SCENE VI. A magnificent Room in Timon's House. Musick. Tables set out: Servants attending. Enter divers Lords,3 at several Doors. 1 Lord. The good time of day to you, sir. 2 Lord. I also wish it to you. I think, this honourable lord did but try us this other day. 4 1 Lord. Upon that were my thoughts tiring, when A kindred expression occurs in Marlowe's Lust's Dominion, 1657: “He takes up Spanish hearts on trust, to pay them "When he shall finger Castile's crown.' وو Malone. 'Tis honour, with most lands to be at odds;] I think, with Dr. Johnson, that lands cannot be right. To assert that it is honourable to fight with the greatest part of the world, is very wild. I believe therefore our author meant that Alcibiades in his spleen against the Senate, from whom alone he has received an injury, should say: 'Tis honour with most lords to be at odds. Malone. I adhere to the old reading. It is surely more honourable to wrangle for a score of kingdoms, (as Miranda expresses it) than to enter into quarrels with lords, or any other private adversaries. Steevens. The objection to the old reading still in my apprehension remains. It is not difficult for him who is so inclined, to quarrel with a lord; (or with any other person;) but not so easy to be at odds with his land. Neither does the observation just made, prove that it is honourable to quarrel, or to be at odds, with most of the lands or kingdoms of the earth, which must, I conceive, be proved, before the old reading can be supported. Malone. By most lands, perhaps our author means greatest lands. So, in King Henry VI, P. I, Act IV, sc. i: "But always resolute in most extremes." i. e. in greatest. Alcibiades, therefore, may be willing to regard a contest with a great and extensive territory, like that of Athens, as a circumstance honourable to himself. Steevens. 3 Enter divers Lords,] In the modern editions these are called Senators; but it is clear from what is said concerning the banishment of Alcibiades, that this must be wrong. I have therefore substituted Lords. The old copy has "Enter divers friends." Malone. 4 Upon that were my thoughts tiring,] A hawk, I think, is said to tire, when she amuses herself with pecking a pheasant's wing, or any thing that puts her in mind of prey. To tire upon a thing, is therefore, to be idly employed upon it Johnson. I believe Dr. Johnson is mistaken. Tiring means here, I think, we encountered: I hope, it is not so low with him, as he made it seem in the trial of his several friends. 2 Lord. It should not be, by the persuasion of his new feasting. 1 Lord. I should think so: He hath sent me an earnest inviting, which many my near occasions did urge me to put off; but he hath conjured me beyond them, and I must needs appear. 2 Lord. In like manner was I in debt to my importunate business, but he would not hear my excuse. I am sorry, when he sent to borrow of me, that my provision was out. 1 Lord. I am sick of that grief too, as I understand how all things go. 2 Lord. Every man here 's so. What would he have borrowed of you? 1 Lord. A thousand pieces. 2 Lord. A thousand pieces! Lord. What of you? 3 Lord. He sent to me, sir, Here he comes. 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 wil ling, 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 fixed, fastened, as the hawk fastens its beak eagerly on its prey. So, in our author's Venus and Adonis : "Like as an empty eagle, sharp by fast, " " Tires with her beak on feathers, flesh, and bone, Tirouër, that is, tiring for hawks, as Cotgrave calls it, signified any thing by which the falconer brought the bird back, and fixed him to his hand. A capon's wing was often used for this purpose. In King Henry VI, Part II, we have a kindred xpression: 64 your thoughts "Beat on a crown." Malone. Dr. Johnson's explanation, I believe, is right Thus, in The Winter's Tale, Antigonus is said to be “woman-tir d,” i. e. pecked by a woman, as we now say, with a similar allusion, hen-pecked. Steevens musick awhile; if they will fare 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 messenger. Tim. O, sir, let it not trouble you. 2 Lord. My noble lord, Tim. Ah, my good friend! what cheer? [The Banquet brought in. 2 Lord. My most honourable lord, I am e'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.5— 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. 1 Lord. How do you? What's the news ? 3 Lord. Alcibiades is banished: Hear you of it? 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. Here's a noble feast toward. 2 Lord. This is the old man still. 3 Lord. Will 't hold? will 't hold? 2 Lord. It does: but time will-and so 3 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 5 -your better remembrance.] i. e. your good memory: the comparative for the positive degree. Steevens. 6 Here's a noble feast toward.] i. e. in a state of readiness. So in Romeo and Juliet: 7 "We have a foolish trifling banquet towards." Steevens. your diet shall be in all places alike.] See The Winter's Tale, Vol. VI, p. 181, n. 1. Steevens. 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 betoved, 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. Uncover, dogs, and lap. [The Dishes uncovered are full of warm Water. 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; [Throwing Water in their Faces. Your reeking villainy. Live loath'd, and long,2 • The rest of your fees,] We should read-foes. Warburton. We must surely read foes instead of fees. I find no sense in the present reading. M. Mason. 9 the common lag-] Old copy-leg. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. Malone. The fag-end of a web of cloth is, in some places, called the lag-end. Steevens. 1 Is your perfection.] Your perfection, is the highest of your excellence. Johnson, 2 before: Again: 66 · Live loath'd, and long,] This thought has occurred twice let not that part "Of nature my lord paid for, be of power "Gods keep you old enough," &c. Steevens. Most smiling, smooth, detested parasites, Crust you quite o'er !—What, dost thou go? Stay, I will lend thee money, borrow none. [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? 3 Lord. Pish! did you see my cap? 4 Lord. I have lost my gown. 3 Lord. He's but a mad lord, and nought but humour sways him. He gave me a jewel the other day, and now he has beat it out of my hat:-Did you see my jewel? 4 Lord. Did you see my cap? 3 2 Lord. Here 'tis. 4 Lord. Here lies my gown. 1 Lord. Let's make no stay. fools of fortune,] The same expression occurs in Romeo and Juliet: 4 "O! I am fortune's fool." Steevens. time's flies,] Flies of a season. Johnson. So, before: 5 one cloud of winter showers, "These flies are couch'd." Steevens. minute-jacks!] Sir Thomas Hanmer thinks it means Jacka-lantern, which shines and disappears in an instant. What it was I know not; but it was something of quick motion, mentioned in King Richard III. Johnson. A minute-jack is what was called formerly a Jack of the clockhouse; an image whose office was the same as one of those at St. Dunstan's church in Fleet street. See King Richard III, Vol. XI, p. 132, n. 1. Steevens. 6 the infinite malady-] Every kind of disease incident to man and beast. Johnson. 7 How now, my lords?] This and the next speech are spoken by the newly arrived Lords. Malone. |