Apemantus discontentedly.
Ven.
Most 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 whose help
I deriv'd 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.
9 note
If our Betters play at that game, we must not dare
T' imitate them. Faults that are rich, are fair.
-- 182 --
Ven.
A noble spirit.
[They all stand ceremoniously looking on Timon.
Tim.
Nay, ceremony was but devis'd 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.
[They sit down.
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.
Fy, th'art a churl; ye have got a humour there
Does not become a man, 'tis much to blame.
They say, my Lords, that Ira furor brevis est,
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't, indeed.
-- 183 --
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; 1 noteI myself would have no power.
—Pr'ythee, let my meat make thee silent.
Apem.
2 note
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 'em not? It grieves
me to see
3 noteSo many dip their meat in one man's blood,
And, all the madness is, * note
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, parts bread with him, and pledges
The breath of him in a divided draught,
Is th' readiest man to kill him. 'T has been prov'd.
Were I a Great man, I should fear to drink,
-- 184 --
Lest they should spy my 4 notewind-pipe's dangerous notes;
Great men should drink with harness on their throats.
Tim.
5 noteMy 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. 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.
Apemantus'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.
[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 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
-- 185 --
no meat like 'em. I could wish my friend 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
6 notefor ever perfect.
Tim.
Oh, no doubt, my good friends, but the gods
themselves have provided that I should have much help
from you; 7 note
how had you been my friends else? why
have you that charitable title from thousands, 8 notedid not
you chiefly belong to my heart? I have told more of
you to myself, than you can with modesty speak in
your own behalf. And thus far 9 noteI 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 instruments hung up in cases, that keep
their sounds to themselves. Why, I have oft wisht
-- 186 --
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! 1 noteO
joy, e'en made away ere't can be born; 2 notemine eyes
cannot hold water. Methinks to forget their faults,
I drink to you.
Apem.
Thou weep'st 3 noteto make them drink, Timon.
Lucul.
Joy had the like conception in our eyes,
And at that instant 4 notelike a babe sprung up.
Apem.
Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a bastard.
3 Lord.
I promise you, my Lord, you mov'd me
much.
Apem.
Much!
Sound Tucket.
Tim.
What means that trump? how now?
-- 187 --
Enter Servant.
Serv.
Please you, my Lord, there are certain ladies
most desirous of admittance.
Tim.
Ladies? What are their wills?
Serv.
There comes with them a fore-runner, my
Lord, which bears that office to signify their pleasures.
Tim.
I pray, let them be admitted.
Samuel Johnson [1765], The plays of William Shakespeare, in eight volumes, with the corrections and illustrations of Various Commentators; To which are added notes by Sam. Johnson (Printed for J. and R. Tonson [and] C. Corbet [etc.], London) [word count] [S11001].
