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Enter Timon and Flavius.

Apem. Come with me, fool, come.

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

Flav. Pray you, walk near, I'll speak with you anon. [Exeunt Creditors, Apemantus and Fool.

Tim.

SCENE

γού

IV.

JOU 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.

Hav. You would not hear me;
At many leisures I propos'd.
Tim. Go to:

Perchance, fome fingle vantages you took,
When my indifpofition put you back:
And that unaptnefs made you minister
Thus to excufe 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 honefty.

When, for fome trifling Prefent, you have bid me
Return fo much, I've fhook my head, and wept;
Yea, 'gain th'authority of manners, pray'd you
To hold your hand more close. I did endure
Not feldom, nor no flight, checks; when I have
Prompted you in the ebb of your eflate,

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

Flav. O my good lord, the world is but a word; Were it all yours, to give it in a breath, How quickly were it gone!

Tim. You tell me true.

Flav. If you fufpect my husbandry, or falfhood, Call me before the exacteft Auditors,

And fet me on the proof.

So the Gods blefs me, When all our Offices have been oppreft

With riotous feeders; when all our vaults have wept With drunken fpilth of wine; when every room Hath blaz'd with lights, and bray'd with minstrelsy; I have retir'd me to ta waftful 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, 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 fhowers, Thefe flies are coucht.

Tim. Come, fermon me no further.

*How goes our reck'ning?] This Steward talks very wildly. The Lord indeed might have asked, what a Lord seldom knows, How goes our reck'ning?

But the Steward was too well fatisfied in that Matter. I would read therefore,

Hold good our reck'ning?

a

Warburton.

wasteful cock,] i. e. a Cockloft, a Garret. And a wasteful Cock fignifies a Garret lying in wafte, neglected, put to no Oxford Editor.

Wfe.

No

"No villainous bounty yet hath past 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 men's fortunes could I frankly use,
As I can bid thee speak.

Flav. Affurance blefs your thoughts!

-Tim. And in fome fort these wants of mine are crown'd,

That I account them bleffings; for by these
Shall I try friends. You fhall perceive how you
Miftake my fortunes: In my friends I'm wealthy.
Within there, Ho! Flaminius, Servilius!

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Enter Flaminius, Servilius, and other fervants.
Y lord, my lord.

Serv. M Tim. I will difpatch you fev'rally.

You to lord Lucius-to lord Lucullus you, I hunted with his Honour to day-you to Sempronius-commend me to their loves; and I am proud, fay, that my occafions have found time to use 'em toward a supply of money; let the requeft be fifty talents. Flam. As you have faid, my lord.

Flav. Lord Lucius and Lucullus? hum—

Tim. Go, you, Sir, to the Senators; [To Flavius. Of whom, even to the State's best health, I have Deferv'd this hearing; bid 'em fend o'th' inftant A thousand talents to me.

Flav. I've been bold,

(For that I knew it the most gen'ral way) To them to use your fignet and your name;

And try the arguments] Arguments, for natures. + I know it the most gen'ral way] gen'ral for speedy,

But they do fhake their heads, and I am here
No richer in Return.

Tim. Is't true? can't be?

Flav. They answer in a joint and corporate voice, That now they are at Fall, want Treasure, cannot Do what they would; are forry-You are honourable

But yet they could have wifhtthey know not-
Something hath been amifs- -a noble nature
May catch a wrench-would all were well-'tis pity—
And fo intending other ferious matters,

After diftafteful looks, and thefe hard fractions,
With certain half-caps, and cold-moving nods,
They froze me into filence.

Tim. You Gods reward them!

I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly. Thefe old fellows
Have their Ingratitude in them hereditary:
Their blood is cak'd, 'tis cold, it seldom flows,
'Tis lack of kindly warmth, they are not kind;
And nature as it grows again tow'rd earth,
Is fafhion'd for the journey, dull and heavy.
Go to Ventidius- -pr'ythee, be not fad,
Thou'rt true, and juft; ingenuoufly I fpeak,
No Blame belongs to thee: Ventidius lately
Bury'd his father, by whofe death he's stepp'd
Into a great eftate; when he was poor,
Imprison'd, and in scarcity of friends,
I clear'd him with five talents.
Bid him fuppofe, fome good neceffity
Touches his friend, which craves to be remember'd
With thofe five talents. That had, give't these fellows
To whom 'tis inftant due. Ne'er speak, or think,
That Timon's fortunes 'mong his friends can fink.
Stew. 'Would, I could not: that thought is boun-
ty's foe;

Greet him from me;

Being free itself, it thinks all others fo. [Exeunt.

ACT

ACT III.

SCENE I.

I

Lucullus's Houfe in Athens.

Flaminius waiting, Enter a fervant to him.

SERVANT.

have told my lord of you; he is coming down to

you.

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Ser. Here's my lord.

Lucul. One of lord Timon's men; a gift, I warrantWhy, this hits right: I dreamt of a filver bason and ewre to night. Flaminius, honeft Flaminius, you are very respectively welcome, Sir; fill me fome wine. And how does that honourable, complete, freehearted Gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful good lord and mafter?

Flam. His health is well, Sir.

Lucul. I am right glad that his health is well, Sir'; and what haft thou there under thy cloak, pretty Flaminius?

in

Flam. Faith, nothing but an empty box, Sir, which, my lord's behalf, I come to entreat your Honour to fupply; who, having great and inftant occafion to ufe fifty talents, hath fent to your lordship to furnish him, nothing doubting your prefent affiftance therein.

Lucul. La, la, la, la, -Nothing doubting, fays he? alas, good lord, a noble gentleman 'tis, if he would not keep fo good a houfe. Many a time and often I ha' din'd with him, and told him on't; and come again to fupper to him, on purpose to have him fpend lefs. And yet he would embrace no counsel, take no warning by my Coming; every man hath his fault, and honefty is his. I ha' told him on't, but I could never get him from't.

Enter

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