But rather one that fmiles, and ftill invites
All that pafs by it. It cannot hold; no reason
Can found his ftate in fafety. Caphis, hoa!
Caphis, I fay.

Enter Caphis.

Cap. Here, Sir, what is your pleasure?

Sen. Get on your cloak, and hafte you to lord Timon; Importune him for monies, be not ceast

With flight denial; nor then filenc'd with "Commend me to your mafter.

Plays in the right hand, thus:

and the cap

but tell him, firrah,

My ufes cry to me, I must serve my turn
Out of mine own; his days and times are paft,
And my reliance on his fracted dates

Has fmit my credit. I love and honour him;
But muft not break my back, to heal his finger.
Immediate are my needs, and my relief
Muft not be toft and turn'd to me in words,
But find Supply immediate. Get you gone.
Put on a most importunate afpect,

A vifage of demand: for I do fear,

When every

feather fticks in his own wing, Lord Timon will be left a naked Gull,

Who flashes now a Phoenix

Cap. I go, Sir.

Get you gone.

Sen. I go, Sir?- Take the bonds along with you, (11) And

"my horse, and had a Mind to buy ten better instead of him "why, I need but give my Horse to Timon, to gain this Point; "and it presently fetches me an horse." But is that gaining the Point propos'd? Senfe and Reason warrant the Reading, that I have reftor'd to the Text. The first Folio reads, lefs corruptly than the modern Impreffions,

And able Horfes.

Which Reading, join'd to the Reafoning of the Paffage, gave me the Hint for this Emendation.

(II).

take the Bonds along with you, And have the Dates in. Come.] The Abfurdity of this Paffage is fo glaring, that one cannot help wondering, None of our

Poet's

And have the dates in Compt.

Cap. I will, Sir.

Sen. Go.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Timon's Hall.

Enter Flavius, with many bills in his hand.

Flav. N

O care, no ftop? fo fenfelefs of expence,
That he will neither know how to maintain it,

Nor ceafe his flow of riot? Takes no account
How things go from him, and refumes no care
Of what is to continue: never Mind

Was to be fo unwife, to be fo kind.

What fhall 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, Ifidore, and Varro.

Cap. Good evening, Varro; what, you come for money? Var. Is't not your business too?

Cap. It is; and your's too, Ifidore?

Ifid. It is fo.

Čap. 'Would we were all discharg'd!

Var. I fear it.

Cap. Here comes the lord.

Enter Timon, and his train.

Tim. So foon as dinner's done, we'll forth again..

My Alcibiades,

Well, what's your Will?
[They prefent their bills.

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

Poet's Editors fhould have been fagacious enough to ftumbleat it. Certainly, ever fince Bonds were given, the Date was put in when the Bond was enter'd into: And thefe Bonds Timon. had already given, and the Time limited for their Payment was laps'd. The Senator's Charge to his Servant must be to the Tenour as I have amended the Text; viz. Take good: Notice of the Dates, for the better Computation of the Intereft due upon them,

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 fucceffion of new days, this month:
My master is awak'd by great occafion,

To call upon his own; and humbly prays you,
That with your other noble parts you'll fuit,
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 felf, good friend.

Var. One Varro's fervant, my good lord

Ifid. From Ifidore, he prays your speedy paymentCap. If you did know, my lord, my master's wants Var. 'Twas due on forfeiture, my lord, fix weeks, and paft.

Ifid. Your Steward puts me off, my lord, and I Am fent expressly to your lordship.

Tim. Give me breath:

I do befeech you, good my lords, keep on, [Ex. lords.

I'll wait upon you inftantly.

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-fince-due debts,

Against my honour}

Fla. Pleafe you, gentlemen,

The time is unagreeable to this business :
Your importunity ceafe, 'till after dinner;
That I may make his lordship understand

Wherefore you are not paid.

Tim. Do fo, my friends; fee them well entertain'd.

Flav. Pray, draw near.

[Exit Timon.

[Exit. Flavius.

Enter Apemantus, and Fool.

Cap. Stay, ftay, here comes the Fool with Apemantus,

let's have fome fport with 'em.

Var. Hang him, he'll abufe us.

Ifid. A plague upon him, dog!

Var. How doft, fool?

Apem. Doft dialogue with thy fhadow?

Var. I fpeak not to thee.

Apem. No, 'tis to thy felf. Come away.

Ifid. There's the fool hangs on your back already. Apem. No, thou ftand'ft fingle, thou art not on him yet. Cap. Where's the fool now ?

Apem. He laft ask'd the queftion. Poor rogues', and ufurers' men! bawds between gold and want! All. What are we, Apemantus?

Apem. Affes.

All. Why?

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

Fool. How do you, Gentlemen ?

All. Gramercies, good Fool: how does your mistress? Fool. She's e'en fetting on water to scald fuch chickens as you are. 'Would, we could fee you at Corinth. Apem. Good! gramercy!

Enter Page.

Fool. Look you, here comes my miftrefs's page. Page. Why, how now, captain? what do you in this wife company? how doft thou, Apemantus ?

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

Page. Prythee, Apemantus, read me the Superfcripti on of these letters; I know not which is which. Apem. Can't 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 waft born a bastard, and thou'lt die a bawd.

Page. Thou waft whelpt a dog, and thou fhalt famish, a dog's death. Anfwer not, I am gone. Apem. Ev'n fo thou out-run'ft grace.

Fool, I will go with you to lord Timon's.
Fool. Will you leave me there?

[Exit.

Apem.

Apem. If Timon stay at home You three ferve three Ufurers? All. I would, they ferv'd us. Apem. So would I

ferv'd thief.

as good a trick as ever hangman

Fool. Are you three ufurers' men?
All. Ay, fool.

Fool. I think, no usurer but has a fool to his fervant. My mistress is one, and I am her fool; when men come to borrow of your mafters, they approach fadly, and go away merrily; but they enter my miftrefs's houfe merrily, and go away fadly. The reafon of this?

Var. I could render one.

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

Var. What is a whore-mafter, fool?

Fool. A fool in good Cloaths, and fomething like thee. "Tis a fpirit; fometimes it appears like a lord, fometimes like a lawyer, fometimes like a philofopher, with two ftones more than's artificial one. He is very often like a knight; and generally, in all fhapes that man goes up and down in, from fourfcore to thirteen, this Spirit walks in.

Var. Thou art not altogether a fool.

Fool. Nor thou altogether a wife man; foolery as I have, fo much wit thou lack'ft.

as much

Apem. That anfwer might have become Apemantus. All. Afide, afide, here comes lord Timon.

Enter Timon and Flavius.

Apem. Come with me, fool, come.

Fool. I do not always follow lover, elder brother, and woman; fometime, the philofopher.

Fla. Pray you, walk near, I'll speak with

you anon.

[Exeunt Creditors, Apemantus and Fool. Tim. You make me marvel; wherefore, ere this time, Had you not fully laid my ftate before me? That I might fo have rated my expence,

As