Men and men's fortunes could 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.- 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 'em toward a supply of money: let the request be fifty talents. FLAM. As you have said, my lord. FLAV. Lord Lucius and Lucullus? hum! TIM. Go you, sir, [To another Serv.] to the senators, (For that I knew it the most general way) FLAV. They answer, in a joint and corporate voice, May catch a wrench-would all were well-'t is pity;- After distasteful looks, and these hard fractions, With certain half-caps, and cold-moving nods, TIM. [Aside. Go to Ventidius:-[To a Serv.] Pr'ythee, [To FLAVIUS.] be not sad, (*) Old text, Flavius. Intending-] That is, pretending. So in "Richard III." Act. III. Sc. 5,— "Tremble and start at wagging of a straw, Intending deep suspicion." TIMON OF ATHENS. Thou art true and honest: ingeniouslya I speak, No blame belongs to thee:-[To Serv.] Ventidius lately 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 [ACT III. With those five talents:-that had,-[To FLAV.] give it these fellows 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' House. FLAMINIUS waiting. Enter a Servant to him. SERV. I have told my lord of you; he is coming down to you. sir. SERV. Here's my lord. Enter LUCULLUS. LUCUL. [Aside.] One of lord Timon's men! a gift, I warrant. Why, this hits right; I dreamt of a silver basin 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, free-hearted 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 have 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. Ingeniously-] The use of ingenious where we now employ ingenuous was not uncommon formerly. Thus in "The Taming of the Shrew," Act L. Sc. 1, "Here let us breathe and haply institute Every man has his fault, and honesty a is his; I have told him on 't, but I could never get him from it. 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 knowest well enough, although thou comest 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 sawest 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. [Throwing back the money. LUCUL. Ha! now I see thou art a fool, and fit for thy master. [Exit LUCULLUS. FLAM. May these add to the number that may scald thee! Thou disease of a friend, and not himself! It turns in less than two nights? O you gods, I feel my master's passion! This slave 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! • Honesty-] Honesty here signifies, liberality. b This slave Unto his honour, has my lord's meat in him :] Pope, who has been followed in some later editions, printed,— [Exit. And Mr. Dyce thinks there is "a high probability that the true reading is,”— "This slander Unto his honour has," &c. If any change be really needed, we would read,— "This slave Unto dishonour has," &c. . SCENE II.-The same. A Public Place. Enter LUCIUS, with Three Strangers. 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. Fie 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;a 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. H'as only sent his present occasion now, my lord; requesting your lordship to supply his instant use with so many 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 honourable! how unluckily it happened, that I should purchase the day before for a little part, and undo a great deal of honour.-Servilius, now before b So many talents;] That is, certain talents. The expression occurs twice again in the present scene. See also note (c), p. 21. b A little part,-] Part seems a palpable misprint. We should, perhaps, as Mason the gods, I am not able to do; 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 me, because I have no power to be kind :—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 you befriend me so far, as to use mine own words to him? SER. Yes, sir, I shali. Luc. I'll look you out a good turn, Servilius.True, as you said, Timon is shrunk indeed; And he that's once denied will hardly speed. 1 STRAN. Do you observe this, Hostilius? 2 STRAN. [Exit SERVILIUS. [Exit LUCIUS. Ay, too well. 1 STRAN. Why this is the world's soul; and just of the same pieceIs every flatterer's spirit. Who can call him his friend, That dips in the same dish? for, in my knowing, And kept his credit with his purse; Supported his estate; nay, Timon's money Has paid his men their wages. He ne'er drinks, I never tasted Timon in my life, For mine own part, Nor came any of his bounties over me, Had his necessity made use of me, I would have put my wealth into donation, And the best half should have return'd to him, Men must learn now with pity to dispense, [Exeunt.. SCENE III.-The same. A Room in Sempronius' House. Enter SEMPRONIUS, and a Servant of TIMON'S. SEM. Must he needs trouble me in 't?-hum!-'bove all others? He might have tried lord Lucius or Lucullus; And now Ventidius is wealthy too, suggested, read, "a little port," that is, ostentation, show, and the like. Theobald pro-posed, "a little dirt." Johnson, "a little park." • Spirit.] An emendation by Theobald; the old text has, sport. |