Apem. Then I repent not.

Jew. You know me, Apemantus.

Apem. Thou know't I do, I call'd thee by thy name. Tim. Thou art proud, Apemantus.

Apem. Of nothing fo much, as that I am not like Timon.

Tim. Whither art going?

Apem. To knock out an honeft Athenian's brains.
Tim. That's a deed thoul't die for.

Apem. Right, if doing nothing be death by the law,
Tim. How lik'ft thou this Picture, Apemantus?
Apem. The beft, for the innocence.

Tim. Wrought he not well, that painted it?

Apem. He wrought better, that made the Painter: and yet he's but a filthy piece of work.

Pain. Y'are a dog.

Apem. Thy mother's of my generation: what's the, if I be a dog?

Tim. Wilt dine with me, Apemantus ?

Apem. No, I eat not lords.

Tim. If thou fhould'ft, thou'dft anger ladies. Apem. O, they eat lords; fo they come by great bellies.

Tim. That's a lafcivious apprehenfion.

Apem. So, thou apprehend'ft it. Take it for thy labour. Tim. How doft thou like this jewel, Apemantus ? Apem. Not fo well as Plain-dealing, which will not coft a man a doit.

Tim. What doft thou think 'tis worth?
Apem. Not worth my thinking
Poet. How now, Philofopher?

Apem. Thou lieft.

Poet. Art thou not one?

Apem. Yes.

Poet. Then I lie not.

Apem. Art not a poet ?

Poet. Yes.

How now, Poet?

Apem. Then thou lieft: look in thy laft work, where thou haft feign'd him a worthy fellow.

Poet. That's not feign'd, he is fo.

Арет.

Apem. Yes, he is worthy of thee, and to pay thee for thy labour. He, that loves to be flattered, is worthy o'th' flatterer. Heav'ns, that I were a lord! Tim. What would'ft do then, Apemantus?

Apem. Ev'n as Apemantus does now, hate a lord with my heart.

Tim. What, thy felf?
Apem. Ay.

Tim. Wherefore?

Apem. That I had fo hungry a wit, to be a lord.-(5) Art thou not a Merchant ?

Mer. Ay, Apemantus.

Apem. Traffick confound thee, if the Gods will not!
Mer. If Traffick do it, the Gods do it.

Apem. Traffick's thy God, and thy God confound thee!

Trumpets found. Enter a Messenger.

Tim. What trumpet's that?

Mef. 'Tis Alcibiades, and fome twenty horse All of companionship.

Tim. Pray, entertain them, give them guide to us; You must needs dine with me: go not you hence, 'Till I have thankt you: and when dinner's done, Shew me this piece. I'm joyful of your fights..

Enter Alcibiades with the reft.

Moft welcome, Sir!

[Bowing and embracing. Apem. So, fo! Aches contract, and starve your fupple joints! that there fhould be fmall love amongst these fweet knaves, and all this courtefie! the ftrain of man's bred out into baboon and monkey.

Alc. You have fav'd my longing, and I feed

(3) That I had no angry Wit to be a Lord.] This Reading is abfurd, and unintelligible. But, as I have reftor'd the Text, it is fatirical enough of all Confcience, and to the purpose: viz. I would hate myself, for having no more Wit than to covet so insignificant a Title. In the same Sense Shakespeare uses lean-witted, in his Richard 2d.

And thou a lunatick, lean-witted, Fool.

Mr. Warburton.

Moft

Most hungerly on your fight.

Tim. Right welcome, Sir.

Ere we do part, we'll share a bounteous time (6)
In different pleasures. Pray you, let us in.

[Exeunt Manet Apemantus. Enter Lucius and Lucullus. Luc. What time a day is't, Apemantus? Apem. Time to be honeft.

Luc. That time ferves ftill.

Apem. The most accurfed thou, that ftill omitt'ft it.

Lucul. Thou art going to lord Timon's feast.

Apem. Ay, to fee meat fill knaves, and wine heat fools.
Lucul. Fare thee well, fare thee well.

Apem. Thou art a fool to bid me farewel twice.
Lucul. Why, Apemantus?

Apem. Thou fhould'ft have kept one to thy felf, for I mean to give thee none.

Luc. Hang thy felf.

Apem. No, I will do nothing at thy bidding: make thy requests to thy friend.

Lucul. Away, unpeaceable dog, or I'll spurn thee hence.

Apem. I will fly, like a dog, the heels o'th' afs.
Luc. He's oppofite to humanity.

Come, fhall we in, and tafte lord Timon's bounty?
He, fure, outgoes the very heart of kindness.

Lucul. He pours it out. Plutus, the God of gold,

Is but his Steward: no meed but he

repays Seven-fold above it felf; no gift to him,

But breeds the giver a Return exceeding

All ufe of quittance.

Luc. The noblest mind he carries,

That ever govern'd man.

Lucul. Long may he live in fortunes! fhall we in?
Luc. I'll keep you company.

[Exeunt.

(6) Ere we depart,] Tho' the Editions concur in this Reading, it is certainly faulty. Who depart? Tho' Alcibiades was to leave Timon, Timon was not to depart from his own Houfo. Common Senfe favours my Emendation.

SCENE

SCENE, another Apartment in Timon's Houfe.

Hautboys playing, loud mufick. A great banquet ferv'd in; and then enter Timon, Lucius, Lucullus, Sempronius, and other Athenian Senators, with Ventidius. Then comes, dropping after all, Apemantus difcontentedly.

Ven.

"M°

OST honour'd Timon, it hath pleas'd the Gods To call my father's age unto long peace. He is gone happy, and has left me rich.

Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound

Το your free heart, I do return those talents,
Doubled with thanks and fervice, from whofe help
I deriv'd liberty.

Tim. O, by no means,

Honeft Ventidius: you mistake my

I

love;

gave it freely ever, and there's none

Can truly fay he gives, if he receives :

If our Betters play at that game, we must not dare
To imitate them. Faults that are rich, are fair.
Ven. A noble fpirit.

Tim. Nay, ceremony was but devis'd at first,
To fet a glofs on faint deeds, hollow welcomes,
Recanting goodness, forry ere 'tis shown:

But where there is true friendship, there needs none. Pray, fit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes,

Than they to me.

Luc. We always have confeft it.

[They fit down.

Apem. Ho, ho, confeft it? hang'd it, have you not? Tim. O, Apemantus! you are welcome.

Apem. No; you shall not make me welcome. I come to have thee thruft me out of doors.

Tim. Fie, th'art a churle; ye have got a humour there Does not become a man, 'tis much to blame :

They fay, my lords, that Ira furor brevis eft,
But yonder man is ever angry.

Go, let him have a table by himself:
For he does neither affect company,
VOL. VI.

F

Nor

Nor is he fit for't, indeed.

Apem. Let me stay at thy peril, Timon; I come to obferve, I give thee warning on't.

Tim. I take no heed of thee; th'art an Athenian, therefore welcome; I my felf would have no powerpr'ythee, let my meat make thee filent.

Apem. I fcorn thy meat, 'twould choak me: for I fhould ne'er flatter thee. O you gods! what a number of men eat Timon, and he sees 'em not? It grieves me to fee

So many dip their meat in one man's blood,

And, all the madness is, he cheers them up too.
I wonder, men dare truft themselves with men !
Methinks, they should invite them without knives
Good for their meat, and fafer for their lives.
There's much example for't; the fellow, that
Sits next him now, parts bread with him, and pledges
The breath of him in a divided draught,

Is th' readieft man to kill him. 'T has been prov❜d.
Were I a Great Man, I should fear to drink,
Left they should spy my wind-pipe's dangerous notes:
Great men fhould drink with harness on their throats.
Tim. My lord, in heart; and let the health
go round.
Lucul. Let it flow this way, my good lord.
Apem. Flow this way!- -a brave fellow! he keeps his
tides well; those healths will make thee and thy ftate
look ill, Timon. Here's that which is too weak to be a
finner, honeft water, which ne'er left man i'th' mire:
This and my food are equal, there's no odds;
Feasts are too proud to give thanks to the Gods.

Apemantus's grace.

Immortal Gods, I crave no pelf;
I pray for no man but my self;
Grant, I may never prove fo fond
To truft man on his oath, or bond;
Or a harlot for her weeping;
Or a dog, that feems a fleeping;

Or