Apem. That I had 5 'fo hungry a wit to be a Lord. Art thou not a merchant?

Mer. Ay, Apemantus.

Apem. Traffick confound thee, if the Gods will not! Mer. If traffick do it, the Gods do it.

[thee! Apem. Traffick's thy God, and fo thy God confound Trumpets found. Enter a Messenger.

Tim. What trumpet's that?

Mef. 'Tis Alcibiades, and fome twenty horse,
All of companionship.

Tim. Pray entertain them, give them guide to us
You must needs dine with me: go not you hence
'Till I have thankt you; and when dinner's done
Shew me this piece. I'm joyful of your fights.

Enter Alcibiades with the reft.

Moft welcome, Sir!

[Bowing and embracing. Apem. So, fo! Aches contract, and starve your supple joints! that there should be small love amongst these sweet knaves, and all this courtefie! the ftrain of man's bred out into baboon and monkey.

Alc. You

have even fav'd` my longing, and I feed

Moft hungerly on your fight.

Tim. Right welcome, Sir.

Ere we 'do part, we'll fhare a bounteous time

In different pleasures. Pray you, let us in.

SCE NE IV.

[Exeunt

Manet Apemantus, Enter Lucius and Lucullus.

Luc. What time a day is't, Apemantus ?

Apem. Time to be honeft.

Luc. 'Ay, that, time serves ftill.

Apem. The

more accurfed thou that still omitt'st it.

5 no angry... old edit. Warb. emend. 6 and thy,

7 have fav'd

9 That

8 depart... old edit. Theob. emend.

1 molt

Lucul.

Lucul. Thou art going to Lord Timon's feaft.

Apem. Ay, to fee meat fill knaves, and wine heat fools.
Lucul. Fare thee well, fare thee well.

Apem. Thou art a fool to bid me farewel twice.
Lucul. Why, Apemantus?

Apem. Thou fhould'ft have kept one to thy felf, for I mean to give thee none.

Luc. Hang thy felf.

Apem. No, I will do nothing at thy bidding: make thy requests to thy friend.

Lucul. Away, unpeaceable dog, or I'll fpurn thee [hence. Apem. I will fly, like a dog, the heels o' th' afs.

2

Luc. He's oppofite to all humanity.

[Exit Apem.

Come, fhall we in, and taste Lord Timon's bounty?
He fure outgoes the very heart of kindness.

Lucul. He pours it out. Plutus, the God of gold,
Is but his ftew❜rd: no meed but he repays

Seven-fold above itself; no gift to him,
But breeds the giver a return exceeding
All ufe of quittance.

Luc. The nobleft mind he carries,
That ever govern❜d man.

Lucal. Long may he live in fortunes! fhall we in?
Luc. I'll keep you company.

Another Room in Timon's House.

[Exeunt.

Hautboys playing, loud Mufick. A great Banquet ferv'd in; and then enter Timon, Lucius, Lucullus, Sempronius and other Athenian Senators, with Ventidius. Then comes, dropping after all, Apemantus difcontentedly. Ven. Most honour'd Timon, it hath pleas'd the Gods To call my father's age unto long peace. He is gone happy, and has left me rich.

2 to humanity.

Then

Then as in grateful virtue I am bound
To your free heart, I do return those talents,
Doubled with thanks and fervice, from whofe help
I deriv'd liberty.

Tmi. O, by no means,

Honeft Ventidius: you mistake my love,

I gave it freely ever, and there's none
Can truly fay he gives, if he receives:

If our betters play at that game, we must not dare
To imitate them. Faults that are rich, are fair.
Ves. A noble fpirit.

Tim. Nay, ceremony was but devis'd at firft,
To fet a glofs on faint deeds, hollow welcomes,
Recanting goodness, forry ere 'tis shown:

But where there is true friendship, there needs none.
Pray, fit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes,

Than they to me.

Luc. We always have confeft it.

[They fit down.

Apem. Ho, ho, confeft it? hang'd it, have you not? Tim. O Apemantus! you are welcome.

Apem. No: you fhall not make me welcome. I come

to have thee thrust me out of doors.

Tim. Fie, th'art a churl; ye have got a humour there Does not become a man, 'tis much to blame:

They fay, my Lords, that Ira furor brevis eft,
But yonder man is ever angry. Go,

And let him have a table by himself:
For he does neither affect company,
Nor is he fit for it indeed.

Apem. Let me ftay at thy peril, Timon: I come to obferve, I give thee warning on't.

Tim. I take no heed of thee; th'art an Athenian, therefore welcome; I my felf would have no power, prythee let my meat make thee filent.

Apem. I fcorn thy meat, 'twould choak me: for I should ne'er flatter thee. O you Gods! what a number of men eat Timon, and he fees 'it not! It grieves me to fee

3 'em

So

So many dip their meat in one man's blood,
And all the madness is, he cheers them up too.
I wonder men dare truft themselves with men :
Methinks they should invite them without knives,
Good for their meat, and fafer for their lives.
There's much example for't, the fellow that
Sits next him now, parts bread with him, and pledges
The breath of him in a divided draught,

Is th' readieft man to kill him! 'T has been prov'd.
Were I a great man, I should fear to drink,

Left they fhould fpy my wind-pipe's dangerous notes
Great men-fhould drink with harness on their throats.
Tim. My Lord, in heart; and let the health go round.
Lucul. Let it flow this way, my good Lord.

Apem. Flow this way!-a brave fellow! he keeps his tides well; thofe healths will make thee and thy state look ill, Timon. Here's that which is too weak to be a finner, honeft water, which ne'er left man i'th' mire: This and my food are equal, there's no odds; Feafts are too proud to give thanks to the Gods.

Apemantus's Grace.

Immortal Gods, I crave no pelf;
I pray for no man but my self;
Grant I may never prove fo fond,
To truft man on his oath or bond;
Or a barlot for her weeping,
Or a dog that feems a fleeping,
Or a keeper with my freedom,
Or my friends if I should need 'em.
Amen, Amen: So fall to't:

Rich men fin, and I eat root.

Much good dich thy good heart, Apemantus!

Tim. Captain Alcibiades, your heart's in the field now. Alc. My heart is ever at your service, my Lord. Tim. You had rather be at a breakfast of enemies, than a dinner of friends,

Alc. So they were bleeding new, my Lord, there's no meat like 'em. I could wifh my friend at fuch a feast. Apem. Would all these flatterers were thine enemies then; that thou might'st kill 'em, and bid me to 'em!

Luc. Might we but have the happiness, my Lord, that you would once use our hearts, whereby we might exprefs fome part of our zeals, we fhould think our felves for ever perfect.

Tim. Oh, no doubt, my good friends, but the Gods themselves have provided that I fhall have as much help from you how had you been my friends elfe? why have you that 'character and title from thousands, did not you chiefly belong to my heart? I have told more of you to my felf, than you can with modesty fpeak in your own behalf. And thus far I confirm you; oh you Gods, (think I,) what need we have any friends, if we should never have need of 'em? they would most resemble sweet inftruments hung up in cafes, that keep their founds to themfelves. Why, I have often wifht my felf poorer, that I might come nearer to you: we are born to do benefits. And what better or properer can we call our own, than the riches of our friends? O, what a precious comfort 'tis to have fo many, like brothers, commanding one another's fortunes! O joy, e'en made s'a joy ere't can be born; mine eyes cannot hold water, methinks: to forget their faults, I drink to you. Apem. Thou weepest but to make them drink thee, Timon.

Lucul. Joy had the like conception in our eyes, And at that inftant like a babe fprung up.

Apem. Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a baftard. 3 Lord. I promife you, my Lord, you mov'd me much. Apem. Much!

Sound Tucket.

Tim. What means that trump? how now?

4 charitable

5 away

6 Thou weep'ft to make them drink, Timon.

VOL. V.

B

Enter