Cap. Nay, good my Lord

Tim. Contain thyfelf, good friend.

Var. One Varro's fervant, my good Lord

Ifid. From Ifidore, he prays your speedy payment-Cap. If you did know, my Lord, my mafter's wants→→ Var. 'Twas due on forfeiture, my Lord, fix weeks and paft.

Ifid. Your Steward puts me off, my Lord, and I Am fent exprefsly to your Lordship.

Tim. Give me breath!

I do beseech you, good my Lords, keep on, [Exe. Lords.
I'll wait upon you inftantly.Come hither;
How goes the world, that I am thus encountred
With clam'rous claims of debt, of broken bonds,
And the detention of long-fince-due debts,
Against my honour ?

Flav, Pleafe you, gentlemen,

The time is unagreeable to this business ;
Your importunity ceafe, 'till after dinner;
That I may make his Lordship understand
Wherefore you are not paid.

.

Tim. Do fo, my friends; fee them well entertain'd.

Flav. Pray, draw near.

Enter Apemantus, and Fool.

[Exit Timon.

[Exit Flavius.

Cap. Stay, ftay, here comes the Fool with Apemantus, let's have fome sport with 'em.

Var. Hang him, he'll abufe us.

Ifid. A plague upon him, dog!

Var. How doft, fool?

Apem. Doft dialogue with thy fhadow?

Var. I fpeak not to thee.

Apem. No, 'tis to thyfelf.

Come away.

id. There's the fool hangs on your back already.. Apem. No, thou ftandft fingle, thou art not on him yet.. Cap. Where's the fool now?

Apem. He laft afk'd the queftion. Poor rogues', and ufurers' men bawds between gold and want! All What are we, Apèmantus ?

Ajem.

Apem. Affes.

All. Why?

Apem. That you ask me what you are, and do not know yourselves. Speak to 'em, fool.

Fool. How do you, gentlemen ?

All. Gramercies, good Fool, how does your miftrefs? Fool. She's e'en fetting on water to fcald fuch chickens as you are. 'Would, we could fee you at Corinth. Apem. Good! gramercy!

Enter Page.

Fool. Look you, here comes my miftreffes's page. Page. Why, how now, captain? what do you in this wife company? how doft thou, Apemantus?

Apem. 'Would I had a rod in my mouth, that I might answer thee profitably.

Page. Pr'ythee, Apemantus, read me the fuperfcription of these letters; I know not which is which. Apem. Can't not read ?

Page. No.

Apem. There will little learning die then, that day thou art hang'd. This is to Lord Timon, this to Alcibiades. Go, thou waft born a bastard, and thou'lt die a bawd. Page. Thou waft whelpt a dog, and thou shalt famish, a dog's death. Answer not, I am gone.

Apem. E'en fo thou out-run'ft grace.
Fool, I will go with you to Lord Timon's.
Fool. Will you leave me there?
Apem. If Timon stay at home-
You three ferve three ufurers?
All. I would, they ferv'd us.

[Exit.

Apem. So would I- as good a trick as ever hangman

ferv'd thief.

Fool. Are you three ufurers' men ?.

All. Ay, fool.

Fool. I think, no ufurer but, has a fool to his fervant. My mistress is one, and I am her fool; when men come to borrow of your masters, they approach fadly, and go away merrily but they enter my miftrefs's houfe mer-rily, and go away fadly. The reason of this ♪

Var. I could render one.

Apem. Do it then, that we may account thee a whoremafter, and a knave; which notwithstanding, thou shalt be no lefs efteem'd.

Var. What is a whore-mafter, fool?

Fool. A fool in good clothes, and fomething like thee. 'Tis a fpirit; fometimes it appears like a Lord, fometimes like a lawyer, fometimes like a philofopher, with two ftones more than's artificial one. He is very often like a knight; and generally, in all fhapes that man goes up and down in, from fourfcore to thirteen, this fpirit walks in.

Var. Thou art not altogether a fool.

Fool. Nor thou altogether a wife man ; as much foolery as I have, fo much wit thou lack'ft.

Apem. That anfwer might have become Apemantus.
All. Afide, afide, here comes Lord Timon.

Enter Timon and Flavius.

Apem. Come with me, fool, come.

Fool. I do not always follow lover, elder brother and woman; fometime, the philofopher.

Flav. Pray you, walk near, I'll speak with

you anon. [Exeunt Creditors, Apemantus and Fool.

Tim. You make me marvel; wherefore, ere this time,

Had you not fully laid my ftate before me?

That I might fo have rated my expence,,

As I had leave of means.

Flay. You would not hear me; At many leifures I propos'd.

Tim. Go to:

Perchance, fome fingle vantages you took,
When my indifpofition put you back:
And that unapthefs made you minister
Thus to excufe yourself.

Flav. O my good Lord!

I brought in my

At many times you; you would throw them off,

Laid

And fay, you found them in mine honefty.

When, for fome trifling present, you have bid me

Return

Return fo much, I've fhook my head, and wept;
Yea, 'gainft th' authority of manners, pray'd you
To hold your hand more close. I did endure
Not feldom, nor no flight checks; when I have
Prompted you in the ebb of your estate,

And your great flow of debts. My dear-lov'd Lord,
Though you hear now too late, yet now's a time;
The greateft of your having lacks a half
To pay your prefent debts.

Tim. Let all my land be fold.

Flav. 'Tis all engag'd, fome forfeited and gone: And what remains will hardly stop the mouth Of prefent dues; the future comes apace: What fhall defend the interim, and at length How goes our reck'ning?

Tim. To Lacedæmon did my land extend.

Flav. O my good Lord, the world is but a world; Were it all yours, to give it in a breath,

How quickly were it gone!

Tim. You tell me true.

Flav. If you fufpect my husbandry, or falfhood,
Call me before th' exactest auditors,

And fet me on the proof. So the Gods bless me,
When all our offices have been oppreft

With riotous feeders; when our, vaults have wept
With drunken filth of wine; when every room
Hath blaz'd with lights, and bray'd with minftrelfy;
I have retir'd me to a wasteful cock,.

And fet mine eyes at flow.

Tim. Pr'ythee, no more.

Flav. Heav'ns! have I faid, the bounty of this Lord!
How many prodigal bits have flaves and peafants
This night englutted! who now is not Timon's?
What heart, head, fword, force,means, but is LordTimon's ?
Great Timon, noble, worthy, royal Timon's?

Ah! when the means are gone, that buy this praife,
The breath is gone whereof this praise is made:
Feaft-won, faft-loft: one cloud of winter fhow'rs,
These flies are coucht.

A

Tim. Come, fermon me no further.

No villainous bounty yet hath paft my heart;
Unwifely, not ignobly, have I giv'n..

Why dost thou weep? canft thou the confcience lack,
To think I fhall lack friends? fecure thy heart;
If I would broach the veffels of my love,
And try the arguments of hearts by borrowing,
Men and men's fortunes could I frankly use,
As I can bid thee speak.

Flav. Affurance blefs your thoughts!

Tim. And in fome fort these wants of mine are crown'd, That I account them bleffings; for by these

Shall I try friends. You fhall perceive how you

Miftake my fortunes: in my friends I'm wealthy.
Within there, Ho! Flaminius, Servilius !

Enter Flaminius, Servilius, and other fervants..
Serv. My Lord, my Lord.

Tim. I will dispatch you fev'rally. ·

You to Lord Lucius-to Lord Lucullus you, I hunted with his honour to-day-you to Sempronius--commend me to their loves; and I am proud, fay, that my occafions have found time to ufe 'em toward a fupply of money; let the request be fifty talents.

Flam. As you have faid,

my Lord.

Flav. Lord Lucius and Lucullus? hum-
Tim. Go, you, Sir, to the Senators;

[To Flavius.

Of whom, even to the State's beft health, I have
Deferv'd this hearing; bid 'em fend o'th' inftant
A thoufand talents to me.

Flav. I've been bold,

(For that I knew it the moft gen'ral way)
To them to ufe your fignet and your name;
But they do fhake their heads, and I am here
No richer in return.

Tim. Is't true? can't be?

Flav. They answer in a joint and corporate voice, That now they are at fall, want treasure, cannot Do what they would; are forry-You are honourableBut yet they could have wish't—they know not

Something