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Of raging wafte? It cannot hold, it will not.
If I want gold, fteal but a beggar's dog,
And give it Timon, why, the dog coins gold.
If I would fell my horfe, and buy ten more
Better than he; why, give my horfe to Timon;
Afk nothing, give it him, it foals me ftraight
Ten able horfe. No porter at his gate; (12)
But rather one that fmiles, and ftill invites
All that pass by it. It cannot hold; no reafon
Can found his ftate in fafety. Caphis, hoa!
Caphis, I fay.

Enter Caphis.

Cap. Here, Sir, what is you pleasure ?

Sen. Get on your cloak, and hafte you to Lord Timonz Importune him for monies, be not ceaft

With flight denial; nor then filenc'd with
• Commend me to your mafter-and the cap
Plays in the right hand, thus :-but tell him, firrah,
My ufes cry to me, I must ferve my turn
Out of mine own; his days and times are paft,
And my reliance on his fracted dates

Has fmit my credit. I love and honour him;
But must not break my back, to heal his finger.
Immediate are my needs, and my relief
Must not be toft and turn'd to me in words,
But find supply immediate. Get you gone.
Put on a most importunate afpect,

A vifage of demand: for I do fear,

(12) Afk nothing, give it him, it foals me ftraight

An able borfe,] The ftupidity of this corruption will be very obvious, if we take the whole context together. "If I want gold, (fays "the Senator) let me fteal a beggar's dog, and give it to Timon, the "dog coins me gold. If I would fell my borse, and had a mind to "buy ten better inftead of him; why, I need but give my horfe to "Timon, to gain this point; and it prefently fetches me an borse." But is that gaining the point propos'd? fenfe and reafon warrant the reading, that I have reftor'd to the text. The first folio reads, lefs corruptly than the modern impreífions, And able horfes..

Which reading, join'd to the reasoning of the paffage, gave me the

hint for this emendation.

When

When every feather fticks in his own wing,
Lord Timon will be left a naked Gull,
Who flashes now a Phoenix-get you gone.

Cap. I go, Sir.

Sen. I go, Sir?-take the bonds along with you, (13) And have the dates in compt.

Cap. I will, Sir.

Sen. Go.

Flav.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Timon's hall.

Enter Flavius, with many bills in his hand.

N

O care, no ftop? fo fenfelefs of expence, That he will neither know how to maintain it, Nor ceafe his flow of riot? Takes no account How things go from him, and refumes no care Of what is to continue: never mind

Was to be fo unwife, to be fo kind.

What shall be done?-he will not hear, 'till feel:
I must be round with him, now he comes from hunting.
Fie, fie, fie, fie.

Enter Caphis, Ifidore, and Varro.

Cap. Good evening, Varro; what, you come for money? Var. Is't not your business too?

Cap. It is; and yours too, Ifidore?

Ifid. It is fo.

Cap. Would we were all discharg'd.

Var. I fear it.

Cap. Here comes the Lord.

(13)

take the bends along with you,

And have the dates in. Come.] The abfurdity of this paffage is fo glaring, that one cannot help wondering, none of our poet's editors fhould have been fagacious enough to ftumble at it. Certainly, ever fince bonds were given, the date was put in when the bond was enter'd into: And these bonds Timon had already given, and the time limited for their payment was laps'd. The Senator's charge to his fervant must be to the tenour as I have amended the text; viz. Take good notice of the dates, for the better computation of the interest due upon them. Mr. Pope has vouchfafed to acknowledge my emendation, and cry recte to it in the appendix to his laft impreffion.

Enter

Enter Timon, and his train.

Tim. So foon as dinner's done, we'll forth again, My Alcibiades.-Well, what's your will?

[They prefent their bills. Cap. My Lord, here is a note of certain dues. Tim. Dues? whence are you?

Cap. Of Athens here, my Lord.
Tim. Go to my Steward.

{

Cap. Pleafe it your Lordship, he hath put me off
To the fucceffion of new days, this month:
My mafter is awak'd by great occafion,

To call upon his own; and humbly prays you,
That with your other noble parts you'll fuit,
In giving him his right.

Tim. Mine honest friend,

I pr'ythee, but repair to me next morning.
Cap. Nay, good my Lord.

Tim. Contain thyfelf, good friend.

Var. One Varro's fervant, my good Lord-
Ifid. From Ifidore, he prays your fpeedy payment-
Cap. If you did know, my Lord, my mafter's wants--
Var. 'Twas due on forfeiture, my Lord, fix weeks, and
past.

Ifid. Your fteward puts me off, my Lord, and I
Am fent exprefsly to your Lordship.

Tim. Give me breath:

I do beseech you, good my Lords, keep on, [Ex. Lords.
I'll wait upon you inftantly.-Come hither:"

How goes the world, that I am thus encountred
With clam'rous claims of debt, of broken bonds,
And the detention of long-fince-due debts,

Against my honour?

Flav. Pleafe you, gentlemen,

The time is unagreeable to this bufinefs:
Your importunity, ceafe, 'till after dinner;

That I may make his Lordfhip understand

Wherefore you are not paid.

Tim. Do fo, my friends; fee them well entertain’d.

[Exit Tim.

Flav. Pray, draw near.

Enter Apemantus, and Fool.

[Exit Flav.

Cap. Stay, ftay, here comes the fool with Apemantus, let's have fome fport with 'em.

Var. Hang him, he'll abufe us.

Ifid. A plague upon him, dog.
Var. How doft, fool?

Apem. Doft dialogue with thy fhadow?

Var. I fpeak not to thee.

Apem. No, 'tis to thyfelf. Come away.

Ijid. There's the fool hangs on your back already. Apem. No, thou ftand'ft fingle, thou art not on him yet. Cap. Where's the fool now?

Apem. He laft afk'd the queftion. Poor rogues, and ufurers men! bawds between gold and want! All. What are we, Apemantus?

Apem. Affes.

All. Why?

Apem. That you ask me what you are, and do not know yourselves. Speak to 'em, fool.

Fool. How do you, gentlemen?

All. Gramercies, good fool: how does your mistress ? Fool. She's e'en fetting on water to scald fuch chickens as you are. 'Would, we could fee you at Corinth. Apem. Good! gramercy!

Enter Page.

Fool. Look you, here comes my miftrefs's page. Page. Why how now, captain? what do you in this wife company? how doft thou, Apemantus?

Apem. 'Would, I had a rod in my mouth, that I might anfwer thee profitably.

Page. Pr'ythee, Apemantus, read me the fuperfcription of these letters; I know not which is which. Apem. Canft not read?

Page. No.

Apem. There will little learning die then, that day thou art hang'd. This is to Lord Timon, this to Alcibiades. Go, thou waft born a bastard, and thou'lt die a bawd.

Page.

[Exit.

Page. Thou waft whelpt a dog, and thou shalt famish, a dog's death. Anfwer not, I am gone. Apem. Ev'n fo thou out-run'ft grace. Fool, I will go with you to Lord Timon's. Fool. Will you leave me there? Apem. If Timon ftay at homeYou three ferve three ufurers? All. I would, they ferv'd us.

Apem. So would I-as good a trick as ever hangman ferv'd thief.

Fool Are you three ufurers men?

All. Ay, fool.

Fool. I think, no usurer but has a fool to his servant. My mistress is one, and I am her fool; when men come to borrow of your mafters, they approach fadly, and go away merrily; but they enter my miftrefs's houfe merrily, and go away fadly. The reafon of this? Var. I could render one.

Apem. Do it then, that we may account thee a whoremafter, and a knave; which notwithstanding, thou shalt be no less esteem'd.

Var. What is a whore-mafter, fool?

Fool. A fool in good clothes, and fomething like thee. "Tis a fpirit; fometimes it appears like a Lord, fometimes like a lawyer, fometimes like a philofopher, with two ftones more than's artificial one. He is very often like a knight; and generally, in all fhapes that man goes up and down in, from fourfcore to thirteen, this fpirit walks in.

Var. Thou art not altogether a fool.

Fool. Nor thou altogether a wife man; as much foolery as I have, fo much wit thou lack'ft.

Apem. That answer might have become Apemantus. All. Afide, afide, here comes Lord Timon.

Enter Timon and Flavius.

Apem. Come with me, fool, come.

Fool. I do not always follow lover, elder brother, and woman; fometime, the philofopher.

Flav.

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