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

PHILOTUS. I am of your fear for that.

TITUS. I’ll show you how t’ observe a strange event.

Your lord sends now for money.

HORTENSIUS. Most true, he does.

TITUS. And he wears jewels now of Timon’s gift, For which I wait for money.

HORTENSIUS. It is against my heart.

LUCIUS’ SERVANT. Mark how strange it shows Timon in this should pay more than he owes; And e’en as if your lord should wear rich jewels And send for money for ‘em.

HORTENSIUS. I’m weary of this charge, the gods can witness; I know my lord hath spent of Timon’s wealth, And now ingratitude makes it worse than stealth.

FIRST VARRO’S SERVANT. Yes, mine’s three thousand crowns; what’s yours?

LUCIUS’ SERVANT. Five thousand mine.

FIRST VARRO’S SERVANT. ‘Tis much deep; and it should seem by th’

sum

Your master’s confidence was above mine, Else surely his had equall’d.

Enter FLAMINIUS

TITUS. One of Lord Timon’s men.

LUCIUS’ SERVANT. Flaminius! Sir, a word. Pray, is my lord ready to come forth?

FLAMINIUS. No, indeed, he is not.

TITUS. We attend his lordship; pray signify so much.

FLAMINIUS. I need not tell him that; he knows you are to diligent.

Exit

Enter FLAVIUS, in a cloak, muffled LUCIUS’ SERVANT. Ha! Is not that his steward muffled so?

He goes away in a cloud. Call him, call him.

TITUS. Do you hear, sir?

SECOND VARRO’S SERVANT. By your leave, sir.

FLAVIUS. What do ye ask of me, my friend?

TITUS. We wait for certain money here, sir.

FLAVIUS. Ay,

If money were as certain as your waiting, ‘Twere sure enough.

Why then preferr’d you not your sums and bills When your false masters eat of my lord’s meat?

Then they could smile, and fawn upon his debts, And take down th’ int’rest into their glutt’nous maws.

You do yourselves but wrong to stir me up; Let me pass quietly.

Believe’t, my lord and I have made an end: I have no more to reckon, he to spend.

LUCIUS’ SERVANT. Ay, but this answer will not serve.

FLAVIUS. If ‘twill not serve, ‘tis not so base as you, For you serve knaves. Exit FIRST VARRO’S SERVANT. How! What does his cashier’d worship mutter?

SECOND VARRO’S SERVANT. No matter what; he’s poor, and that’s revenge enough. Who can speak broader than he that has no house to put his head in? Such may rail against great buildings.

Enter SERVILIUS

TITUS. O, here’s Servilius; now we shall know some answer.

SERVILIUS. If I might beseech you, gentlemen, to repair some other hour, I should derive much from’t; for take’t of my soul, my lord leans wondrously to discontent. His comfortable temper has forsook him; he’s much out of health and keeps his chamber.

LUCIUS’ SERVANT. Many do keep their chambers are not sick; And if it be so far beyond his health, Methinks he should the sooner pay his debts, And make a clear way to the gods.

SERVILIUS. Good gods!

TITUS. We cannot take this for answer, sir.

FLAMINIUS. [Within] Servilius, help! My lord! my lord!

Enter TIMON, in a rage, FLAMINIUS following TIMON. What, are my doors oppos’d against my passage?

Have I been ever free, and must my house Be my retentive enemy, my gaol?

The place which I have feasted, does it now, Like all mankind, show me an iron heart?

LUCIUS’ SERVANT. Put in now, Titus.

TITUS. My lord, here is my bill.

LUCIUS’ SERVANT. Here’s mine.

HORTENSIUS. And mine, my lord.

BOTH VARRO’S SERVANTS. And ours, my lord.

PHILOTUS. All our bills.

TIMON. Knock me down with ‘em; cleave me to the girdle.

LUCIUS’ SERVANT. Alas, my lord—

TIMON. Cut my heart in sums.

TITUS. Mine, fifty talents.

TIMON. Tell out my blood.

LUCIUS’ SERVANT. Five thousand crowns, my lord.

TIMON. Five thousand drops pays that. What yours? and yours?

FIRST VARRO’S SERVANT. My lord—

SECOND VARRO’S SERVANT. My lord—

TIMON. Tear me, take me, and the gods fall upon you! Exit HORTENSIUS. Faith, I perceive our masters may throw their caps at their money. These debts may well be call’d desperate ones, for a madman owes ‘em. Exeunt Re-enter TIMON and FLAVIUS

TIMON. They have e’en put my breath from me, the slaves.

Creditors? Devils!

FLAVIUS. My dear lord—

TIMON. What if it should be so?

FLAMINIUS. My lord—

TIMON. I’ll have it so. My steward!

FLAVIUS. Here, my lord.

TIMON. So fitly? Go, bid all my friends again: Lucius, Lucullus, and Sempronius-all.

I’ll once more feast the rascals.

FLAVIUS. O my lord,

You only speak from your distracted soul; There is not so much left to furnish out A moderate table.

TIMON. Be it not in thy care.

Go, I charge thee, invite them all; let in the tide Of knaves once more; my cook and I’ll provide. Exeunt

SCENE V.

The Senate House

Enter three SENATORS at one door, ALCIBIADES meeting them, with attendants FIRST SENATOR. My lord, you have my voice to’t: the fault’s bloody.

‘Tis necessary he should die:

Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.

SECOND SENATOR. Most true; the law shall bruise him.

ALCIBIADES. Honour, health, and compassion, to the Senate!

FIRST SENATOR. Now, Captain?

ALCIBIADES. I am an humble suitor to your virtues; For pity is the virtue of the law,

And none but tyrants use it cruelly.

It pleases time and fortune to lie heavy Upon a friend of mine, who in hot blood Hath stepp’d into the law, which is past depth To those that without heed do plunge into’t.

He is a man, setting his fate aside,

Of comely virtues;

Nor did he soil the fact with cowardice-An honour in him which buys out his fault-But with a noble fury and fair spirit, Seeing his reputation touch’d to death, He did oppose his foe;

And with such sober and unnoted passion He did behove his anger ere ‘twas spent, As if he had but prov’d an argument.

FIRST SENATOR. You undergo too strict a paradox, Striving to make an ugly deed look fair; Your words have took such pains as if they labour’d To bring manslaughter into form and set Quarrelling upon the head of valour; which, indeed, Is valour misbegot, and came into the world When sects and factions were newly born.

He’s truly valiant that can wisely suffer The worst that man can breathe,

And make his wrongs his outsides,

To wear them like his raiment, carelessly, And ne’er prefer his injuries to his heart, To bring it into danger.

If wrongs be evils, and enforce us kill, What folly ‘tis to hazard life for ill!

ALCIBIADES. My lord—

FIRST SENATOR. You cannot make gross sins look clear: To revenge is no valour, but to bear.

ALCIBIADES. My lords, then, under favour, pardon me If I speak like a captain:

Why do fond men expose themselves to battle, And not endure all threats? Sleep upon’t, And let the foes quietly cut their throats, Without repugnancy? If there be

Such valour in the bearing, what make we Abroad? Why, then, women are more valiant, That stay at home, if bearing carry it; And the ass more captain than the lion; the fellow Loaden with irons wiser than the judge, If wisdom be in suffering. O my lords, As you are great, be pitifully good.

Who cannot condemn rashness in cold blood?

To kill, I grant, is sin’s extremest gust; But, in defence, by mercy, ‘tis most just.

To be in anger is impiety;

But who is man that is not angry?

Weigh but the crime with this.

SECOND SENATOR. You breathe in vain.

ALCIBIADES. In vain! His service done

At Lacedaemon and Byzantium

Were a sufficient briber for his life.

FIRST SENATOR. What’s that?

ALCIBIADES. Why, I say, my lords, has done fair service, And slain in fight many of your enemies; How full of valour did he bear himself In the last conflict, and made plenteous wounds!

SECOND SENATOR. He has made too much plenty with ‘em.

He’s a sworn rioter; he has a sin that often Drowns him and takes his valour prisoner.

If there were no foes, that were enough To overcome him. In that beastly fury He has been known to commit outrages

And cherish factions. ‘Tis inferr’d to us His days are foul and his drink dangerous.

FIRST SENATOR. He dies.

ALCIBIADES. Hard fate! He might have died in war.

My lords, if not for any parts in him-Though his right arm might purchase his own time, And be in debt to none-yet, more to move you, Take my deserts to his, and join ‘em both; And, for I know your reverend ages love Security, I’ll pawn my victories, all My honours to you, upon his good returns.

If by this crime he owes the law his life, Why, let the war receive’t in valiant gore; For law is strict, and war is nothing more.

FIRST SENATOR. We are for law: he dies. Urge it no more On height of our displeasure. Friend or brother, He forfeits his own blood that spills another.

ALCIBIADES. Must it be so? It must not be. My lords, I do beseech you, know me.

SECOND SENATOR. How!

ALCIBIADES. Call me to your remembrances.

THIRD SENATOR. What!

ALCIBIADES. I cannot think but your age has forgot me; It could not else be I should prove so base To sue, and be denied such common grace.

My wounds ache at you.

FIRST SENATOR. Do you dare our anger?

‘Tis in few words, but spacious in effect: We banish thee for ever.

ALCIBIADES. Banish me!

Banish your dotage! Banish usury

That makes the Senate ugly.

FIRST SENATOR. If after two days’ shine Athens contain thee, Attend our weightier judgment. And, not to swell our spirit, He shall be executed presently. Exeunt SENATORS

ALCIBIADES. Now the gods keep you old enough that you may live Only in bone, that none may look on you!

I’m worse than mad; I have kept back their foes, While they have told their money and let out Their coin upon large interest, I myself Rich only in large hurts. All those for this?

Is this the balsam that the usuring Senate Pours into captains’ wounds? Banishment!

It comes not ill; I hate not to be banish’d; It is a cause worthy my spleen and fury, That I may strike at Athens. I’ll cheer up My discontented troops, and lay for hearts.

‘Tis honour with most lands to be at odds; Soldiers should brook as little wrongs as gods. Exit

SCENE VI.

A banqueting hall in TIMON’S house

Music. Tables set out; servants attending. Enter divers LORDS, friends of TIMON, at several doors

FIRST LORD. The good time of day to you, sir.

SECOND LORD. I also wish it to you. I think this honourable lord did but try us this other day.

FIRST LORD. Upon that were my thoughts tiring when we encount’red.

I hope it is not so low with him as he made it seem in the trial of his several friends.

SECOND LORD. It should not be, by the persuasion of his new feasting.

FIRST LORD. I should think so. He hath sent me an earnest inviting, which many my near occasions did urge me to put off; but he hath conjur’d me beyond them, and I must needs appear.

SECOND LORD. In like manner was I in debt to my importunate business, but he would not hear my excuse. I am sorry, when he sent to borrow of me, that my provision was out.

FIRST LORD. I am sick of that grief too, as I understand how all things go.

SECOND LORD. Every man here’s so. What would he have borrowed of you?

FIRST LORD. A thousand pieces.

SECOND LORD. A thousand pieces!

FIRST LORD. What of you?

SECOND LORD. He sent to me, sir-here he comes.

Enter TIMON and attendants TIMON. With