are but strangers to him. But I can tell you one thing, my lord, and which I hear from common rumours; now Lord Timon's happy hours are done and past, and his estate shrinks from him. Luc. Fye, no, do not believe it; he cannot want for money. 2 Stran. But believe you this, my lord, that, not long ago, one of his men was with the Lord Lucullus, to borrow so many talents; nay, urged extremely for't, and showed what necessity belonged to't, and yet was denied. Luc. How? 2 Stran. I tell you, denied, my lord. Luc. What a strange case was that? now, before the gods, 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. Ser. See, by good hap, yonder's my lord; I have sweat to see his honour.--My honoured lord,[To LUCIUS. 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 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? Ser. He has only sent his present occasion now, my lord; requesting your lordship to supply his instant use with so many talents.3 Luc. I know, his lordship is but merry with me; He cannot want fifty-five hundred talents. Ser. But in the mean time he wants less, my lord. If his occasion were not virtuous,4 I should not urge it half so faithfully. Luc. Dost thou speak seriously, Servilius? Luc. What a wicked beast was I, to disfurnish myself against such a good time, when I might have 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 !5 -Servilius, now before the gods, I am not able to do't: 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 it now. Commend me bountifully to his good lordship and I hope, his honour will conceive the fairest of because I have no power to be kind: me, 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 1 So many talents,' a common colloquial phrase for an indefinite number: the stranger apparently did not know the exact sum; and yet some editors have artitrarily substituted fifty talents." 2 Lucius means to insinuate that it would have been a kind of mistake in Timon to apply to him, who had received but few favours from him in comparison to those bestowed on Lucullus. 3 Such is again the reading the old copy supplies; some modern editors have here again substituted fifty talents.' But this was the phraseology of the poet's age. In Julius Cæsar, Lucilius says to his adversary:There is so much that thou wilt kill me straight.' 4 If he did not want it for a good use." you befriend me so far, as to use mine own words to him? Ser. Yes, sir, I shall. Luc. I will 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 LUCIUS. 1 Stran. Do you observe this, Hostilius? 2 Stran. Ay, too well. 1 Stran. Why this money Is the world's soul; and just of the same piece For mine own part, I never tasted Timon in my life, Had his necessity made use of me, Sem. Must he needs trouble me in't? [Exeunt. Humph! He might have tried Lord Lucius, or Lucullus ; Serv. O my lord, They have all been touch'd," and found base metal; They have all denied him. Sem. for How! have they denied him? Has Ventidius and Lucullus denied him? sicians, me?- Thrive,'' give him over; Must I take the cure upon He has much disgrac'd me in't; I am angry at him, nies to Timon is in proportion to his fortune less than the usual alms given by good men to beggars. 8 The commentators have made difficulties about this passage, of which the meaning appears to be Had he applied to me, I would have put my wealth nto the form of a gift, and have sent him the best half of it. The Stranger could not mean that he would have treated his wealth as a present originally received from Timon,' because he expressly declares that he never tasted his bounties 9 Alluding to the trial of metals by the touchstone Thus in King Richard III. :— O Buckingham, now do I play the touch, To try if tho be current gold indeed.' 10 This speech appears to be mutilated, and therefore unmetrical; the first part of it may perhaps bear modifying thus: • Ventidius, and Lucius, and Lucullus, It shows,' &c. I can only point out metrical dilapidations, which I profess myself unable to repair,' says Steevens. 11 Johnson proposes to read :- 7 i. e. in respect of his fortune.' What Lucius de. I but says, Thrice, give him over :' perhaps the old reading is the true;' which That might have known my place: I see no sense But his occasions might have woo'd me first; And does he think so backwardly of me now, I had rather than the worth of thrice the sum, I had such a courage to do him good. But now And with their faint reply this answer join; Of such a nature is his politic love. This was my lord's best hope; now all are fled, [Exit. SCENE IV. The same. A Hall in Timon's House. Enter two Servants of VARRO, and the Servant of LUCIUS, meeting TITUS, HORTENSIUS, and other Servants to TIMON's Creditors, waiting his coming out. Is like the sun's ; but not, like his, recoverable. 'Tis deepest winter in Lord Timon's purse; I am of your fear for that. Hor. Hor. It is against my heart. Mark, how strange it shows, I Hor. I am weary of this charge," the gods can witness: know, my lord hath spent of Timon's wealth, And now ingratitude makes it worse than stealth. 1 Var. Serv. Yes, mine's three thousand crowns: What's yours? Luc. Serv. Five thousand mine. 1 Var. Serv. 'Tis much deep and it should seem Your master's confidence was above mine; Enter FLAMINIUS. Tit. One of Lord Timon's men. Luc. Serv. Flaminius! sir, a word: Pray, is my lord ready to come forth? Flam. No, indeed, he is not. Tit. We attend his lordship; 'pray, signify so much. Flam. I need not tell him that; he knows, you are too diligent. [Exit FLAMINIUS. Enter FLAVIUS in a cloak, muffled. Luc. Serv. Ha! is not that his steward muffled so? Var. Serv. Well met; good-morrow, Titus and He goes away in a cloud: call him, call him. Hortensius. Luc. Serv. You must consider that a prodigal course Tit. Do you hear, sir? 1 Var. Serv. By your leave, sir,- Ay, If money were as certain as your waiting, but wrong, Upon his debts, and take down th' interest Luc. Serv. Ay, but this answer will not serve. Tis not so base as you; for you serve knaves. [Exit. 1 Var. Serv. How! what does his cashier'd worship mutter? generous jealousy of friendship, that is affronted it any Steevens illustrates by the following passage in Web-other be applied to before it.' ster's Dutchess of Malfy: Physicians thus, With their hands full of money, use to give o'er The passage will then mean, His friends, like phy- 1 I take the sense of this passage to be, The devil knew not what he did when he made man politic, (i. e. crafty, or full of cunning shifts;) he thearted himself by so doing, overreached himself: and I cannot think but in the end the villanies of man will (make the devil appear in comparison innocent) set him clear, and that they will change places; man becoming the tempter, not the tempted. 2 Warburton thinks that this is levelled at the Puritans. Sempronius, like them, takes a virtuous sem. blance to be wicked, pretending that warm affection and 3 i. e. keep within doors for fear of duns. Thus in Measure for Measure, Act iii. Sc. 2-You will turn good husband-now, Pompey, you will keep the house.' 4 i. e. like him in blaze and splendor. 'Soles occidere et redire possunt.'-Catull. 5 Still perhaps alluding to the effects of winter, during which some animals are obliged to seek their scanty provision through a depth of snow. 6 The old copy reads, For which I wait for money.' 7 i. e. this office or employment. 8 The commentators thought this simple passage required a comment; and the reader will be surprised to hear that it bears several constructions. It is obvious that the meaning is, it should seem by the sum your master lent, his confidence in Timon was greater than that of my master, else surely my master's loan had equalled his. If there be any obscurity, it is because the relative pronoun his does not quite clearly refer to its immediate antecedent mine. I should not have thought the passage needed explanation, had it not been the subject of contention. 2 Var. Serv. No matter what; he's poor, and SCENE V. The same. The Senate House. The that's revenge enough. Who can speak broader Senate sitting. Enter ALCIBIADES, attended. than he that has no house to put his head in? such may rail against great buildings. Enter SERVILIUS. Ser. If I might beseech you, gentlemen, to repair some other hour, I should derive much from it: for, take it on my soul, my lord leans wondrously to discontent. His comfortable temper has forsook him; he is much out of health, and keeps his chamber. Laic. Serv. Many do keep their chambers, are not sick : Good gods! lord! Both Var. Serv. And ours, my lord. Phi. All our bills. 1 Sen. My lord, you have my voice to it; the Bloody; 1 Sen. Now, captain? Alcib. I am an humble suitor to your virtues; Nor did he soil the fact with cowardice, 1 Sen. You undergo too strict a paradox,' To bring manslaughter into form, set quarrelling Tim. Knock me down with 'em :' cleave me to The worst that man can breathe; and make his the girdle. Luc. Serv. Alas! my lord, Tim. Cut my heart in sums. Tit. Mine fifty talents. Tim. Tell out my blood. Luc. Serv. Five thousand crowns, my lord. What yours ?-and yours 1 Var. Serv. My lord, 2 Var. Serv. My lord, Tim. Tear me, take me, and the gods fall upon you! Hor. 'Faith, I perceive our masters may throw Re-enter TIMON and FLAVIUS. the slaves: Creditors!-devils. Flav. My dear lord, Tim. What if it should be so? Flav. My lord, Tim. I'll have it so:-My steward! Tim. So fitly? Go, bid all my friends again, Flav. O, my lord, You only speak from your distracted soul; Tim. Be't not in thy care; go, [Exeunt. 1 Timon quibbles. They present their written bills; he catches at the word, and alludes to bills or battleaxes. The word is so played upon in As You Like It. 2 The first folio reads: Lucius, Lucullus, and Sempronius, Ullorza all.' What is meant by this strange corruption it is perhaps now vain to conjecture. Malone retains this strange word; and Steevens banters him pleasantly enough upon his pertinacious adherence to the text of the first folio, 1 Sen. You cannot make gross sins look clear; To revenge is no valour, but to bear. Alcib. My lords, then, under favour, pardon me, And th' ass more captain than the lion; the felon," If wisdom be in suffering. O my lords, As you are great, be pitifully good: Who cannot condemn rashness in cold blood? To be in anger is impiety; 2 Sen. You breathe in vain. "And with such sober and unnoted passion 5 You undertake a paradox too hard. 7 What do we, or what have we to do in the field?- done in a gust of passion.' 10 i. e. call mercy herself to witness." At Lacedæmon, and Byzantium, Were a sufficient briber for his life. 1 Sen. What's that? Alcib. Why, I say, my lords, h'as done fair service, And slain in fight many of your enemies : In the last conflict, and made plenteous wounds? 2 Sen. He has made too much plenty with 'em, he Is a sworn rioter, h'as a sin that often Drowns him, and takes his valour prisoner: If there were no foes, that were enough alone To overcome him: in that beastly fury He has been known to commit outrages, And cherish factions: "Tis inferr'd to us, His days are foul, and his drink dangerous. 1 Sen. He dies. Alcib. Hard fate! he might have died in war. (Though his right arm might purchase his own time, 1 Sen. We are for law, he dies; urge it no more, 2 Sen. How? SCENE VI.-A magnificent Room in Timon's House. Music. Tables set out: Servants altending. Enter divers Lords, at several door3. He shall be executed presently. [Exeunt Senators. Only in bone, that none may look on you! 2 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 exthat my provision was out. cuse. I am sorry, when he sent to borrow of me, I am worse than mad: I have kept back their focs, 2 He charges them obliquely with being usurers. Thus in a subsequent passage banish usury, That makes the senate ugly.' 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. how fare you? Tim. With all my heart, gentlemen both :-And 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 music awhile; if they will fare so harshly on the trumpet's sound: we shall to't presently. 1 Lord. I hope, it remains not unkindly with your lordship, that I returned you an empty mes senger. Tim. O, sir, let it not trouble you. 2 Lord. My noble lord, Tim. Ah, my good friend! what cheer? [The Banquet brought in. of shame, that, when your lordship this other day 2 Lord. My most honourable lord, I am e'en sick 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. -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. 3 Remembrances is here used as a word of five sylla-i bles. In the singular Shakspeare uses it as a word of four syllables only: And lasting in her sad remembrance. 4 Base for dishonoured. 5 This, says Steevens, I believe, means not to put ourselves into any tumour of rage, take our definitive resolution.' So in King Henry VIII. Act iii. Sc. 1:"The hearts of princes kiss obedience, So much they love it; but to stubborn spirits, They swell and grow as terrible as storms.'" 2 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? 3 Lord. I'll tell you more anon. Here's a noble feast toward." I think we might read with advantage: And not to quell our spirit.' e. not to repress or humble it. 6 To lay for hearts, is to endeavour to win the affections of the people. 7 Upon that were my thoughts feeding or most anxiously employed.' 8 i. e. your good memory. Shakspeare and his contemporaries often use the comparative for the positive or superlative. Thus in King John: Nay, but make haste the better foot before." 9 i. e. near at hand, or in prospect. So in Romeo and Juliet:- "We have a foolish trifling banquet towards.' 2 Lord. This is the old man still. Tim. Each man to his stool, with that spur as he would to the lip of his mistress: your diet shall be in all places alike.1 Make not a city feast of it, to let the meat cool ere we can agree upon the first place: Sit, sit. The gods require our thanks. [The dishes uncovered are full of warm water. Some speak. What does his lordship mean? Some other. I know not. Tim. May you a better feast never behold, ACT IV. SCENE I. IVithout the Walls of Athens. Enter TIMON. Tim. Let me look back upon thee, O thou wall, You great benefactors, sprinkle our society with thankfulness. For your own gifts, make yourselves praised: but reserve still to give, lest your deities be despised. Lend to each man enough, that one need not lend to another: for, were your godheads to borrow of men, men would forsake the gods. Make the meat be beloved, more than the man that gives it. Let Large-handed robbers your grave masters are, no assembly of twenty be without a score of villains: And pill by law: maid, to thy master's bed; If there sit twelve women at the table, let a dozen of Thy mistress is o' the brothel! son of sixteen, them be as they are.-The rest of your lees, O Pluck the lin'd crutch from the old limping sire, gods, the senators of Athens, together with the com- With it beat out his brains! piety, and fear, man lag of people,what is amiss in them, you gods, Religion to the gods, peace, justice, truth, make suitable for destruction. For these my present Domestic awe, night-rest, and neighbourhood, friends, as they are to me nothing, so in nothing Instruction, manners, mysteries, and trades, bless them, and to nothing they are welcome. Degrees, observances, customs, and laws, Uncover, dogs, and lap. Decline to your confounding contraries, And yet confusion live!-Plagues, incident to men, Your potent and infectious fevers heap On Athens, ripe for stroke! thou cold sciatica, Cripple our senators, that their limbs may halt As lamely as their manners! lust and liberty!" Creep in the minds and marrows of our youth; That 'gainst the stream of virtue they may strive, And drown themselves in riot! itches, blains, Sow all the Athenian bosoms; and their crop [Throwing water in their faces. Be general leprosy! breath infect breath; Your reeking villany. Live loath'd, and long, That their society, as their friendship, may Most smiling, smooth, detested parasites, Be merely poison! Nothing I'll bear from thee, Courteous destroyers, affable wolves, meek bears, But nakedness, thou detestable town! You fools of fortune, trencher-friends, time's flies, Take thou that too, with multiplying bans !!! Cap and knee slaves, vapours, and minute-jacks! Timon will to the woods; where he shall find Of man, and beast, the infinite malady The unkindest beast more kinder than mankind. Crust you quite o'er!-What, dost thou go? The gods confound (hear me, you good gods all,) Soft, take thy physic first-thou too,—and thou;-The Athenians both within and out that wall! [Throws the dishes at them, and drives them out. And grant, as Timon grows, his hate may grow Stay, I will lend thee money, borrow none.- To the whole race of mankind, high and low!. What, all in motion? Henceforth be no feast, Amen. Whereat a villain's not a welcome guest. Burn, house; sink, Athens! henceforth hated be Of Timon, man, and all humanity! [Exit. Re-enter the Lords, with other Lords and Senators. 1 Lord. How now, my lords? water Is your perfection. This is Timon's last; [Exit, SCENE II. Athens. A Room in Timon's House. 2 Lord. Know you the quality of Lord Timon's Are we undone? cast off? nothing remaining? fury? Lord. Pish! did you see my cap? 4 Lord. I have lost my gown. 3 Lord. He's but a mad lord, and nought but humour sways him. He gave me a jewel the other day, and now he has beat it out of my hat:-Did you see my jewel? 4 Lord. Did you see my cap? 2 Lord. Here 'tis. 4 Lord. Here lies my gown. 1 Lord. Let's make no stay. 2 Lord, Lord Timon's mad 3 Lord. I feel't upon my bones. 4 Lord. One day he gives us diamonds, next day [Exeunt. stones." 1. In all places alike. This alludes to the mode in which guests were formerly placed at table according to rank. in 2 Warburton and Mason say we should read foes stead of fees, which is the reading of the old copy. have ventured to substitute lees, a more probable word to be misprinted fees, the long fand I being easily mistaken for each other. Timon means to call the senators the lees and dregs of the city, Sordes et fæx urbis, on account of their vile propensities. 3 i. e. the highest of your excellence. 4 i. e. flies of a season. Thus before :one cloud of winter showers, These flies are couch'd. Flav. Alack, my fellows, what should I say to you? 1 Serv. Such a house broke! As we do turn our backs term was used for time serving busy bodies, who had their oar in every man's boat, or hand in every man's dish.' 6 This and the next speech is spoken by the newly. arrived lords. 7 In the old MS. play of Timon, painted stones are introduced as part of this mock banquet. It seems probable that Shakspeare was acquainted with this ancient drama. Timon has thrown nothing at his guests, but warm water and dishes. 8 Steevens explains this common sewers,' which is quite ludicrous, unless he meant it metaphorically. GeIneral filths means common strumpets: filthiness, and obscenity were synonymous with our ancestors. 9 i. e. contrarieties, whose nature it is to waste or destroy each other. as doth a galled rock O'erhang and jutty his confounded base.' King Henry V. 10 Liberty here means licentiousness or libertinism. So in the Comedy of Errors: 5 Minute-jacks, are the same as jacks of the clock house, automaton figures appended to clocks: but the And many such like liberties of sin.' 11 i. e. accumulated curses. Multiplying for multiplied, the active participle with a passive signification |