With certain half-caps, and cold-moving nods, Tim. You gods reward them! 'Pr'ythee, man, look cheerly: Thefe old fellows have: Their, ingratitude in them hereditary: Their blood is cak'd,. 'tis cold, it feldom flows; Go to Ventidius,-[to a Serv.] Pr'ythee, [to Flavius.] be not fad, Thou art true, and honeft; ingenucufly. I fpeak, I clear'd him with five talents:. Greet him from me; Touches his friend, which craves to be remember'd thefe fellows that had, [to Flavius] give it To whom 'tis inftant due. Ne'er fpeak, or think, Being free itself, it thinks all others fo. [Exeunt ACT III. SCENE I The fame. A Room in Lucullus's House. Flaminius waiting. Enter a Servant to him. Serv. I have told my lord of you, he is coming down 7 A balf-cap is a cap flightly moved, not put off. Enter Hereditary, for by natural conftitution. But fome diftempers of Batural conftitution being called bereditary, he calls their ingratitude fo 9 Fre,] is liberal, not parfimonious. Enter LUCULLUS. Serv. Here's my lord. Lucul. [Afide.] One of lord Timon's men? a gift, I warrant. Why, this hits right; I dreamt of a filver bafon and ewer to-night. Flaminius, honeft Flaminius; you are very respectively welcome, fir 2.-Fill me fome wine.-[Exit Servant.] And how does that honourable, complete, free-hearted gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful good lord and master? Flam. His health is well, fir. Lucul. I am right glad that his health is well, fir: And what hast thou there under thy cloak, pretty Flaminius? Flam. 'Faith, nothing but an empty box, fir; which, in my lord's behalf, I come to entreat your honour to fupply; who, having great and inftant occafion to use 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 house. Many a time and often I have dined with him, and told him on't; and come again to fupper to him, of purpose to have him spend lefs: and yet he would embrace no counfel, take no warning by my coming. Every man has his fault, and honefty is his; I have told him on't, but I could never get him from it. Re-enter Servant, with wine. Serv. Please your lordship, here is the wine. 1 Lucul. Flaminius, I have noted thee always wife. Here's to thee. Flam. Your lordfhip fpeaks your pleasure." Lucul. I have obferved thee always for a towardly prompt fpirit,-give thee thy duc,-and one that knows what belongs to reafon; and canft ufe the time well, if the time ufe thee well: good parts in thee.-Get you gone, L 6 I These utenfils of filver being much in request in Shakspeare's time, he has, as ufual, not scrupled to place them in the houfe of an Athenian nobleman. very respectively welcome, &c.] i, e. refpefully. gone, firrah. [To the Servant, who goes out.]-Draw nearer, honeft Flaminius. Thy lord's a bountiful gentleman: but thou art wife; and thou know'ft well enough, although thou comeft to me, that this is no time to lend money; efpecially upon bare friendship, without fecurity. Here's three folidares3 for thee; good boy, wink at me, and fay, thou faw'ft me not. Fare thee well. Flam. Is't poffible, the world should fo much differ; And we alive, that liv'd4? Fly, damned baseness, To him that worships thee. [Throwing the money away. Lucul. Ha! Now I fee, thou art a fool, and fit for thy [Exit LUCULLUS. Flam. May these add to the number that may scald , mafter. thee! Let molten coin be thy damnation 3, Thou disease of a friend, and not himself! O, may diseases only work upon't! And, when he's fick to death, let not that part of nature Which my lord paid for, be of any power To expel ficknets, but prolong his hour! 3 This coin is probably from the mint of the poet." in fo foort a time. [Exit. As much as to fay, 5 This probably alludes to the ftory of Marcus Craffus and the Parthians, who are faid to have poured molten gold down his throat, as a reproach and punishment for his avarice. Alluding to the turning or acefcence of milk. 7 Flaminius confiders that nutriment which Lucullus had for a length of time received at Timon's table, as conftituting a great part of his animal fyftem. bis bour!] i. c. the hour of fickness. His for its. SCENE SCENE II. The fame. A publick Place. Enter LUCIUS, with three Strangers. Luc. Who, the lord Timon ? he is my very good friend, and an honourable gentleman. 1. Stran. We know him for no lefs, though we are but ftrangers to him. But I can tell you one thing, my lord, and which I hear from common rumours, now lord Timon's happy hours are done and past, and his estate fhrinks from him. Luc. Fye, no, do not believe it; he cannot want for money.. 2. Stran. But believe you this, my lord, that, not long ago, one of his men was with the lord Lucullus, to borrow fo many talents; nay, urged extremely for't, and fhew'd what neceffity belong'd to't, and yet was deny'd. Luc. How? 2. Stran. I tell you, deny'd, my lord. Luc. What a ftrange cafe was that? now, before the gods, I am afham'd on't. Deny'd that honourable man? there was very little honour fhew'd in't. For my own part, I muft needs confefs, I have received fome small kindneffes from him, as money, plate, jewels, and fuch like trifles, nothing comparing to his; yet, had he miftook him, and fent to me, I fhould ne'er have deny'd his occasion so 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, fir. Fare thee well:-Commend me to thy honourable-virtuous lord, my very exquifite friend. Ser. 9 That is, we know him by report to be no less than you reprefent him, though we are ftrangers to his perfon. are done-] i. e. confumed. Ser. May it please your honour, my lord hath fentLuc. Ha! what has he fent? I am so much endear'd to that lord; he's ever fending; How fhall I thank him, think'st thou? And what has he fent now? Ser. He has only fent his prefent occafion now, my lord; requesting your lordship to fupply his inftant ufe with fo many 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, If his occafion were not virtuous 2, I should not urge it half so faithfully 3. my lord. Luc. What a wicked beaft was I, to disfurnish myse}} against fuch a good time, when I might have fhewn myfelf honourable? how unluckily it happen'd, that I should 'purchase the day before for a little part, and undo a great deal of honour?-Servilius, now before the gods, am not able to do't; the more beast, I fay:-I was fending to use lord Timon myself, thefe gentlemen can witnefs; but I would not, for the wealth of Athens, I had done it 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 greatest afflictions, fay, that I cannot pleasure fuch an honourable gentleman. Good Servilius, will you befriend me fo far, as to use mine own words to him? Luc. I'll look you out a good turn, Servilius. [Exit SERVILIUS. True, as you faid, Timon is fhrunk, indeed; And he, that's once deny'd, will hardly speed. [Exit. 1. Stran. Do you observe this, Hoftilius? 2. Stran. Ay, too well. 1. Stran. Virtuous, for ftrong, forcible, preffing. Or the meaning may more :naturally be ;If he did not want it for a good ufe. 3 Faithfully, for fervently. Zeal or fervitur ufually attending fide. lity. |