| ACT I SCENE II | A banqueting-room in Timon's house. | |
| [
Hautboys playing loud music. A great banquet
served in; FLAVIUS and others attending; then enter
TIMON, ALCIBIADES, Lords, Senators, and VENTIDIUS.
Then comes, dropping, after all, APEMANTUS,
discontentedly, like himself
] |
| VENTIDIUS | Most honour'd Timon, |
| It hath pleased the gods to remember my father's age, |
| And call him to long peace. |
| He is gone happy, and has left me rich: |
| Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound | 5 |
| To your free heart, I do return those talents, |
| Doubled with thanks and service, from whose help |
| I derived liberty. |
| TIMON | O, by no means, |
| Honest Ventidius; you mistake my love: | 10 |
| I gave it freely ever; and there's none |
| Can truly say he gives, if he receives: |
| If our betters play at that game, we must not dare |
| To imitate them; faults that are rich are fair. |
| VENTIDIUS | A noble spirit! | 15 |
| TIMON | Nay, my lords, |
[They all stand ceremoniously looking on TIMON] |
| Ceremony was but devised at first |
| To set a gloss on faint deeds, hollow welcomes, |
| Recanting goodness, sorry ere 'tis shown; |
| But where there is true friendship, there needs none. | 20 |
| Pray, sit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes |
| Than my fortunes to me. |
| [They sit] |
| First Lord | My lord, we always have confess'd it. |
| APEMANTUS | Ho, ho, confess'd it! hang'd it, have you not? |
| TIMON | O, Apemantus, you are welcome. | 25 |
| APEMANTUS | No; |
| You shall not make me welcome: |
| I come to have thee thrust me out of doors. |
| TIMON | Fie, thou'rt a churl; ye've got a humour there |
| Does not become a man: 'tis much to blame. | 30 |
| They say, my lords, 'ira furor brevis est;' but yond |
| man is ever angry. Go, let him have a table by |
| himself, for he does neither affect company, nor is |
| he fit for't, indeed. |
| APEMANTUS | Let me stay at thine apperil, Timon: I come to | 35 |
| observe; I give thee warning on't. |
| TIMON | I take no heed of thee; thou'rt an Athenian, |
| therefore welcome: I myself would have no power; |
| prithee, let my meat make thee silent. |
| APEMANTUS | I scorn thy meat; 'twould choke me, for I should | 40 |
| ne'er flatter thee. O you gods, what a number of |
| men eat Timon, and he sees 'em 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: | 45 |
| Methinks they should invite them without knives; |
| 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, pledges the |
| breath of him in a divided draught, is the readiest | 50 |
| man to kill him: 't has been proved. 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. |
| TIMON | My lord, in heart; and let the health go round. | 55 |
| 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' the mire: | 60 |
| 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: | 65 |
| 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; | 70 |
| 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. | 75 |
| ALCIBIADES | My heart is ever at your service, my lord. |
| TIMON | You had rather be at a breakfast of enemies than a |
| dinner of friends. |
| ALCIBIADES | So the were bleeding-new, my lord, there's no meat |
| like 'em: I could wish my best friend at such a feast. | 80 |
| APEMANTUS | Would all those fatterers 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 | 85 |
| 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 | 90 |
| 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 | 95 |
| 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 wished |
| myself poorer, that I might come nearer to you. We | 100 |
| are born to do benefits: and what better or |
| properer can we can 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 't can be born! | 105 |
| Mine eyes cannot hold out water, methinks: to |
| forget their faults, I drink to you. |
| APEMANTUS | Thou weepest to make them drink, Timon. |
| Second Lord | Joy had the like conception in our eyes |
| And at that instant like a babe sprung up. | 110 |
| APEMANTUS | Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a bastard. |
| Third Lord | I promise you, my lord, you moved me much. |
| APEMANTUS | Much! |
| [Tucket, within] |
| TIMON | What means that trump? |
[Enter a Servant] |
| How now? | 115 |
| 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. | 120 |
| 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, | 125 |
| Taste, touch and smell, pleased from thy tale 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 you're beloved. | 130 |
| [
Music. Re-enter Cupid with a mask 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; | 135 |
| 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 | 140 |
| 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 singles out an
Amazon, and all dance, men with women, a lofty
strain or two to the hautboys, and cease
] |
| TIMON | You have done our pleasures much grace, fair ladies, | 145 |
| 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. | 150 |
| 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. | 155 |
| 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. More jewels yet! | 160 |
| There is no crossing him in 's humour; |
[Aside] |
| Else I should tell him,--well, i' faith I should, |
| When all's spent, he 'ld be cross'd then, an he could. |
| 'Tis pity bounty had not eyes behind, |
| That man might ne'er be wretched for his mind. | 165 |
| [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, | 170 |
| 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. | 175 |
| [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. |
| FLAVIUS | I beseech your honour, |
| Vouchsafe me a word; it does concern you near. | 180 |
| 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 a Second Servant] |
| Second Servant | May it please your honour, Lord Lucius, | 185 |
| 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. |
[Enter a third Servant] |
| How now! what news? | 190 |
| Third Servant | Please you, my lord, that honourable |
| gentleman, Lord Lucullus, entreats your company |
| to-morrow to hunt with him, and has sent your honour |
| two brace of greyhounds. |
| TIMON | I'll hunt with him; and let them be received, | 195 |
| Not without fair reward. |
| 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, | 200 |
| 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 every word: he is so kind that he now | 205 |
| Pays interest for 't; his land's put to their books. |
| Well, would I were gently put out of office |
| Before I were forced out! |
| Happier is he that has no friend to feed |
| Than such that do e'en enemies exceed. | 210 |
| 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. | 215 |
| 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: it is yours, because you liked it. |
| Second Lord | O, I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, in that. | 220 |
| 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. | 225 |
| 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; | 230 |
| 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, defiled land, my lord. |
| First Lord | We are so virtuously bound-- | 235 |
| 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, | 240 |
| 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 | 245 |
| 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 court'sies. |
| TIMON | Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not sullen, I would be |
| good to thee. | 250 |
| APEMANTUS | No, I'll nothing: for if I should be bribed too, |
| there would be none left to rail upon thee, and then |
| thou wouldst sin the faster. Thou givest so long, |
| Timon, I fear me thou wilt give away thyself in |
| paper shortly: what need these feasts, pomps and | 255 |
| vain-glories? |
| 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: | 260 |
| 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] |
Sources for Timon of Athens