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Enter TIMON, and Attendants.

Tim. With all my heart, gentlemen both:-And how fare you?

1 Lord. Ever at the best, hearing well of your lordship.

2 Lord. The swallow follows not summer more willing, than we your lordship.

Tim. [Aside.] Nor more willingly leaves winter; such summer-birds are men.-Gentlemen, our dinner will not recompense this long stay: feast your ears with the musick awhile; if they will fair so harshly on the trumpet's sound: we shall to't presently.

1 Lord. I hope, it remains not unkindly with your lordship, that I returned you an empty mes

senger.

Tim. O, sir, let it not trouble you.

2 Lord. My noble lord,

Tim. Ah, my good friend! what chcer?

[The Banquet brought in. 2 Lord. My most honourable lord, I am c'en sick of shame, that, when your lordship this other day sent to me, I was so unfortunate a beggar. Tim. Think not on't, sir.

2 Lord. If you had sent but two hours before,— Tim. Let it not cumber your better remembrance.-Come, bring in all together.

2 Lord. All covered dishes!

1 Lord. Royal cheer, I warrant you.

3 Lord. Doubt not that, if money, and the season can yield it.

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1 Lord. How do you do? What's the news? 3 Lord. Alcibiades is banished: Hear you of it?

your better remembrance.] i. e. your good memory: the comparative for the positive degree.

1&2 Lord. Alcibiades banished!.

3 Lord. 'Tis so, be sure of it.

1 Lord. How? how?

2 Lord. I pray you, upon what?

Tim. My worthy friends, will you draw near? 3 Lord. I'll tell you more anon.

feast toward."

2 Lord. This is the old man still.

3 Lord. Will't hold, will't hold?

Here's a noble

2 Lord. It does: but time will-and so3 Lord. I do conceive.

Tim. Each man to his stool, with that spur as he would to the lip of his mistress: your diet shall be in all places alike. Make not a city feast of it, to let the meat cool ere we can agree upon the first place: Sit, sit. The gods require our thanks.

You great benefactors, sprinkle our society with thankfulness. For your own gifts, make yourselves praised: but reserve still to give, lest your deities be despised. Lend to each man enough, that one need not lend to another: for, were your godheads to borrow of men, men would forsake the gods. Make the meat be beloved, more than the man that gives it, Let no assembly of twenty be without a score of villains: If there sit twelve women at the table, let a dozen of them be-as they are.-The rest of your fees, O gods, the senators of Athens, together with the common lag of people, what is amiss in them, you gods make suitable for destruction. For these my present friends,-as they are to me nothing, so in nothing bless them, and to nothing they are welcome.

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Uncover, dogs, and lap.

[The Dishes uncovered, are full of warm Water.

'Here's a noble feast toward.] i. e. in a state of readiness.

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the common tag-] The fag-end of a web of cloth is, in some places, called the lag-end.

Some speak. What does his lordship mean?
Some other. I know not.

Tim. May you a better feast never behold,
You knot of mouth-friends! smoke, and luke-warm

water

Is your perfection. This is Timon's last;
Who stuck and spangled you with flatteries,
Washes it off, and sprinkles in your faces

[Throwing Water in their Faces.
Your reeking villainy. Live loath'd, and long,
Most smiling, smooth, detested parasites,
Courteous destroyers, affable wolves, meek bears,
You fools of fortune, trencher-friends, time's flies,'
Cap and knee slaves, vapours, and minute-jacks!*
Of man, and beast, the infinite malady3
Crust you quite o'er!-What, dost thou go?
Soft, take thy physick first-thou too,-and thou;—
[Throws the Dishes at them, and drives them

out.

Stay, I will lend thee money, borrow none.-
What, all in motion? Henceforth be no feast,
Whereat a villain's not a welcome guest.

Burn, house; sink, Athens! henceforth hated be
Of Timon, man, and all humanity.
[Exit.

Re-enter the Lords, with other Lords and Senators.

1 Lord. How now, my lords?

2 Lord. Know you the quality of lord Timon's fury?

9 Is your perfection.] Your perfection, is the highest of your excellence.

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time's flies,] Flies of a season.

JOHNSON.

minute-jacks!] A minute-jack is what was called formerly

a Jack of the clock-house; an image whose office was the same as

one of those at St. Dunstan's church, in Fleet-street.

3

the infinite malady-] Every kind of disease incident

to man and beast.

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