Shall I try friends: you shall perceive how you 190
Mistake my fortunes; I am wealthy in my friends.
Within there! Flaminius! Servilius!

Enter Flaminius, Servilius, and other Servants. Servants. My lord? my lord?

Tim. I will dispatch 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 200 fifty talents.

Flam. As you have said, my lord.

Flav. [Aside] Lord Lucius and Lucullus? hum!
Tim. Go you, sir, to the senators—

Flav.

Of whom, even to the state's best health, I have
Deserved this hearing-bid 'em send o' the instant
A thousand talents to me.

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.

Is 't true? can't be?

210

Tim.
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 honour-
able,-

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-'tis pity:—

ΓΙΜΟΝ OF ATHENS

Tim.

Act II. Sc. ii.

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.

You gods, reward them! 220
Prithee, man, look cheerly. These old fellows
Have their ingratitude in them hereditary:
Their blood is caked, 'tis 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.
[To a Serv.] Go to Ventidius. [To Flav.] Prithee,
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 230
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. [Exit Serv.] [To Flav.] That had, give 't these fellows

To whom 'tis 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.

239

[Exeunt.

ACT THIRD.

Scene I.

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 basin and ewer to-night.
est Flaminius; you are very
come, sir. Fill me some wine.

Flaminius, honrespectively wel[Exit Servant.]

And how does that honourable, complete, free- ΙΟ 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 non-
our to supply; who, having great and instant
occasion to use fifty talents, hath sent to your 20
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 'tis, 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 hon- 30
esty 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 40 parts in thee. [To Serv.] Get you gone, sirrah. [Exit Serv.] 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 saw'st me not. Fare thee well.

51

Flam. Is 't possible that the world should so much differ,
And we alive that lived? 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.

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!

60

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.

First 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. Sec. 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; na, urged

ΙΟ