must not dare
To imitate them; Faults that are rich, are fair.
Ven. A noble spirit.

[They all stand ceremoniously looking on TIMON. Tim. Nay, my lords, ceremony

Was but devis'd at first, to set a gloss

On faint deeds, hollow welcomes,

Recanting goodness, sorry ere 'tis shown;

But where there is true friendship, there needs none. Pray, sit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes,

Than my fortunes to me.

[They sit.

1 Lord. My lord, we always have confess'd it. Apem. Ho, ho, confess'd it? hang'd it, have you not? Tim. O, Apemantus !-you are welcome.

[2] Meed in this place means desert.

STEEV.

[3] All the customary returns made in discharge of obligations. WARB.

Apem. No,

You shall not make me welcome :

I come to have thee thrust me out of doors.

Tim. Fye,thou art a churl; you have got a humour there Does not become a man, 'tis much to blame :~

They say, my lords, that ira furor brevis est,

But yond' man's ever angry.

Go, let him have a table by himself;
For he does neither affect company,

Nor is he fit for it, indeed.

Apem. Let me stay at thine own peril, Timon; I come to observe; I give thee warning on't.

Tim. I take no heed of thee: thou art an Athenian ; therefore welcome: I myself would have no power: pr'ythee, let my meat make thee silent.4

Apem. I scorn thy meat; 'twould choke me, for I should
Ne'er flatter thee.-O you gods! what a number
Of men eat Timon, and he sees them not!

It grieves me, to see so many dip their meat
In one man's blood ; and all the madness is,

He cheers them up too.

I wonder, men dare trust themselves with men :
Methinks, they should invite them without knives ;6
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 prov❜d.
If I

Were a huge man, I should fear to drink at meals;
Lest they should spy my windpipe's dangerous notes:
Great men should drink with harness on their throats. 7
Tim. My lord, in heart; and let the health go round.
1 Lord. Let it flow this way, my good lord.
Apem. Flow this way!

A brave fellow !-he keeps his tides well. Timon,
Those healths will make thee, and thy state, look ill.

[4] I claim no extraordinary power in right of my being master of the house: I wish not by my commands to impose silence on any one: but tho' I myself do not enjoin you to silence, let my neat stop your mouth. MAL. [5] The allusion is to a pack of hounds trained to the pursuit by being grat ified with the blood of the aim which they kill, and the wonder is. that the animal on which they are feeding cheers them to the chase. JOHNS.

[6] It was the custom in our author's time for every guest to bring his own knife, which he occasionally whetted on a stone that hung behind the dcor. One of these whetstones may be seen in Parkinson's museum.. They were strangers at that period to the use of forks. RITSON.

[7] That is, armour. STE. [8] My lord's health with sincerity. JOH