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Apem. To knock out an honest Athenian's lord. Art not thou a merchant? brains.

Tim. That's a deed thou 'lt die for?

Mer. Ay, Apemantus.

Apem. Traffic confound thee, if the gods will

Apem. Right, if doing nothing be death by the not!

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 paint-

er; and yet he's but a filthy piece of work.
Pain. You are a dog.

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. 'Tis Alcibiades, and some twenty horse,

Apem. Thy mother's of my generation: what's All of companionship. 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

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Tim. Pray entertain them; give them guide to
[Exeunt some Attendants.
You must needs dine with me:
Go not you

us.

hence,

Till I have thanked you; and, when dinner's done,
Shew me this piece. I am joyful of your sights.

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Enter two Lords.

1st Lord. What time a day is 't, Apemantus? Apem. Time to be honest.

1st Lord. That time serves still.

My father's age, and call him to long peace.
He is gone happy, and has left me rich:

Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound
To your free heart, I do return those talents,

Apem. The most accursed thou, that still Doubled, with thanks, and service, from whose help

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2nd Lord. Away, unpeaceable dog, or I'll To set a gloss on faint deeds, hollow welcomes, spurn thee hence.

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All use of quittance.

1st Lord.

Recanting goodness, sorry ere 't is shewn;
But where there is true friendship, there needs none.
Pray sit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes
Than my fortunes to me.

[They sit.

1st Lord. My lord, we always have confessed it.
Apem. Ho, ho, confessed it! hanged it, have
you not?

Tim. O, Apemantus! you are welcome.
Apem. No, you shall not make me welcome:

I come to have thee thrust me out of doors.

Tim. Fie, thou art a churl; you have got a

humor there

Does not become a man; 't is much to blame.-
The noblest mind he carries They say, my lords, " Ira furor brevis est,"
But yond' man's ever angry.-

That ever governed man.
2nd Lord. Long may he live in fortunes? Shall Go, let him have a table by himself;
we in?

1st Lord. I'll keep you company.

For he does neither affect company, [Exeunt. Nor is he fit for it, indeed.

SCENE II. The same. A Room of State in

TIMON'S House.

Apem. Let me stay at thine apperil, Timon; I come to observe; I give thee warning on 't.

Tim. I take no heed of thee; thou art an Athenian; therefore welcome. I myself would have no power: pr'y thee, let my meat make thee silent. Apem. I scorn thy meat! 't would choke me,

for I should

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. Then comes, Of men eat Timon, and he sees them not!
dropping after all, APEMANTUS, discontentedly. It grieves me to see so many dip their meat
Ven. Most honored Timon, it hath pleased the In one man's blood; and all the madness is,
gods to remember
He cheers them up too.

Ne'er flatter thee.-O you gods! what a number

I wonder men dare trust themselves with men :
Methinks they should invite them without knives;
Good for their meat, and safer 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,

1st Lord. Might we but have that happiness, my lord, that you would once use our hearts, whereby we might express some part of our zeals, we should think ourselves for ever perfect.

Tim. O, no doubt, my good friends, but the gods themselves have provided that I shall have much help from you: how had you been my friends else? why have you that charitable title from thousands, did you not chiefly belong to my heart? I have told more of you to myself, than you can with Lest they should spy my windpipe's dangerous modesty speak in your own behalf; and thus far I confirm you.

Is the readiest man to kill him : it has been proved. If I were a huge man, I should fear to drink at meals,

notes:

you gods! think I, what need we Great men should drink with harness on their have any friends, if we should never have need of throats. them? they were the most needless creatures living, Tim. My lord, in heart; and let the health go should we ne'er have use for them; and would

round.

2nd Lord. Let it flow this way, my good lord.
Apem.
Flow this way!

A brave fellow! he keep his tides well. Timon,
Those healths will make thee, and thy state, look ill.
Here's that which is too weak to be a fire,
Honest water, which ne'er left man i' the mire:
This and my food are equals; 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 myself:
Grant I may never prove so fond,
To trust man on his oath or bond;
Or a harlot, for her weeping:
Or a dog that seems a sleeping;
Or a keeper with my freedom;

Or my friends, if I should need 'em.
Amen. So fall to 't;

Rich men sin, and I eat root.

most resemble sweet instruments hung up in cases, that keep their sounds to themselves. Why, I have often wished myself poorer, that I might come nearer to you. We are born to do benefits: and what better or properer can we call our own, than the riches of our friends? O, what a precious comfort 't is to have so many, like brothers, commanding one another's fortunes! O joy, e'en made away ere it can be born! mine eyes cannot hold out water, methinks: to forget their faults, I drink to you.

Apem. Thou weep'st to make them drink, Ti

mon.

2nd Lord. Joy had the like conception in our

eyes,

And, at that instant, like a babe sprung up.

Apem. Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a

bastard.

3rd Lord. I promise you, my lord, you moved

[Eats and drinks.

me much. Apem. Much!

Much good dich thy good heart, Apemantus!
Tim. Captain Alcibiades, your heart's in the

field now.

Alcib. My heart is ever at your service, my lord. Tim. You had rather be at a breakfast of enemies, than a dinner of friends.

Alcib. So they were bleeding-new, my lord, there's no meat like them; I could wish my best friend at such a feast.

Apem. 'Would all those flatterers were thine enemies then; that then thou mightst kill 'em, and bid me to 'em.

[Tucket sounded. Tim. What means that trump? How now?

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Please you, my lord, there are certain ladies most desirous of admittance.

Tim. Ladies? What are their wills?

Serv. There comes with them a forerunner, my lord, which bears that office to signify their pleasures.

Tim. I pray, let them be admitted.

Enter Cupid.

Cup. Hail to thee, worthy Timon; and to all That of his bounties taste! -The five best senses Acknowledge thee their patron; and come freely To gratulate thy plenteous bosom: the car, Taste, touch, smell, all pleased from thy table rise; They only now come but to feast thine eyes.

Tim. They are welcome all; let them have kind admittance:

Music, make their welcome.

[Exit Cupid. 1st Lord. You see, my lord, how ample you are beloved.

Music.

Re-enter Cupid, with a masque of Ladies as Amazons, with lutes in their hands, dancing and playing.

Apem. Hey-day, what a sweep of vanity comes this way!

They dance! they are mad women.
Like madness is the glory of this life,

As this pomp shews to a little oil and root.
We make ourselves fools to disport ourselves;
And spend our flatteries to drink those men
Upon whose age we void it up again,
With poisonous spite and envy.
Who lives, that's not depravéd or depraves?
Who dies, that bears not one spurn to their graves
Of their friends' gift?

I should fear those that dance before me now,
Would one day stamp upon me. It has been done:
Men shut their doors against a setting sun.

The Lords rise from table, with much adoring of TIMON; and to shew their loves, each singles out an Amazon, and all dance, men with women, a lofty strain or two to the hautboys, and cease. Tim. You have done our pleasures much grace, fair ladies,

Set a fair fashion on our entertainment,
Which was not half so beautiful and kind;
You have added worth unto 't, and lively lustre,
And entertained me with mine own device:
I am to thank you for it.

1st 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.

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Tim. Ladies, there is an idle banquet attends Be worthily entertained. How now, what news?

you:

3rd Serv. Please you, my lord, that honorable

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Tim. I'll hunt with him; and let them be re- Thou art a soldier, therefore seldom rich;
ceived,
It comes in charity to thee: for all thy living
Is 'mongst the dead; and all the lands thou hast
Lie in a pitched field.

Not without fair reward.

Flav. What will this come to? [Aside.
He commands us to provide, and give great gifts,
And all out of an empty coffer.

Nor will he know his purse; or yield me this,
To shew him what a beggar his heart is,
Being of no power to make his wishes good;
His promises fly so beyond his state,
That what he speaks is all in debt; he owes
For every word: he is so kind that he now
Pays interest for 't; his lands put to their books.
Well, 'would I were gently put out of office,
Before I were forced out!

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

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[Exit.

Much wrong, you bate too much of your own

merits:

Here, my lord, a trifle of our love.

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2nd Lord. With more than common thanks II would be good to thee.

will receive it.

3rd Lord. O, he is the very soul of bounty! Tim. And now I remember me, my lord, you

gave

Good words the other day of a bay courser
I rode on it is yours, because you liked it!
2nd Lord. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord,
in that.

Tim. You may

no man

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If I should be bribed too, there would be none left
To rail upon thee; and then thou wouldst sin the
faster.

Thou giv'st so long, Timon, I fear me, thou
Wilt give away thyself in paper shortly:

What need these feasts, pomps, and vain glories?
Tim. Nay, an you begin to rail on society once,

take my word, my lord; I know, I am sworn not to give regard to you.
Farewell and come with better music.
Apem. So; thou 'lt not hear me now
shalt not, then; I'll lock

Can justly praise, but what he docs affect:

I weigh my friends' affection with mine own;
I'll tell
I'll call on you.
true.
you
All Lords. O, none so welcome.

Tim. I take all and your several visitations

[Exit.

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