TIM.

Noble Ventidius! Well;

I am not of that feather, to shake off

My friend when he must need me. I do know him
A gentleman that well deserves a help,

Which he shall have: I'll pay the debt and free him.

VEN. SERV. Your lordship ever binds him.

TIM. Commend me to him: I will send his ransom; And, being enfranchis'd, bid him come to me :"T is not enough to help the feeble up,

But to support him after.-Fare you well. VEN. SERV. All happiness to your honour.

Enter an old Athenian.

OLD ATH. Lord Timon, hear me speak.

TIM.

Freely, good father.

OLD ATH. Thou hast a servant nam'd Lucilius.

TIM. I have so: What of him?

OLD ATH. Most noble Timon, call the man before thee.

TIM. Attends he here, or no?—Lucilius!

Enter LUCILIUS.

Luc. Here, at your lordship's service.

OLD ATH. This fellow here, lord Timon, this thy creature,

By night frequents my house. I am a man

That from my first have been inclined to thrift;

And my estate deserves an heir more rais'd

Than one which holds a trencher.

[Exit.

a The following is Coleridge's explanation of this passage:-" The meaning of the first line the poet himself explains, or rather unfolds, in the second. The man is honest!'- True; and for

Luc. Ay, my good lord, and she accepts of it.

OLD ATH. If in her marriage my consent be missing,

TIM.

I call the gods to witness, I will choose

Mine heir from forth the beggars of the world,
And dispossess her all.

How shall she be endow'd,

If she be mated with an equal husband?

OLD ATH. Three talents, on the present; in future, all.
TIM. This gentleman of mine hath serv'd me long;
To build his fortune I would strain a little,

For 't is a bond in men. Give him thy daughter:
What you bestow, in him I 'll counterpoise,

And make him weigh with her.

Pawn me to this your honour, she is his.

TIM. My hand to thee; mine honour on my promise.
Luc. Humbly I thank your lordship: Never may

That state or fortune fall into my keeping,
Which is not ow'd to you!

[Exeunt LUCILIUS and old Athenian. POET. Vouchsafe my labour, and long live your lordship! TIM. I thank you; you shall hear from me anon:

TIM. Well fare you, gentlemen: Give me your hand :
We must needs dine together.-Sir, your jewel

JEW.

Hath suffer'd under praise.

What, my lord? dispraise?

TIM. A mere satiety of commendations.

that very cause, and with no additional or extrinsic motive he will be so. No man can be justly called honest, who is not so for honesty's sake, itself including its own reward.'"

JEW.

If I should pay you for 't as 't is extoll'd

It would unclew me quite.

My lord, 't is rated

As those which sell would give: But you well know,
Things of like value, differing in the owners,

Are prized by their masters: believe 't, dear lord,
You mend the jewel by the wearing it.

TIM. Well mock'd.

MER. No, my good lord; he speaks the common tongue,
Which all men speak with him.

TIM. Look, who comes here. Will you be chid?

Enter APEMANTUS.

He'll spare none.

JEW. We will bear with your lordship.

MER.

TIM. Good morrow to thee, gentle Apemantus!

APEM. Till I be gentle, stay thou for thy good morrow;

When thou art Timon's dog, and these knaves honest.

TIM. Why dost thou call them knaves? thou know'st them not.
APEM. Are they not Athenians?

TIM. Yes.

APEM. Then I repent not.

JEW. You know me, Apemantus.

APEM. Thou know'st I do; I called thee by thy name.

TIM. Thou art proud, Apemantus.

APEM. Of nothing so much as that I am not like Timon.

TIM. Whither art going?

APEM. To knock out an honest Athenian's brains.

TIM. That's a deed thou 'lt die for.

APEM. Right, if doing nothing be death by the law.

TIM. How likest thou this picture, Apemantus?

APEM. The best, 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. You are a dog.

APEM. Thy mother 's of my generation: What 's she, if I be a dog?

TIM. Wilt dine with me, Apemantus?

APEM. No; I eat not lords.

TIM. An thou shouldst, thou 'dst anger ladies.

APEM. O, they eat lords; so they come by great bellies.

TIM. That's a lascivious apprehension.

APEM. So thou apprehend'st it: Take it for thy labour.

TIM. How dost thou like this jewel, Apemantus?

APEM. Not so well as plain-dealing, which will not cost a man a doit.

TIM. What dost thou think 't is worth?

APEM. Not worth my thinking.-How now, poet?
POET. How now, philosopher?

APEM. Thou liest.

POET. Art not one?

APEM. Yes.

POET. Then I lie not.

APEM. Art not a poet?

POET. Yes.

APEM. Then thou liest: look in thy last work, where thou hast feign'd him a worthy fellow.

POET. That's not feign'd, he is so.

APEM. Yes, he is worthy of thee, and to pay thee for thy labour: He that loves to be flattered is worthy o' the flatterer. Heavens, that I were a lord!

TIM. What wouldst do then, Apemantus?

APEM. Even as Apemantus does now, hate a lord with my heart.

TIM. What, thyself?

APEM. Ay.

TIM. Wherefore?

APEM. That I had no angry wit to be a lord.-Art not thou a merchant?

MER. Ay, Apemantus.

APEM. Traffic confound thee, if the gods will not.

MER. If traffic do it, the gods do it.

APEM. Traffic 's thy god, and thy god confound thee!

Trumpets sound. Enter a Servant.

TIM. What trumpet 's that?

SERV. "T is Alcibiades, and some twenty horse,

All of companionship.

TIM. Pray entertain them; give them guide to us.— [Exeunt some Attendants.

You must needs dine with me:-Go not you hence

Till I have thank'd you; and when dinner 's done,
Show me this piece.—I am joyful of your sights.

Enter ALCIBIADES, with his company.

Aches contract and starve your supple joints!

That there should be small love 'mongst these sweet knaves,

And all this court'sy! The strain of man's bred out

Into baboon and monkeya.

ALCIB. Sir, you have sav'd my longing, and I feed

TIM.

Most hungerly on your sight.

Right welcome, sir.

a This is printed as prose in the original.

[They salute.

Ere we depart, we 'll share a bounteous time
In different pleasures. Pray you, let us in.

[Exeunt all but APEMANTUS.

Enter Two Lords.

1 LORD. What time o' day is 't, Apemantus? APEM. Time to be honest.

1 LORD. That time serves still.

APEM. The most accursed thou that still omitt'st it.

2 LORD. Thou art going to Lord Timon's feast.

APEM. Ay; to see meat fill knaves, and wine heat fools.

2 LORD. Fare thee well, fare thee well.

APEM. Thou art a fool to bid me farewell twice.

2 LORD. Why, Apemantus?

APEM. Shouldst have kept one to thyself, for I mean to give thee none.

1 LORD. Hang thyself.

APEM. No, I will do nothing at thy bidding; make thy requests to thy friend.

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

APEM. I will fly, like a dog, the heels of the ass.

1 LORD. He's opposite to humanity. Come, shall we in, And taste lord Timon's bounty? he outgoes

The very heart of kindness.

2 LORD. He pours it out; Plutus, the god of gold,
Is but his steward: no meed, but he repays
Sevenfold above itself; no gift to him,
But breeds the giver a return exceeding
All use of quittance.

1 LORD.

The noblest mind he carries,

That ever govern'd man.

2 LORD. Long may he live in fortunes! Shall we in?

[Exit.

1 LORD. I'll keep you company.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-The same. A Room of State in Timon's House.

Hautboys playing loud music. A great banquet served in; FLAVIUS and others attending; then enter TIMON, ALCIBIADES, LUCIUS, LUCULLUS, SEMPRONIUS, and other Athenian Senators, with VENTIDIUS, and Attendants. comes, dropping after all, APEMANTUS, discontentedly".

VEN. Most honour'd Timon,

It hath pleas'd the gods to remember my father's age,

Then

a The original stage direction is curious:-" Then comes, dropping after all, Apemantus discontentedly, like himself.”