And all this courtesy!-The strain of man's bred out Into baboon and monkey.

Alcib. Sir, you have sav'd my longing, and I feed Most hungerly on your sight. 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.

1 Lord. What time o' day is't, Apemantus? Apem. Time to be honest.

1 Lord. That time serves still.

Apem. The most accursed thou, that still omit'st it.

2 Lord. Thou art going to lord Timon's feast. Apem. Ay; to see meat fill knaves, and wine heat fools.

2 Lord. Fare thee well; fare thee well.

Apem. Thou art a fool to bid me farewell twice. 2 Lord. Why, Apemantus?

Apem. Shouldst have kept one to thyself, for I mean to give thee none.

1 Lord. Hang thyself.

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

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

Apem. I will fly, like a dog, the heels of the ass. [Exit.

1 Lord. He's opposite to humanity. Come, shall we in,

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

2 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.

1 Lord.

The noblest mind he carries, That ever govern'd man.

2 Lord. Long may he live in fortunes! Shall we in?

1 Lord. I'll keep you company.

[Exeunt.

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

Hautboys playing loud music. A great banquet served in; FLAVIUS and others attending: then, enter TIMON, ALCIBIADES, LUCIUS, LUCULLUS, SEMPRONIUS, and other Athenian Senators, with VENTIDIUS, whom TIMON redeemed from prison, and Attendants: then comes, dropping after all, APEMANTUS, discontentedly, like himself.

Ven. Most honour'd Timon,

It hath pleas'd the gods to remember my father's age,

And call him to long peace.

He is gone happy, and has left me rich:
Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound

To your free heart, I do return those talents,
Doubled with thanks and service, from whose help
I deriv'd liberty.

Tim.

O! by no means,

Honest Ventidius: you mistake my love.

I gave it freely ever; and there's none
Can truly say, he gives, if he receives:

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 looking ceremoniously at TIMON.
Tim.
Nay, my lords,
Ceremony was but devis'd at first,

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

Tim. Fie! thou'rt a churl: you have got a humour there

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't, indeed.

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

Tim. I take no heed of thee; thou art an Athenian, therefore, welcome. I myself would have no power; pr'ythee, 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 them 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,

Is the readiest man to kill him: it has been proved. If I were a huge man, I should fear to drink at meals;

Lest they should spy my windpipe's dangerous

notes:

Great men should drink with harness on their throats.

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

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

much help from you: how had you been my friends else? why have you that charitable title from thousands, did you not 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 to you. We are born to do benefits; and what better or properer can we call our own, than the riches of our friends? O! what a precious comfort 'tis, to have so many, like brothers, commanding one another's fortunes. O joy, e'en made away ere 't can be born! Mine eyes cannot hold out water, methinks: to forget their faults, I drink to you.

Apem. Thou weep'st to make them drink, Timon. 2 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

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?
Who dies, that bears not one spurn to their graves
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.

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,

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

1 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. Ladies, there is an idle banquet Attends you: please you to dispose yourselves. All Lad. Most thankfully, my lord.

[Exeunt CUPID, and Ladies.

Tim. Flavius!
Flav. My lord.
Tim.
The little casket bring me hither.
Flav. Yes, my lord.-[Aside.]-More jewels
yet!

There is no crossing him in his humour ;

Else I should tell him,-well,-i' faith, I should, When all's spent, he'd be cross'd then, an he could. 'Tis pity bounty had not eyes behind,

That man might ne'er be wretched for his mind. [Exit, and returns with the Casket.

1 Lord. Where be our men?

Serv. Here, my lord, in readiness.

2 Lord. Our horses! Tim.

my

O, friends! I have one word to say to you.

lord,

Look you, my good

ACT I.

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
T'han such as do even enemies exceed.

[Exit.

You do yourselves

I bleed inwardly for my lord.
Tim.
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'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.

2 Lord. O! I beseech you, pardon me, my lord,

in that

Tim. You may take my word, my lord: I know

Tim. All to you.-Lights! more lights! 1 Lord.

Honour, and fortunes, keep with you, lord Timon. Tim. Ready for his friends.

Apem.

[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'd be good to thee.

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

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

Apem. So;-thou wilt not hear me now ;Thou shalt not then; I'll lock thy heaven from thee. O, that men's ears should be

To counsel deaf, but not to flattery!

[Exit.

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

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. I go, sir.

Sen. Ay, go, sir.-Take the bonds along with you, And have the dates in compt.

Caph. Sen.

I will, sir.

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 expense, That he will neither know how to maintain it,

Caph.
You come for
Var. Serv.
Is't not your business too?
Caph. It is. And yours too, Isidore?
Isid. Serv.

Caph. Would we were all discharg'd!
Var. Serv.

Caph. Here comes the lord.

It is so.

I fear it.

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? 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,