The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare (moboreader .TXT) 📕

Lest they should spy my windpipe’s dangerous notes: Great men should drink with harness on their throats.

TIMON. My lord, in heart! and let the health go round.

SECOND LORD. Let it flow this way, my good lord.

APEMANTUS. Flow this way! A brave fellow! He keeps his tides well.

Those healths will make thee and thy state look ill, Timon.

Here’s that which is too weak to be a sinner, honest water, which ne’er left man i’ th’ mire.

This and my food are equals; there’s no odds.’

Feasts are too proud to give thanks to the gods.

APEMANTUS’ Grace

Immortal gods, I crave no pelf; I pray for no man but myself.

Grant I may never prove so fond To trust man on his oath or bond, Or a harlot for her weeping,

Or a dog that seems asleeping, Or a keeper with my freedom,

Or my friends, if I should need ‘em.

Amen. So fall to’t.

Rich men sin, and I eat root. [Eats and drinks]

Much good dich thy good heart, Apemantus!

TIMON. Captain Alcibiades, your heart’s in the field now.

ALCIBIADES. My heart is ever at your service, my lord.

TIMON. You had rather be at a breakfast of enemies than dinner of friends.

ALCIBIADES. So they were bleeding new, my lord, there’s no meat like ‘em; I could wish my best friend at such a feast.

APEMANTUS. Would all those flatterers were thine enemies then, that then thou mightst kill ‘em, and bid me to ‘em.

FIRST LORD. Might we but have that happiness, my lord, that you would once use our hearts, whereby we might express some part of our zeals, we should think ourselves for ever perfect.

TIMON. O, no doubt, my good friends, but the gods themselves have provided that I shall have much help from you. How had you been my friends else? Why have you that charitable title from thousands, did not you chiefly belong to my heart? I have told more of you to myself than you can with modesty speak in your own behalf; and thus far I confirm you. O you gods, think I, what need we have any friends if we should ne’er have need of ‘em?

They were the most needless creatures living, should we ne’er have use for ‘em; and would most resemble sweet instruments hung up in cases, that keep their sounds to themselves. Why, I have often wish’d myself poorer, that I might come nearer to you. We are born to do benefits; and what better or properer can we call our own than the riches of our friends? O, what a precious comfort ‘tis to have so many like brothers commanding one another’s fortunes! O, joy’s e’en made away ere’t can be born!

Mine eyes cannot hold out water, methinks. To forget their faults, I drink to you.

APEMANTUS. Thou weep’st to make them drink, Timon.

SECOND LORD. Joy had the like conception in our eyes, And at that instant like a babe sprung up.

APEMANTUS. Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a bastard.

THIRD LORD. I promise you, my lord, you mov’d me much.

APEMANTUS. Much! [Sound tucket]

TIMON. What means that trump?

Enter a SERVANT

How now?

SERVANT. Please you, my lord, there are certain ladies most desirous of admittance.

TIMON. Ladies! What are their wills?

SERVANT. There comes with them a forerunner, my lord, which bears that office to signify their pleasures.

TIMON. I pray let them be admitted.

Enter CUPID

CUPID. Hail to thee, worthy Timon, and to all That of his bounties taste! The five best Senses Acknowledge thee their patron, and come freely To gratulate thy plenteous bosom. Th’ Ear, Taste, Touch, Smell, pleas’d from thy table rise; They only now come but to feast thine eyes.

TIMON. They’re welcome all; let ‘em have kind admittance.

Music, make their welcome. Exit CUPID

FIRST LORD. You see, my lord, how ample y’are belov’d.

Music. Re-enter CUPID, witb a Masque of LADIES as Amazons, with lutes in their hands, dancing and playing APEMANTUS. Hoy-day, what a sweep of vanity comes this way!

They dance? They are mad women.

Like madness is the glory of this life, As this pomp shows to a little oil and root.

We make ourselves fools to disport ourselves, And spend our flatteries to drink those men Upon whose age we void it up again

With poisonous spite and envy.

Who lives that’s not depraved or depraves?

Who dies that bears not one spurn to their graves Of their friends’ gift?

I should fear those that dance before me now Would one day stamp upon me. ‘T has been done: Men shut their doors against a setting sun.

The LORDS rise from table, with much adoring of TIMON; and to show their loves, each single out an Amazon, and all dance, men witb women, a lofty strain or two to the hautboys, and cease TIMON. You have done our pleasures much grace, fair ladies, Set a fair fashion on our entertainment, Which was not half so beautiful and kind; You have added worth unto’t and lustre, And entertain’d me with mine own device; I am to thank you for’t.

FIRST LADY. My lord, you take us even at the best.

APEMANTUS. Faith, for the worst is filthy, and would not hold taking, I doubt me.

TIMON. Ladies, there is an idle banquet attends you; Please you to dispose yourselves.

ALL LADIES. Most thankfully, my lord.

Exeunt CUPID and LADIES

TIMON. Flavius!

FLAVIUS. My lord?

TIMON. The little casket bring me hither.

FLAVIUS. Yes, my lord. [Aside] More jewels yet!

There is no crossing him in’s humour, Else I should tell him-well i’ faith, I should-When all’s spent, he’d be cross’d then, an he could.

‘Tis pity bounty had not eyes behind, That man might ne’er be wretched for his mind. Exit FIRST LORD. Where be our men?

SERVANT. Here, my lord, in readiness.

SECOND LORD. Our horses!

Re-enter FLAVIUS, with the casket TIMON. O my friends,

I have one word to say to you. Look you, my good lord, I must entreat you honour me so much

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

FIRST LORD. I am so far already in your gifts-ALL. So are we all.

Enter a SERVANT

SERVANT. My lord, there are certain nobles of the Senate newly alighted and come to visit you.

TIMON. They are fairly welcome. Exit SERVANT

FLAVIUS. I beseech your honour, vouchsafe me a word; it does concern you near.

TIMON. Near! Why then, another time I’ll hear thee. I prithee let’s be provided to show them entertainment.

FLAVIUS. [Aside] I scarce know how.

Enter another SERVANT

SECOND SERVANT. May it please vour honour, Lord Lucius, out of his free love, hath presented to you four milk-white horses, trapp’d in silver.

TIMON. I shall accept them fairly. Let the presents Be worthily entertain’d. Exit SERVANT

Enter a third SERVANT

How now! What news?

THIRD SERVANT. Please you, my lord, that honourable gentleman, Lord Lucullus, entreats your company tomorrow to hunt with him and has sent your honour two brace of greyhounds.

TIMON. I’ll hunt with him; and let them be receiv’d, Not without fair reward. Exit SERVANT

FLAVIUS. [Aside] 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 purse, or yield me this, To show him what a beggar his heart is, Being of no power to make his wishes good.

His promises fly so beyond his state

That what he speaks is all in debt; he owes For ev’ry word. He is so kind that he now Pays interest for’t; his land’s put to their books.

Well, would I were gently put out of office Before I were forc’d out!

Happier is he that has no friend to feed Than such that do e’en enemies exceed.

I bleed inwardly for my lord. Exit TIMON. You do yourselves much wrong;

You bate too much of your own merits.

Here, my lord, a trifle of our love.

SECOND LORD. With more than common thanks I will receive it.

THIRD LORD. O, he’s the very soul of bounty!

TIMON. And now I remember, my lord, you gave good words the other day of a bay courser I rode on. ‘Tis yours because you lik’d it.

THIRD LORD. O, I beseech you pardon me, my lord, in that.

TIMON. 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 mine own.

I’ll tell you true; I’ll call to you.

ALL LORDS. O, none so welcome!

TIMON. I take all and your several visitations 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 soldier, therefore seldom rich.

It comes in charity to thee; for all thy living Is ‘mongst the dead, and all the lands thou hast Lie in a pitch’d field.

ALCIBIADES. Ay, defil’d land, my lord.

FIRST LORD. We are so virtuously bound—

TIMON. And so am I to you.

SECOND LORD. So infinitely endear’d—

TIMON. All to you. Lights, more lights!

FIRST LORD. The best of happiness, honour, and fortunes, keep with you, Lord Timon!

TIMON. Ready for his friends.

Exeunt all but APEMANTUS and TIMON

APEMANTUS. What a coil’s here!

Serving of becks and jutting-out of bums!

I doubt whether their legs be worth the sums That are given for ‘em. Friendship’s full of dregs: Methinks false hearts should never have sound legs.

Thus honest fools lay out their wealth on curtsies.

TIMON. Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not sullen I would be good to thee.

APEMANTUS. No, I’ll nothing; for if I should be brib’d too, there would be none left to rail upon thee, and then thou wouldst sin the faster. Thou giv’st so long, Timon, I fear me thou wilt give away thyself in paper shortly. What needs these feasts, pomps, and vainglories?

TIMON. Nay, an you begin to rail on society once, I am sworn not to give regard to you. Farewell; and come with better music.

Exit

APEMANTUS. So. Thou wilt not hear me now: thou shalt not then. I’ll lock thy heaven from thee.

O that men’s ears should be

To counsel deaf, but not to flattery! Exit

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ACT II. SCENE I.

A SENATOR’S house

Enter A SENATOR, with papers in his hand

SENATOR. And late, five thousand. To Varro and to Isidore He owes nine thousand; besides my former sum, Which makes it five and twenty. Still in motion Of raging waste? It cannot hold; it will not.

If I want gold, steal but a beggar’s dog And give it Timon, why, the dog coins gold.

If I would sell my horse and buy twenty moe Better than he, why, give my horse to Timon, Ask nothing, give it him, it foals me straight, And able horses. No porter at his gate, But rather one that smiles and still invites All that pass by. It cannot hold; no reason Can sound his state in safety. Caphis, ho!

Caphis, I say!

Enter CAPHIS

CAPHIS. Here, sir; what is your pleasure?

SENATOR. Get on your cloak and haste you to Lord Timon; Importune