Jew. If he will touch the estimate: but, for

that

Poet. When we for recompense have prais'd the
vile,

It stains the glory in that happy verse
Which aptly sings the good.

Mer. Looking at the jewel. "Tis a good form.

Poet, Painter, Jeweller, and Merchant.

An old Athenian.

Servants to Varro and Isidore, two of Timon's

Creditors.

Three Strangers.

A Page.

A Fool.

TIMANDRA, Mistresses to Alcibiades.

20

Jew. And rich: here is a water, look ye.
Pain. You are rapt, sir, in some work, some
dedication

To the great lord.

Poet.
A thing slipp'd idly from me.
Our poesy is as a gum, which oozes
From whence 'tis nourish'd: the fire i' the flint
Shows not till it be struck; our gentle flame
Provokes itself, and like the current flies
Each bound it chafes. What have you there?
Pain. A picture, sir. When comes your book
forth?

Poet. Upon the heels of my presentment, sir. Let's see your piece.

30

Pain. "Tis a good piece.

Poet. So'tis: this comes off well and excellent.
Pain. Indifferent.

Poet.

Admirable How this grace Speaks his own standing! what a mental power This eye shoots forth! how big imagination Moves in this lip! to the dumbness of the gesture One might interpret.

To an untirable and continuate goodness:
He passes.

Poet.

sir?

Jew. I have a jewel here-
I'll say of it,
Mer. O pray, let's see 't: for the Lord Timon, It tutors nature artificial strife
Lives in these touches, livelier than life.
Enter certain Senators, who pass over the stage.
Pain. How this lord is followed!

Poet. The senators of Athens: happy man!
Pain. Look, more!

Poet. You see this confluence, this great flood
of visitors.

Pain. It is a pretty mocking of the life.
Here is a touch; is 't good?

2 Z

40

Mer. No, my good lord; he speaks the that I were a lord! common tongue,

Tim. Look, who comes here. Will you be lord with my heart. chid?

Apem. Of nothing so much as that I am not Till I have thank'd you; and, when dinner's like Timon.

Apem. Right, if doing nothing be death by Most welcome, sir!

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

260

And all this courtesy! The strain of man's bred out

O! by no means,
Honest Ventidius; you mistake my love;

Into baboon and monkey.

Aleib. Sir, you have sav'd my longing, and II gave it freely ever; and there's none feed Can truly say he gives, if he receives: Most hungerly on your sight. 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

Tim.
Right welcome, sir!
Ere we depart, we'll share a bounteous time
In different pleasures. Pray you, let us in.
Exeunt all but APEMANTUS.

Enter two Lords.

First Lord. What time o' day is 't, Ape

mantus?

SCENE II.-The Same. A Room of State in
TIMON'S House.

To your free heart, I do return those talents, Doubled with thanks and service, from whose help

I deriv'd liberty.

Tim.

290

Hautboys playing loud music. A great banquet served in; FLAVIUS and Others attending: then enter Lord TIMON, ALCIBIADES, Lords, Senators, and VENTIDIUS. Then comes, dropping after all, APEMANTUS, discontentedly, like himself.

age,

And call him to long peace.

He is gone happy, and has left me rich:

Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound

10

To set a gloss on faint deeds, hollow welcomes,
Recanting goodness, sorry ere 'tis shown;
But where there is true friendship, there needs

twice.

Second Lord. Why, Apemantus?

You shall not make me welcome :

Apem. Should'st have kept one to thyself, for I come to have thee thrust me out of doors. I mean to give thee none.

Tim. Fie! thou 'rt a churl; ye 've got a humour there

First Lord. Hang thyself!

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

280

Second Lord. Away, unpeaceable dog! or I'll spurn thee hence.

Does not become a man; 'tis much to blame.
They say, my lords, Ira furor brevis est,
But yond man is ever angry.
Go, let him have a table by himself,
For he does neither affect company,
Nor is he fit for it, indeed.

ass.

Apem. I will fly, like a dog, the heels o' the
Exit.
First Lord. He's opposite to humanity.
Come, shall we in

And taste Lord Timon's bounty? he outgoes
The very heart of kindness.

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

Is but his steward: no meed but he repays
Sevenfold above itself; no gift to him
But breeds the giver a return exceeding
All use of quittance.
First Lord. The noblest mind he carries
That ever govern'd man.
Second Lord. Long may he live in fortunes!
Shall we in?

First Lord. I'll keep you company.

Exeunt.

none.

Pray, sit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes
Than my fortunes to me.
They sit.
First Lord. My lord, we always have con-
fess'd it.

Apem. Ho, ho! confess'd it; hang'd it, have

you not?

Tim. O! Apemantus, you are welcome.
Apem.

No:

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

Tim. I take no heed of thee; thou'rt an Athenian; therefore welcome. I myself would have no power; prithee, let my meat make thee silent.

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 'em 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;
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,

30

Is the readiest man to kill him: it has been
proved.

If I were a huge man, I should fear to drink at
Lest they should spy my wind-pipe's dangerous

meals,

notes:

Ven. Most honour'd Timon,

It hath pleas'd the gods to remember my father's Great men should drink with harness on their

throats.

Tim. My lord, in heart; and let the health go round.

Second Lord. Let it flow this way, my good lord.

TIMON OF ATHENS.

SCENE II.]

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

Here's that which is too weak to be a sinner, 60
Honest water which ne'er left man i' the mire :
This and my food are equals, there's no odds.
Feasts are too proud to give thanks to the gods.
Immortal gods, I crave no pelf;
I pray for no man but myself :
Grant I may never prove so fond,
To trust man on his oath or bond;
Or a harlot for her weeping;

Or a dog that seems a-sleeping;
Or a keeper with my freedom;
Or my friends, if I should need 'em.
Amen. So fall to 't:

70

Enter a Servant.

How now! 120

Serv. Please you, my lord, there are certain ladies most desirous of admittance.

Rich men sin, and I eat root.

Eats and drinks. Much good dich thy good heart, Apemantus! Tim. Captain Alcibiades, your heart 's in the field now.

Alcib. My heart is ever at your service, my lord.

Tim. You had rather be at a breakfast of enemies than a dinner of friends.

80

Alcib. So they were bleeding-new, my lord, there's no meat like 'em : I could wish my best friend at such a feast.

Tim. Ladies! What are their wills?

Serv. There comes with them a forerunner, my lord, which bears that office to signify their pleasures.

Tim. I pray, let them be admitted.

Enter CUPID.

Cup. Hail to thee, worthy Timon; and to all
That of his bounties taste! The five best senses
Acknowledge thee their patron; and come
freely

130

To gratulate thy plenteous bosom. Th' ear, Taste, touch, and smell, pleas'd from thy table rise;

They only now come but to feast thine eyes.

Tim. They're welcome all; let 'em have kind admittance:

Apem. Would all those flatterers were thine enemies then, that then thou might'st kill 'em and bid me to 'em.

First Lord. Might we but have that happiness, my lord, that you would once use our hearts, whereby we might express some part of our zeals, 90 we should think ourselves for ever perfect.

725

Exit CUPID.
Music, make their welcome!
First Lord. You see, my lord, how ample
you 're belov'd.

Tim. O! no doubt, my good friends, but the
gods themselves have provided that I shall have
much help from you: how had you been my
friends else? why have you that charitable title
from thousands, did not you chiefly belong to
my heart? I have told more of you to myself
than you can with modesty speak in your own
behalf; and thus far I confirm you. O you gods!
think I, what need we have any friends, if we
should ne'er have need of 'em? they were the
most needless creatures living should we ne'er
have use for 'em, and would most resemble
sweet instruments hung up in cases, that keep
their sounds to themselves. Why, I have often
wished myself poorer that I might come nearer
We are born to do benefits; and what
to you.
better or properer can we call our own than the
riches of our friends? O! what a precious com-
fort 'tis, to have so many, like brothers, com-
manding one another's fortunes. O joy! e'en
made away ere 't can be born. Mine eyes can-
not hold out water, methinks: to forget their
faults, I drink to you.

Apem. Thou weepest to make them drink,
Timon.

Second Lord. Joy had the like conception in

our eyes.

And, at that instant, like a babe, sprung up. Apem. Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a bastard.

Music. Re-enter CUPID, with a masque of Ladies as Amazons, with lutes in their hands, dancing and playing.

Apem. Hoy-day! what a sweep of vanity comes this way:

They dance! they are mad women.
Like madness is the glory of this life,
As this pomp shows to a little oil and root.
We make ourselves fools to disport ourselves;
And spend our flatteries to drink those men
Upon whose age we void it up again,
With poisonous spite and envy.
Who lives that's not depraved or depraves?
graves
Who dies that bears not one spurn to their

Of their friends' gift?

I should fear those that dance before me now
Would one day stamp upon me: 't has been

done;

Men shut their doors against a setting sun.

140

150

The Lords rise from table, with much adoring of
TIMON; and to show their loves each singles out
an Amazon, and all dance, men with women, a
lofty strain or two to the hautboys, and cease.
Tim. You have done our pleasures much grace,
fair ladies,

Third Lord. I promise you, my lord, you
mov'd me much.

Tucket sounded.

Apem. Much!
Tim. What means that trump?

Set a fair fashion on our entertainment,
You have added worth unto 't and lustre,
Which was not half so beautiful and kind;
And entertain'd me with mine own device;
I am to thank you for 't.

First Lady. My lord, you take us even at the
best.

Apem. Faith, for the worst is filthy; and would not hold taking, I doubt me.

Tim. Flavius!

Flav. My lord!

Tim.

160

Tim. Ladies, there is an idle banquet
Attends you: please you to dispose yourselves.
All Ladies. Most thankfully, my lord.
Exeunt CUPID and Ladies.

The little casket bring me hither. Flav. Yes, my lord. Aside. More jewels yet! There is no crossing him in 's humour;