to you. We are born to do benefits: and what better or properer can we call our own than the riches of our friends? O, what a precious comfort 'tis, to have so many, like brothers, commanding one another's fortunes! O joy,(32) e'en made away ere't can be born! Mine eyes cannot hold out water, methinks to forget their faults, I drink to you. Apem. Thou weepest to make them drink, Timon. Sec. Lord. Joy had the like conception in our eyes, And, at that instant, like a babe sprung up. Apem. Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a bastard. Third Lord. I promise you, my lord, you mov'd me much. Apem. Much! Tim. What means that trump? [Tucket sounded within. Enter a Servant. How now! Serv. Please you, my lord, there are certain ladies most desirous of admittance. Tim. Ladies! what are their wills? Serv. There comes with them a forerunner, my lord, which bears that office, to signify their pleasures. Tim. I pray, let them be admitted. Enter CUPID. Cup. Hail to thee, worthy (33) Timon;—and to all Th' ear, taste, touch, smell, pleas'd from thy table rise; (32) joy,] The folio has "ioyes." (33) thee, worthy] Qy. "the worthy”? (34) and come freely To gratulate thy plenteous bosom :] Theobald printed "and do come Freely to gratulate thy plenteous bosom :" an arrangement followed by Capell, but with the substitution of "are" for "do.' -These lines and the preceding part of the speech stand as prose in the folio. These only now come but to feast thine eyes. (35) Tim. They're welcome all; let 'em have kind admit tance : Music, make their welcome! (36) [Exit Cupid. First Lord.(87) You see, my lord, how ample you're be lov'd. Music. Re-enter CUPID, with a Masque of Ladies as Amazons with lutes in their hands, dancing and playing. Apem. Hoy-day, what a sweep of vanity comes this way! They dance! they are mad women. Like madness is the glory of this life, As this pomp shows to a little oil and root.(38) We make ourselves fools, to disport ourselves; (35) Th' ear, taste, touch, smell, pleas'd from thy table rise;— The folio has "There tast, touch all, pleas'd from thy Table rise: "The incomparable emendation, with which the text is here supplied, I owe to my ingenious friend Mr. Warburton. The five Senses, as he observes, are talked of by Cupid, but only three of them made out; and those in a very heavy, unintelligible manner. But now you have them all, and the poet's sense, complete, viz. The five Senses, Timon, acknowledge thee their patron; four of them, the Hearing, the Touch, the Taste, and Smell, are all regaled at your board; and these Ladies come with me to entertain your Sight in presenting a masque." THEOBALD.—Malone (Var. Shake.) awkwardly (and in direct opposition to the folio) removes Th' ear" from the beginning of the first line of the couplet to the end of the preceding line; and, not seeing that Warburton had rightly substituted "smell" for the old word "all," he interpolates "smell" and also retains "all," thus ; "the ear, Taste, touch, smell, all pleas'd from thy table rise."— The Cambridge Editors (Globe Shakespeare) retain Malone's arrangement, but throw out "all" and interpolate "and," thus ; "th' ear, Taste, touch and smell, pleased from thy table rise." (36) Music, make their welcome!] "Perhaps the poet wrote 'Music, make known their welcome,'" says Steevens,-as if he had not known that such was Capell's reading! (37) First Lord.] Here the folio has "Luc." See note 19. 38) As this pomp shows to a little oil and root.] "Is not something lost after this line?" Walker's Crit. Exam., &c., vol. i. p. 75. And spend our flatteries, to drink those men, With poisonous spite and envy. Who lives, that's not depraved or depraves? Who dies, that bears not one spurn to their graves I should fear those that dance before me now Would one day stamp upon me: 't has been done; The Lords rise from table, with much adoring of TIMON; and to show their loves, each singles out an Amazon, and all dance; men with women, a lofty strain or two to the hautboys, and cease. Tim. You have done our pleasures much grace, fair ladies, (40) Set a fair fashion on our entertainment, Which was not half so beautiful and kind; You've added worth unto't and lively (41) lustre, And entertain'd me with mine own device; I am to thank you for❜t. First Lady (42) My lord, you take us even at the best. Apem. Faith, for the worst is filthy; and would not hold taking, I doubt me. Tim. Ladies, there is an idle banquet attends you: Please you to dispose yourselves. All Lad. Most thankfully, my lord. Tim. Flavius,— Flav. My lord? Tim. [Exeunt Cupid and Ladies. The little casket bring me hither. (39) Of their friends' gift?] Walker (Crit. Exam., &c., vol. i. p. 77) thinks that these words ought to be followed by something like "Timon, were I as thou." 66 (40) You have done our pleasures much grace, fair ladies,] "I should wish to read, for the sake of metre, 'fairest ladies.' 'Fair,' however, may be here used as a dissyllable." STEEVENS.-Capell printed pleasures a much grace," &c.-I strongly suspect that "fair" is not the poet's word; that the scribe or compositor caught it from the next line. (41) lively] Added in the second folio. (42) First Lady.] The folio has "I Lord." Flav. Yes, my lord.-[Aside] More jewels yet! There is no crossing him in's humour; Else I should tell him,-well, i' faith, I should,—(43) When all's spent, he'd be cross'd then, an he could. 'Tis pity bounty had not eyes behind, First Lord. Where be our men? That man might ne'er be wretched for his mind. [Exit. Serv. Here, my lord, in readiness. Sec. Lord. Our horses! Re-enter FLAVIUS with the casket. Tim. O my friends, I've one word to say to you:-look you, my good lord, As to advance this jewel; accept and wear it, (44) First Lord. I am so far already in your gifts,— Enter a Servant. Serv. My lord, there are certain nobles of the senate Newly alighted, and come to visit you. Tim. They're fairly welcome. Flav. I beseech your honour, Vouchsafe me a word, it does concern you near. Tim. Near! why, then, another time I'll hear thee: I prithee, Let's be provided to show them entertainment. Flav. [aside] I scarce know how. (43) There is no crossing him in's humour; Else I should tell him,—well, i' faith, I should,] "Read "There is no crossing him in this his humour."" RITSON.-Here Mr. Staunton retains the punctuation of the folio," Else I should tell him well, i faith, I should," and understands "tell" in the sense of rate, call to account. (44) accept and wear it,] So the second folio.-The first folio has "accept it and weare it.” Enter a second Servant. Sec. Serv. May it please your honour, Lord Lucius, Out of his free love, hath presented to you Four milk-white horses, trapp'd in silver. Tim. I shall accept them fairly: let the presents Be worthily entertain'd. Enter a third Servant. How now! what news? Third Serv. Please you, my lord, that honourable gentleman, Lord Lucullus, entreats your company to-morrow to hunt with him; and has sent your honour two brace of greyhounds. Tim. I'll hunt with him; and let them be receiv'd, Not without fair reward. Flav. [aside] What will this come to? He commands us to provide, and give great gifts, Nor will he know his purse; or yield me this, To show him what a beggar his heart is, That what he speaks is all in debt; he owes Before I were forc'd out! Happier is he that has no friend to feed Than such that do e'en enemies exceed. I bleed inwardly for my lord. Tim. You do yourselves Much wrong, you bate too much of your own merits :- [Exit. Sec. Lord. With more than common thanks I will re ceive it. Third Lord. O, he's the very soul of bounty! |