ed with his honour to day-You to Sempronius-Commend me to their loves; and I am proud, fay, that my occasions have found time to use 'em toward a fupply of money. Let the request be fifty talents. Flam. As you have faid, my Lord.

Flav. Lord Lucius and Lucullus? hum

Tim. Go, you, Sir, to the Senators; [To Flavius. 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.

Flav. I've been bold,

For that I knew it the most 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 ?

Flav. They anfwer in a joint and corporate voice, That now they are at Fall, want Treafure, cannot Do what they would; are forry-You are honourable— But yet they could have wifh't-'They know notSomething hath been amifs-a noble nature

May catch a wrench-'Would all were well-'Tis pityAnd fo' intending other ferious matters,

2

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

8-I knew it the moft gen'ral way] Gen'ral, for speedy. WARBURTON. General is not speedy, but campendious, the way to try many at a time.

9 Intending is regarding, turning th.ir notice to other things.

and thefe hard fractions,] An equivocal allufion to fractions in decimal arithmetick. So Flavius had, like Littlewit, in Bartholomew-Fair, a conceit left in

bis mifery.

Tim.

WARBURTON.

There is, I think, no conceit in the head of Flavius, who, by fractions, means broken hints, interrupted fentences, abrupt re

marks.

2 half-caps,] A half-cap is a cap flightly moved, not put off.

3 Cold moving Nods,] All the Editions exhibit thefe as two diftin&t Adjectives, to the Prejudice of the Author's Meaning; but they must be joined be an

1

Tim. You Gods reward them!
I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly. Thefe old fellows
4 Have their Ingratitude in them hereditary;
Their blood is cak'd, is 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 juít; ingenuously I speak,
No blame belongs to thee.-Ventidius lately
Bury'd his father, by whofe death he's stepp'd
Into a great eftate; when he was poor,
Imprifon'd, and in fcarcity of friends,

I clear'd him with five talents. Greet him from me
Bid him fuppofe, fome good neceffity

Touches his friend, which craves to be remember'd
With those five talents. That had, give't thefe fellows
To whom 'tis inftant due. Ne'er fpeak, 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 itself, it thinks all other fo.

[Exeunt.

7

ACT

ACT III.

SCENE I.

Lucullus's House in Athens.

Flaminius waiting, Enter a Servant to him.

Lucul. [Afide.] One of Lord Timon's men; a gift, I warrant. Why, this hits right: I dreamt of a filver bason and ewer to-night. Flaminius, honeft Flaminius, you are very refpectively welcome, Sir-Fill me fome wine.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 ?

in

Flam. 'Faith, nothing but an empty box, Sir, which, my Lord's behalf, I come to entreat your Honour to fupply, who, having great and inftant occafion to ufe 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 fpend lefs; and yet he would embrace no counfel, take no

warn

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 wine.

Serv. 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 obferved thee always for a towardly prompt fpirit, give thee thy due, and one that knows what belongs to reason, and canst use the time well, if the time ufe 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 knowest well enough, altho' thou comeft to me, that this is no time to lend money, 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 should fo much differ, And we alive that liv'd? Fly damned bafenefs, To him that worships thee. [Throwing the money away. Lucul. Ha! Now I fee thou art a fool, and fit for [Exit Lucullus.

thy master.

Flam. May thefe add to the number that may fcald

thee;

Let molten coin be thy damnation,

Thou difeafe of a friend, and not himself!
Has friendship fuch a faint and milky heart,
7 It turns in lefs than two nights?. O
I feel my master's paffion. This flave

6 And we alive that liv'd?] i. e. And we who were alive then, alive now. As much as to fay, in fo fhort a time.

WARB.

you

Gods!

7 It turns in less than troo nights ? Alluding to the turning or acefcence of milk.

Unto

;

Unto this hour has my Lord's meat in him
Why should it thrive, and turn to nutriment,
When he is turn'd to poifon ?

O! may difeafes only work upon't,

And when he's fick to death, let not that part 'Of nurture my Lord paid for, be of power To expel fickness, but prolong his hour!

Lúc.

Enter Lucius, with three ftrangers.

[Exits

HO, the Lord Timon? He is my very

W good friend, and an honourable gentleman.

1 Stran. We know him for no lefs, tho' we are but ftrangers 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 eftate fhrinks from him.

Luc. Fy, 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 fifty talents, nay, urg'd extremely for❜t, and fhewed what neceffity belong'd to't, and yet was deny'd.

Luc. How?

2 Stran. I tell you; deny'd, my Lord.

able

Luc. What a ftrange cafe was that? Now, before the Gods, I am afham'd on't. Deny'd that honourman ? There was very little honour fhew'd in that. For my own part, I muft needs confefs, I have received fome fimall kindneffes from him, as money,

Of nurture,] The common copies read nature. The emendation is Sir T. Hanmer's. • We know him for no less,] VOL. VI.

That is, we know him by report to be no less than you reprefent him, though we are ftrangers to his perfon.

P

plate,