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Apem.

What a coil's here!

Serving of becks, 3 and jutting out of bums !
I doubt whether their legs be worth the sums
That are given for 'em. Friendship's full of dregs :
Methinks, false hearts should never have sound legs.
Thus honest fools lay out their wealth on court'sies.
Tim. Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not sullen,

I'd be good to thee.

Apem.

No, I'll nothing: for,

If I should be brib'd too, there would be none left To rail upon thee; and then thou would'st sin the

faster.

Thou giv'st so long, Timon, I fear me, thou

Wilt give away thyself in paper 4 shortly :

What need these feasts, pomps, and vain glories ?

Tim.

An you begin to rail on society once,

I am sworn, not to give regard to you.

Farewell; and come with better musick.

Apem.

Nay,

[Exit,

So;

Thou'lt not hear me now, thou shalt not then, I'll

lock

Thy heavens from thee. Q, that men's ears should be

To counsel deaf, but not to flattery!

[Exit.

3 Offering salutations.

4 i. e. Be ruined by his securities entered into. 5 By his heaven he means good advice; the only thing by

which he could be saved.

ACT II.

SCENE I. The same. A Room in a Senator's House,

Enter a Senator, with papers in his hand.

Sen. And late, five thousand to Varro; and to

Isidore

He owes nine thousand; besides my former sum,
Which makes it five and twenty.-Still in motion
Of raging waste? It cannot hold; it will not.
If I want gold, steal but a beggar's dog,
And give it Timon, why, the dog coins gold:
If I would sell my horse, and buy twenty more
Better than he, why, give my horse to Timon,
Ask nothing, give it him, it foals me, straight,
And able horses: No porter at his gate;
But rather one that smiles, and still invites
All that pass by. It cannot hold; no reason
Can found his state in safety. Caphis, ho!
Caphis, I say!

Caph.

Enter CAPHIS.

Here, sir; What is your pleasure? Sen. Get on your cloak, and haste you to lord

Timon;

Impórtune him for my monies; be not ceas'd 6
With slight denial; nor then silenc'd, when-
Commend me to your master and the cap
Plays in the right hand, thus:--but tell him, sirrah,
My uses cry to me, I must serve my turn
Out of mine own; his days and times are past,
And my reliances on his fracted dates

6 Stopped.

Have smit my credit: I love, and honour him;
But must not break my back, to heal his finger:
Immediate are my needs; and my relief
Must not be toss'd and turn'd to me in words,
But find supply immediate. Get you gone:
Put on a most importunate aspect,
A visage of demand; for, I do fear,
When every feather sticks in his own wing,
Lord Timon will be left a naked gull,

Which flashes now a phenix. Get you gone.
Caph. I go, sir.

Sen. I go, sir?-take the bonds along with you, And have the dates in compt.

Caph.

Sen.

I will, sir.

Go.
[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The same. A Hall in Timon's House.
Enter FLAVIUS, with many bills in his hand.
Flav. No care, no stop! so senseless of expence,

That he will neither know how to maintain it,
Nor cease his flow of riot: Takes no account
How things go from him; nor resumes no care
Of what is to continue; Never mind
Was to be so unwise, to be so kind.

What shall be done? He will not hear, till feel :
I must be round with him now he comes from

hunting.

Fye, fye, fye, fye!

Enter CAPHIS, and the Servants of ISIDORE and

VARRO.

Good even, Varro: What,

Caph.

You come for money?

Var. Serv.

Is't not your business too?

Caph. It is;-And yours too, Isidore?

Isid. Serv.

It is so.

Caph. 'Would we were all discharg'd!
Var. Serv.

I fear it.

Caph. Here comes the lord,

Enter TIMON, ALCIBIADES, und Lords, &c,

Tim. So soon as dinner's done, we'll forth again, &

My Alcibiades. - With me? What's your will?
Caph. My lord, here is a note of certain dues.

Tim. Dues? Whence are you?

Caph.

Tim. Go to my steward.

Of Athens here, my lord.

Caph. Please it your lordship, he hath put me off

To the succession of new days this month:
My master is awak'd by great occasion,
To call upon his own; and humbly prays you,
That with your other noble parts you'll suit,

In giving him his right.

Tim.

Mine honest friend,

I pr'ythee, but repair to me next morning.

Caph. Nay, good my lord,
Tim.

Contain thyself, good friend,

Var. Serv. One Varro's servant, my good lord,

7 Good even was the usual salutation from noon.

8 i. e. To hunting; in our author's time it was the custom to hunt as well after dinner as before.

Isid. Serv.

From Isidore;

He humbly prays your speedy payment,

Caph. If you did know, my lord, my master's

wants,

Var. Serv. 'Twas due on forfeiture, my lord, six

weeks,

And past,

Isid. Serv. Your steward puts me off, my lord;

And I am sent expressly to your lordship.
Tim. Give me breath :-

I do beseech you, good my lords, keep on;

[Exeunt ALCIBIADES and Lords.

I'll wait upon you instantly. -Come hither, pray you,

[TO FLAVIUS.

How goes the world, that I am thus encounter'd
With clamorous demands of date-broke bonds,
And the detention of long-since-due debts,

Against my honour?

Flav.

Please you, gentlemen,

The time is unagreeable to this business:
Your importunacy cease, till after dinner;

That I may make his lordship understand

[blocks in formation]

Enter APEMANTUS and a Fool.

Caph. Stay, stay, here comes the fool with Ape

mantus; let's have some sport with 'em.

Var. Serv. Hang him, he'll abuse us.

Isid. Serv. A plague upon him, dog!

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