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.-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 'tis, 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. Every man has his fault, and honesty 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 lived? Fly, damnéd baseness, To him that worships thee!

[Throwing the money away.

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!

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 turned to poison?

O, may diseases only work upon 't!

And, when he is 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! [Exit.

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.

1st 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.

2nd 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 shewed what necessity belonged to 't, and yet was denied.

Luc. How?

2nd 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 shewed 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 honourablevirtuous 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 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, 'tis true, sir.

Luc. What a wicked beast was I, to disfurnish myself against such a good time, when I might have shewn 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 the gods, I am not able to do't; the more beast, I say. I was sending to use lord Timon myself, these gentleman 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 shall.

Luc. I will look you out a good turn, Servilius. [Exit SERVILIUS.

True, as you said, Timon is shrunk, indeed; And he that's once denied, will hardly speed. [Exit LUCIUS.

1st Stran. Do you observe this, Hostilius? 2nd Stran. Ay, too well.

1st Stran. Why this is the world's soul; And just of the same piece

Is every flatterer's spirit: who can call him his friend
That dips in the same dish? for, in my knowing,
Timon has been this lord's father,
And kept his credit with his purse;
Supported his estate; nay, Timon's money
Has paid his men their wages: he ne'er drinks,
But Timon's silver treads upon his lip:
And yet (O, see the monstrousness of man,
When he looks out in an ungrateful shape!)
He does deny him, in respect of his,
What charitable men afford to beggars.
3rd Stran. Religion groans at it.
1st Stran.
For mine own part,

Sem.

How! have they denied him? Has Ventidius and Lucullus denied him? And does he send to me? Three? humph!It shews but little love or judgment in him. Must I be his last refuge? His friends, like physicans,

Thrice give him over: must I take the cure upon me?

He has much disgraced me in 't: I am angry at him,

That might have known my place: I see no sense for 't,

But his occasions might have wooed me first; For, in my conscience, I was the first man That e'er received gift from him:

And does he think so backwardly of me now,
That I'll requite it last? No:

So it may prove an argument of laughter
To the rest, and 'mongst lords I be thought a fool.
I had rather than the worth of thrice the sum,
He had sent to me first, but for my mind's sake;
I had such a courage to do him good. But now
return,

And with their faint reply this answer join;
Who bates mine honour, shall not know my coin.

[Exit.

Serv. Excellent! Your lordship's a goodly villain. The devil knew not what he did, when he made man politic; he crossed himself by 't: and I cannot think but, in the end, the villanies of man will set him clear. How fairly this lord strives to appear foul! takes virtuous copies to be wicked;

Luc. Serv. Mark, how strange it shews, Timon in this should pay more than he owes: And e'en as if your lord should wear rich jewels, And send for money for 'em.

Hor. I am weary of this charge, the gods can witness:

I know my lord hath spent of Timon's wealth, And now ingratitude makes it worse than stealth. 1st Var. Serv. Yes, mine's three thousand crowns: what's yours?

Luc. Serv. Five thousand mine,
1st Var. Serv. 'Tis much deep: and it should
seem by the sum,

Your master's confidence was above mine;
Else, surely, his had equalled.

SCENE V.-The same. The Senate-House.

The Senate sitting. Enter ALCIBIADES, attended. 1st Sen. My lord, you have my voice to 't; The fault's bloody;

'Tis necessary he should die:

Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.

2nd Sen. Most true; the law shall bruise him. Alcib. Honour, health, and compassion to the senate!

1st Sen. Now, captain?

Alcib. I am an humble suitor to your virtues;

For pity is the virtue of the law,

And none but tyrants use it cruelly.

It pleases time, and fortune, to lie heavy
Upon a friend of mine, who, in hot blood,
Hath stepped into the law, which is past depth
To those that, without heed, do plunge into 't.
He is a man, setting his fate aside,

Of comely virtues :

Nor did he soil the fact with cowardice
(An honour in him, which buys out his fault);
But, with a noble fury and fair spirit,
Seeing his reputation touched to death,
He did oppose his foe:

And with such sober and unnoted passion
He did behave his anger, ere 't was spent,
As if he had but proved an argument.

1st Sen. You undergo too strict a paradox, Striving to make an ugly deed look fair: Your words have took such pains, as if they laboured

To bring manslaughter into form, and set quarrelling

Upon the head of valour; which, indeed,
Is valour misbegot, and came into the world
When sects and factions were newly born:
He's truly valiant that can wisely suffer
The worst that man can breathe;
And make his wrongs his outsides,
To wear them like his raiment, carelessly;