Enter FLAMINIUS.

Tit. One of lord Timon's men.

Luc. Serv. Flaminius! sir, a word: 'Pray, is my lord ready to come forth?

Flam. No, indeed, he is not.

Tit. We attend his lordship; 'pray, signify so much.

Flam. I need not tell him that; he knows, you are too diligent. [Exit Flaminius.

Enter FLAVIUS, in a cloak, muffled.

Luc. Serv. Ha? is not that his steward muffled so?

He goes away in a cloud; call him, call him.

Tit. Do you hear, sir?

1 Var. Serv. By your leave, sir,

Flav. What do you ask of me, my friend?
Tit. We wait for certain money here, sir.
Flav.

If money were as certain as your waiting,

Ay,

'Twere sure enough. Why then preferr'd you not
Your sums and bills, when your false masters eat
Of my lord's meat? Then they could smile, and fawn
Upon his debts, and take down th' interest

Into their gluttonous maws. You do yourselves but

wrong,

To stir me up; let me pass quietly:

Believe't, my lord and I have made an end;

I have no more to reckon, he to spend.

Luc. Serv. Ay, but this answer will not serve.

Flav.

If 'twill not,

'Tis not so base as you; for you serve knaves. [Exit. 1 Var. Serv. How! what does his cashier'd worship mutter?

2 Var. Serv. No matter what; he's poor, and that's revenge enough. Who can speak broader than he that has no house to put his head in? such may rail against great buildings.

Enter SERVILIUS 3.

Tit. O, here's Servilius; now we shall know Some answer.

Ser.
If I might beseech you, gentlemen,
To repair some other hour, I should much
Derive from it: for, take it on my soul,
My lord leans wond'rously to discontent.
His comfortable temper has forsook him;

He is much out of health, and keeps his chamber.
Luc. Serv. Many do keep their chambers, are not

sick:

And, if it be so far beyond his health,

Methinks, he should the sooner pay his debts,

And make a clear way to the gods.

Ser.

Good gods!

Tit. We cannot take this for an answer, sir.
Flam. [Within.] Servilius, help!-my lord! my

lord!

Enter TIMON, in a rage; FLAMINIUS following.

Tim. What, are my doors oppos'd against my passage?

Have I been ever free, and must my house
Be my retentive enemy, my gaol?

The place, which I have feasted, does it now,
Like all mankind, show me an iron heart?
Luc. Serv. Put in now, Titus.

Tit. My lord, here is my bill.
Luc. Serv. Here's mine.

Hor. Serv. And mine, my lord.

Both Var. Serv. And ours, my lord.

Phi. All our bills.

Tim. Knock me down with 'em: cleave me to the

girdle.

Luc. Serv. Alas! my lord,—

Tim. Cut my heart in sums.

Tit. Mine, fifty talents.

Tim. Tell out my blood.

Luc. Serv. Five thousand crowns, my lord.

Tim. Five thousand drops pays that.—

What yours?-and yours?

1 Var. Serv. My lord,

2 Var. Serv. My lord,

Tim. Tear me, take me, and the gods fall on you!

[Exit.

Hor. 'Faith, I perceive, our masters may throw their caps at their money; these debts may well be call'd desperate ones, for a madman owes 'em.

[Exeunt.

Re-enter TIMON and FLAVIUS.

Tim. They have e'en put my breath from me, the slaves :

Creditors!-devils.

Flav. My dear lord,

Tim. What if it should be so?

Flav. My lord,

Tim. I'll have it so:-My steward!

Flav.

Here, my lord.

Tim. So fitly? Go, bid all my friends again,

Lucius, Lucullus, and Sempronius; all:

I'll once more feast the rascals.

Flav.

O my lord,

You only speak from your distracted soul;
There is not so much left, to furnish out
A moderate table.

Tim.

Be't not in thy care; go,

I charge thee; invite them all: let in the tide
Of knaves once more; my cook and I'll provide.

SCENE V.

The Same. The Senate-House.

[Exeunt.

The Senate sitting. Enter ALCIBIADES, attended

1 Sen. My lord, you have my voice to't; the fault's

bloody;

'Tis necessary, he should die:

Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.

2 Sen. Most true; the laws shall bruise him. Alcib. Honour, health, and compassion to the senate! 1 Sen. Now, captain?

Alcib. I am an humble suitor to your virtues;

For pity is the virtue of the law,

And none but tyrants use it cruelly.

It pleases time, and fortune, to lie heavy
Upon a friend of mine, who, in hot blood,
Hath stepp'd into the law, which is past depth
To those that, without heed, do plunge into it.
He is a man, setting his fate aside,

Of comely virtues:

Nor did he soil the fact with cowardice;

(An honour in him, which buys out his fault,)
But, with a noble fury, and fair spirit,
Seeing his reputation touch'd to death,
He did oppose his foe:

And with such sober and unnoted passion
He did behave his anger, ere 'twas spent,
As if he had but prov'd an argument.

1 Sen. You undergo too strict a paradox, Striving to make an ugly deed look fair:

Your words have took such pains, as if they labour'd
To bring manslaughter into form, set quarrelling
Upon the head of valour; which, indeed,
Is valour misbegot, and came into the world
When sects and factions were newly born: