Luc. You fee, my lord, how amply you're belov'd. Apem. Hoyday! what a fweep of vanity comes this way!

They dance, they are mad women.

Like madness is the glory of this life;

As this pomp fhews to a little oyl and root.
We make our felves fools, to difport our felves;
And spend our flatteries, to drink those men,
Upon whofe age we void it up again,
With poisonous fpight and envy.

Who lives, that's not depraved, or depraves?
Who dies, that bears not one fpurn to their graves
Of their friends' gift?

I fhould fear, thofe, that dance before me now,
Would one day ftamp upon me: 'T has been done;
Men shut their doors against the setting fun.

The Lords rife from table, with much adoring of Timon; each fingling out an Amazon, and all dance, men with women; a lofty firain or two to the hautboys, and ceafe.

Tim. You have done our pleasures much ladies,

grace, fair

Set a fair fashion on our entertainment,
Which was not half fo beautiful and kind:
You've added worth unto't, and lively luftre,
And entertain'd me with mine own device.
I am to thank you for it.

Luc. My lord, you take us even at the best. Apem. Faith, for the worst is filthy, and would not hold taking, I doubt me.

Tim. Ladies, there is an idle banquet attends you.

Please you to difpofe your felves.

All La. Moft thankfully, my lord.

Tim. Flavius,

Flav. My lord.

Tim. The little casket bring me hither.

[Exeunt,

Flav. Yes, my lord. More jewels yet? there is no

croffing him in's humour,

Elfe I fhould tell him - well i'faith, I should,

When all's spent, he'd be crofs'd then if he could: (8)
Tis pity, Bounty has not eyes behind;

That man might ne'er be wretched for his mind.
Lucul. Where be our men?

Serv. Here, my lord, in readiness.
Luc. Our Horfes.

Tim. O my good friends!

I have one word to fay to you; look, my lord,
I muft entreat you, honour me fo much

As to advance this jewel, accept and wear it,
Kind my lord!

Luc. I am fo far already in your gifts

All. So are we all.

[Ex. Lucius, Lucullus, &c.

Enter a fervant.

Serv. My lord, there are certain Nobles of the Senate newly alighted, and come to vifit you. Tim. They are fairly welcome.

Re-enter Flavius.

Fla. I befeech your Honour, vouchfafe 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 fhew them entertainment. Flav. I fcarce know how.

(8) ·he'd be cross'd then if he could:] The Poet does not mean here, that he would be cross'd, or thwarted in Humour; but that he would have his Hand crofs'd, as we fay, with Money, if he could. He is playing on the Word, and alluding to our old Silver-penny, used before K. Edward the first his Time, which had a Cross on the Reverse with a Creafe, that it might be more easily broke into Halves and Quarters, Half-pence and Farthings. From this Penny, and other fubfequent Pieces that bore the like Imprefs, was our common Expreffion deriv'd, I have not a Crofs about me; i, e, not a Piece of Money. I thought, this Note might not be unneceffary, because it serves to explain feveral other Paffages, where the Poet has punn'd on this Term

Enter

Enter another fervant.

2 Serv. May it please your Honour, lord Lucius, out of his free love, hath presented to you four milk-white horfes trapt in filver.

Tim. I fhall accept them fairly: let the Prefents Be worthily entertain'd.

Enter a third fervant.

How now? what news?

3 Serv. Please you, my lord, that honourable gentleman, Lord Lucullus, entreats your company to morrow to hunt with him, and has fent your Honour two brace of grey-hounds.

Tim. I'll hunt with him; and let them be received, not without fair reward.

Flav. 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 purfe, or yield me this, To fhew him what a beggar his heart is,

Being of no power to make his wishes good;
His promifes fly fo beyond his ftate,

That what he speaks is all in debt; he owes for ev'ry word:
He is fo kind, that he pays interest for't:

His land's put to their books. Well, 'would I were
Gently put out of office, ere I were forc'd!

Happier is he that has no friend to feed,

Than fuch that do e'en enemies exceed.

I bleed inwardly for my lord.

[Exit.

Tim. You do your felves much wrong, you bate too much of your own merits. Here, my lord, a trifle of our love.

1 Lord. With more than common thanks I will receive it.

3 Lord. He has the very foul of bounty. Tim. And now I remember, my lord, you gave good words the other day of a bay courfer I rode on. 'Tis yours, because you lik'd it.

2 Lord. Oh, I beseech you, pardon me, my lord,

in that.

Tim. You may take my word, my lord : I know no man can justly praise, but what he does affect. I weigh my friend's affection with my own; I'll tell you true. I'll call on you.

All Lords. O, none fo welcome.

Tim. I take all, and your feveral vifitations
So kind to heart, 'tis not enough to give ;
Methinks, I could deal Kingdoms to my friends,
And ne'er be weary. Alcibiades,

Thou art a foldier, therefore feldom rich,
It comes in charity to thee; thy living

Is 'mongst the dead; and all the lands thou haft
Lye in a pitcht field.

Alc. I'defie land, my lord.

1 Lord. We are so virtuously bound Tim. And fo am I to you.

2 Lord. So infinitely endear'd

Tim. All to you. Lights! more lights, more lights. 3 Lord. The best of happiness, honour and fortunes, Keep with you, lord Timon

Tim. Ready for his friends.
Apem. What a coil's here,

[Exeunt Lords.

Serving of becks and jutting out of bums!

I doubt, whether their legs be worth the fums
That are giv'n for 'em. Friendship's full of dregs;
Methinks, falfe hearts should never have found legs.
Thus honeft fools lay out their wealth on court'fies.
Tim. Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not fullen,
I would be good to thee.

Apem. No, I'll nothing; for if I fhould be brib'd too, there would be none left to rail upon thee, and then thou wouldst fin the fafter. Thou giv'ft fo long, Timon, (9) I fear me, thou wilt give away thy felf in

proper

(9) I fear me, thou wilt give away thyself in paper shortly.] 3.e. be ruin'd by his Securities entred into. But this Senfe, as Mr. Warburton observes, is cold; and relishes very little of that Salt which is in Apemantus's other Reflections. He proposes, give away thy felf in proper shortly.

e. in Perfon; thy proper Self. This latter is an Expreffion

of

proper fhortly. What need these feafts, pomps, and vain-glories?

Tim. Nay, if you begin to rail on fociety once, I am fworn not to give regard to you. Farewel, and come with better mufick.

Apem. So

not then.

thou wilt not hear me now, thou fhalt

I'll lock thy heaven from thee:

Oh, that men's ears fhould be

To counfel deaf, but not to flattery!

SCENE, A publick place in the City.

A

Enter a Senator.

SENATOR.

ND late, five thoufand: to Varro and to Ifidore

He owes nine thousand, befides my former Sum ; Which makes it five and twenty.-Still in motion Of raging wafte? It cannot hold, it will not. If I want gold, fteal but a Beggar's dog, And give it Timon, why, the dog coins gold. If I would fell my horfe, and buy ten more Better than he; why, give my horfe to Timon; Ask nothing, give it him, it foals me straight Ten able horse. No porter at his gate, (10)

of our Author's in the Tempeft;

And ev❜n with fuch like Valour Men hang and drown
Their proper felves.

(10) Ask nothing, give it him, it foals me freight

But

An able horse,] The Stupidity of this Corruption will be very obvious, if we take the whole Context together. "If I want "Gold, (fays the Senator) let me fteal a Beggar's Dog, and “give is to Timon, the Dog coins me Gold. If I would fell

F S

"my