Apem. No,

You shall not make me welcome :

I come to have thee thrust me out of doors.

Tim. Fye,thou art a churl; you have got a humour there Does not become a man, 'tis much to blame :

They say, my lords, that ira furor brevis est,

But yond' man's ever angry.

Go, let him have a table by himself;

For he does neither affect company,

Nor is he fit for it, indeed.

Apem. Let me stay at thine own peril, Timon; I come to observe; I give thee warning on't.

Tim. I take no heed of thee: thou art an Athenian; therefore welcome: I myself would have no power: pr'ythee, let my meat make thee silent.4

Apem. I scorn thy meat; 'twould choke me, for I should Ne'er flatter thee.-O you gods! what a number

Of men eat Timon, and he sees them not !

It grieves me, to see so many dip their meat
In one man's blood; and all the madness is,

He cheers them up too.

I wonder, men dare trust themselves with men :
Methinks, they should invite them without knives ;6
Good for their meat, and safer for their lives.
There's much example for't; the fellow, that
Sits next him now, parts bread with him, and pledges
The breath of him in a divided draught,

Is the readiest man to kill him it has been prov❜d.
If I

Were a huge man, I should fear to drink at meals;
Lest they should spy my windpipe's dangerous notes:
Great men should drink with harness on their throats. 7
Tim. My lord, in heart; and let the health go round.
1 Lord. Let it flow this way, my good lord.
Apem. Flow this way!

Timon,

A brave fellow !-he keeps his tides well.
Those healths will make thee, and thy state, look ill.

[4] I claim no extraordinary power in right of my being master of the house: I wish not by my commands to impose silence on any one: but tho' I myself do not enjoin you to silence, let my meat stop your mouth. MAL. [5] The allusion is to a pack of hounds trained to the pursuit by being grat ified with the blood of the animal which they kill, and the wonder is, that the animal on which they are feeding cheers them to the chase. JOHNS.

[6] It was the custom in our author's time for every guest to bring his own knife, which he occasionally whetted on a stone that hung behind the door. One of these whetstones may be seen in Parkinson's museum. They were strangers at that period to the use of forks. RITSON.

[7] That is, armour. STE. [8] My lord's health with sincerity. JOH.

Here's that, which is too weak to be a sinner,
Honest water, which ne'er left man i'the mire :
This, and my food, are equals; there's no odds.
Feasts are too proud to give thanks to the gods.
APEMANTUS'S 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 a sleeping:
Or a keeper with my freedom;

Or my friends, if I should need 'em.
Amen. So fall to't :

Rich men sin, 9 and I eat root.

[Eats and drinks.

Much good dich thy good heart, Apemantus !

Tim. Captain Alcibiades, your heart's in the field now. Alcib. My heart is ever at your service, my lord. Tim. You had rather be at a breakfast of enemies, than a dinner of friends.

Alcib. So they were bleeding-new, my lord, there's no meat like them; I could wish my best friend at such a feast.

Apem. 'Would all those flatterers were thine enemies then; that then thou might'st kill 'em, and bid me to 'em. 1 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.'

Tim. 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 you not 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. 3 O, you gods, think I, what need we have any friends, if we should

[9] Dr. Farmer proposes to read sing. REED.

That is, arrived at the perfection of happiness. [2] Charitable signifies dear, endearing. So Milton:

"Relations dear, and all the charities

Of father, son, and brother”.

JOHNS.

Alms, in English, are called charities, and from thence we may collect that our ancestors knew well in what the virtue of alms-giving consisted; not in the act, but in the disposition. WARB.-The meaning is probably this: Why are you distinguished from thousands, by that title of endearment, was there not a particular connection and intercourse of tenderness between you and me? [3] I fix your characters firmly in my own mind. JOH.

never have need of them? they were the most needless creatures living, should we ne'er have use for them: and would most resemble sweet instruments hung up in cases, that keep their sounds to themselves. Why, I have often wished 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, e'en made away ere it can be born !4 Mine eyes cannot hold water, methinks: to forget their faults, I drink to you.

Apem. Thou weepest to make them drink, Timon.5 2 Lord. Joy had the like conception in our eyes, And, at that instant, like a babe sprang up.

Apem. Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a bastard. 3 Lord. I promise you, my lord, you mov'd me much. Apem. Much! [Tucket sounded. Tim. What means that trump ?-How now?

Enter a Servant.

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

Tim. Ladies? what are their wills?

Serv. There comes with them a fore-runner, my lord, which bears that office, to signify their pleasures. Tim. I pray, let them be admitted.

Enter CUPID.

Cup. 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: The ear,
Taste, touch, smell, all pleas'd from thy table rise;
They only now come but to feast thine eyes.

Tim. They are welcome all; let them have kind admittance:

Music, make their welcome.

[Exit CUPID.

1 Lord. You see, my lord, how ample you are belov'd.'

[4] Tears being the effect both of joy and grief, supplied our author with an opportunity of conceit, which he seldom fails to indulge. Timon, weeping with a kind of tender pleasure, cries out, O joy, e'en made away, destroyed, turned to tears, before it can be born, before it can be fully possessed.' JOH. [5] The covert sense of Apemantus is, what thou losest, they get.' JOH. [o] Does not he dwell on Timon's metaphor, by referring to circumstances preceding the birth, and means joy was conceived in their eyes, and sprung up there, like the motion of a babe in the womb ? TOLLET.

Music. Re-enter CUPID, with a Masque of Ladies as Amazons, with lutes in their hands, dancing and playing.

Apem. Hey-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 ?8
I should fear, those, that dance before me now,
Would one day stamp upon me: It 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 singles out an Amazon, and all dance, men with women; a lofty strain or two to the hautboys, and cease. Tim. 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 lively lustre,
And entertain'd me with mine own device ;9

I am to thank you for it.

1 Lady. My lord, you take us even at the best. Apem. 'Faith, for the worst is filthy; and would not hold taking, I doubt me.

Tim. Ladies, there is an idle banquet

Attends you. Please you to dispose yourselves.

All Lad. Most thankfully, my lord.

Tim. Flavius,

Flav. My lord.

[Exe. CUPID and Ladies.

Tim. The little casket bring me hither.
Flav. Yes, my lord.-More jewels yet!
There is no crossing him in his humour
Else I should tell him,-Well,-i'faith, I should,

[Aside.

[7] "The glory of this life is very near to madness," as may be made to appear from this pomp, exhibited in a place where a philosopher is feeding on oil and roots." When we see by example how few are the necessaries of life, we learn what madness there is in so much superfluity. JOHNS. [8] That is, given them by their friends. JOHN'S.

[9] The mask appears to have been designed by Timon to surprise his guests. JOHNS.

When all's spent, he'd be cross'd then, an he could.' 'Tis pity, bounty had not eyes behind ;2

That man might ne'er be wretched for his mind. 3

[Exit, and returns with the casket.

1 Lord. Where be our men?

Serv. Here, my lord, in readiness.

2 Lord. Our horses.

Tim. 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 ;4

Accept, and wear it, kind my lord.

1 Lord. I am so far already in your gifts,All. So are we all.

Enter a Servant.

Serv. My lord, there are certain nobles of the senate Newly alighted, and come to visit you.

Tim. They are fairly welcome.

Flav. I beseech your honour,

Vouchsafe me a word; it does concern you near.
Tim. Near? why then another time I'll hear thee:

I pr'ythee, let us be provided

To show them entertainment.

Flav. [Aside.] I scarce know how.

Enter another Servant.

2 Serv. May it please your honour, the lord Lucius, Out of his free love, hath presented to you

Four milk white horses, trapp'd in silver.

Tim. I shall accept them fairly let the presents
Enter a third Servant.

Be worthily entertain'd ?-How now, what news?
3 Serv. Please you, my lord, that honourable gentle-
lord Lucullus, entreats your company to-morrow
to hunt with him; and has sent your honour two brace
of greyhounds.

man,

Tim. I'll hunt with him; And let them be receiv'd, Not without fair reward.

Flav. [Aside.] What will this come to?

[Alluding to our old silver penny, used before K. Edward the First's time, which had a cross on the reverse with a crease, that it might be more easily broken into halves and quarters, half-pence and farthings. From this penny, and other pieces, was our common expression derived, "I have not a cross about me ;" i. e. not a piece of money. THEO.

[2] To see the miseries that are following her. JOHNS.

[3] For nobleness of soul. JOHNS.

[4] To prefer it; to raise it to honour by wearing it,

JOHNS.