Second Lord. With more than common thanks
I will receive it.

Third Lord. O! he's the very soul of bounty.
Tim. And now I remember, my lord, you gave
Good words the other day of a bay courser
I rode on it is yours, because you lik'd it.
Third Lord. O! 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:

Tim. O my friends! I have one word to say I weigh my friend's affection with mine own;

to you.

Look you, my good lord,

I must entreat you, honour me so much

As to advance this jewel; accept it and wear it,
Kind my lord.

First Lord. I am so far already in your gifts-
All. So are we all.

senate

Enter a Servant.

180

I'll tell you true. I'll call to you.

All Lords.

O! none so welcome.
Tim. I take all and your several visitations
So kind to heart, 'tis not enough to give;
Methinks I could deal kingdoms to my friends,
And ne'er be weary. Alcibiades,

229

Thou art a soldier, therefore seldom rich; It comes in charity to thee; for all thy living Serv. My lord, there are certain nobles of the Is 'mongst the dead, and all the lands thon hast Lie in a pitch'd field. Alcib. Ay, defil'd land, my lord. First Lord. We are so virtuously boundTim. And so Am I to you.

Newly alighted, and come to visit you.
Tim. They are fairly welcome.
Flax.
I beseech your honour,
Vouchsafe me a word; it does concern you near.
Tim. Near! why, then another time I'll hear
thee.

I prithee, let's be provided to show them enter-
tainment.

Flav. Aside. I scarce know how.

Enter another Servant.

What will this come to? He commands us to provide, and give great gifts,

200

And all out of an empty coffer:
Nor will he know his purse, or yield me this,
To show him what a beggar his heart is,
Being of no power to make his wishes good.
His promises fly so beyond his state
That what he speaks is all in debt; he owes
For every word: he is so kind that he now
Pays interest for 't; his land 's put to their books.
Well, would I were gently put out of office
Before I were forc'd out!

Happier is he that has no friend to feed
Than such that do e'en enemies exceed.
I bleed inwardly for my lord.
Tim.

210

Exit. You do yourselves Much wrong, you bate too much of your own

merits:

Here, my lord, a trifle of our love.

Apem.

239

Exeunt ALCIBIADES, Lords, etc.
What a coil's here!
Serving of becks and jutting-out of bums!
I doubt whether their legs be worth the sums
That are given for 'em. Friendship's full of
dregs:

Methinks, false hearts should never have sound
legs.

Thus honest fools lay out their wealth on court'sies.

Tim. Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not sullen, I would be good to thee.

Apem. No, I'll nothing; for if I should be bribed too, there would be none left to rail upon thee, and then thou would'st sin the faster. Thou givest so long, Timon, I fear me thou wilt give away thyself in paper shortly: what need these feasts, pomps, and vain-glories? 251

Tim. Nay, an you begin to rail on society once, I am sworn not to give regard to you. Farewell; and come with better music. Exit.

SCENE 1.]

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 pass by. It cannot hold; no reason
Can sound his state in safety. Caphis, ho!
Caphis, I say!

TIMON OF ATHENS.

Enter CAPHIS.

Here, sir; what is your pleasure?
Caph.
Sen. Get on your cloak, and haste you to Lord
Timon;

you, And have the dates in compt.

10

20

Importune him for my moneys; 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,
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 toss'd and turn'd to me in words,
But find supply immediate. Get you gone :
Put on a most importunate aspect,
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.
Sen.

727

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 prithee, 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.

Caph. I go, sir.

Sen. 'I go, sir!' Take the bonds along with

I will, sir.

30

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

30

And past.

Isid. Serv. Your steward puts me off, my lord;
And I am sent expressly to your lordship.
Tim. Give me breath.

I do beseech you, good my lords, keep on;
I'll wait upon you instantly.

Enter CAPHIS, and the Servants of ISIDORE and VARRO.

Please you, gentlemen,
The time is unagreeable to this business:
Your importunacy cease till after dinner,
That I may make his lordship understand
Exeunt. Wherefore you are not paid.

Go.

Tim.

See them well entertained.
Flav.

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 expense,
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.
Fie, fie, fie, fie!

20

Exeunt ALCIBIADES and Lords. To FLAVIUS. 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 ?

Flar.

Caph.

Good even, Varro. What!

You come for money?
Is 't not your business too? 10
Var. Serv.
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, etc.

Tim. So soon as dinner's done, we'll forth again, My Alcibiades. With me? what is your will?

40

Pray, draw near.
Enter APEMANTUS and Fool.

Caph. Stay, stay; here comes the fool with
Apemantus: let's ha' some sport with 'em.
Var. Serv. Hang him, he 'll abuse us.
Isid. Serv. A plague upon him, dog!
Var. Serv. How dost, fool?

Do so, my friends.

Exit.
Exit.

Apem. Asses.

All Serv. Why?

50

Apem. Dost dialogue with thy shadow?
Var. Serv. speak not to thee.

Apem. No; 'tis to thyself. To the Fool. Come away.

Isid. Serv. There's the fool hangs on your back already.

Apem. No, thou standest single; thou 'rt not on him yet.

Caph. Where's the fool now?

Poor

Apem. He last asked the question. rogues, and usurers' men! bawds between gold and want!

61

All Serv. What are we, Apemantus ?

Apem. That you ask me what you are, and do not know yourselves. Speak to 'em, fool. Fool. How do you, gentlemen?

All Serv. Gramercies, good fool. How does your mistress?

Tim. Let all my land be sold. Flav. 'Tis all engag'd, some forfeited and gone; And what remains will hardly stop the mouth You three Of present dues; the future comes apace : What shall defend the interim? and at length How goes our reckoning?

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.

210

able;

But yet they could have wish'd; they know not;
Something hath been amiss; a noble nature
May catch a wrench; would all were well; 'tis
pity;

And so, intending other serious matters,
After distasteful looks and these hard fractions,
With certain half-caps and cold-moving nods
They froze me into silence.

Tim.
You gods, reward them! 220
Prithee, man, look cheerly. These old fellows
Have their ingratitude in them hereditary;
Their blood is cak'd, 'tis cold, it seldom flows;
'Tis lack of kindly warmth they are not kind;
And nature, as it grows again toward earth,
Is fashion'd for the journey, dull and heavy.
To a Servant. Go to Ventidius. To FLAVIUS.
Prithee, be not sad,

Thou art true and honest; ingenuously I speak,
No blame belongs to thee. To Servant. Ventidius
lately

231

me;

Bid him suppose some good necessity
Touches his friend, which craves to be remem-
ber'd

With those five talents.

Exit Servant. To FLAVIUS. That had, give 't 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;

240

Being free itself, it thinks all others so.

Flam. Faith, nothing but an empty box, sir, which, in my lord's behalf, I come to entreat your honour 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.

22

Tim.
Is 't true? can't be?
Flav. They answer, in a joint and corporate
voice,

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

That now they are at fall, want treasure, cannot
Do what they would; are sorry; you are honour-time and often I ha' dined with him, and told

Exeunt.

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 to-
wardly 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. To the Servant. Get you
gone, sirrah.
Exit Servant. 42
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, espe-
cially upon bare friendship, without security.

Buried his father; by whose death he's stepp'd
Into a great estate; when he was poor,
Imprison'd and in scarcity of friends,

I clear'd him with five talents; greet him from Here's three solidares for thee; good boy, wink at me, and say thou sawest me not. Fare thee well.

50

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

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

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 ha' told him on 't, but I could ne'er get him from it.

32

Throwing the money away. Lucul. Ha! now I see thou art a fool, and fit for thy master. Exit. Flam. May these add to the number that may scald thee!

Second 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 honourable man! there was very little honour showed in 't. For my own part, I must needs confess, I have received some small kindnesses from him, as money, plate, jewels, and such like trifles, nothing comparing to his; yet, had he mistook him and sent to me, I should ne'er have denied his occasion so many talents. Enter SERVILIUS.

Luc. Ha! what has he sent? I am so much endeared to that lord; he's ever sending: how shall I thank him, thinkest thou? And what has he sent now?

Luc. What a wicked beast was I to disfurnish
myself against such a good time, when I might
ha' shown myself honourable! how unluckily it
happened, that I should purchase the day before
for a little part, and undo a great deal of honour!
Servilius, now, before the gods, I am not able to
do; the more beast, I say; I was sending to
use Lord Timon myself, these gentlemen can
witness; but I would not, for the wealth of
Athens, I had done 't now. Commend me bounti
fully to his good lordship; 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 be friend
me so far as to use mine own words to him t
Ser. Yes, sir, I shall.

Luc. I'll look you out a good turn, Servilius.
Exit SERVILIUS.
True, as you said, Timon is shrunk indeed;
And he that's once denied will hardly speed.
Exit.
First Stran. Do you observe this, Hostilius ?
Second Stran. Ay, too well.
First Stran. Why, this is the world's soul;
and just of the same piece

71

Is every flatterer's spirit. Who can call him
His friend that dips in the same dish? for in
My knowing, Timon has been this lord's father,
And kept his credit with his purse,
Supported his estate; nay, Timon's money
Has paid his men their wages: he ne'er drinks
But Timon's silver treads upon his lip;
And yet, O! see the monstrousness of man, 80
When he looks out in an ungrateful shape,
He does deny him, in respect of his,
What charitable men afford to beggars.
Third Stran. Religion groans at it.
First Stran.
For mine own part,

I would have put my wealth into donation,

Ser. See, by good hap, yonder 's my lord; I And the best half should have return'd to him, have sweat to see his honour. To LUCIUS. MySo much I love his heart. But, I perceive, honoured lord! Men must learn now with pity to dispense; For policy sits above conscience. Exeunt.

29

Luc. Servilius! you are kindly met, sir. Fare thee well: commend me to thy honourable virtuous lord, my very exquisite friend.

Ser. May it please your honour, my lord hath

sent

Ser. He has only sent his present occasion now, my lord; requesting your lordship to supply his instant use with so many talents.

41

Luc. I know his lordship is but merry with me;
He cannot want fifty-five hundred talents.
Ser. But in the meantime he wants less, my
lord.

If his occasion were not virtuous,

I should not urge it half so faithfully.

Luc. Dost thou speak seriously, Servilius?
Ser. Upon my soul, 'tis true, sir.

I never tasted Timon in my life,
Nor came any of his bounties over me,
To mark me for his friend; yet, I protest,
For his right noble mind, illustrious virtue,
And honourable carriage,
Had his necessity made use of me,

SCENE III.-The Same. A Room in SEM-
PRONIUS'S House.