Senator.
And late five thousand: to Varro and to Isidore
He owes nine thousand, besides my former sum.
Which makes it five and twenty.—Still in motion
Of raging waste? It cannot hold, it will not.
If I want gold, steal but a beggar's dog,
And give it Timon, why the dog coins gold.
If I would sell my horse, and buy ten more
Better than he; why give my horse to Timon;
Ask nothing, give it him, it foals me straight
An able horse. No porter at his gate;
But rather one that smiles and still invites
All that pass by. It cannot hold, no reason
Can found his state in safety. Caphis, hoa!
Caphis, I say. Enter Caphis.

Cap.
Here, Sir, what is your pleasure?

Sen.
Get on your cloak, and haste you to lord Timon;
Importune him for monies, be not ceast
With slight denial; nor then silenc'd with
&plquo;Commend me to your master—and the cap
Plays in the right hand,—thus but tell him, sirrah,

My uses cry to me, I must serve my turn
Out of mine own; his days and times are past,
And my reliance on his fracted dates
Has smit my credit. I love and honour him;
But must not break my back, to heal his finger.
Immediate are my needs, and my relief
Must not be tost and turn'd to me in words,
But find supply immediate. Get you gone.
Put on a most importunate aspect,
A visage of demand: for I do fear
When every feather sticks in his own wing,
Lord Timon will be left a naked gull,
Who flashes now a Phœnix—get you gone.

Cap.
I go, Sir.

Sen.
Ay go, Sir: take the bonds along with you,
And have the dates in. Come.

Cap.
I will, Sir.

Sen.
Go. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Timon's hall. Enter Flavius, with many bills in his hand.

Flav.
No care, no stop? so senseless of expence,
That he will neither know how to maintain it,
Nor cease his flow of riot. Takes no account
How things go from him, and resumes no care
Of what is to continue: never mind
Was to be so unwise, to be so kind.
What shall be done?—he will not hear, 'till feel:
I must be round with him, now he comes from hunting.
Fie, fie, fie, fie.

Enter Caphis, Isidore, and Varro.

Cap.
Good evening, Varro; what, you come for mony?

Var.
Is't not your business too?

Cap.
It is, and yours too, Isidore?

Isid.
It is so.

Cap.
Would we were all discharg'd.

Var.
I fear it.

Cap.
Here comes the lord. Enter Timon, and his train.

Tim.
So soon as dinner's done, we'll forth again,
My Alcibiades.—Well what's your will? [They present their bills.

Cap.
My lord, here is a note of certain dues.

Tim.
Dues? whence are you?

Cap.
Of Athens here, my lord.

Tim.
Go to my steward.

Cap.
Please it your lordship, he hath put me off,
To the succession of new days, this month:
My master is awak'd by great occasion,
To call upon his own; and humbly prays you
That with your other noble parts you'll suit,
In giving him his right.

Tim.
Mine honest friend,
I pr'ythee but repair to me next morning.

Cap.
Nay, good my lord.

Tim.
Contain thy self, good friend.

Var.
One Varro's servant, my good lord—

Isid.
From Isidore, he prays your speedy payment—

Cap.
If you did know, my lord, my master's wants—

Var.
'Twas due on forfeiture, my lord, six weeks, and past—

Isid.
Your steward puts me off, my lord, and I
Am sent expresly to your lordship.

Tim.
Give me breath: [To the lords.
I do beseech you, good my lords, keep on, [Exeunt lords.
I'll wait upon you instantly. Come hither:
How goes the world that I am thus encountred
With clam'rous claims of debt, of broken bonds,
And the detention of long-since-due debts,
Against my honour?

Fla.
Pease you, gentlemen,
The time is unagreeable to this business:
Your importunity cease, 'till after dinner;
That I may make his lordship understand
Wherefore you are not paid.

Tim.
Do so, my friends; see them well entertain'd. [Exit Tim.

Stew.
Pray draw near. [Exit Stew. SCENE III. Enter Apemantus and fool.

Cap.

Stay, stay, here comes the fool with Apemantus, let's have some sport with 'em.

Var.

Hang him, he'll abuse us.

Isid.

A plague upon him, dog.

Var.

How dost, fool?

Apem.

Dost dialogue with thy shadow?

Var.

I speak not to thee.

Apem.

No, 'tis to thy self. Come away.

Isid.

There's the fool hangs on your back already.

Apem.

No, thou stand'st single, thou art not on him yet.

Cap.

Where's the fool now?

Apem.

He last ask'd the question. Poor rogues, and usurers men! bawds between gold and want!

All.

What are we, Apemantus?

Apem.

Asses.

All.

Why?

Apem.

That you ask me what you are, and do not know your selves. Speak to 'em, fool.

Fool.

How do you, gentlemen?

All.

Gramercies, good fool: how does your mistress?

Fool.

She's e'en setting on water to scald such chickens as you are. Would we could see you at Corinth.

Apem.

Good! gramercy!

Fool.

Look you, here comes my master's page.

Page.

Why how now, captain? what do you in this wise company? how dost thou, Apemantus?

Apem.

Would I had a rod in my mouth, that I might answer thee profitably.

Page.

Pr'ythee, Apemantus, read me the superscription of these letters, I know not which is which.

Apem.

Canst not read?

Page.

No.

Apem.

There will little learning die then, that day thou art hang'd. This is to lord Timon, this to Alcibiades. Go, thou wast born a bastard, and thou'lt die a bawd.

Page.

Thou wast whelpt a dog, and thou shalt famish, a dog's death. Answer not, I am gone.

Apem.
Ev'n so thou out-run'st grace.
Fool, I will go with you to lord Timon's.

Fool.
Will you leave me there?

Apem.
If Timon stay at home—
You three serve three usurers?

All.
I would they serv'd us.

Apem.

So would I—as good a trick as ever hangman serv'd thief.

Fool.

Are you three usurers men?

All.

Ay, fool.

Fool.

I think no usurer but has a fool to his servant. My mistress is one, and I am her fool; when men come to borrow of your masters, they approach sadly, and go away merrily; but they enter my master's house merrily, and go away sadly. The reason of this?

Var.

I could render one.

Apem.

Do it then, that we may account thee a whoremaster, and a knave, which notwithstanding thou shalt be no less esteem'd.

Var.

What is a whore-master, fool?

Fool.

A fool in good cloaths, and something like thee. 'Tis a spirit; sometime it appears like a lord, sometimes like a lawyer, sometimes like a philosopher, with two stones more than's artificial one. He is very often like a knight; and generally, in all shapes that man goes up and down in, from fourscore to thirteen, this spirit walks in.

Var.

Thou art not altogether a fool.

Fool.

Nor thou altogether a wise man; as much foolery as I have, so much wit thou lack'st.

Apem.

That answer might have become Apemantus.

All.

Aside, aside, here comes lord Timon.