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That of his bounties taste!-the five best senses
Acknowledge thee their patron; and come freely
To gratulate thy plenteous bosom:

The ear, taste, touch, smell, pleas'd from thy table rise;
They only now come but to feast thine eyes.

TIM. They are welcome all; let them have kind admittance. Music, make their welcome.

[Exit CUPID.

1 LORD. You see, my lord, how ample y' are belov'd.

Music. Re-enter CUPID, with a mask of Ladies as Amazons, with lutes in their hands, dancing and playing.

APEM. Hey day, what a sweep of vanity comes this way! They dance! they are mad women.

Like madness is the glory of this life,

As this pomp shows to a little oil and root.
We make ourselves fools to disport ourselves;
And spend our flatteries, to drink those men,
Upon whose age we void it up again,
With poisonous spite and envy.

Who lives that's not depraved, or depraves?
Who dies, that bears not one spurn to their graves
Of their friends' gift?

I should fear those that dance before me now,
Would one day stamp upon me: It has been done:
Men shut their doors against a setting sun.

The Lords rise from table, with much adoring of TIMON; and, to show their loves, each singles out an Amazon, and all dance, men with women, a lofty strain or two to the hautboys, and cease.

TIM. You have done our pleasures much grace, fair ladies, Set a fair fashion on our entertainment,

Which was not half so beautiful and kind;
You have added worth unto 't, and lustre,
And entertain'd me with mine own device;
I am to thank you for it.

1 LADY. My lord, you take us even at the best.

APEM. 'Faith, for the worst is filthy; and would not hold taking, I doubt me.

TIM. Ladies, there is an idle banquet Attends you: please you to dispose yourselves. ALL LAD. Most thankfully, my lord.

TIM. Flavius!

FLAV. My lord.

TIM.

[Exeunt CUPID and Ladies.

The little casket bring me hither.

FLAV. Yes, my lord.-More jewels yet!

There is no crossing him in his humour;

Else I should tell him,-Well,-i' faith, I should, When all's spent, he'd be cross'd then, an he could. 'Tis pity bounty had not eyes behind;

That man might ne'er be wretched for his mind.

[Aside.

[Exit, and returns with the casket.

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I have one word to say to you;—Look you, my good lord,

I must entreat you, honour me so much,

As to advance this jewel; accept it, and wear it,

Kind my lord.

1 LORD. I am so far already in your gifts,—

ALL. So are we all.

Enter a Servant.

SERV. My lord, there are certain nobles of the senate Newly alighted, and come to visit you.

TIM. They are fairly welcome.

I beseech your honour,

FLAV.
Vouchsafe me a word; it does concern you near.

TIM. Near? why then another time I'll hear thee:
I prithee, let's be provided to show them entertainment.
FLAV. I scarce know how.

Enter another Servant.

2 SERV. May it please your honour, the lord Lucius, Out of his free love, hath presented to you

Four milk-white horses, trapp'd in silver.

TIM. I shall accept them fairly: let the presents

[Aside.

Enter a third Servant.

Be worthily entertain'd.-How now, what news?

3 SERV. Please you, my lord, that honourable gentleman, lord Lucullus, entreats your company to-morrow to hunt with him; and has sent your honour two brace of greyhounds.

TIM. I'll hunt with him; and let them be receiv'd,

Not without fair reward.

FLAV. [Aside.]

What will this come to?

He commands us to provide, and give great gifts,
And all out of an empty coffer.-

Nor will he know his purse; or yield me this,

To show him what a beggar his heart is,

Being of no power to make his wishes good;

His promises fly so beyond his state,

That what he speaks is all in debt, he owes for every word;
He is so kind, that he now pays interest for 't;

His lands put to their books. Well, 'would I were
Gently put out of office, before I were forc'd out!
Happier is he that has no friend to feed,

Than such that do even enemies exceed.

I bleed inwardly for my lord.

TIM.

You do yourselves

Much wrong, you bate too much of your own merits:
Here, my lord, a trifle of our love.

[Exit.

2 LORD. With more than common thanks I will receive it.

3 LORD. O, he is the very soul of bounty!

TIM. And now I remember, my lord, you gave

Good words the other day of a bay courser

I rode on: it is yours, because you lik'd it!

2 LORD. O, I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, in that. TIM. You may take my word, my lord; I know, no man Can justly praise, but what he does affect:

I weigh my friend's affection with mine own;

I'll tell you true. I'll call to you.

ALL LORDS.

O, none so welcome.

TIM. I take all and your several visitations So kind to heart, 't is not enough to give; Methinks, I could deal kingdoms to my friends, And ne'er be weary.-Alcibiades,

Thou art a soldier, therefore seldom rich;

It comes in charity to thee: for all thy living
Is 'mongst the dead; and all the lands thou hast
Lie in a pitch'd field.

ALCIB.

Ay, defil'd land, my lord.

1 LORD. We are so virtuously bound,—

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Honour and fortunes, keep with you, lord Timon!

АРЕМ.

TIM. Ready for his friends. [Exeunt ALCIB., Lords, &c. What a coil's here! Serving of becks, 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 would 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 wouldst sin the faster. Thou giv'st so long, Timon, I fear me thou wilt give away thyself in paper shortly: What need these feasts, pomps, and vain glories?

TIM. Nay, an you begin to rail on society once, I am sworn not to give regard to you. Farewell; and come with better music.

[Exit.

APEM. So;-Thou 'lt not hear me now,-thou shalt not

then.

I'll lock thy heaven from thee.

O, that men's ears should be

To counsel deaf, but not to flattery!

[Exit

ACT II.

SCENE I-Athens. 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 sound his state in safety. Caphis, hoa! Caphis, I say!

CAPH.

Enter CAPHIS.

Here, sir: What is your pleasure?
SEN. Get on your cloak, and haste you to lord Timon;
Importune him for my moneys; be not ceas'd
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

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,

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