Flav. My lord.

Tim.

The little casket bring me hither. Flav. Yes, my lord.—More jewels yet!

There is no crossing him in his humour; [Asiae. 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; "

8

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.

O my friends, I have one word

To say to you:-Look you, my good lord, I must Entreat you, honour me so much, as to

Advance this jewel;'

Accept, and wear it, kind my lord.

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

Enter a Servant.

Serv. My lord, there are certain nobles of the

senate

Newly alighted, and come to visit you.

Tim. They are fairly welcome.

Flav. I beseech your honour, Vouchsafe me a word; it does concern you near. Tim. Near? why then another time I'll hear thee:

7 he'd be cross'd then, an he could.] i. e. he will then too late wish that it were possible to undo what he had done: he will in vain lament that I did not [cross or] thwart him in his career of prodigality.

8

•had not eyes behind;] To see the miseries that are following her. JOHNSON.

9

- for his mind.] For nobleness of soul. JOHNSON.

to

Advance this jewel;] To prefer it; to raise it to honour by wearing it. JOHNSON.

I pr'ythee, let us be provided
To show them entertainment.
Flav.

I scarce know how. [Aside.

Enter another Servant.

2 Serv. May it please your honour, the Lord Lucius,

Out of his free love, hath presented to you

Four milk-white horses, trapp'd in silver.

Tim. I shall accept them fairly: let the presents

Enter a third Servant.

Be worthily entertain'd.-How now, what news? 3 Serv. Please you, my lord, that honourable gentleman, lord Luculius, entreats your company to-morrow to hunt with him; and has sent your honour two brace of greyhounds.

Tim. I'll hunt with him; And let them be receiv'd, Not without fair reward.

Flav. [Aside.]

What will this come to?

He commands us to provide, and give great gifts, 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 as do even enemies exceed.

I bleed inwardly for my

Tim.

lord.

[Exit.

You do yourselves

Much wrong, you bate too much of your own me

rits:

Here, my lord, a trifle of our love.

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

3 Lord. O, he is the very soul of bounty! Tim. And now I remember me, 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. 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:

I weigh my friend's affection with mine own;
I'll tell you true.
true. I'll call on you.

All Lords.

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,

Thou art a soldier, therefore seldom rich,

It comes in charity to thee: for all thy living
Is 'mongst the dead; and all the lands thou hast
Lie in a pitch'd field.

Alcib.

Ay, defiled land, my lord. 1 Lord. We are so virtuously bound, Tim.

Am I to you.

2 Lord.

So infinitely endear'd,

Tim. All to you.'-Lights, more lights.

1 Lord.

And so

The best of happiness,

Honour, and fortunes, keep with you, lord Timon!

Tim. Ready for his friends.

Apem.

[Exeunt ALCIBIADES, Lords, &c. What a coil's here!

All to you.] i. e. all good wishes, or all happiness to you.

Serving of becks,3 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.

An you begin to rail on society once,

I am sworn, not to give regard to you.
Farewell; and come with better musick.

Арет.

Nay,

[Exit. So;

Thou❜lt 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!

3

[Exit.

Serving of becks,] Beck means a salutation made with the head. To serve a beck is to offer a salutation.

4 Wilt give away thyself in paper shortly:] i. e. be ruined by his securities entered into.

Thy heaven -] By his heaven he means good advice, the only thing by which he could be saved.

ACT II.

SCENE 1. 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 found his state in safety." Caphis, ho!
Caphis, I say!

Caph.

Enter CAPHIS,

Here, sir; What is your pleasure? Sen. Get on your cloak, and haste you to lord

Timon;

Impórtune him for my monies; 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, sirrah,

Can found his state in safety.] Reason cannot find his fortune to have any safe or solid foundation.

7

be not ceas'd-] i. e. stopped.