Shall I try friends: You shall perceive, how you Enter FLAMINIUS, SERVILIUS, and other Servants. Serv. My lord, my lord, Tim. I will despatch you severally.-You, to lord Luela: -To lord Lucullus you; I hunted with his Honour to-day ;-You, to Sempronius ; Commend me to their loves; and, I am proud, say. That my occasions have found time to use the Flam. As you have said, my lord. Flav. Lord Lucius, and lord Lucullus ? humph! [Asi. [To another Serv. (Of whom, even to the state's best health, I have Deserv'd this hearing,) bid 'em send o'the instant A thousand talents to me. Flav. I have been bold, (For that I knew it the most gen'ral way,)* Tim. Is't true? can it be? Flav. They answer, in a joint and corporate voice, That now they are at fall, want treasure, cannot Do what they would; are sorry-you are honourable,~—— But yet they could have wish'd-they know not—but Something hath been amiss-a noble nature 5 6 May catch a wrench-would all were well-'tis pity— Tim. You gods, reward them!—— I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly; These old fellows 14] General is not speedy, but compendious, the way to try many at a time. JOHNSON. Intending is regarding, turning their notice to other things. JOHNSON. Fractions---broken hints, interrupted sentences, abrupt remarks. JOHNSON." A half-cap is a cap slightly moved, not put off. JOHNSON. [8] Hereditary for by natural constitution. But some distempers of natural consti tutton being called hereditary, he calls their ingratitude so. WARBURTON. nd nature, as it grows again toward earth, fashion'd for the journey, dull, and heavy. o to Ventidius,-[To a Serv.] Pr'ythee, [To FLAVIUS.] be not sad, 'hou art true, and honest; ingeniously I speak," To blame belongs to thee :-[To Serv.] Ventidius lately Suried his father; by whose death, he's stepp'd nto a great estate when he was poor, mprison'd, and in scarcity of friends, clear'd him with five talents: Greet him from me ; Bid him suppose, some good necessity Touches his friend, which craves to be remember'd With those five talents :-that had, [To FLAVIUS.] give it these fellows, To whom 'tis instant due. Ne'er speak, or think, That Timon's fortunes 'mong his friends can sink. Flav. I would, I could not think it; That thought is bounty's foe; Being free itself, it thinks all others so.' ACT III. [Exeunt. SCENE 1.-The same. A Room in LUCULLUS's House. FLAMINIUS waiting. Enter a Servant to him. Serv. I HAVE told my lord of you, he is coming down to you. Flam. I thank you, sir. Enter LUCULlus. Lucul. [Aside.] One of lord Timon's men? a gift, I warrant. Why, this hits right; I dreamt of a silver bason and ewer to-night. Flaminius, honest Flaminius; you are very respectively welcome, sir.-Fill me some wine. [Exit Servant.]-And how does that honourable, complete, free-hearted gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful good lord and master? Flam. His health is well, sir. Lucul. I am right glad that his health is well, sir: And what hast thou there under thy cloak, pretty Flaminius? Flam. 'Faith, nothing but an empty box, sir; which, in my lord's behalf, I come to entreat your honour to supply; who, having great and instant occasion to use fifty talents, hath sent to your lordship to furnish him ; nothing doubting your present assistance therein. Lucul. La, la, la, la,—nothing doubting, says he? alas, good lord! a noble gentleman 'tis, if he would not keep so good a house. Many a time and often I have dined with him, and told him on't; and come again to supper to him, of purpose to have him spend less: and yet he would embrace no counsel, take no warning by my coming. Every man has his fault, and honesty is his ;3 I have told him on't, but I could never get him from it. Re-enter Servant, with wine. Serv. Please your lordship, here is the wine. Lucul. Flaminius, I have noted thee always wise. Here's to thee. Flam. Your lordship speaks your pleasure. Lucul. I have observed thee always for a towardly prompt spirit,-give thee thy due, and one that knows what belongs to reason and canst use the time well, if the time use thee well: good parts in thee.-Get you gone, sirrah. [To the Servant, who goes out.]-Draw nearer, honest Flaminius. Thy lord's a bountiful gentleman: but thou art wise; and thou knowest well enough,, although thou comest to me, that this is no time to lend money; especially upon bare friendship, without security. Here's three solidares for thee; good boy, wink at me. and say, thou saw'st me not. Fare thee well. Flam. Is't possible, the world should so much differ; And we alive, that liv'd? Fly, damned baseness, To him that worships thee. [Throwing the money away. Lucul. Ha! Now, I see, thou art a fool, and fit for thy [Exit LUCULLUS, Flam. May these add to the number that may scald thee! Let molten coin be thy damnation,5 master. Thou disease of a friend, and not himself! Has friendship such a faint and milky heart, [3] Honesty does not here mean probity, but liberality, M. MASON. 4 And we who were alive then, alive now. As much as to say, in so short a time. WARBURTON. [5] Perhaps the poet alludes to the punishment inflicted on M. Aquilius by Mithri dates. In The Shepherd's Calendar, however, Lazarus declares himself to have seen in hell a great number of wide cauldrons aud kettles full of boyling lead and oyle, with other hot metals molten, in the which were plunged and dipped the covetous men and women for to fulfill and replenish them of their insatiate covetise STEEV It turns in less than two nights ? O you gods, O, may diseases only work upon't! And, when he is sick to death, let not that part of nature Which my lord paid for, be of any power To expel sickness, but prolong his hour! SCENE II. [Exit. The same. A public Place. Enter LUCIUS, with three Strangers. Luc. Who, the lord Timon? he is my very good friend, and an honourable gentleman. 1 Stran. We know him for no less, though we are but strangers to him. But I can tell you one thing, my lord, and which I hear from common rumours; now lord Timon's happy hours are done and past, and his estate shrinks from him. Luc. Fye, no, do not believe it; he cannot want for money. 2 Stran. But believe you this, my lord, that, not long ago, one of his men was with the lord Lucullus, to borrow so many talents; nay, urged extremely for't, and showed what necessity belonged to't, and yet was denied. Luc. How? 2 Stran. I tell you, denied, my lord. Luc. What a strange case was that? now, before the gods, I am ashamed on't. Denied that honourable man? there was very little honour showed in't. For my own part, I must needs confess, I have received some small kindnesses from him, as money, plate, jewels, and such like trifles, nothing comparing to his; yet, had he mistook him, and sent to me, I should ne'er have denied his occasion so many talents. Enter SERVILIUS. Ser. See, by good hap, yonder's my lord; I have sweat to see his honour.-My honour'd lord,— [TO LUCIUS. Luc. Servilius! you are kindly met, sir. Fare thee [6] Alluding to the turning or acescence of milk. JOHNSON. That is, we know him by report to be no less than you represent him, though we are strangers to his person. [8] A certain number of talents, such a number as he might happen to want. MALONE. well :-Commend me to thy honourable-virtuous lord, my very exquisite friend. Ser. May it please your honour, my lord has sentLuc. Ha! what has he sent ? I am so much endeared to that lord; he's ever sending: How shall I thank him, thinkest thou? And what has he sent now? Ser. He has only sent his present occasion now, my lord; requesting your lordship to supply his instant use with so many talents. Luc. I know, his lordship is but merry with me; he cannot want fifty-five hundred talents. Ser. But in the mean time he wants less, my lord. If his occasion were not virtuous,9 I should not urge it half so faithfully.' Luc. Dost thou speak seriously, Servilius ? Luc. What a wicked beast was I, to disfurnish myself against such a good time, when I might have shown myself honourable? how unluckily it happened, that I should purchase the day before for a little part, and undo a great deal of honour?-Servilius, now before the gods, I am not able to do't; the more beast, I say :was sending to use lord Timon myself, these gentlemen can witness; but I would not, for the wealth of Athens, I had done it now. Commend me bountifully to his good lordship; and I hope, his honour will conceive the fairest of me, because I have no power to be kind And tell him this from me, I count it one of my greatest afflictions, say, that I cannot pleasure such an honourable gentleman. Good Servilius, will you befriend me so far, as to use my own words to him? Ser. Yes, sir, I shall. :- Luc. I will look you out a good turn, Servilius. [Ex. SER. True, as you said, Timon is shrunk, indeed; And he, that's once denied, will hardly speed. 1 Stran. Do you observe this, Hostilius ? 2 Stran. Ay, too well. 1 Stran. Why this Is the world's soul; And just of the same piece Is every flatterer's spirit. Who can call him His friend, that dips in the same dish? for, in [9] If he did not want it for a good use. JOHNSON. Faithfully for fervently. WARBURTON. [Exit. This phrase is scriptural: "He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish." St. Mat. xxvi. 25. STEEVENS. |