Enter Page.

Fool. Look you, here comes my mistress's page, Page. [To the Fool.] 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. Pr'ythee, Apemantus, read me the Superfcription of thefe 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. [Exit, Apem. Ev'n fo, thou out-run'ft

Fool, I will

grace. go with you to Lord Timon's. Fool. Will you leave me there? Apem. If Timon stay at home.

-You three ferve three Ufurers?

All. I would, they ferv'd us.

Apem. So would I-as good a trick as ever hangman ferv'd thief.

Fool. Are you three ufurers' men?

All. Ay, fool.

Fool. I think, no ufurer but has a fool to his fervant. My mistress is one, and I am her fool. When

ab Alexandro has thefe words: CORINTHI Juper mille Profiituta in Templo Veneris affidue degere, inflammata libidine quæftui meretricio operam dare, et velut Sacrarum Miniftræ Deæ famulari folebant. Milton, in his Apology

for Smellymnuus, fays, Or fearching for me at the Bordellos, where it may be he has lost himself, and raps up, without pity, the fage and rheumatick old pre ates, with all her young Corinthian Laity, to enquire for fuch a one. WARB.

men

men come to borrow of your masters, they approach fadly, and go away merrily; but they enter my miftrefs's houfe merrily, and go away fadly. The reason of this.

Var. I could render one.

Apem. Do it then, that we may account thee a whore-mafter, and a knave; which notwithstanding, thou shalt be no lefs efteem'd.

Var. What is a whore-mafter, fool?

Fool. A fool in good clothes, 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 veгу often like a knight; and generally, in all shapes that man goes up and down in, from fourscore to thirteen, this Spirit walks in.

Var. Thou art not altogether a fool.

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

Apem. That answer might have become Apemantus, All. Afide, afide, here comes Lord Timon.

Euter Timon and Flavius.

Apem. Come with me, fool, come.

Fool. I do not always follow Lover, Elder brother, and woman; fometimes the philofopher.

Flav. Pray you, walk near. I'll speak with you [Exeunt Creditors, Apemantus and Fool.

anon.

Tim. You make me marvel. Wherefore, ere this

time

Had you not fully laid my state before me?

his artificial one.] Meaning the celebrated philofopher's ftone, which was in thofe times much

talked of. Sir Thomas Smith was one of thofe who loft confiderable fums in fecking of it.

That

That I might fo have rated my expence,
As I had leave of means.

Flav. You would not hear me ;
At many leifures I propos'd.

Tim. Go to:

Perchance, fome fingle vantages you took,
When my indifpofition put you back;
And that unaptnefs made your minister
2
Thus to excufe yourself.

Flav. 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 fhook my head, and wept;
Yea, 'gainst 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 eftate,

3

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

To pay your present debts.

Tim. Let all my land be fold.

Flav. '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, 4 and at length

2 --made your minifter] So the original. The later editions have all made you minifter.

3 Though you bear now 100 late, yet now's a time;] i. e. Though it be now too late to retrieve your former fortunes, yet it is not too late to prevent, by the affiftance of your friends, your future miferies. Had the Oxford Editor understood the

How

How goes our reck'ning?

Tim. To Lacedemon did my land extend.

Flav. O my good Lord, the world is but a word! Were it all yours, to give it in a breath,

How quickly were it gone!

Tim. You tell me true.

Flav. If you fufpect my husbandry, or falfhood,
Call me before th' exacteft Auditors,

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

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 minstrelfy;
I have retir'd me to a wasteful cock,.

6

And fet mine eyes at flow.

Tim. Pr'ythee, no more.

Flav. Heav'ns! have I faid, the bounty of this Lord!

How many prodigal bits have flaves and peafants

6 a wasteful cock,] i. e. a cockloft, a garret. And a wafeful cock fignifies a garret lying in wafte, neglected, put to no ufe. HANMER.

Hanmer's explanation is received by Dr. Warburton, yet I think them both apparently miftaken. A waßeful cock is a cock or pipe with a turning topple running to waste. In this fenfe both the terms have their ufual meaning; but I know not that cock is ever ufed for cockloft, or wasteful for lying in waste, or that lying in wafte is at all a phrafe.

This night englutted; Who now is not Timon's? What heart, head, fword, force, means, but is Lord Timon's?

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

Ah! when the means are gone, that buy this praife, The breath is gone whereof this praise is made; Feaft-won, faft-loft; one cloud of winter fhow'rs, Thefe flies are coucht.

Tim. Come, fermon me no further.

No villainous bounty yet hath paft my heart;
Unwifely, not ignobly, have I giv'n.

Why dost 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,

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

Flav. Affurance blefs your thoughts!

Tim. And in fome fort thefe 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: I'm wealthy in my friends,
Within there, Ho! Servilius, Flaminius!

Enter Flaminius, Servilius, aud other Servants,

Serv. My Lord, my Lord.

Tim. I will dispatch you fev'rally.

You to Lord Lucius-to Lord Lucullus, you-I hunt

7 And try the arguments-] Arguments, for natures. WARB. How arguments should stand for watures I do not fee. But the licentioufnefs of our authour

forces us often upon far-fetched expofitions. Arguments may mean contents, as the arguments of a book, or evidences and proofs.

ed