ACT II SCENE I

THE SAME. A ROOM IN A SENATOR'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, Which makes it five and twenty. Still in motion 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 more Better than he, why, give my horse to Timon, 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 pafs by. It cannot hold; no reason Can found his state in safety. Caphis, ho! Caphis, I say!

Enter Caphis.

Caph. Here, sir; What is your pleasure?

Sen. Get on your cloak, and haste you to lord Timon;

Impórtune him for my monies; be not ceas'd

With slight denial; nor then silenc'd, when-
Commend me to your master—and the cap

Plays in the right hand, thus:—but tell him, sirrah,
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 honour him;
But must not break my back, to heal his finger:
Immediate are my needs; and my relief
Must not be tofs'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.

Sen. I go, sir?-take the bonds along with you,
And have the dates in compt.

Caph. I will, sir.

Sen. Go.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II

THE SAME. A HALL IN TIMON'S HOUSE.

Enter Flavius, with many bills in his hand.

Flav. No care, no stop! so senseless of expence, That he will neither know how to maintain it,

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.

What shall be done? He will not hear, till feel:

I must be round with him, now he comes from hunting. Fye, fye, fye, fye!

Enter Caphis, and the Servants of Isidore and Varro.

Caph. Good even, Varro: What,

You come for money?

Var. Serv. Is't not your business too?

Caph. It is;—And yours too, Isidore?
Isid. Serv. It is so.

Caph. 'Would we were all discharg'd!
Var. 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, My Alcibiades. With me? What's your will? Caph. My lord, here is a note of certain dues. Tim. Dues? Whence are you?

Caph. Of Athens here, my lord.

Tim. Go to my steward.

Caph. Please it your lordship, he hath put me off,

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,
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. One Varro's servant, my good lord,-
Isid. Serv. From Isidore;

He humbly prays your speedy payment,—

Caph. If you did know, my lord, my master's wants,

Var. Serv. 'Twas due on forfeiture, my lord, six weeks,

And past,

VILLE DE LYON
Grande Bibliothèque

Isid. Serv. Your steward puts me off, my lord;

And I am sent exprefsly 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.

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?

Flav. Please you, gentlemen,

The time is unagreeable to this businefs:

Your importunacy cease, till after dinner;

to Flavius.

1

That I may make his lordship understand

Wherefore you are not paid.

Tim. Do so, my friends:

See them well entertain'd.

Flav. I pray, draw near.

Enter Apemantus, and a Fool.

[Exit Timon.

[Exit Flavius.

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 on him yet.

Caph. Where's the fool now?

Apem. He last ask'd the question,-Poor rogues, and usurers' men! bawds between gold and want!

All Serv. What are we, Apemantus?

Apem. Afses.

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?