[Exit.

Page. Thou waft whelpt a dog, and thou fhalt famish, a dog's death. Anfwer not, I am gone. Apem. Ev'n fo thou out-run'ft grace. Fool, I will go with you to Lord Timon's. Fool. Will you leave me there? Apem. If Timon stay at home You three ferve three ufurers? Al. I would they ferv'd us. Apem. So would Í.

ferv'd thief.

as good a trick as ever hangman

Fool. Are you three ufurers men?

All. Ay, fool.

Fool. I think no ufurer but has a fool to his fervant. My miftrefs is one, and I am her fool; when men come to borrow of your mafters, they approach fadly, and go away merrily; but they enter my miftrefs's house merrily, and go away fadly. The reafon of this?

Var. I could render one.

Fool. Do it then, that we may account thee a whoremafter, and a knave; which notwithstanding, thou shalt be no lefs efteem'd.

Var. What is a whoremafter, fool?

Fool. A fool in good cloaths, and fomething like thee. --Tis a spirit; sometimes it appears like a Lord, fometimes like a lawyer, fometimes like a philofopher, with two ftones more than's artificial one. He is very often like a knight; and generally, in all shapes that man goes up and down in, from fourscore to thirteen, this fpirit walks in. Var, Thou art not altogether a fool.

Fool. Nor thou altogether a wife man; as much foolery as I have, fo much wit thou lack'ft.

Apem. That anfwer might have become Apemantus.
All. Afide, afide, here comes Lord Timon.

Enter Timon and Flavius.

Apem. Come with me, fool, come.

Fool. I do not always follow lover, elder brother, and woman; fometime the philofopher.

Flav, Pray you walk near, I'll fpeak with you anon.

[Exeunt all but Timon and Flavius.

SCENE

SCENE IV.

Tim. You make me marvel; wherefore, ere this time,

Had you not fully laid my ftate before me?

That I might fo have rated my expence,

As I had leave of means.

Flav. You would not hear me :

At many leifures I propos'd.

Tim. Go to:

Perchance fome fingle vantages you took,
When my indifpofition put you back;
And that unaptness made made you minister
Thus to excuse your self.

Flav. Omy good Lord,

At many times I brought in my accounts,
Laid them before you; you would throw them off,
And fay you found them in mine honesty.

When, for fome trifling prefent, you have bid me
Return fo much, I've shook my head, and wept;
Yea, 'gainst th' authority of manners, pray'd you
To hold your hand more clofe. I did endure
Not feldom, nor no flight checks; when I have
Prompted you in the ebb of your estate,

And your great flow of debts. My dear-lov'd Lord,
Though you hear now, yet now's too late a time.
The greateft of your Having lacks a half
To pay your prefent debts.

Tim. Let all my land be fold.

Flav. 'Tis all engag'd, fome forfeited and gone,
And what remains will hardly ftop the mouth
Of prefent dues; the future come apace:
What fhall defend the interim, and at length
Make good our reck'ning?

Tim. To Lacedæmon did my land extend,

Flav. O my good Lord, the world is but a world;
Were it all yours, to give it in a breath,

How quickly were it gone!

Tim. You tell me true.

Flav. If you fufpect my husbandry or falfhood,

Call me before th' exacteft auditors,

And fet me on the proof. So the Gods bless me,

VOL. VII.

C

When

When all our offices have been oppreft

With riotous feeders; when our vaults have wept,
With drunken fpilth of wine; when every room
Hath blaz'd with lights, and bray'd with minstrelfie;
I have retir'd me to a wastefull cock,*

And fet mine eyes at flow.

Tim. Pr'ythee no more.

Flav. Heav'ns! have I faid, the bounty of this Lord! How many prodigal bits have flaves and peasants

This night englutted! who now is not Timon's?

What heart, head, fword, force, means, but is Lord Timon's ?
Great Timon's; noble, worthy, royal Timon's?
Ah! when the means are gone that buy this praise,
The breath is gone whereof this praise is made:
Feaft-won, faft-loft; one cloud of winter fhowres,
These flies are coucht.

Tim. Come, fermon me no further.

No villainous bounty yet hath paft my heart;
Unwifely, not ignobly, have I given.

Why doft thou weep

?canft thou all confcience lack
To think I fhall lack friends? fecure thy heart;
If I would broach the veffels of my love,
And try the arguments of hearts by borrowing,
Men and men's fortunes could I frankly use,

As I can bid thee speak.

Flav. Affurance blefs your thoughts!

Tim. And in fome fort thefe wants of mine are crown'd, That I account them bleffings; for by these

Shall I try friends. You fhall perceive how you

Mistake

fortunes: in my

my

friends I'm wealthy.

Within there, Ho! Flaminius, Servilius!

SCENE V.

Enter Flaminius, Servilius, and other Servants.

Serv. My Lord, my Lord.

Tim. I will difpatch you fev'rally.

You to Lord Lucius. -to Lord Lucullus you, I hunted with his Honour to-day- you to Sempronius-commend

By Cok here is meant a Cockloft, a Garret and a wastefull cock fignifies a Garret lying waite, neglected, put to no wie.

me

me to their loves, and I am proud, fay, that my occafions have found time to use 'em toward a fupply of mony; let the request be fifty talents.

Flam. As you have faid, my Lord.

Flav. Lord Lucius and Lucullus? hum-
Tim. Go you, Sir, to the Senators;

[To Flavius.

Of whom, even to the state's best health, I have
Deferv'd this hearing; bid 'em fend o'th' instant
A thousand talents to me,

Flav. I've been bold,

(For that I knew it the most gen'ral way,)
To them to use your fignet and your name;
But they do fhake their heads, and I am here
No richer in return.

Tim. Is't true? can't be ?

Flav. They answer in a joint and corporate voice,
That now they are at fall, want treasure, cannot
Do what they would; are forry-You are honourable
But yet they could have wifht-they know not-but
Something hath been amiss a noble nature

May catch a wrench- would all were well-'tis pity-
And fo intending other ferious matters,

After diftafteful looks, and these hard fractions,
With certain half caps, and cold-moving nods,
They froze me into filence.

Tim. You Gods, reward them!

I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly. These old fellows
Have their ingratitude hereditary :

Their blood is cak'd, 'tis cold, it seldom flows,
'Tis lack of kindly warmth they are not kind;
And nature, as it grows again tow'rd earth,
Is fashion'd for the journey, dull and heavy.
Go to Ventidius-pr'ythee be not fad,
Thou'rt true, and juft; ingenuously I speak,
No blame belongs to thee: Ventidius lately
Bury'd his father, by whofe death he's stepp'd
Into a great eftate; When he was poor,
Imprifon'd, and in fcarcity of friends,

I clear'd him with five talents. Greet him from me,
Bid him fuppofe fome good neceffity

C 2

Touches

Touches his friend, which craves to be remember'd
With those five talents. That had, give't thefe fellows
To whom 'tis inftant due. Ne'er fpeak, or think,
That Timon's fortunes 'mong his friends can fink.

Flav. Would I could not: that thought is bounty's foe; Being free it felf, it thinks all others fo. [Exeunt.

ACT III. SCENE I.
The House of Lucullus in the City.

Flaminius waiting, enter a Servant to him.
Have told my Lord of you; he is coming down
to you.

Flam. I thank you, Sir.

Enter Lucullus.

Ser. Here's my Lord.

Lucul. One of Lord Timon's men? a gift, I warrant― Why, this hits right: I dreamt of a filver bafon and ewre to-night. Flaminius, honeft Flaminius, you are very refpectively welcome, Sir; fill me fome wine. And how does that honourable, compleat, free-hearted gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful good Lord and mafter?

Flam. His health is well, Sir.

Lucul. I am right glad that his health is well, Sir; and what haft 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 inftant occafion to use fifty talents, hath fent to your Lordship to furnish him, nothing doubting your prefent affistance therein.

Lucul. La, la, la, la, Nothing doubting, fays he alas, good Lord, a noble gentleman 'tis, if he would not keep fo good a houfe. Many a time and often I ha'din'd with him, and told him on't; and come again to fupper to him on purpose to have him fpend lefs. And yet he would embrace no counfel, take no warning by my coming; every man hath his fault, and honefty is his. I ha' told him on't, but I could never get him from't.

Enter a Servant, with wine. Ser. Please your Lordship, here is the wine.

Lucul.