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 Ape mantus. 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 APEMANTUS and Fool. Flav. 'Pray you, walk near; I'll speak with you [Exeunt Serv. Tim. You make me marvel: Wherefore, ere this anon. time, Had you not fully laid my state before me; Flav. You would not hear me, Go to: At many leisures I propos'd. Tim. Perchance, some single vantages you took, And that unaptness made your minister 9, Thus to excuse yourself. Flav. O my good lord! many times I brought in my accounts, Laid them before you; you would throw them off, At seeking of it. Sir Richard Steele was one of the last eminent men who entertained hopes of being successful in this pursuit. His laboratory was at Poplar. 9 The construction is,And made that unapness your mi nister.' And say, you found them in mine honesty. To pay your present debts. Tim. Tim. To Lacedæmon did my land extend. 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, 10 He does not mean so great a sum, but a certain sum. 11 "Though you now at last listen to my remonstrances, yet now your affairs are in such a state, that the whole of your remaining fortune will scarce pay half your debts: you are therefore wise too late.' 12 How will you be able to subsist in the time intervening between the payment of the present demands (which your whole substance will hardly satisfy) and the claim of future dues, for which you have no fund whatsoever; and, finally, on the settlement of all accounts, in what a wretched plight will you be.' 13 i, e. as the world itself may be comprised in a word, you might give it away în a breath. When all our offices 14 have been oppress'd 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 couch'd. Tim. Come, sermon me no further: No villanous bounty yet hath pass'd my heart; 14 Steevens asserted that offices here meant apartments allotted to culinary purposes, the reception of domestics, &c.; and that feeders meant servants. Malone contended that by offices was intended all rooms or places at which refreshments were prepared or served out;' as Steevens had explained it in Othello; and that feeders did not here mean servants. It must be confessed that the passage in Othello, All offices are open, and there is full liberty of feasting from this present hour of five until the bell has told eleven,' countenances Steevens's explanation; as does another passage, from Shirley's Opportunitie, cited by Mr. Boswell:: Let all the offices of entertaiment The cellar and the buttery are probably meant. 15 A wasteful cock is possibly what we now call a waste pipe, a pipe which continually running, and thereby prevents the overflow of cisterns, &c. by carrying off their superfluous water. This circumstance served to keep the idea of Timon's unceasing prodigality in the mind of the steward, while its remoteness was favourable to meditation. Unwisely, not ignobly, have I given 16. Why dost thou weep? Canst thou the conscience lack, To think I shall lack friends? Secure thy heart; Flav Assurance bless your thoughts! Tim. And, in some sort, these wants of mine are crown'd 18, That I account them blessings; for by these Enter FLAMINIUS, SERVILIUS, and other Servants. Serv. My lord, my lord, Tim. I will despatch you severally.-You, to To Lord Lucullus you; I hunted with his Commend me to their loves; and, I am proud, say, 16 Every reader must rejoice in this circumstance of comfort which presents itself to Timon, who, although beggared through want of prudence, consoles himself with reflection that his ruin was not brought on by the pursuit of guilty pleasures. Steevens. 17 i.e. the contents of them. The argument of a book was ' a brief sum of the whole matter contained in it.' So in Hamlet the king asks concerning the play: ment? is there no offence in it?' Have you heard the argu Toward a supply of money: let the request 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 (Deserv'd this hearing), bid 'em send o' the instant A thousand talents to me. Flav. I have been bold (For that I knew it the most general way 19), 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, That now they are at fall 20, want treasure, cannot Do what they would; are sorry-you are honour But yet they could have wish'd--they know not but Something hath been amiss -a noble nature May catch a wrench-would all were well-'tis pity And so, intending 21 other serious matters, 19The most general way,' is the most compendious, to try many at a time. 20 i. e. at an ebb. 21 Johnson, Steevens, and Malone have explained intending here regarding, turning their notice, or attending to, &c.; but it certainly means pretending. See King Richard III. Sc. 5, note 9. Shakspeare uses pretend in many places for intend; and I have shown that he also uses pretend for intend in several instances. |