Perchance, fome fingle vantages you took,
When my indifpofition put you back:
And that unaptness made you minifter
Thus to excufe your felf.

Fla. O my good lord!

At many times I brought in my accounts,
Laid them before you; you would throw them off,
And fay, you found them in mine honesty.

When, for fome trifling Prefent, you have bid me
Return fo much, I've hook my head, and wept ;
Yea, 'gainft th' authority of manners, pray'd you
To hold your hand more clofe. I did endure
Not feldom, nor no flight, checks; when I have
Prompted you in the ebb of your estate,

And your great flow of debts. My dear-lov'd Lord,
Though you hear now too late, yet now's a time;
The greatest of your Having lacks a half
To pay your prefent debts.

Tim. Let all my land be fold.

Fla. 'Tis all engag'd, fome forfeited and gone :
And what remains will hardly ftop the mouth
Of prefent dues; the future comes apace:
What shall defend the interim, and at length
How goes our reck'ning?

Tim. To Lacedemon did my land extend.
Fla. O my good lord, the world is but a world;
Were it all yours, to give it in a breath,

How quickly were it gone!

Tim. You tell me true.

Fla. If you fufpect my husbandry, or falfhood,
Call me before th' exactest Auditors,

And fet me on the proof. So the Gods bless me,
When all our Offices have been opprest

With riotous feeders; when our vaults have wept
With drunken fpilth of wine; when every room
Hath blaz'd with lights, and bray'd with minstrelfie;

I have retir'd me to a wasteful cock,
And fet mine eyes at flow.

Tim. Pr'ythee, no more.

Fla. Heav'ns! have I faid, the bounty of this lord! How many prodigal bits have flaves and peasants This night englutted! who now is not Timon's ? What heart, head, fword, force, means, but is lord Timon's?

Great Timon, noble, worthy, royal Timon's?

Ah! when the means are gone, that buy this praise,
The breath is gone whereof this praise is made:
Feaft-won,
faft-loft one cloud of winter fhowres,

These flies are coucht.

Tim. Come, fermon me no further.

No villainous bounty yet hath past my heart;
Unwifely, not ignobly, have I given.

Why doft thou weep? canft thou the confcience lack,
To think I fhall lack friends? fecure thy heart;

If I would broach the veffels of my love,

And try the arguments of hearts by borrowing,
Men and men's fortunes could I frankly ufe,
As I can bid thee speak.

Fla. Affurance blefs your thoughts!

Tim. And in fome fort these wants of mine are crown'd,

That I account them bleffings; for by these

Shall I try friends. You fhall perceive how you
Miftake my fortunes: in my friends I'm wealthy.
Within there, Ho! Flaminius, Servilius!

Enter Flaminius, Servilius, and other fervants.
Serv. My lord, my lord.

Tim. I will difpatch you fev'rally.

You to lord Lucius

to lord Lucullus you, I hunted with

his Honour to day you to Sempronius·

commend me

to their loves; and I am proud, fay, that my occafions have found time to use 'em toward a supply of mony; let the request be fifty talents.

Flam. As you have faid, my lord.
Fla. Lord Lucius and Lucullus? hum
Tim. Go, you, Sir, to the Senators;

[To Flavius.

Of

Of whom, even to the State's best health, I have
Deferv'd this hearing; bid 'em fend o'th' inftant
A thousand talents to me.

Fla. I've been bold,

(For that I knew it the moft gen'ral way)
To them to use your fignet and your name;
But they do fhake their heads, and I am here
No richer in Return.

Tim. Is't true? can't be ?

Fla. They answer in a joint and corporate voice, That now they are at Fall, want Treasure, cannot Do what they would; are forry---You are honourableBut yet they could have wifht—they know notSomething hath been amifs. a noble nature

May catch a wrench-would all were well-'tis pity-
And fo intending other ferious matters,

After diftafteful looks, and these hard fractions,
With certain half-caps, and cold-moving nods, (12)
They froze me into filence.

Tim. You Gods reward them!

I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly. Thefe old fellows
Have their Ingratitude in them hereditary:
Their blood is cak'd, 'tis cold, it feldom flows,
'Tis lack of kindly warmth, they are not kind;
And nature, as it grows again tow'rd earth,
Is fashion'd for the journey, dull and heavy.
Go to Ventidius pr'ythee, be not fad,
Thou'rt true, and juft; ingenuously I speak,
No Blame belongs to thee: Ventidius lately
Bury'd his father, by whose death he's stepp'd
Into a great eftate; when he was poor,
Imprifon'd, and in scarcity of friends,
I clear'd him with five talents.

Greet him from me;

(12) Cold moving Nods,] All the Editions exhibit these as two diftin&t Adjectives, to the Prejudice of the Author's Meaning: but they must be join'd by an Hyphen, and make a Compound Adjective out of a Subftantive and a Participle, and then we have the true Senfe of the Place; Cold-moving, Coldprovoking; Nods fo difcouraging, that they chill'd the very Ardour of our petition, and froze us into filence.

Bid him fuppofe, fome good neceffity

Touches his friend, which craves to be remember'd
With those five talents. That had, give't these fellows
To whom 'tis inftant due. Ne'er speak, or think,
That Timon's fortunes 'mong his friends can fink.

Stew. 'Would, I could not: that thought is boun-
ty's foe;

Being free it felf, it thinks all others fo.

[Exeunt.

I

SCENE, Lucullus's House in Athens.

Flaminius waiting, Enter a fervant to him.

SERVANT.

Have told my lord of you; he is coming down to

you.

Flam. I thank you, Sir.

Enter Lucullus.

Ser. Here's my lord.

Lucul. One of lord Timon's men ; a gift, I warrant Why, this hits right: I dreamt of a filver bafon and ewre to night. Flaminius, honeft Flaminius, you are very respectively welcome, Sir; fill me fome wine. And how does that honourable, compleat, free-hearted Gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful good lord and mafter ?

Flam. His health is well, Sir.

Lucul. I am right glad that his health is well, Sir; and what haft 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 occafion to use

fifty talents, hath fent to your lordship to furnish him, nothing doubting your prefent affiftance therein.

Lucul. La, la, la, la, - Nothing doubting, fays he? alas, good lord, a noble gentleman 'tis, if he would not keep fo good a house. Many a time and often I ha' din'd with him, and told him on't; and come again to fupper to him, on purpose to have him spend lefs. And yet he would embrace no counsel, take no warning by my Coming; every man hath his fault, and honesty is his. I ha' told him on't, but I could never get him from't.

Enter a fervant, with winę.

Ser. Please your lordship, here is the wine. Lucul. Flaminius, I have noted thee always wife. Here's to thee.

Flam. Your lordship fpeaks your pleasure.

Lucul. I have obferv'd thee always for a towardly prompt fpirit, give thee thy due: and one that knows what belongs to reafon; and canft ufe the time well, if the time use thee well. Good parts in thee. Get you gone, firrah. [To the fervant, who goes out.] Draw nearer, honeft Flaminius; thy lord's a bountiful gentleman, but thou art wife, and thou knoweft well enough (altho' thou comeft to me) that this is no time to lend mony, especially upon bare friendship without fecurity. Here's three Solidares for thee; good boy, wink at me, and fay, thou faw'ft me not. Fare thee well.

Flam. Is't poffible the world fhould fo much differ, And we alive that liv'd? "fly, damned baseness, To him that worships thee. [Throwing the mony away. Lucul. Ha! now I fee thou art a fool, and fit for thy master. [Exit Lucullus. Flam. May thefe add to the number that may fcald

thee:

Let molten coin be thy damnation,

Thou disease of a friend, and not himself!
Has friendship fuch a faint and milky heart,
It turns in lefs than two nights? O you gods!
I feel my mafter's paffion. This flave
Unto this hour has my lord's meat in him :

Why