5 Var. By your leave, fir, Flav. What do you afk of me, my friend? Tit. We wait for certain money here, fir. Flav. Ay, if money were as certain as your waiting, 'Twere fure enough. Why then preferr'd you not your fums and bills, When your falfe mafters eat of my lord's meat? Then they would fmile and fawn upon his debts, 10 And take down the intereft in their gluttonous maws; You do yourselves but wrong, to ftir me up; Believe't, my lord and I have made an end; 20 25 Var. How! what does his cashier'd worship Tit. O, here's Servilius; now we shall know Some anfwer. Serv. If I might befeech you, gentlemen, To repair some other hour, I should Tit. And he wears jewels now of Timon's gift, 30 Derive much from it: for take it on my foul, i.e. like him in blaze and splendour. The place, which I have feafted, does it now, Tit. My lord, here is my bill. Luc. Here's mine. Var. And mine, my lord. Caph. And ours, my lord. Phi. All our bills. 55 Tim. Knock me down with 'em 4, cleave to the girdle. Luc. Alas, my lord, i. e. of this commiffion. 3 His may refer to mine; as if he had faid: Your master's confidence was above my master's; elfe furely bis, i. e. the fum demanded from my mafter (for that is the laft antecedent) had been equal to the fum demanded from 4 Timon quibbles. They prefent their written bills; he catches at the word, and alludes to the bills, or battle-axes, which the ancient foldiery carried, and were still used by the watch in Shakspeare's time. yours. Tim. Tim. So fitly? Go, bid all my friends again, Flav. O my lord, You only speak from your distracted foul; Tim. Be it not in thy care: go, I charge thee, invite them all let in the tide [Exeunt. 1 Sen. My lord, you have my voice to't; the fault's bloody; 'Tis neceffary, he should die : Nothing emboldens fin fo much as mercy. 2 Sen. Moft true; the law fhall bruife 'em. Upon the head of valour; which, indeed, The worst that man can breathe; and make his 20 To bring it into danger. If wrongs be evils, and enforce us kill, Alc. My lord, I Sen. You cannot make grofs fins look clear; To revenge is no valour, but to bear. Alc. My lords, then, under favour, pardon me, 25 Why do fond men expose themselves to battle, The afs, more captain than the lion; and the fellow, Who cannot condemn rafhnefs in cold blood? 40 But who is man, that is not angry? 2 Sen. You breathe in vain. Alc. I am an humble fuitor to your virtues; And none but tyrants use it cruelly. Of comely virtues : Nor did he foil the fact with cowardice; [fervice, 50 In the laft conflict, and made plenteous wounds? 5 i. c. What i. e. putting this action of his, which was pre-determined by fate, out of the question. noted paffion means, perhaps, an uncommon command of his paffion, fuch a one as has not hitherto been obferved. 3 i. e. manage his anger. 4 You undertake a paradox too hard. have we to do in the field? Guft, for aggravation, according to Warburton. Mr. Steevens thinks that guft here means rafbnefs, and that the allufion may be to a sudden gust of wind. meaning is, I call mercy berfelf to witnefs, that defenfive violence is just. Alc. Hard fate! he might have died in war. My lords, if not for any parts in him, (Though his right arm might purchase his own time, And be in debt to none) yet, more to move you, Take my deferts to his, and join 'em both: And, for I know, your reverend ages love Security, I'll pawn my victories, all My honours to you, upon his good returns. If by this crime he owes the law his life, Why, let the war receive 't in valiant gore; For law is ftrict, and war is nothing more. 2 Sen. It should not be, by the perfuafion of his new feafting. 1 Sen. I fhould think fo: He hath fent me an earneft inviting, which many my near occafions 5 did urge me to put off; but he hath conjur'd me beyond them, and I must needs appear. 2 Sen. In like manner was I in debt to my importunate business, but he would not hear my excufe. I am forry, when he fent to borrow of me, 10 that my provision was out. 1 Sen. We are for law, he dies; urge it no more, I do befeech you, know me. 2 Sen. How? Alc. Call me to your remembrances. 3 Sen. What? Alc. I cannot think, but your age has forgot me, 20 It could not elfe be, I fhould prove fo base1, To fue, and be deny❜d such common grace; 1 Sen. Do you dare our anger? 'Tis in few words, but fpacious in effect; We banish thee for ever. Alc. Banifh me? 1 Sen. I am fick of that grief too, as I underftand how all things go. 2 Sen. Every man here's fo. What would he have borrow'd of you? 1 Sen. A thousand pieces. 3 Sen. He fent to me, fir,-Here he comes. Tim. With all my heart, gentlemen both :And how fare you? 1 Sen. Ever at the beft, hearing well of your lordship. 2 Sen. The fwallow follows not fummer more 25 willingly, than we your lordship. 1 Sen. If, after two days' fhine, Athens contain 30 Attend our weightier judgment. And not to fwell our spirit 2, He fhall be executed presently. [Exeunt Senate. Alt. Now the gods keep you old enough; that you may live Only in bone, that none may look on you! I am worse than mad: I have kept back their foes, 35 Tim. [Afide.] Nor more willingly leaves winter; fuch fummer-birds are men.-Gentlemen, our dinner will not recompence this long ftay: feaft your ears with the mufick awhile; if they will fare fo harfhly as on the trumpet's found: we shall to 't prefently. 1 Sen. I hope, it remains not unkindly with your lordship, that I return'd you an empty messenger. Tim. O, fir, let it not trouble you. 2 Sen. My noble lord, Tim. Ah, my good friend! what cheer? [The banquet brought in. 2 Sen. My moft honourable lord, I am e'en fick of fhame, that, when your lordship this other 40 day fent to me, I was fo unfortunate a beggar. Tim. Think not on't, fir. 145 [Exit. 50 2 Sen. I also with it to you. I think, this ho- 55 nourable lord did but try us this other day. 1 Sen. Upon that were my thoughts tiring 4, when we encounter'd: I hope, it is not fo low with him, as he made it feem in the trial of his feveral friends. rage, take our definitive refolution. 1601 2 Sen. It does: but time will-and fc 1 Bafe, for difhonoured. 2 Not to fwell our Spirit, may mean, not to put ourselves into any tumour of 3 i. e. the affections of the people. 4 A hawk is faid to fire, when the 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 3 Sen. I do conceive. Tim. Each man to his ftool, with that fpur as he would to the lip of his miftrefs: your diet shall be in all places alike. Make not a city feaft of it, to let the meat cool ere we can agree upon the first place: Sit, fit. The gods require our thanks. 5 Your reeking villainy. Live loath'd, and long, You great benefactors, Sprinkle our fociety with thankfulness. For your own gifts, make yourfelves prais'd: but referve fill to give, left your deities be defpis'd. Lend to each man enough, that one need not 10 Stay, I will lend thee money, borrow none. lend to another: for, zere your godheads to borrow Uncover dogs, and lap. What, all in motion? Henceforth be no feast, 1 Sen. How now, my lords? [Exit. [fury? 2 Sen. Know you the quality of lord Timon's 1 Sen. He's but a mad lord, and nought but humour fways him. He gave me a jewel the other day, and now he has beat it out of my hat :-Did you fee my jewel? 2 Sen. Did you see my cap? 3 Sen. Here 'tis. 4 Sen. Here lies my gown. 1 Sen. Let's make no stay. 2 Sen. Lord Timon's mad. 3 Sen. I feel 't upon my bones. 4 Sen. One day he gives us diamonds, next day ftones. [Exeunts With it beat out his brains! piety, and fear, 45 Degrees, obfervances, cuftoms, and laws, And yet confufion live! Plagues, incident to men, Pluck the grave wrinkled fenate from the bench, 50 Cripple our fenators, that their limbs may halt And minister in their fteads! to general filths Large-handed robbers your grave masters are, As lamely as their manners! luft and liberty Dr. Warburton thinks we fhould read foes. 2. e. the highest of your excellence. 3 i. e. flies of a feafon. 4 A minute-jack is what was called formerly a Jack of the clock-boufe; an image whofe office was the fame as one of thofe at St. Dunstan's church in Fleet-direct. See note, p. 658. si.c. every kind of difeafe incident to man and beast. Timon 1 Serv. Hear you, master steward, where is our master? Are we undone? caft off? nothing remaining? Let me be recorded by the righteous gods, 1 Serv. Such a house broke! So noble a master fallen! All gone! and not 2 Serv. As we do turn our backs From our companion, thrown into his grave; With his difeafe of all-fhunn'd poverty, Enter other Servants. To have his pomp, and all what state compounds, For bounty, that makes gods, does still mar men. 15 20 I'll ever ferve his mind with my best will; Tim. O bleffed breeding fun, draw from the 25 Rotten humidity; below thy fifter's orb 3 30 The greater fcorns the leffer: Not nature, [tune, Flav. All broken implements of a ruin'd houfe. 35 Flav. Good fellows all, The latest of my wealth I'll share amongst you. Raife me this beggar, and denude that lord; It is the paftor lards the brother's fides, The want that makes him leave 5. Who dares, In purity of manhood stand upright, Let's yet be fellows; let's shake our heads, and 45 But direct villainy. Therefore, be abhorr'd tion. I am no idle votarift: Roots, you clear heavens ! 55 Thus much of this, will make black, white; foul, [valiant. fair; Wrong, right; bafe, noble; old, young; coward, Fierce is here used for bafty, precipitate. 2 Strange, unufual Ulood may mean, ftrange unufual difpoft3 That is, the moon's, this fublunary world. 4 Dr. Johnson explains this paffage thus: "Brother, when bis fortune is enlarged, will fearn brother; for this is the general depravity of human nature, which, befieged as it is by mifery, admonished as it is of want and imperfection, when elevated by fortune, will defpife beings of nature like its own." 5 That is, It is the paftour that greafes or flatters the rich brother, and will greafe him on till want make him leave. 6 Grize for step or degree. feize, gripe. i.e. no infincere or inconftant fupplicant. Gold will not ferve me instead of roots. 9 This may mean either ye cloudless skies, or ye deities exempt from guilt. 3 Ga 7 i. c. Ha, |