Call me before th' exacteft auditors,

And fet me on the proof. So the gods blefs me,
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 minstrelsie; 'I have retir'd me to a lonely room,

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And fet mine eyes at flow.

Tim. Pr'ythee no more.

Fla. Heav'ns! have I said, the bounty of this lord! How many prodigal bits have slaves and peasants

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

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

Great Timon; noble, worthy, royal Timon's?

Ah! when the means are gone, that buy this praise,
The breath is gone whereof this praise is made:

Feast-won, fast loft; one cloud of winter showres,
These flies are coucht.

Tim. Come, fermon me no further.

No villanous bounty yet hath past my heart;
Unwifely, not ignobly, have I given.

Why dost thou weep? canft thou the conscience lack

To think I shall 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.

Stew. Affurance bless your thoughts!

Tim. And in fome fort these wants of mine are crown'd,
That I account them bleffings; for by these
Shall I try friends. You shall perceive how you
Mistake my fortunes: in my friends I'm wealthy.
Within there, Ho Flaminius, Servilius!

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SCENE

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wafteful cock.

SCENE V.

Enter Flaminius, Servilius, and other fervants.

Serv. My lord, my lord.

Tim. I will dispatch you sev❜rally.

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 mony; let the request be fifty talents. Flam. As you have said, my lord.

Fla. Lord Lucius and Lucullus? hum
Tim. Go you, Sir, to the senators;

Of whom, even to the ftate's best health, I have
Deserv❜d this hearing; bid 'em send o'th' instant
A thousand talents to me.

Fla. 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 ?
Fla.

They answer in a joint and corporate voice, That now they are at fall, want treasure, cannot Do what they would; are forry

But

[To Flavius.

-You are honourable
yet they could have wisht ---- they know not
Something hath been amiss ---- a noble nature
May catch a wrench
And so intending other
After diftafteful looks,

1111

would all were well ----'tis pity -serious matters,

and these hard fractions,

• With certain half caps, and cold moving nods,

5 They froze me into filence.

Tim. You gods reward them!

VOL. V.

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I

I pr'ythee man, look cheerly. These old fellows
Have their ingratitude in them hereditary:
Their blood is cak'd, 'tis cold, it feldom 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 whose death he's stepp'd
Into a great estate; When he was poor,
Imprison'd, and in fcarcity of friends,

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

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

Stew. Would I could not: that thought is bounty's foe;
Being free it self, it thinks all others fo.

[Exeunt.

ACT

ACT III.

SCENE I.

The CITY.

Flaminius waiting at the houfe of Lucullus, enter a fervant to him.

SERVANT.

Have told my lord of you; he is coming down

to you.

Flam. I thank you Sir.

Enter Lucullus.

Ser. Here's my lord.

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Lucul. One of lord Timon's men? a gift, I warrant Why, this hits right: I dreamt of a filver bason and ewre tonight. Flaminius, honeft Flaminius, you are very respectively welcome, Sir; fill me fome wine. And how does that honourable compleat, 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 fupply; who having great and instant occasion to use fifty talents, hath sent to your lordship to furnifh him, nothing doubting your present affiftance 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 house. Many a time and often I ha' din'd with him, and told him

E 2

no

him on't; and come again to fupper to him on purpose to have him fpend lefs. And yet he would embrace no counsel, take n 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 fervant, with wine.

Ser. Please your lordship, here is the wine.

Lucul. Flaminius, I have noted thee always wife.

Here's to thee.

Flam. Your lordship speaks your pleasure.

Ger

Lncul. I have obferved thee always for a towardly prompt fpirit, give thee thy due: and one that knows what belongs to reafon; and canft ufe the time well, if the time ufe thee well. Good parts in thee-you gone, firrah. [To the fervant.] -Draw nearer, honeft Flaminius; thy lord's a bountiful gentleman, but thou art wife, and thou knoweft well enough (although thou comeft to me) that this is no time to lend mony, especially upon bare friendship without fecurity. Here's three Solidares for thee, good boy, wink at me, and say, thou faw'ft me not. Fare thee well.

Flam. Is't poffible the world should so much differ, And we alive that liv'd? fly, damned baseness,

To him that worships thee.

[Throwing the mony away.

Lucul. Ha! now I fee thou art a fool, and fit for thy master.

[Exit Lucullus. Flam. May these add to the number that may fcald thee:

Let molten coin be thy damnation,

Thou disease of a friend, and not himself!
Has friendship fuch a faint and milky heart,
It turns in less than two nights? O you gods!
I feel my master's paffion. This flave

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Unto this hour has my lord's meat in him:
Why should it thrive, and come to nutriment,

a this honour

When