Not one spurn to their graves of their friends' gift? Set a fair fashion on our entertainment, 1 Lady. My lord, you take us even at the best. Tim. Ladies, there is an idle banquet Tim. Flavius, Flav. My lord. [Exeunt Cupid and Ladies. Tim. The little casket bring me hither. 1 Lord. Where be our men? Tim. O my friends, I have one word look you, my good lord, I must Entreat you, honour me so much, as to Advance this jewel; Accept, and wear it, king my lord! 1 Lord. I am so far already in your gifts, All. So are we all. Enter a Servant. For every word; he is so kind, that he now [Exit. Much wrong, you bate too much of your own merits: Here, my lord, a trifle of our love. 2 Lord. With more than common thanks I will receive it, 3 Lord. O, he is the very soul of bounty! Tim. And now I remember me, my lord, you gave Good words the other day of a bay courser I rode on: it is yours, because you lik'd it. 2 Lord. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, in that. Tim. You may take my word, my lord; I know, no man Can justly praise, but what he does affect: All Lords. None so welcome. Tim. I take all and your several visitations Thou art a soldier, therefore seldom rich, Alcib. Ay, defiled land, my lord! 1 Lord. We are so virtuously bound,· Am I to you. -. 2 Lord. So infinitely endear'd, - Honour, and fortunes, keep with you, lord Timon! [Exeunt Alcibiades, Lords, etc. Apem. What a coil's here! Serv. My lord, there are certain nobles of the senate Serving of becks, and jutting out of bums! 2 Serv. May it please your honour, the lord Lucius, Be worthily entertain'd.-How now, what news? Tim. I'll hunt with him; and let them be receiv'd, Flav. [Aside.] What will this come to? He commands us to provide, and give great gifts, Nor will he know his parse; or yield me this, I doubt whether their legs be worth the sums, Apem. No, I'll nothing: for, If I should be brib'd too, there would be none left Thou giv'st so long, Timon, I fear me, thou An you begin to rail on society once, - He owes nine thousand; besides my former sum, Caphis, ho! Enter CAPHIS. That with your other noble parts you'll suit, Importune him for my monies; be not ceas'd A visage of demand; for, I do fear, Which flashes now a phoenix. Get you gone! Tim. Mine honest friend, I pr'ythee, but repair to me next morning. Tim. Contain thyself, good friend! He humbly prays your speedy payment, Var. Serv. 'Twas due on forfeiture, my lord, six And past, - Isid. Serv. Your steward puts me off, my lord; Sen. I go, sir?-take the bonds along with you, 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 encounter'd With clamorous demands of date-broke bonds, And the detention of long-since-due debts, Against my honour? [Exeunt. Flav. Please you, gentlemen, The time is unagreeable to this business: SCENE II. The same. A hall in TIMON's house. Fye, fye, fye, fye! Tim. Do so, my friends: [Exit Timon. [Exit Flavius. Enter APEMANTUS and a Fool. -- [To the Fool. Isid. Serv. [To Var. Serv.] There's the fool hangs on your back already. Apem. No, thoa stand'st single, thou art not on him yet. Caph. Where's the fool now? Apem. He last asked the question. - Poor rogues, Enter CAPHIS, and the Servants of ISIDORE and All Serv. Why? Enter TIMON, ALCIBIADES, and Lords, etc. Caph. Of Athens here, my lord. Tim. Go to my steward. A the cib die P fan Apem. "Would I had a rod in my mouth, that I might answer thee profitably. Caph. Please it your lordship, he hath put me off Page. Pr'ythee, Apemantus, read me the superscrip To the succession of new days this month: My master is awak'd by great occasion, To call upon his own; and humbly prays you, tion of these letters; I know not which is which. Apem. Can'st not read? Page. No. Apem. There will little learning die then, that day And what remains will hardly stop the mouth thon art hanged. This is to lord Timon; this to Al-Of present dues: the future comes apace: cibiades. Go; thou wast born a bastard, and thou'lt die a bawd. Page. Thon wast whelp'd a dog; and thou shalt famish, a dog's death. Answer not, I am gone. [Exit Page. Apem. Even so thou out-run'st grace. Fool, I will go with you to lord Timon's. Fool. Will you leave me there? What shall defend the interim? and at length Tim. To Lacedaemon did my land extend. Tim. You tell me true. Flav. If you suspect my husbandry, or falsehood, Apem. If Timon stay at home. You three serve Call me before the exactest auditors, three usurers? All Serv. Ay; 'would they serv'd us! Fool. Are you three usurers' men? And set me on the proof. So the gods bless me, as good a trick, as ever hang- With riotous feeders; when our vaults have wept Fool. I think, no usurer but has a fool to his servant: My mistress 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 merrrily, and go away sadly: the reason of this? J'ar. Serv. I could render one. Apem. Do it then, that we may account thee a whoremaster, and a knave; which, notwithstanding, thou shalt be no less esteemed. Far. Serv. What is a whoremaster, fool? Var. Serv. Thou art not altogether a fool. Apem. Come with me, fool, come! anon. Perchance, some single vantages you took, Flav. O my good lord! At many times I brought in my accounts, Tim. Let all my land be sold. Flav. 'Tis all engag'd, some forfeited and gone; Great Timon, noble, worthy, royal Timon? Tim. Come, sermon me no further: Flav. Assurance bless your thoughts! Tim. And, in some sort, these wants of mine are That I account them blessings; for by these Enter FLAMINIUS, SERVILIUS, and other Servants. Tim. I will dispatch you severally. You, to lord To lord Lucullus you; I hunted with his Commend me to their loves; and, I am proud, say, 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, Flav. I have been bold, (For that I knew it the most general way,) Tim. Is't true? can it be? Flav. They answer, in a joint and corporate voice, -- May catch a wrench-would all were well-'tis pity-prompt spirit, give thee thy due, — and one that Tim. You gods, reward them! I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly. These old fellows Thou art true, and honest; ingeniously I speak, Buried his father; by whose death, he's stepp'd I clear'd him with five talents: greet him for me; give it these fellows To whom 'tis instant due. Ne'er speak, or think, Being free itself, it thinks all others so. [Exeunt. The same. A room in LUCULLUS'S Flam. Is't possible, the world should so much differ; - [Throwing the money away. Flam. May these add to the number that may scald Let molten coin be thy damnation, O, may diseases only work upon't! SCENE II. - Which my lord paid for, be of any power 1 Stran. We know him for no less, though we are but strangers to him. But I can tell you one thing, my lord, and which I hear from common rumours; now lord Timon's happy hours are done and past, and his estate shrinks from him. Luc. Fye no, do not believe it; he cannot want for money. 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 bason and ewer to-night, Flaminius, houest Fla- 2 Stran. But believe you this, my lord, that, not minius; you are very respectively welcome, sir!-long ago, one of his men was with the lord LucnlFill me some wine!-[Exit Serv.] And how does that lus, to borrow so many talents; nay, urged extrehonourable, complete, free-hearted gentleman of mely for't, and showed what necessity belonged Athens, thy very bountiful good lord and master? to't, and yet was denied. 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? Luc. How? 2 Stran. I tell you, denied, my lord! Luc. What a strange case was that? now, before the gods, I am ashamed on't. Denied that honoar Flam. 'Fath, nothing but an empty box, sir; which, able man? there was very little honour showed in my lord's behalf, I come to entreat your honour in't. For my own part, I must needs confess, I have to supply; who, having great and instant occasion received some small kinduesses from him, as money, to use fifty talents, hath sent to your lordship to plate, jewels, and such like trifles, nothing compar furnish him; nothing doubting your present assistance ing to his; yet, had he mistook him, and sent to me, I should ne'er have denied his occasion so many talents. -- therein. Re-enter Servant, with wine. Here's to thee. Flam. Your lordship speaks your pleasure. Luc. I know, his lordship is but merry with me; It shows but little love or judgment in him. Must I be his last refuge? His friends, like physicians, Thrive, give him over; must I take the cure upon me? He has much disgrac'd me in't; I am angry at him, That might have known my place: I see no sense for't, But his occasions might have woo'd me first; For, in my conscience, I was the first man Luc. What a wicked beast was I, to disfurnish That e'er received gift from him: myself against such a good time, when I might have And does he think so backwardly of me now, shown myself honourable! how unluckily it hap-That I'll requite it last? No: so it may prove pened,that I should purchase the day before for a little An argument of laughter to the rest, part, and undo a great deal of honour!-Servilius, And I amongst the lords be thought a fool. now before the gods, I am not able to do't; the I had rather than the worth of thrice the sum, more beast, I say: I was sending to use lord Ti-He had sent to me first, but for my mind's sake;. mon myself, these gentlemen can witness; but I had such a courage to do him good. But now return, would not, for the wealth of Athens, I had done And with their faint reply this answer join; it now. Commend me bountifully to his good lord-Who bates mine honour, shall not know my coin. ship; and I hope, his honour will conceive the fairest of me, because I have no power to be kind: - - and tell him this from me, I count it one of my greatest afflictions, say, that I cannot pleasure such an honourable gentleman. Good Servilius, will you befriend me so far, as to use mine own words to him? Ser. Yes, sir, I shall. - [Exit. Serv. Excellent! Your lordship's a goodly villain. The devil knew not what he did, when he made man politic; he crossed himself by't: and I cannot think, but, in the end, the villainies of man will set him clear. How fairly this lord strives to appear foul! takes virtuons copies to be wicked; like those, that, under hot ardent zeal, would set whole realms on [Exit Servilius.fire. Of such a nature is his politic love. This was my lord's best hope; now all are fled, Save the gods only. Now his friends are dead, Doors, that were ne'er acquainted with their wards Many a bounteous year, must be employ'd Now to guard sure their master. Luc. I will look you out a good turn, Servilius. True, as you said, Timon is shrunk, indeed; [Exit Lucius. 1 Stran. Do you observe this, Hostilius? 2 Stran. Ay, too well. 1 Stran. Why this Is the world's soul; and just of the same piece every flatterer's spirit. Who can call him Is His friend, that dips in the same dish? for, in I never tasted Timon in my life, Had his necessity made use of me, I would have put my wealth into donation, [Exeunt. The same. A room in SEMPRONIUS'S Enter SEMPRONICS, and a Servant of Timox's. Sem. Must he needs trouble me in't? Humph! 'Bove all others? He might have tried lord Lucius, or Lucullus; Whom he redeem'd from prison. All these three Serv. O my lord, And this is all a liberal course allows; [Exit. SCENE IV. The same. A hall in TIMON's house. Var. Serv. Well met; good-morrow, Titus and Tit. The like to you, kind Varro! Hor. Lucius? What, do we meet together? Luc. Serv. Ay, and, I think, One business does command us all; for mine Tit. So is theirs and ours. Enter PILOTUS. Luc. Serv. And sir Philotus too! Phi. Good-day at once! Luc. Serv. Welcome, good brother! Luc. Serv. So much? Phi. Is not my lord seen yet? Phi. I wonder on't; he was wont to shine at seven. You must consider, that a prodigal course Is like the sun's; but not, like his, recoverable. 'Tis deepest winter in lord Timon's purse: Phi. I am of your fear for that. They have all been touch'd, and found base metal; for Tit. I'll show you how to observe a strange event: They have all denied him. Sem. How! they have denied him? Has Ventidius and Lucullus denied him? And does he send to me? Three? humph! Your lord sends now for money. Hor. Most true, he does. Tit. And he wears jewels now of Timon's gift, For which I wait for money. |