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That dips in the fame difh? For, in my knowing,
Timon has been this lord's father,

And kept his credit with his purse;
Supported his eftate; nay, Timon's money
Has paid his men their wages. He ne'er drinks,
But Timon's filver treads upon his lip;

2

And yet, (oh, fee the monftrousness of man,
When he looks out in an ungrateful shape!)
He does deny him, in refpect of his,
What charitable men afford to beggars.
3 Stran. Religion groans at it.

1 Stran. For mine own part,
I never tafted Timon in my life,
Nor any of his bounties came o'er me,
To mark me for his friend. Yet, I proteft,
For his right noble mind, illuftrious virtue,
And honourable carriage,

Had his neceffity made ufe of me,

3 I would have put my wealth into donation, * And the best half fhould have return'd to him,

2

-(in respect of his)] i. e. confidering Timon's claim for what he asks. WARBURTON. -in refpect of his,] That is, in respect of his fortune, what Lucius denies to Timon is in proportion to what Lucius poffeffes, lefs than the ufual alms given by good men to beggars. 3 I would have put my wealth into donation, And the best half should have return'd to him,]

Hanmer reads,

JOHNSON.

I would have put my wealth into partition, And the best half should have attorn'd to him. Dr Warburton receives attorn'd. The only difficulty is in the word return'd, which, fince he had received nothing from him, cannot be used but in a very low and licentious meaning.

JOHNSON.

*Had his necefity made ufe of me, I would have put my fortune into a condition to be alienated, and the best half of what I bad gained my Jelf, or received from others, fhould have found its way to him. Either fuch licentious expofition must be allowed, or the paffage remain in obfcurity, as few readers will chufe to receive Hanmer's emendation.

STEEVENS.

So

So much I love his heart: but, I perceive,
Men must learn now with pity to dispense:
For policy fits above confcience.

SCENE III.

Enter a third fervant with Sempronius.

[Exeunt.

Sem. Muft he needs trouble me in't? Hum! 'Bove all others?

He might have tried lord Lucius, or Lucullus;
And now Ventidius is wealthy too,

Whom he redeemed from prifon

Owe their eftates unto him.
Serv. My lord,

all these

* They have all been touch'd, and all are found bafe metal,

For they have all deny'd him?

Sem. How? have they deny'd him?
Has Ventidius and Lucullus deny'd him?
And does he send to me? Three! hum!
It fhews but little love or judgment in him.

Muft I be his last refuge? His friends, like phyfi

cians,

Thrive, give him over? Muft I take the cure upon

me?

He

+ They have all been touch'd,] That is, tried, alluding to the toucbfione. JOHNSON.

5

-bis friends like phyficians Thriv'd, give him over ?]

I have restored this old reading, only amending the pointing, which was faulty. Mr. Pope, fufpecting the phrafe, has fubftituted three in the room of thriv'd, and fo difarmed the poet's fatire. Phyficians thriv'd is no more than Phyficians grown rich: Only the adjective paffive of this verb, indeed, is not fo common in ufe; and yet it is a familiar expreffion, to this day, to fay, Such a one is well thriven on his trade.

The original reading is,

Y 3

THEOBALD,

bis

He has much difgrac'd me in't; I'm angry at him,
That might have known my place. I fee no fenfe for't,
But his occafions might have wooed me first;
For, in my confcience, I was the first man
That e'er receiv'd gift from him:

And does he think fo backwardly of me now,
That I'll requite it laft? No.

So it may prove an argument of laughter
To the reft, and I'mongst lords be thought a fool,
I had rather than the worth of thrice the fum,
He had fent to me first, but for my mind's fake;
I had fuch a courage to do him good.

But now return :

And with their faint reply this anfwer join; Who 'bates mine honour fhall not know my coin. [Exit. Serv. Excellent! 7 Your lordship's a goodly villain. The devil knew not what he did, when he made men politick; he crofs'd himself by't: and I cannot think, but in the end the villainies of man 2

-his friends, (like phyficians)

Thrive, give him over?

will

which Theobald has mifreprefented. Hanmer reads, try'd, plaufibly enough. Inftead of three propofed by Mr. Pope, I fhould read thrice. But perhaps the old reading is the true. JOHNSON. Perhaps we fhould read SHRIV'D. They give him over skriv'd; that is, prepared for immediate death by fhrift.

Obfervations and Conjectures, &c. printed at Oxford, 1766, • I had fuck a courage] Such an ardour, fuch an eager defire. JOHNSON.

Excellent, &c.] I fuppofe the former part of this fpeech to have been originally written in verfe, as well as the latter; though the players having printed it as profe (omitting feveral fyllables neceffary to the metre) it cannot now be reftored to metre without fuch additions as no editor is at liberty to infert in the text.

STEEVENS.

The devil knew not what he did,] I cannot but think that the negative not has intruded into this paffage, and the reader will think fo too, when he reads Dr. Warburton's explanation of the pext words. JOHNSON.

9 will fet him clear.] Set him clear does not mean acquit him

before

1

will fet him clear. How fairly this lord ftrives to appear foul? takes virtuous copies to be wicked: like those that under hot, ardent zeal, would fet whole realms on fire.

Of fuch a nature is his politick love.

This was my lord's beft hope; now all are fled,
Save only the Gods. Now his friends are dead;
Doors, that were ne'er acquainted with their wards
Many a bounteous year, must be employed
Now to guard fure their mafter.

And this is all a liberal course allows;

2

Who cannot keep his wealth, muft keep his houfe. [Exit. before heaven; for then the devil must be fuppofed to know what he did: but it fignifies. puzzle him, outdo him at his own weapons. WARBURTON.

How the devil, or any other being, fhould be fet clear by being puzzled and outdone, the commentator has not explained. When in a crowd we would have an opening made, we fay, Stand clear, that is, out of the way of danger. With fome affinity to this ufe, though not without great harthnefs, to fit clear, may be to fet afide. But I believe the original corruption is the infertion of the negative, which was obtruded by fome tranfcriber, who fuppofed croffed to mean thwarted, when it meant, exempted from evil. The ufe of croing, by way of protection or purification, was probably not worn out in Shakespeare's time. The fense of set clear is now eafy; he has no longer the guilt of tempting man. To cross himself may mean, in a very familiar fense, to clear his fcore, to get out of debt, to quit his reckoning. He knew not what be did, may mean, he knew not how much good he was doing himfelf. There is then no need of emendation.

JOHNSON.

takes virtuous copies to be wicked; like thofe, &c ] This is a reflection on the puritans of that time. Thefe people were then fet upon a project of new-modelling the ecclefiaftical and civil government according to fcripture rules and examples; which makes him fay, that under zeal for the word of God, they would fet whole realms on fire. So Sempronius pretended to that warm affection and generous jealoufy of friendship, that is affronted, if any other be applied to before it. At beit the fimilitude is an aukward one but it fitted the audience, though not the speaker. WARBURTON.

2-keep his house.] i. e. keep within doors for fear of duns.

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SCENE IV.

Changes to Timon's ball.

3

Enter Varro, Titus, Hortenfius, Lucius, and other fervants of Timon's creditors, who wait for his coming out.

Var. Well met; good morrow, Titus and Hortenfius.

Tit. The like to you, kind Varro.

Hor. Lucius? What do we meet together?
Luc. And, I think,

One business does command us all, for mine
Is money.

Tit. So is theirs, and ours.

Enter Philotus.

Luc. And fir Philotus too.

Phi. Good day, at once.

Luc. Welcome, good brother. What do you

the hour?

Phi. Labouring for nine.

Luc. So much?

Phi. Is not my lord feen yet?

Luc. Not yet.

think

Phi. I wonder on't; he was wont to fhine at seven. Luc, Ay, but the days are waxed fhorter with him: You must confider that a prodigal's course

Is like the fun's; but not like his recoverable.
I fear

'Tis deepest winter in lord Timon's purse;
That is,

2 Lucius is here again for the fervant of Lucius.

That is, like him in blaze and fplendour.

JOHNSON.

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Catul.

JOHNSON.

One

Soles occidere et redire poffunt.

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