Apemantus
discontentedly.
Ven.
Most honoured Timon, it hath pleased the gods
To call my father's age unto 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 whose help
I derived liberty.
Tim.
O, by no means,
Honest Ventidius: you mistake my love;
I gave it freely ever, and there's none
Can truly say he gives, if he receives:
If our betters play at that game, we must not dare
To imitate them.
Ven.
A noble spirit.
Tim.
Nay, ceremony was but devised at first,
To set a gloss on faint deeds, hollow welcomes,
Recanting goodness, sorry ere 'tis shown:
But where there is true friendship, there needs none.
Pray, sit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes,
Than they to me.* note
[They sit down.
-- 91 --
Luc.
We always have confest it.
Apem.
Ho, ho, confest it? Hang'd it, have you not?
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.
Fie, th'art a churl: ye have got a humour there
Does not become a man, 'tis much to blame:
Go, let him have a table by himself:
For he does neither affect company,
Nor is he fit for't.
Apem.
Let me stay at thy peril, Timon; I come to
observe, I give thee warning on't.
Tim.
I take no heed of thee; th'art an Athenian,
therefore welcome; pr'ythee, let my meat make
thee silent.
Apem.
I scorn thy meat, 'twould choak me: for
I should ne'er flatter thee. O you gods! what a
number of men eat Timon, and he sees them not? It
grieves me to see
So many dip their meat in one man's blood,
And all the madness is, he cheers them up too.
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, part's bread with him, and pledges* note
The breath of him in a divided draught,
Is th' readiest man to kill him. 'T has been proved.
Were I a great man, I should fear to drink,
Lest they should spy my wind-pipe's dangerous notes:
Great men should drink with harness on their throats.
Tim.
My lord, in heart; and let the health go round.
-- 92 --
Lucul.
Let it flow this way, my good lord.
Apem.
Flow this way!—a brave fellow! he keeps
his tides well: those healths will make thee and thy
state look ill, Timon. Here's that which is too weak
to be a sinner, honest water, which ne'er left man
i'th' mire:
This and my food are equal, there's no odds;
Feasts are too proud to give thanks to the gods.
* noteApemantus's grace.
Immortal gods, I crave no pelf;
I pray for no man but myself;
Grant, I may never prove so fond
To trust man on his oath, or bond;
Or a harlot for her weeping;
Or a dog that seems a sleeping;
Or a keeper with my freedom;
Or my friends, if I should need 'em.
Amen, Amen; So fall to't:
Rich men sin, 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 been 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 wish my friends at such
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 express some part of our zeals, we should think
ourselves for ever perfect.
-- 93 --
Tim.
Oh, no doubt, my good friends, how had
you been my friends else? I have told more of you
to myself, than you can with modesty speak, 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? Why I have
often wisht myself 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 so many, like brothers, commanding
one another's fortunes! O joy, e'en made away
ere't can be born; mine eyes cannot hold water,
methinks: to forget their faults, I drink to you.† note
Apem.
Thou weep'st to make them drink, Timon.
Luc.
Joy had the like conception in our eyes;
And at that instant like a babe sprung up.
Apem.
Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a
bastard.* note
Sem.
I promise you, my lord, you moved me much.
Apem.
Much!
Trumpet sounds.
Tim.
What means that trump? how now?
Enter Flaminius.
Flam.
Please you, my lord, there are certain ladies
most desirous of admittance.
Tim.
Ladies? what are their wills?
Ser.
There comes with them a fore-runner, my
lord, which bears that office to signify their pleasures.
Tim.
I pray, let them be admitted.
Enter Cupid with a masque of ladies, as Amazons.
Cup.
Hail to thee, worthy Timon, and to all
That of his bounties taste! the five best senses
-- 94 --
Acknowledge thee their patron; and do come
Freely to gratulate thy plenteous bosom:
Th' ear, taste, touch, smell, pleas'd from thy table rise,
These only now come but to feast thine eyes.
Tim.
They're welcome all; let 'em have kind admittance.
Let music make their welcome.
Apem.
Hoyday! what a sweep of vanity comes this way!
They dance, they are mad women.
Like madness is the glory of this life!
As this pomp shews to a little oil and root.* note
I should fear, those, that dance before me now.
Would one day stamp upon me: 't has been done;
Men shut their doors against the setting sun.
The lords rise from table, with much adoring of Timon;
each singling out an Amazon, and all dance, men with
women; a lofty strain or two to the hautboys, and cease.
Tim.
You have done our pleasures much grace, fair ladies,
Set a fair fashion on our entertainment,
You've added worth unto 't, and lively lustre,
And entertained me with mine own device.
I am to thank you for it.
Ladies, there is an idle banquet attends you.
Please you to dispose yourselves.
All La.
Most thankfully, my lord.
[Exeunt.
Tim.
Flavius—
Flav.
My lord.
Tim.
The little casket bring me hither.
-- 95 --
Flav.
Yes, my lord. More jewels yet? there is
no crossing him in's humour,
Else I should tell him—well—i'faith, I should,
When all's spent, he'd be crossed then if he could.
Tim.
O my good friends!
I have one word to say to you: look, my lord,
I must entreat you, honour me so much
As to advance this jewel, accept and wear it,
Kind, my lord!
Luc.
I am so far already in your gifts—
All.
So are we all.
Enter a servant.
Ser.
My lord, there are certain nobles of the senate
newly alighted, and come to visit you.
Tim.
They are fairly welcome.
Re-enter Flavius.
Flav.
I beseech your honour, vouchsafe me a word!
it does concern you near.
Tim.
Near! Why then another time I'll hear thee.
I pr'ythee, let's be provided to shew them entertainment.
Flav.
I scarce know how. What will this come
to? he commands us to provide, and give great
gifts, and all out of an empty coffer:
Nor will he know his purse, or yield me this,
To shew him what a beggar his heart is,
Being of no power to make his wishes good.
Well, 'would I were gently put out of office, ere I were forc'd!
I bleed inwardly for my lord.
[Exit.
Tim.
You do yourselves much wrong, you bate
too much of your own merits. Here, my lord, a
trifle of our love.
Semp.
With more than common thanks I will receive
it.
Tim.
I take all, and your several visitations
So kind to heart, 'tis not enough to give;
Methinks, I could deal kingdoms to my friends,
And ne'er be weary; Alcibiades,
-- 96 --
Thou art a soldier, therefore seldom rich,
It comes in charity to thee; thy living
Is 'mongst the dead; and all the lands thou hast
Lie in a pitcht field.
Alc.
I defy land, my lord.
Semp.
We are so virtuously bound—
Tim.
And so am I to you.
Lucul.
So infinitely endeared—
Tim.
All to you. Lights! more lights, more lights.
Luc.
The best of happiness, honour, and fortunes,
Keep with you, lord Timon—
Tim.
Ready for his friends.
[Exeunt lords.
Apem.
What a coil's here,
Serving of becks* note and jutting out of bums!
I doubt, whether their legs be worth the sums
That are given for 'em. Friendship's full of dregs;
Methinks, false hearts should never have sound legs,
Thus honest fools lay out their wealth on court'sies.
Tim.
Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not sullen,
I would be good to thee.
Apem.
No, I'll nothing; for if I should be brib'd
too, there would be none left to rail upon thee, and
then thou wouldst sin the faster. Thou giv'st so long,
Timon, I fear me, thou wilt give away thyself in
proper, shortly. What need these feasts, pomps,
and vain-glories?
Tim.
Nay, if you begin to rail on society once,
I am sworn not to give regard to you. Farewel,
and come with better musick.
[Exit.
Apem.
So—thou wilt not hear me now, thou
shalt not then.
I'll lock thy heaven from thee:
Oh, that mens ears should be
To counsel deaf, but not to flattery!† note
[Exit.
End of the First ACT.
-- 97 --
John Bell [1774], Bell's Edition of Shakespeare's Plays, As they are now performed at the Theatres Royal in London; Regulated from the Prompt Books of each House By Permission; with Notes Critical and Illustrative; By the Authors of the Dramatic Censor (Printed for John Bell... and C. Etherington [etc.], York) [word count] [S10401].
