And set mine eyes at flow.

TIM.

Prithee, no more.

FLAV. Heavens, have I said, the bounty of this lord! How many prodigal bits have slaves, and peasants,

This night englutted! Who is not Timon's?

What heart, head, sword, force, means, but is lord Timon's?

Great Timon, noble, worthy, royal Timon!

Ah! when the means are gone that buy this praise,
The breath is gone whereof this praise is made:
Feast-won, fast-lost: one cloud of winter showers,
These flies are couch'd.

TIM.

Come, sermon me no further:

No villainous bounty yet hath pass'd my heart;
Unwisely, not ignobly, have I given.

Why dost thou weep? Canst thou the conscience lack
To think I shall lack friends? Secure thy heart;

If I would broach the vessels of my love,
And try the argument of hearts by borrowing,
Men, and men's fortunes, can I frankly use,
As I can bid thee speak.

FLAV.

Assurance bless your thoughts!

TIM. And, in some sort, these wants of mine are crown'd, That I account them blessings; for by these

Shall I try friends: You shall perceive, how you
Mistake my fortunes; I am wealthy in my friends.
Within there!-Flaminius! Servilius!

Enter FLAMINIUS, SERVILIUS, and other Servants.

SERV. My lord, my lord,—

TIM. I will despatch you severally.-You to lord Lucius, to lord Lucullus you; I hunted with his honour to-day;you to Sempronius: Commend me to their loves; and, I am proud, say, that my occasions have found time to use them toward a supply of money: let the request be fifty talents. FLAM. As you have said, my lord.

FLAV. Lord Lucius, and Lucullus? humph!

[A side, TIM. Go you, sir [to another Serv.], to the senators, (Of whom, even to the state's best health, I have Deserv'd this hearing,) bid 'em send o' the instant A thousand talents to me.

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.

FLAV. They answer, in a joint and corporate voice,
That now they are at fall, want treasure, cannot
Do what they would; are sorry—you are honourable,—
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-'t is 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!
'Prithee, man, look cheerly! These old fellows
Have their ingratitude in them hereditary:
Their blood is cak'd, 't is 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.

Go to Ventidius-[to a Serv.]. 'Prithee [to FLAV.], be not sad,
Thou art true and honest; ingeniously I speak,

No blame belongs to thee:-[to Serv.] Ventidius lately
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 me;

Bid him suppose some good necessity

Touches his friend, which craves to be remember'd

With those five talents:-that had [to FLAV.], give 't these

fellows

To whom 't is 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;

Being free itself, it thinks all others so.

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE I.-Athens. A Room in Lucullus's House.

FLAMINIUS waiting. Enter a Servant to him.

SERV. I have told my lord of you, he is coming down to you.

FLAM. I thank you, sir.

Enter LUCULLUS.

SERV. Here's my lord.

LUCUL. [Aside.] One of lord Timon's men? a gift, I warrant. Why, this hits right; I dreamt of a silver bason and ewer to-night. Flaminius, honest Flaminius; you are very respectively welcome, sir.-Fill me some wine.-[Exit Servant.] And how does that honourable, complete, freehearted gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful good lord and master?

FLAM. His health is well, sir.

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

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.

LUCUL. La, la, la, la,-nothing doubting, says he? alas, good lord! a noble gentleman 't is, if he would not keep so good a house. Many a time and often I ha' dined with him, and told 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 't.

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 towardly 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.-Get you gone, sirrah.—[To the Servant, who goes out.]-Draw nearer, honest Flaminius. Thy lord's a bountiful gentleman: but thou art wise; and thou know'st well enough, although thou com'st to me, that this is no time to lend money; especially upon bare friendship, without security. Here's three solidares for thee; good boy, wink at me, and say thou saw'st me not. Fare thee well.

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

LUCUL. Ha! now I see thou

master.

[Throwing the money away.

art a fool, and fit for thy

[Exit LUCULLUS.

FLAM. May these add to the number that may scald thee! Let molten coin be thy damnation,

Thou disease of a friend, and not himself!
Has friendship such a faint and milky heart,

It turns in less than two nights? O, you gods,

I feel my master's passion! This slave unto his honour

Has my lord's meat in him;

Why should it thrive, and turn to nutriment,

When he is turn'd to poison?

O, may diseases only work upon 't!

And, when he's sick to death, let not that part of nature

Which my lord paid for, be of any power

To expel sickness, but prolong his hour!

SCENE II.-A public Place.

Enter LUCIUS, with Three Strangers.

[Exit

LUC. Who, the lord Timon? he is my very good friend, and an honourable gentleman.

1 STRAN. We know him for no less, though we 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, 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.

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, think'st 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 nany talents.

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,

I should not urge it half so faithfully.

LUC. Dost thou speak seriously, Servilius?

SER. Upon my soul, 't is true, sir.

LUC. What a wicked beast was I, to disfurnish myself against such a good time, when I might have shown myself

VOL. VI.