Thieves, Senaters, Pact, Painter, Jeweller, and Merchant; with Servants and Attendants,
SCENE, Athens; and the Woods not far from it.

Poet. When we for recompence have prais'd the vile, It flains the glory in that happy verfe

Enter Poet, Painter, Jeweller, and Merchant, at 5 Which aptly fings the good.

Several doors.

day, fir.

Mer. 'Tis a good form.

[Looking on the jewel.
Jew. And rich: here is a water, look you.
Pain. You are rapt, fir, in fome work, fome
To the great lord.

Poet. A thing flipt idly from me.

Our poefy is as a gum, which oozes

[dedication

[fir?

Speaks his own standing? what a mental power

Mer. O, pray, let's fee't: For the lord Timon,

1 Breathed is inured by constant practice; so trained as not to be wearied. To breathe a horfe is to exercife him for the course. 2 i. e. he exceeds, goes beyond common bounds.

3 i. e. come up to

the price. 4 We must here fuppofe the poet bufy in reading his own work; and that these three lines are the introduction of the poem addreffed to Timon, which he afterwards gives the painter an 5 i. e. according to Dr. Johnson, The figure rifes well from the canvas. C'est bien relevé. That is, How the graceful attitude of this figure proclaims that it ftands firm on its centre, or gives evidence in favour of its own fixture,

account of.

3 F 2

This

You fee, how all conditions, how all minds,
(As well of glib and flippery 5 creatures, as
Of grave and auftere quality) tender down
Their fervices to lord Timon: his large fortune,
Upon his good and gracious nature hanging,
Subdues and properties to his love and tendance
All forts of hearts; yea, from the glafs-fac'd flat-30
terer 6

To Apemantus, that few things loves better
Than to abhor himself; even he drops down
The knee before him, and returns in peace
Moft rich in Timon's nod.

Pain. I faw them speak together.

Puet. Sir, I have upon a high and pleasant hill
Feign'dFortune to be thron'd: The bafe o' the mount
Is rank'd with all deferts 7, all kind of natures,
That labour on the bofom of this sphere
To propagate their states: amongst them all,
Whofe eyes are on this fovereign lady fix'd,
One do I perfonate of Timon's frame,
Whom Fortune with her ivory hand wafts to her;
Whofe prefent grace to prefent flaves and fervants 45
Tranflates his rivals.

Pain. "Tis conceiv'd to fcope 9.

This throne, this Fortune, and this hill, methinks,
With one man beckon'd from the reft below,
Bowing his head against the fleepy mount
To climb his happiness, would be well exprefs'd
In our condition 10.

Strife is either the conteft or act with nature.

2 i. e. My defign does not stop at any single character. 3 Anciently they wrote upon waxen tables with an iron stile. 4 i. e. I'll open, I'll explain. 5 Slippery is fmooth, unrefifting. 6 Meaning, the flatterer who thows in his own look, as by reflec tion, the looks of his patron. 7 i. e. cover'd with ranks of all kinds of men. improve their various conditions of life. 9 i. e. 'Tis properly imagin'd.

That is, calumniate thofe whom Timon hated or envied, or whofe vices were oppofite to his own. This offering up, to the perfon flattered, the murdered reputation of others, Shakspeare, with the utmost beauty of thought and expreffion, calls facrificial whip rings, alluding to the victims offered up to idols. 12 That is, catch his breath in affected fondness. 13 i. e. inferior spectators. common addrefs to a loid in our author's time, was your bonour, which was indifferently used with your lordship.

5 As thofe, which fell, would give: But you well

Dr. Warburton explains this paffage thus: "If the man be honeft, my lord, for that reafon he will be fo in this; and not endeavour at the injuftice of gaining my daughter without my confent."

3 To unclew, is to unwind a ball of thread. To unclew a man, is to draw out the whole mafs of his fortunes. 4 This alludes to the proverb: "Plain dealing is a jewel, but they that use it

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

Apem. Traffick's thy god, and thy god con-
found thee!

Trumpets found. Enter a Messenger.

Tim. What trumpet's that?

Apem. I will fly, like a dog, the heels of the afs.
1 Lord. He's oppofite to humanity. Come,
fhall we in,

And tafte lord Timon's bounty? he out-goes
The very heart of kindness.

2 Lord. He pours it out; Plutus, the god of gold,
Is but his fteward: no meed 4, but he repays
Sevenfold above itself; no gift to him,
But breeds the giver a return exceeding
20 All ufe of quittance 5.

25

Mef. "Tis Alcibiades, and fome twenty horfe, 30 All of companionship.

to us.

Tim. Pray, entertain them; give them guide
[hence,
You must needs dine with me:-Go not you
'Till I have thank'd you; and, when dinner's 35
done,

Shew me this piece.-I am joyful of your fights.-
Enter Alcibiades, with the reft.

1 Lord. The noblest mind he carries, That ever govern'd man.

2 Lord. Long may he live in fortunes! Shall we in?

1 Lord. I'll keep you company.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

Another Apartment in Timon's House. Hautboys playing loud mufick. A great banquet ferv'd in; and then enter Timon, Alcibiades, Lucius, Lucullus, Sempronius, and other Athenian Senators, with Ventidius. Then comes, dropping after all, Apemantus difcontentedly, like bimself.

Ven. Moft honour'd Timon, it hath pleas'd the
gods to remember

My father's age, and call him to long peace.
He is gone happy, and has left me rich:
Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound
To your free heart, I do return those talents,
Doubled, with thanks, and service, from whofe
help

I deriv'd liberty.

Tim. O, by no means,

Honeft Ventidius: you mistake my love; [outI gave it freely ever; and there's none

And all this courtesy! The ftrain of man's bred
Into baboon and monkey.

Alc. Sir, you have fav'd my longing, and I feed]
Most hungrily on your fight.

Tim. Right welcome, fir:

Ere we depart 3, we'll share a bounteous time
In different pleasures. Pray you, let us in.

[Exeunt all but Apemantus.

Enter two Lords.

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

Apem. Time to be honest.

45 Can truly fay, he gives, if he receives:

50

551

1601

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

[They all fand ceremoniously looking on Times. Tim. Nay, my lords, ceremony

Was but devis'd at first

To fet a glofs on faint deeds, hollow welcomes,
Recanting goodness, sorry ere 'tis fhown;
But where there is true friendship, there needs

none.

Pray, fit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes,
Than they to me.
[They fit.
1 Lord. My lord, we always have confest it.
Apem. Ho, ho, confeft it? hang'd it, have you

not?

1

The meaning may be, I fhould hate myfelf for patiently enduring to be a lord. 2 or lineage of man's 4 Meed in this place feems to mean defert.

Tim. O, Apemantus!—you are welcome. Apem. No; you shall not make me welcome: I come to have thee thrust me out of doors.

Tim. Fye, thou art a churl; you have got a hu-
mour there

Does not become a man, 'tis much to blame :-
They fay, my lords, ira furor brevis eft,

But yonder man is ever angry.—

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

5

Apem. Let me stay at thine own peril, Timon;
I come to obferve; I give thee warning on't.
Tim. I take no heed of thee; thou art an
Athenian,
[power 1: 15
Therefore welcome: I myself would have no
I pr'ythee, let my meat make thee filent.
Apem. I fcorn thy meat; 'twould choak me,
for I fhould

Ne'er flatter thee.-O you gods! what a number
Of men eat Timon, and he fees them not!
It grieves me, to fee fo many dip their meat
In one man's blood: and all the madness is,
He cheers them up too 2.

I wonder, men dare trust themselves with men:
Methinks, they should invite them without knives;
Good for their meat, and safer for their lives.
There's much example for't; the fellow, that
Sits next him now, parts bread with him, pledges
The breath of him in a divided draught,
Is the readieft man to kill him: it has been prov'd.
If I were a huge man, I fhould fear to drink at
meals;

[notes:

Or a keeper with my freedom;

Or my friends, if I should need 'em.
Amen. So fall to't:

Rich men fin, and I eat root.

[Eats and drinks. Much good dich thy good heart, Apemantus! Tim. Captain Alcibiades, your heart's in the field now.

Alc. My heart is ever at your fervice, my lord. Tim. You had rather be at a breakfast of ene. mies, than a dinner of friends.

Alc. So they were bleeding new, my lord, there's no meat like 'em; I could with my best friend at fuch a feast.

Apem. 'Would all thofe flatterers were thing enemies then; that thou might'ft kill 'em, and bid me to 'em.

1 Lord. Might we but have that happiness, my lord, that you would once use our hearts, whereby 20we might exprefs fome part of our zeals, we should think ourselves for ever perfect 4.

Tim. O, no doubt, my good friends, but the gods themfelves have provided that I fhall have much help from you: How had you been my 25 friends elfe? why have you that charitable 5 title from thoufands, did not you chiefly belong to my heart? I have told more of you to myself, than you can with modesty speak in your behalf; and thus far I confirm you 7. O, you gods, think I, 30 what need we have any friends, if we should never have need of them? they were the most needlefs creatures living, fhould we ne'er have ufe for them: and would moft refemble fweet inftruments hung up in cafes, that keep their founds to

Left they should fpy my wind-pipe's dangerous
Great men fhould drink with harnefs on their 35 themfelves. Why, I have often wish'd myself

throats.

Tim. My lord, in heart 3; and let the health go round.

2 Lord. Let it flow this way, my good lord.
Apem. Flow this way!

A brave fellow! he keeps his tides well. Timon,
Thofe healths will make thee, and thy ftate, look ill.
Here's that, which is too weak to be a finner,
Honeft water, which ne'er left man i' the mire :
This, and my food, are equals: there's no odds.
Feasts are too proud to give thanks to the gods.
APEMANTUS'S GRACE.

Immortal gods, I crave no pelf;
I pray for no man but myself:
Grant I may never prove fo fond,
To trufi man on bis oath, or bond;

Or a barlot, for her weeping;

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 40fo many, like brothers, commanding one another's fortunes! O joy, e'en made away ere it can be born! Mine eyes cannot hold water, methinks: to forget their faults, I drink to you.

Tim. What means that trump?-How now?

Or a dog, that feems a fleeping; 'Timon's meaning feems to be: I myself would have no power to make thee filent, but I wish thou would't let my meat make thee filent. Timon, like a polite landlord, difclaims all power over the meanest or most troublesome of his guefts. 2 The allufion, says Dr. Johnson, is to a pack of hounds trained to purfuit by being gratified with the blood of an animal which they kill, and the wonder is, that the animal on which they are feeding cheers them to the chace. 3 That is, my lord's health with fincerity. 4 That is, arrived at the perfection of happiness. 5 i. e. that dear, endearing title. 6 That is, Why are you diftinguished from thousands by that title of endearment, was there not a particular connection and intercourse of tendernefs between you and me? 7 i.e. I fix your characters firmly in my own mind. 8 To look for babies in the eyes of another, is no uncommon expreffion.