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fweet Knaves, and all this Courtefie. The ftrain of Man's

bred out into Baboon and Monkey.

Alc. You have fav'd my Longing, and I feed Most hungerly on your fight.

Tim. Right welcome, Sir.

E'er we depart, we'll fhare a bounteous time

In different Pleasures. Pray you let us in.

[Exeunt.

Manet Apemantus. Enter Lucius and Lucullus. Luc. What time a day is't, Apemantus?

Apem. Time to be honest.

Luc. That time ferves ftill.

Apem. The most accurfed thou that still omit'ft it.

Lucull. Thou art going to Lord Timon's Feast.

Apem. Ay, to fee Meat fill Knaves, and Wine heat Fools.

Lucull, Fare thee well, fare thee well.

Apem. Thou art a Fool to bid me farewel twice.

Lucull. Why, Apemantus?

Apem. Thou should'ft have kept one to thy felf, for I mean to give thee none.

Luc. Hang thy felf.

Apem. No, I will do nothing at thy bidding: Make thy Requefts to thy Friend.

Lucull. Away unpeaceable Dog,

Or I'll spurn thee hence.

Apem. I will fly, like a Dog, the heels o'th' Afs.
Luc. He's oppofite to humanity.

Come, fhall we in,

And taste Lord Timon's Bounty? He outgoes

The very Heart of Kindness.

Lucull. He pours it out; Plutus, the God of Gold, Is but his Steward: No meed but he repays

Seven-fold above it felf; no Gift to him,

But breeds the giver a return, exceeding

Luc. The nobleft mind he carries,

All ufe of Quittance.

That ever govern'd Man.

Lucull. Long may he live in Fortunes: Shall we in?

Luc. I'll keep you Company.

[Exeunt.

Hautboys

Hautboys Playing, Loud Mufick. A great Banquet ferv'd in; and then enter Lord Timon, Lucius, Lucullus, Sempronius and other Athenian Senators, with Ventidius. Then comes dropping after all, Apemantus difcontentedly like bimfelf.

Ven. Moft honoured Timon,

It hath pleas'd the Gods to remember 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 thofe Talents,
Doubled with Thanks and Service, from whose help
I deriv'd Liberty.

Tim. O by no means,

Honeft Ventidius: You miftake my Love,

I gave it freely ever, and there's none

Can truly fay he gives, if he receives:

If our Betters play at that Game, we must not dare
To imitate them. Faults that are rich are fair.

Ven. A Noble Spirit.

Tim. Nay, my Lords, Ceremony was but devis'd at first To fet a Glofs on faint Deeds, hollow welcomes,

Recanting goodnefs, forry e'er 'tis shown:

But where there is true Friendship there needs none.
Pray, fit, more welcome are ye to my Fortunes,
Then my Fortunes to me.

Luc. My Lord, we always have confeft it.

[They fit down.

Apem. Ho, ho, confeft it? Hang'd it? Have you not?
Tim. O Apemantus, you are welcome.

Apem. No: You fhall not make me welcome.

I come to have thee thruft me out of Doors.

Tim. Fye, th'art a Churle; ye have got a humour there Does not become a Man, 'tis much to blame:

They fay, my Lords, Ira furor brevis eft,

But yond Man is ever Angry.

Go, let him have a Table by himself:
For he does neither affect Company,
Nor is he fit for't indeed.

Apem. Let me ftay at thine apperil, Timon:
I come to obferve, I give thee warning on't.

Tim. I take no heed of thee; th'art an Athenian, therefore welcome; I my felf would have no Power---prethee let my Meat make thee filent.

Apem. I fcorn thy Meat, 'twould choak me: For I should ne'er flatter thee. O you Gods! What a number of Men eat Timon, and he fees 'em not? It grieves me to fee fo many dip their Meat in one Man's Blood, and all the madness is, he cheers them up too.

I wonder Men dare truft themselves with Men.

Methinks they should invite them without Knives, Good for their Meat, and fafer for their Lives. There's much Example for't, the Fellow that fits next him now, parts Bread with him, pledges the Breath of him in a divided Draught, is the readieft Man to kill him. 'Thas been proved. If I were a huge Man, I fhould fear to drink at Meals, leaft they should fpy my Wind-pipes dangerous Notes: Great Men fhould drink with harness on their Throats.

Tim. My Lord in Heart; and let the Health go round. Lacul. Let it flow this way, my good Lord.

Apem. Flow this way!--A brave Fellow! he keeps his Tides well; thofe Healths will make thee and thy State look ill, Timon.

Here's that which is too weak to be a Sinner,

Honeft Water, which ne'er left Man i'th' Mire:
This and my Food are equal, there's no odds;
Feafts are too Proud to give Thanks to the Gods.
Apemantus's Grace.

Immortal Gods, I crave no Peif;
I pray for no Man but my felf;
Grant I may never prove fo fond,
To trust Man on his Oath or Bond:
Or a Harlet 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 toʻt:

Rich Men Sin, and I eat Root.

Much good dich thy good Heart, Apemantus.

Tim. Captain,

Alcb ades, your Heart's in the Field now.

VOL. V.

H

Alc.

Alc. My Heart is ever at your Service, my Lord. Tim. You had rather be at a Breakfast of Enemies, than a Dinner of Friends.

Alc. So they were bleeding new, my Lord, there's no Meat like 'em, I could with my Friend at fuch a Feast.

Apem. Would all thefe Flatterers were thine Enemies then; that then thou might'ft kill 'em, and bid me to 'em.

Luc. Might we but have that Happiness, my Lord, that you would once use our Hearts, whereby we might exprefs fome part of our Zeals, we should think our felves for ever Perfect.

Tim. Oh no doubt, my good Friends, but the Gods themselves have provided that I shall have as much help from you: How had you been my Friends elfe? Why have you that charitable Title from thousands? Did not you chiefly belong to my Heart? I have told more of you to my self, than you can with Modefty fpeak in your own behalf. And thus far I confirm you. Oh you Gods, think I, what need we have any Friends, if we fhould never have need of 'em? They were the most needlefs Creatures living, fhould we ne'er have ufe for them: And wou'd moft refemble fweet Inftruments hung up in Cafes, that keep their Sounds to themselves. Why I have often wifht my felf 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 'tis to have fo many like Brothers commanding one another's Fortunes! O Joy, e'en made away e'er't can be born; mine Eyes cannot hold Water, methinks: To forget their Faults, I drink to you.

Apem. Thou weep'ft to make them drink, Timon.
Lucull. Joy had the like Conception in our Eyes,

And at that inftant like a Babe fprung up.

Apem. Ho, hoI laugh to think that Babe a Bastard. 3 Lord. I promife you, my Lord, you mov'd me much. Apem. Much.

Sound Tucket.

Tim. What means that Trump? How now?

Enter Servant.

Ser. Please you, my Lord, there are certain Ladies

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Moft defirous of Admittance.

Tim. Ladies? What are their Wills?

Ser. There comes with them a fore-runner, my Lord, Which bears that Office to fignifie their Pleafures. Tim. I pray let them be admitted.

Enter Cupid with a Mask of Ladies.

Cu. Hail to thee, worthy Timon, and to all that of his Bounties tafte: The five beft Senfes acknowledge thee their Patron, and come freely to Gratulate thy plenteous Bosom. There taste, touch, all pleas'd from thy Table rife: They only now come but to feaft thine Eyes.

Tim. They're welcome all; let 'em have kind admittance. Mufick make their welcome.

Luc. You fee, my Lord, how ample you are belov'd.
Apem. Hoyday!

What a fweep of Vanity comes this way!
They Dance, they are mad Women.
Like Madness is the Glory of this Life,
As this Pomp fhews to a little Oyl and Root.
We make our felves Fools, to difport our felves,
And spend our flatteries, to drink thofe Men,
Upon whofe Age we void it up again,
With poifonous Spight and Envy.

Who lives, that's not depraved, or depraves?
Who dies, that bears not one fpurn to their Graves
Of their Friends Gift?

I should fear, thofe that dance before me now,
Would one Day ftamp upon me: 'T'as been done,
Men frut their Doors against a fetting Sun.

The Lords rife from Table, with much adoring of Timon, and to fhew their Loves, each fingle out an Amazon, and all Dance, Men with Women, a lofty strain or two to the Hautboys, and ceafe.

Tim. You have done our Pleafures,

Much Grace, fair Ladies,

Set a fair fashion on our Entertainment,

Which was not half fo beautiful and kind:

You have added worth unto't, and lively Luftre,
And entertain'd me with mine own Device.

I am to thank you for it.

Luc. My Lord, you take us even at the best.

Apem. Faith for the worft is filthy, and would not hold taking, I doubt me.

H 2

Tim.

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