What shall defend the interim? and at length
How goes our reckoning?1

Tim. To Lacedæmon did my land extend.

Flav. O my good lord, the world is but a word; 2 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 oppressed

3

With riotous feeders; when our vaults have wept
With drunken spilth of wine; when every room
Hath blazed with lights, and brayed with minstrelsy;
I have retired me to a wasteful cock,1

And set mine eyes at flow.

Tim.

Pr'ythee, no more.

Flav. Heavens, have I said, the bounty of this lord! 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, 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 showers,
These flies are couched.

Tim.

Come, sermon me no further. No villanous bounty yet hath passed my heart; Unwisely, not ignobly, have I given.

Why dost thou weep? Canst thou the conscience lack,

1 "How will you be able to subsist in the time intervening between the payment of the present demands and the claim of future dues; and, finally, on the settlement of all accounts, in what a wretched plight will you be?"

2 i. e. as the world itself may be comprised in a word, you might give it away in a breath.

3 The cellar and the buttery are probably meant.

4 A wasteful cock is possibly what we now call a waste pipe, a pipe which is continually running, and thereby prevents the overflow of cisterns, &c., by carrying off their superfluous water. Hanmer supposed the phrase to mean "an unoccupied cockloft."

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 crowned,2

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,———

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

To lord Lucullus you; I hunted with his
Honor 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 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 instant A thousand talents to me.

3

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.

1 i. e. the contents of them.

Is't true? can it be.

2 i. e. dignified, adorned, made gracious.

3 "The most general way," is the most compendious, to try many at a

time.

Flav. They answer, in a joint and corporate voice, That now they are at fall,' want treasure, cannot Do what they would; are sorry-you are honorable,— But yet they could have wished-they know not-but Something hath been amiss-a noble nature

May catch a wrench-would all were well-'tis pity—
And so, intending 2 other serious matters,

After distasteful looks, and these hard fractions,
With certain half-caps,3 and cold-moving nods,
They froze me into silence.

Tim.
You gods, reward them!—
I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly. These old fellows
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 fashioned 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
Buried his father; by whose death, he's stepped
Into a great estate. When he was poor,

Imprisoned, and in scarcity of friends,

I cleared him with five talents.

Greet him from me;

Bid him suppose, some good necessity

Touches his friend, which craves to be remembered With those five talents; that had, [To FLAV.] give it

these fellows,

To whom 'tis instant due. Ne'er speak, or think,
That Timon's fortunes 'mong his friends can sink.
Flav. I would I could not think it. That thought
is bounty's foe;

Being free itself, it thinks all others so.

1 i. e. at an ebb.

[Exeunt.

2 Johnson, Steevens, and Malone, have explained intending, here, regarding, turning their notice, or attending to, &c.; but it certainly means pretending. Shakspeare uses pretend for intend in several instances.

3 Fractions are broken hints, abrupt remarks. A half-cap is a cap slightly moved, not put off.

4 Liberal, not parsimonious.

ACT III.

SCENE I. Athens. A Room in Lucullus's House. FLAMINIUS waiting.

Enter a Servant to him.

Serv. I have told my lord of you; he is coming down to you.

Flam. I thank you, sir.

Enter LUCULlus.

Serv. Here's my lord.

Lucul. [Aside. One of lord Timon's men? a gift, I warrant. Why, this hits right; I dreamt of a silver basin and ewer to-night. Flaminius, honest Flaminius; you are very respectively1 welcome, sir.-Fill me some wine.-[Exit Servant.]-And how does that honorable, complete, free-hearted gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful good lord and master?

Flam. His health is well, sir.

Lucul. I am right glad that his health is well, sir. And what hast thou there under thy cloak, pretty Flaminius?

Flam. 'Faith, nothing but an empty box, sir; which, in my lord's behalf, I come to entreat your honor to supply; who, having great and instant 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, if he would not keep so good a house. Many a time and often I have dined 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 man has his fault,

and honesty is his; I have told him on't, but I could never get him from it.

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.

Flam. Your lordship speaks your pleasure.

Lucul. I have observed thee always for a towardly prompt spirit,-give thee thy due,—and one that knows what belongs to reason; and canst 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 knowest well enough, although thou comest 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.

2

Flam. Is't possible, the world should so much differ; And we alive that lived?3 Fly, damned baseness, To him that worships thee.

[Throwing the money away. Lucul. Ha! Now I see, thou art a fool, and fit [Exit LUCULLus.

for thy master.

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! 4
Has friendship such a faint and milky heart,
It turns in less than two nights? O you gods,

1 Honesty here means liberality.

2 We are not to look for the name of a Greek coin here; it is, perhaps, formed from solidari, or soldi, a small coin, which Florio makes equal to shillings in value.