ALCIB. Now the gods keep you old enough;

that you may live

Only in bone, that none may look on you!
I am worse than mad: I have kept back their foes,
While they have told their money, and let out
Their coin upon large interest; I myself,
Rich only in large hurts;-All those, for this?
Is this the balsam, that the usuring senate
Pours into captains' wounds? ha! banishment?1
It comes not ill; I hate not to be banish'd;
It is a cause worthy my spleen and fury,
That I may strike at Athens. I'll cheer up of
My discontented troops, and lay for hearts.
'Tis honour, with most lands to be at odds; 2
Soldiers should brook as little wrongs, as gods.

[Exit.

ourselves into any tumour of rage, take our definitive resolution. So, in King Henry VIII. Act III. sc. i:

"The hearts of princes kiss obedience,
" So much they love it; but, to stubborn spirits,
"They swell and grow as terrible as storms."

STEEVENS.

ha! banishment?] Thus the second folio. Its everblundering predecessor omits the interjection, ha! and consequently spoils the metre. The same exclamation occurs in Romeo and Juliet:

2

" Ha! banishment? be merciful, say-death."

a

STEEVENS.

and lay for hearts. 'Tis honour, with most lands to be at odds;] But surely even in a soldier's sense of honour, there is very little in being at odds with all about him; which shows rather quarrelsome disposition than a valiant one. Besides, this was not Alcibiades's case. He was only fallen out with the Athenians. A phrase in the foregoing line will direct us to the right reading. I will lay, says he, for hearts; which is a metaphor taken from card-play, and signifies to game deep and boldly. It is plain then the figure was continued in the following line, which should be read thus :

SCENE VI.

A magnificent Room in Timon's House.

Musick. Tables set out: Servants attending. Enter divers Lords, at several Doors.

Tro

1 LORD. The good time of day to you, sir. 2 LORD. I also wish it to you. I think, this honourable lord did but try us this other day.

the united strength of Athens; and this, by soldiers, is accounted honourable. Shakspeare uses the same metaphor on the same occasion, in Coriolanus:

"He lurch'd all swords." WARBURTON.

I think hands is very properly substituted for lands. In the foregoing line, for, lay for hearts, I would read, play for hearts. JOHNSON.

I do not conceive that to lay for hearts is a metaphor taken from card-play, or that lay should be changed into play. We should now say, to lay out for hearts, i. e. the affections of the people; but lay is used singly, as it is here, by Jonson, in The Devil is an Ass, [Mr. Whalley's edition] Vol. IV. p. 33:

" Lay for some pretty principality." TYRWHITT. A kindred expression occurs in Marlowe's Lust's Dominion, 1657:

"He takes up Spanish hearts on trust, to pay them
" When he shall finger Castile's crown." MALONE.

'Tis honour, with most lands to be at odds;] I think, with Dr. Johnson, that lands cannot be right. To assert that it is honourable to fight with the greatest part of the world, is very wild. I believe therefore our author meant that Alcibiades in his spleen against the Senate, from whom alone he has received any injury, should say:

'Tis honour with most lords to be at odds.

MALONE.

I adhere to the old reading. It is surely more honourable to wrangle for a score of kingdoms, (as Miranda expresses it,) than to enter into quarrels with lords, or any other private adversaries. STEEVENS.

1 LORD. Upon that were my thoughts tiring, when we encountered: I hope, it is not so low with him, as he made it seem in the trial of his several friends.

The objection to the old reading still in my apprehension remains. It is not difficult for him who is so inclined, to quarrel with a lord; (or with any other person;) but not so easy to be at odds with his land. Neither does the observation just made, prove that it is honourable to quarrel, or to be at odds, with most of the lands or kingdoms of the earth, which must, I conceive, be proved, before the old reading can be supported. MALONE. By most lands, perhaps our author means greatest lands. So, in King Henry VI. P. I. Act IV. sc. i:

"But always resolute in most extremes."

T

i. e. in greatest. Alcibiades, therefore, may be willing to regard a contest with a great and extensive territory, like that of Athens, as a circumstance honourable to himself. STEEVENS.

3 Enter divers Lords,] In the modern editions these are called Senators; but it is clear from what is said concerning the banishment of Alcibiades, that this must be wrong. I have therefore substituted Lords. The old copy has "Enter divers friends." MALONE.

4

Upon that were my thoughts tiring,] A hawk, I think, is said to tire, when she amuses herself with pecking a pheasant's wing, or any thing that puts her in mind of prey. To tire upon a thing, is therefore, to be idly employed upon it. JOHNSON.

I believe Dr. Johnson is mistaken. Tiring means here, I think, fixed, fastened, as the hawk fastens its beak eagerly on its prey. So, in our author's Venus and Adonis:

" Like as an empty eagle, sharp by fast,

"Tires with her beak on feathers, flesh, and bone,-." Tirouër, that is, tiring for hawks, as Cotgrave calls it, signified any thing by which the falconer brought the bird back, and fixed him to his hand. A capon's wing was often used for this purpose.

In King Henry VI. Part II. we have a kindred expression:

66

your thoughts

"Beat on a crown." MALONE.

Dr. Johnson's explanation, I believe, is right. Thus, in The Winter's Tale, Antigonus is said to be "woman-tir'd," i. e. pecked by a woman, as we now say, with a similar allusion, henpecked. STEEVENS.

12 LORD. It should not be, by the persuasion of his new feasting.

1 LORD. I should think so: He hath sent me an earnest inviting, which many my near occasions did urge me to put off; but he hath conjured me beyond them, and I must needs appear.

2 LORD. In like manner was I in debt to my importunate business, but he would not hear my excuse. I am sorry, when he sent to borrow of me, that my provision was out.

1 LORD. I am sick of that grief too, as I understand how all things go.

2 LORD. Every man here's so. What would he

have borrowed of you?

1 LORD. A thousand pieces.

2 LORD. A thousand pieces!

1 LORD. What of you?

3 LORD. He sent to me, sir,-Here he comes.

Enter TIMON, and Attendants.

TIM. With all my heart, gentlemen both :---And how fare you?

1 LORD. Ever at the best, hearing well of your lordship.

2 LORD. The swallow follows not summer more willing, than we your lordship.

TIM. [Aside.] Nor more willingly leaves winter; such summer-birds are men. Gentlemen, our dinner will not recompense this long stay: feast your ears with the musick awhile; if they will fare so harshly on the trumpet's sound: we shall to't pre. sently.

1 LORD. I hope, it remains not unkindly with your lordship, that I returned you an empty messenger.

TIM. O, sir, let it not trouble you. 2 LORD. My noble lord,

TIM. Ah, my good friend! what cheer?

[The Banquet brought in.

2 LORD. My most honourable lord, I am e'en sick of shame, that, when your lordship this other day sent to me, I was so unfortunate a beggar. TIM. Think not on't, sir.

2 LORD. If you had sent but two hours before,— TIM. Let it not cumber your better remembrance.5-Come, bring in all together.

2 LORD. All covered dishes!

1 LORD. Royal cheer, I warrant you.

3 LORD. Doubt not that, if money, and the season can yield it.

5

1 LORD. How do you? What's the news?

3 LORD. Alcibiades is banished: Hear you of it?

1 & 2 LORD. Alcibiades banished !

3 LORD. 'Tis so, be sure of it.

1 LORD. How? how?

2 LORD. I pray you, upon what?

TIM. My worthy friends, will you draw near?

your better remembrance.] i. e. your good memory: the comparative for the positive degree. See Vol. X. p. 147, n. 7. STEEVENS.