Enter Caphis, Ifidore, and Varro †. “Da

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

Cap. It is; and your's too, Ifidore?
Ifid. It is fo.

Cap. 'Would we were all difcharg'd!
Var. I fear it.

Cap. Here comes the Lord.

Enter Timon and his train.

[money?

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. Please 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 speedy payment-Cap. If you did know, my Lord, my mafter's wantsFar. 'Twas due on forfeiture, my Lord, fix weeks, and paft.

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

Tim. Give me breath.

I do befeech you, good my Lords, keep on,

[Exeunt Lords.

I'll wait upon you instantly.-—Come hither:
How goes the world, that I am thus encountred

K 3

With

The two laft are but fervants to Ifidore and Varro, here called by their masters names, as is ufual among fervants with one another.

With clam'rous claims of debt, of broken bonds,
And the detention of long-fince-due debts,
Against my honour?

Flav. Please you, Gentlemen,

The time is unagreeable to this business ;
Your importunity ceafe till after dinner ;
That I may make his Lordship understand
Wherefore you are not paid.

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

Flav. Pray, draw near.

[Exit Timon.

[Exit Flavius.

SCENE III. Enter Apemantus and Fool.

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

Var. Hang him, he'll abuse 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 thy felf.

Come away.

Jd. There's the fool hangs on your back already.

Apem. No, thou ftand'ft fingle.
Cap. Thou art not on him yet.

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.

trefs?

How does your mif

Fool. She's e'en fetting on water to fcald fuch chickens as you are. 'Would we could fee you at Corinth †. Apem. Good! gramercy!

Enter

+ A cant name for a bawdy-house, I fuppofe from the diffolutenefs of that ancient Greek city.

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.

1

[Exit.

Page. Thou waft whelp'd a dog, and thou shalt famish, a dog's death. Anfwer not, I am gone. Apem. Ev'n fo thou outrunn'ft Fool, I will go with you to Lord Timon's.

Fool. Will you leave me there?

Apem. If Timon stay at home

You three ferve three ufurers?
All. I would they serv'd us.

grace.

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 ufurer but has a fool to his fervant. 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 house 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 fhalt be no less esteem'd.

Var. What is a whoremafter, foul?

Fool. A fool in good cloaths, 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 shapes that man

goes

goes up and down in, from fourscore to thirteen, this Ipirit 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 anfwer 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. Pray you, walk near, I'll speak with you anon.. [Exeunt Creditors, Apemantus, and Fool..

SCENE IV.

Tim. You make me marvel; wherefore, ere this time,, Had you not fully laid my ftate before me? That I might fo have rated my expence,

As I had leave of means.

Flav. You would not hear me; At many leifures I propos'd.

Tim. Go to.

Perchance fome fingle 'vantages you took,,
When my indifpofition put you back:
And that unaptnefs made you minifter
Thus to excuse yourself.

Flav. O my good Lord!

At many times I brought in my accounts,
Laid them before you; you would throw them off,
And fay, you found them in mine honesty..
When, for fome trifling prefent, you have bid me
Return fo much, I've shook my head, and wept;
Yea, 'gainst th' authority of manners, pray'd you
To hold your hand more clofe., I did endure
Not feldom, nor no flight checks; when I have
Prompted you in the ebb of your estate,

And your great flow of debts. My dear-lov'd Lord,
Though you hear now too late, yet now's a time;
The greateft of your having lacks a half

To pay your prefent debts.

Tim. Let all my land be fold.

Flav. 'Tis all engag'd, fome forfeited and gone :

And

And what remains will hardly stop the mouth
Of prefent dues; the future comes apace:
What fhall defend the interim, and at length
Hold good our reck'ning?

Tim. To Lacedæmon did my land extend.

Fla. O my good Lord, the world is but a word; Were it all your's, to give it in a breath,

How quickly were it gone!

Tim. You tell me true.

Flav. If you fufpect my husbandry or falfehood, Call me before th' exacteft auditors,

And fet me on the proof.

So the gods bless me, 'When all our offices have been opprefs'd

'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 minftrelfy; 'I have retir'd me to a wasteful cock *,

And fet mine eyes at flow.

Tim. Pr'ythee no more.

Flav. Heav'ns! have I faid, the bounty of this Lord!
How many prodigal bits have flaves and peasants
This night englutted! who now is not Timon's?
What heart, head, fword, force, means, but is Lord
Timon's?

Great Timon's, noble, worthy, royal Timon's?
Ah! when the means are gone that buy this praise,
The breath is gone whereof this praise is made:
Feaft-won, faft-loft: one cloud of winter showers,
Thefe flies are couch'd.

Tim. Come, fermon me no further.

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

Why doft thou weep? canft thou the confcience + lack,
To think I fhall lack friends? fecure thy heart;

If I would broach the veffels of my love,

And try the arguments of hearts by borrowing,
Men and mens' fortunes could I frankly ufe,
As I can bid thee speak.

Flav.

i. e. a cockloft, a garret. And a wasteful cock, fignifies a garret lying in wafte, neglected, put to no use.

t confcience, for faith.

arguments, for natures.