Enter a Servant, with wine.

Ser. Please your Lordship, here is the wine. Lucul. Flaminius, I have noted thee always wife. Here's to thee.

Flam. Your Lordship fpeaks your pleasure.

Lucul. I have obferved thee always for a towardly prompt fpirit, give thee thy due: and one that knows what belongs to reafon; and canft ufe the time well, if the time use thee well. Good parts in thee Get you gone, firrah. [To the Servant who goes out.] Draw nearer, honeft Flaminius; thy Lord's a bountiful gentleman, but thou art wife, and thou knoweft well enough (although thou comest to me) that this is no time to lend money, efpecially upon bare friendship without fecurity. Here's three Solidares for thee, good boy, wink at me, and fay, thou faw'ft me not. Fare thee well.

Flam. Is't poffible the world fhould fo much differ,
And we alive that liv'd? fly, damned baseness,
To him that worships thee. [Throwing the mony away.
Lucul. Ha! now I fee thou art a fool, and fit for thy
master.
[Exit Lucullus.
Flam. May thefe add to the number that may fcald thee!
Let molten coin be thy damnation,
Thou disease of a friend, and not himself!
Has friendship fuch a faint and milky heart,
It turns in less than two nights? O you Gods!
I feel my master's paffion. This flave
Unto this hour has my Lord's meat in him:
Why fhould it thrive, and come to nutriment,
When he is turn'd to poifon?

O may diseases only work upon't :
And when he's fick to death, let not that part
Of 'nurture my Lord paid for, be of power
To expel fickness, or prolong his hour!

[Exit.

2 nature

VOL. V.

C

SCENE

Luc.

Enter Lucius, with three Strangers.

WHO, the Lord Timon? he is my very good

friend, and an honourable gentleman.

1 Stran. We know him for no lefs, tho' we are but ftrangers to him. But I can tell you one thing, my Lord, and which I hear from common rumours; now Lord Timon's happy hours are done and paft, and his eftate fhrinks from him.

[mony. Luc. Fye, no, do not believe it: he cannot want for 2 Stran. But believe you this, my Lord, that not long ago one of his men was with the Lord Lucullus, to borrow fo many talents, nay, urg'd extremely for't, and fhewed what neceffity belongd to't, and yet was deny'd.

Luc. How!

2 Stran. I tell you, deny'd, my Lord.

Luc. What a strange cafe was that! now before the Gods I am afham'd on't. Deny'd that honourable man? there was very little honour fhew'd in that. For my own part, I muft needs confefs I have received fome small kindneffes from him, as mony, plate, jewels, and fuch like trifles, nothing comparing to his; yet had he 3 o'erlook'd him, and fent to me, I should ne'er have deny'd his occafion fo many talents.

Enter Servilius.

Ser. See, by good hap yonder's my Lord, I have fweat to see his Honour - My honour'd Lord My honour'd Lord [To Lucius. Luc. Servilius! you are kindly met, Sir. Fare thee well, commend me to thy honourable virtuous Lord, my very exquifite friend.

Ser. May it please your Honour, my Lord hath fent

3 miflook... old edit. Warb. emend. miflook'd

Luc.

Luc. Ha! what hath he fent? I am fo much endear'd to that Lord; he's ever fending: how fhall I thank him, think'ft thou? and what has he fent now?

Ser. H'as only fent his prefent occafion now, my Lord; requesting your Lordship to fupply his inftant ufe, with fifty talents.

Luc. I know his Lordship is but merry with me,
'He can't want fifty times five hundred talents.`
Ser. But in the mean time he wants lefs, my Lord.
If his occafion were not virtuous,

I fhould not urge it half fo 5 'fervently.`

Luc. Doft thou fpeak ferioufly, Servilius?
Ser. Upon my foul 'tis true, Sir.

I

Luc. What a wicked beaft was I, to disfurnish my felf against fuch a good time, when I might ha' fhewn my felf honourable! how unluckily it happen'd, that I fhould purchase the day before a little dirt, and undo a great deal of honour! Servilius, now before the Gods, I am not able to do (the more beast !, fay) was fending to ufe Lord Timon my felf, thefe gentlemen can witness; but I would not, for the wealth of Athens, I had done't now. Commend me bountifully to his good Lordship, and I hope his Honour will conceive the faireft of me, because I have no power to be kind. And tell him this from me, I count it one of my greatest afflicti ons, that I cannot pleasure fuch an honourable gentleman. Good Servilius, will you befriend me fo far, as to use my own words to him?

Ser. Yes, Sir, I fhall.
[Exit Servilius.
Luc. I'll look you out 7 as good a` turn, Servilius.
True, as you faid, Timon is fhrunk indeed,

And he that's once deny'd will hardly fpeed.
1 Stran. Do you obferve
2 Stran. 9'Ay, ay, too

well.

[Exit.

8

this now, Hoftilius?

1 Stran.

C 2

1 Stran. Why, this is the world's foul

2

Of the fame piece is every flatterer's ''spirit :`
Who can call him his friend that 'dips with him
In the fame difh? 'for even in my knowing,
Timon has been to this Lord as a father,

3

And kept his credit with his bounteous purse :
Supported his eftate; nay, Timon's mony
Has paid his men their wages. He ne'er drinks,
But Timon's filver treads upon his lip;
And yet, oh fee the monftrousness of man
When he looks out in an ungrateful shape!
He does deny him in respect of his
What charitable men afford to beggars.
3 Stran. Religion groans at it.
I Stran. For mine own part
I never tafted Timon in my life,
Nor any of his bounties came o'er me,
To mark me for his friend. Yet I proteft,
For his right noble mind, illuftrious virtue,
14 Moft generous and honourable carriage,
Had his neceffity made ufe of me,

6

5

I would have put my wealth into 'partition,`
And the best half fhould have attorn'd` to him,
So much I love his heart: but I perceive,
Men must learn now with pity to difpence,
For policy fits above confcience.

SCENE

[Exeunt.

III.

Enter a third Servant with Sempronius.

Sem. MUft he needs trouble me in't? 'bove all others?He might have tried Lord Lucius, or Lucullus;

And now Ventidius is wealthy too,

Whom he redeem'd from prifon. All these three
Owe their eftates unto him.

Ser. Oh my Lord,

1 fport: ... old edit. Theob. emend. g donation,

4 and

They've

2 dips in 3 for in

6 return'd

They've all been touch'd, and all are found base metal,

For they have all deny'd him.

Sem. How? deny'd him.

7'Have Lucius and Ventidius and Lucullus
Deny'd him all ? and does he fend 'to me?`
It fhews but little love or judgment in him.
Muft I be his laft refuge? 'friends, like phyficians,
Tried give him over, and muft I take the cure
On me? h'as much difgrac'd me in't; I'm angry.
He might have known my place; I fee no fenfe for't,
But his occafions might have wooed me first:
For, in my confcience, I was the first man
That e'er 'received any gift from him.
And does he think fo backwardly of me,
That I'll requite it laft? fo it may prove
An argument of laughter to the reft,

And amongst Lords I fhall be thought a fool:
I'd rather than the worth of thrice the fum,
H'ad fent to me firft, but for my mind's fake:
I'd fuch a courage to have done him good.
But now return,

And with their faint reply this answer join;

5

Who bates mine honour, fhall not know my coin. [Exit. Ser. Excellent! your Lordship's a goodly villain. The devil knew not what he did, when he made man politick; he crofs'd himself by't; and I cannot think, but in the end the policy of man will fet him clear. How fairly this Lord "ftrives not to appear foul! takes virtuous copies to be wicked: like thofe that under hot ardent zeal, would fet whole realms on fire. Of fuch a nature is his politick love.

This was my Lord's beft hope; now all are fled,
Save the Gods only. Now his friends are dead,
Doors, that were ne'er acquainted with their wards
Many a bounteous year, muft be employ'd

Now to guard fure their mafter.

7 Ventidius and Lucullus both deny'd him? 8 to me? three! hum-9 his friends, 1 Thriv'd, 2 received gift 3 laft? no fo 4 'mongft lords I be 5 villanies

6 trives to