plate, jewels, and fuch like trifles, nothing comparing to his; yet had he mistook him, and fent him to me, I fhould ne'er have deny'd his occafions fo many talents.

Enter Servilius.

Ser. See, by good hap, yonder's my Lord, I have fweat to fee his Honour.-My honour'd Lord

[To Lucius.' Luc. Servilius? you are kindly met, Sir. Fare thee well. Commend me to thy honourable virtuous Lord, my very exquifite friend.

Ser. May it pleafe your Honour, my Lord hath

fent

Luc. Ha! What hath he fent? I am fo much endear'd to that Lord. He's ever fending. How shall I thank him, think'ft thou? and what has he fent now?

Ser. H'as only fent his prefent occafion now, my Lord, requesting your Lordship to fupply his inftant ufe, with fifty talents.

Luc. I know, his Lordship is but merry with me; He cannot want fifty five hundred talents.

*Ser. But in the mean time he wants lefs, my Lord. 'If his occafion were not virtuous,

2

1 thould not urge it half fo faithfully.

Luc. Doft thou speak feriously, Servilius ?
Ser. Upon my foul, 'tis true, Sir.

Luc. What a wicked beait was I, to disfurnifh myfelf against fuch a good time, when I might ha' fhewn

9. yet had he MISTOOK him, and jent him to me,] We should read,

-MISLOOK'D him.
i. e. overlooked, neglected to
fend to him. WARBURTON.
I rather read, it had he not
mistook him, and fext to me.

If his occafion were not virtu-
ous,] Firtuous, for ftrong,

forceable, preffing.

WARB.

-half jo faithfully.] Faithfully, for fervently. Therefore, without more ado, the Oxford Editor alters the text to fervently. But he might have feen, that Shakespear afed faithfully for fervently, as in the former part of the fentence he had ufed virtuons for forceable. WARE.

my

3

myfelf honourable? How unluckily it hap'ned, that I fhould purchase the day before for a little part, and undo a great deal of honour? Servilius, now before the gods, I am not able to do-The more beaft, I fay. -I was fending to ufe Lord Timon myfelf, thefe gentlemen can witnefs; but I would not, for the wealth of Athens, I had don't now. Commend me bountifully to his good Lordship, and, I hope his Honour will conceive the fairest of me, because I have no power to be kind. And tell him this from me, I count it one of my greateft afflictions, that I cannot pleafure fuch an honourable gentleman. Good Servilius, will you befriend me fo far, as to use my own words to him?

Ser. Yes, Sir, I fhall.

Luc. I'll look ye out a good turn, Servilius.

[Exit Servilius. True, as you faid, Timon is fhrunk, indeed; And he, that's once deny'd, will hardly fpeed. [Exit. 1 Stran. Do you obferve this, Heftilius?

2 Stran. Ay, too well.

I Stran. Why, this is the world's foul;

And juft of the fame piece is every flatterer's fpirit:

3 That I should purchase the day before for a little part, and undo a great deal of Honour ?] Tho' there is a feeming plaufible Antithefts in the Terms, I am very well affured they are corrupt at the bottom. For a little Part of what? Honour is the only Subftantive that follows in the Sentence. How much is the Antithefis improved by the Senfe which my Emendation gives? "That I fhould purchase for a "little Dirt, and undo a great "deal of Honour!"

THEOBALD.

P 2

Who

This emendation is received, like all others, by Sir T. Hanmer, but neglected by Dr. Warburten. I think Theobald right in fufpecting corruption; nor is his emendation injudicious, tho' perhaps we may better read, purchofe the day before for a little park.

4-flatterer's firit:] This is Dr. Warburton's emendation. The other editioas read,

Wey, this is the world's foul:
Of the fame piece is every flat-
terer's sport.
Mr. Upton has not unluckily

trand

Who can call him his friend,

That dips in the fame difh? For, in my knowing,
Timon has been this Lord's father,

And kept his credit with his purfe,
Supported his eftate; nay, Timon's money
Has paid his men their wages. He ne'er drinks,
But Timon's Silver treads upon his lip;
And yet, oh, fee the monftroufnefs of man,
When he looks out in an ungrateful fhape
He does deny him, in refpect of his,
What charitable men afford to beggars.
3 Stran. Religion groans at it.

1 Stran. For mine own part,

I never tafted Timen in

my

life;

Nor any of his bounties came o'er me,

To mark me for his friend. Yet, I protest,
For his right noble mind, illustrious virtue,
And honourable carriage,

Had his neceffity made ufe of me,

I would have put my wealth into donation,
And the best half fhould have return'd to him,
So much I love his heart; but, I perceive,
Men must learn now with pity to difpenfe,
For policy fits above confcience.

tranfpofed the two final words,
thus,

Why, this is the world's fport: Of the jame piece is ev'ry flatterer's, foul.

3-(in respect of his)] i. e. confidering Timon's claim for what he asks. WARB.

-in respect of bis,] That is, iu reffect of his fortune, what Lucius denies to Timon is in proportion to what Lucius poffefes,

[Exeunt.

less than the usual alms given by good men to beggars.

I would have put my wealth into donation,

And the best half should have return'd to him,] Hamner

reads,

I would have put my wealth into partition,

And the best half should have attorn'd to him. Dr. Warburton receives attorn'd.

SCENE

Enter a third Servant with Sempronius.

Sem. Muft he needs trouble me in't? Hum!
Above all others?

He might have tried lord Lucius, or Lucullus,
And now Ventidius is wealthy too,

Whom he redeem'd from prifon; all these
Owe their eftates unto him.

Serv. Oh, my Lord,

"They've all been touch'd, and all are found bafe metal, For they have all deny'd him.

Sem. How! deny'd him?

Ventidius and Lucullus both deny'd him?
And does he send to me? three! hum-

It fhews but little love or judgment in him.

Must I be his last refuge? His friends, like phyficians,
Thrive, give him over? muft I take th' cure upon me?
H'as much difgrac'd me in't; I'm angry at him;
He might have known my Place. I fee no fenfe for❜t,
But his occafions might have wooed me first,
For, in my confcience, I was the first man
That e'er receiv'd gift from him;
And does he think fo backwardly of me,

They've all been touch'd,] That is, tryed, alluding to the touchftone.

-bis Friends, like Phyficians Thriv'd, give him over?] I have reftor'd this old Reading, only amended the Pointing, which was faulty. Mr. Pope, fufpecting the Phrafe, has fubftituted Three in the room of thriv'd, and fo difarm'd the Poet's Satire. Phyficians thriv'd is no more than Phyficians grown rich: Only the Adjective Paffive of this Verb,

indeed, is not fo common in
Ufe; and yet is it a familiar Ex-
preffion, to this Day, to fay,
Such a One is well thriven on his
Trade.
THEOBALD.
The original reading is,
-bis friends (like Phyficians)
Thrive, give him over?
which Theobald has mifreprefent-
ed.

Hanmer reads, try'd, plaufibly enough. Inftead of three propofed by Mr. Pope, I should read thrice. But perhaps the old reading is the true.

P 3

That

That I'll requite it laft? No.

So it may prove an argument of laughter

To th' reft, and I 'mongft Lords be thought a fool,
I'd rather than the worth of thrice the fum,
He had fent to me firft, but for my mind's fake;
9 I'd fuch a courage to do him good.

And with their faint Reply this anfwer join;
Who 'bates mine honour, fhall not know my coin.

[Exit. Serv. Excellent! your Lordship's a goodly villain. The devil knew not what he did, when he made man politick; he crofs'd himself by't; and I cannot think, but in the end the villainies of man2 will fet him clear. How fairly this Lord ftrives to appear foul? takes virtuous copies to be wicked like those