1. LADY. My lord," you take us even at the best. APEM. 'Faith, for the worst is filthy; and would not hold taking,' I doubt me.

TIM. Ladies, there is an idle banquet

Attends you: Please you to difpofe yourselves.
ALL LAD. Moft thankfully, my lord.

TIM. Flavius,

FLAV. My lord.

TIM.

I

[Exeunt CUPID, and Ladies.

The little casket bring me hither.

I

71. Lady. My lord, &c.] In the old copy this fpeech is given to the Lord. I have ventured to change it to the 1 Lady, as Mr. Edwards and Mr. Heath, as well as Dr. Johnfon, concur in the emendation. STEEVENS.

The conjecture of Dr. Johnson, who obferves, that L only was probably fet down in the MS. is well founded; for that abbreviation is ufed in the old copy in this very fcene, and in many other places. The next fpeech, however coarse the allufion couched under the word taking may be, puts the matter beyond a doubt. MALONE. even at the beft.] Perhaps we fhould read:

8

ever at the beft.

So, Act III. fc. vi:

"Ever at the beft." TYRWHITT.

Take us even at the best, I believe, means, you have seen the beft we can do. They are fuppofed to be hired dancers, and therefore there is no impropriety in fuch a confeffion. Mr. Malone's fubfequent explanation, however, pleases me better than my own. STEEVENS.

I believe the meaning is, "You have conceived the fairest of us," (to ufe the words of Lucullus in a fubfequent scene;) you have eftimated us too highly, perhaps above our deferts. So, in Spenfer's Faery Queen, Book VI. c. ix:

9

He would commend his guift, and make the best.”

MALONE.

would not hold taking,] i. e. bear handling, words which (if my memory does not deceive me) are employed to the fame purpose in another of our author's plays. STEEVENS.

there is an idle banquet

Attends you:] So, in Romeo and Juliet:

"We have a foolish trifling supper towards." STEEVENS.

1

3M

FLAV. Yes, my lord.-More jewels yet!
There is no croffing him in his humour;' [Afide.
Elfe I should tell him,-Well,-i'faith, I should,
When all's spent, he'd be crofs'd then, an he could.+
'Tis pity, bounty had not eyes behind; 5

That man might ne'er be wretched for his mind."
[Exit, and returns, with the casket.

I. LORD. Where be our men?

SERV.

2. LORD. Our horfes.

TIM.

Here, my lord, in readiness.

O my friends, I have one word

To fay to you:-Look you, my good lord, I must

3 There is no croffing him in his humour;] Read:

4

There is no crofing him in this his humour. RITSON.

he'd be cross'd then, an he could.] The poet does not mean here, that he would be cross'd in humour, but that he would have his hand cross'd with money, if he could. He is playing on the word, and alluding to our old filver penny, ufed before K. Edward the First's time, which had a cross on the reverse with a creafe, that it might be more easily broke into halves and quarters, half-pence and farthings. From this penny, and other pieces, was our common expreffion derived,-I have not a cross about me; i. e. not a piece of money. THEOBALD.

So, in As you like it: “

yet I should bear no cross, if I did bear you; for, I think you have no money in your purse."

STEEVENS.

The poet certainly meant this equivoque, but one of the fenfes intended to be conveyed was, he will then too late with that it were poffible to undo what he had done: he will in vain lament that I did not [cross or] thwart him in his career of prodigality. MALONE.

had not eyes behind;] To fee the miferies that are following her. JOHNSON.

Perfius has a fimilar idea, Sat. I:

cui vivere fas eft

Occipiti cæco. STEEVENS.

-for his mind.] For nobleness of foul, JOHNSON,

Entreat you, honour me so much, as to

Advance this jewel ;'

Accept, and wear it, kind my lord.

1. LORD. I am fo far already in your gifts,— ALL. So are we all.

Enter a Servant.

SERV. My lord, there are certain nobles of the fenate

Newly alighted, and come to visit you.

TIM. They are fairly welcome.

I beseech your honour,

FLAV. Vouchsafe me a word; it does concern you near. TIM. Near? why then another time I'll hear thee:

I pr'ythee, let us be provided

To fhow them entertainment.

FLAV.

I fcarce know how.

[Afide.

7

to

Advance this jewel;] To prefer it; to raise it to honour by wearing it. JOHNSON.

Accept, and &c.] Thus the fecond folio. The firft, unmetrically-Accept it. STEEVENS.

So, the Jeweller fays in the preceding scene:

66

Things of like value, differing in the owners,

"Are prized by their masters: believe it, dear lord,
"You mend the jewel by wearing it." M. MASON.

9 I prythee, let us be provided-] As the measure is here imperfect, we may reasonably suppose our author to have written: I pr'ythee let us be provided ftraight

So, in Hamlet:

"Make her grave ftraight."

i. e. immediately. STEEVENS.

Enter another Servant.

2. SERV. May it please your honour, the lord
Lucius,

Out of his free love, hath presented to you
Four milk-white horses, trapp'd in filver.

TIM. I fhall accept them fairly: let the presents

Enter a third Servant.

Be worthily entertain'd.-How now, what news? 3. SERV. Please you, my lord, that honourable gentleman, lord Lucullus, entreats your company to-morrow to hunt with him; and has fent your honour two brace of greyhounds.

TIM. I'll hunt with him; And let them be re

ceiv'd,

Not without fair reward.

FLAV. [Afide.]

What will this come to?

He commands us to provide, and give great gifts, And all out of an empty coffer.—

Nor will he know his purfe; or yield me this,

To show him what a beggar his heart is,
Being of no power to make his wishes good;
His promises fly fo beyond his state,

That what he speaks is all in debt, he owes
For every word; he is fo kind, that he now
Pays intereft for't; his land's put to their books.
Well, 'would I were gently put out of office,
Before I were forc'd out!

And all out of an empty coffer.] Read:

And all the while out of an empty coffer. RITSON.

Happier is he that has no friend to feed,
Than fuch as do even enemies exceed.
I bleed inwardly for my lord.

TIM.

[Exit.

You do yourselves

Much wrong, you bate too much of your own me

rits

Here, my lord; a trifle of our love.

2. LORD. With more than common thanks I will receive it.

3. LORD. O, he is the very foul of bounty! TIM. And now I remember me, my lord, you gave Good words the other day of a bay courfer I rode on it is yours, because you lik'd it.

2. LORD. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, in that.

TIM. You may take my word, my lord; I know,

no man

Can juftly praife, but what he does affect:
I weigh my friend's affection with mine own;
I'll tell you true. I'll call on you.

3

-remember me,] I have added-me, for the fake of the meafure. So, in King Richard III:

"I do remember me,-Henry the fixth
"Did prophecy.' STEEVENS.

4 I beseech you,] Old copy, unmetrically, Ó, I beseech you,—

The player editors have been liberal of their tragick O's, to the frequent injury of our author's meafure. For the fame reafon I have expelled this exclamation from the beginning of the next fpeech but one. STEEVENS.

5 I'll tell you true.] Dr. Johnfon reads,—I tell you &c. in which he has been heedlefsly followed; for though the change does not affect the fenfe of the paffage, it is quite unneceffary, as may be proved by numerous inftances in our author's dialogue. Thus, in the first line of King Henry V:

66

My lord, I'll tell you, that felf bill is urg'd-,"