The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 505

APEMANTUS. Come with me, fool, come.

FOOL. I do not always follow lover, elder brother, and woman; sometime the philosopher.

Exeunt APEMANTUS and FOOL FLAVIUS. Pray you walk near; I'll speak with you anon.

Exeunt SERVANTS TIMON. You make me marvel wherefore ere this time Had you not fully laid my state before me, That I might so have rated my expense As I had leave of means.

FLAVIUS. You would not hear me At many leisures I propos'd.

TIMON. Go to; Perchance some single vantages you took When my indisposition put you back, And that unaptness made your minister Thus to excuse yourself.

FLAVIUS. O my good lord, At many times I brought in my accounts, Laid them before you; you would throw them off And say you found them in mine honesty.

When, for some trifling present, you have bid me Return so much, I have shook my head and wept; Yea, 'gainst th' authority of manners, pray'd you To hold your hand more close. I did endure Not seldom, nor no slight checks, when I have Prompted you in the ebb of your estate And your great flow of debts. My lov'd lord, Though you hear now- too late!- yet now's a time: The greatest of your having lacks a half To pay your present debts.

TIMON. Let all my land be sold.

FLAVIUS. 'Tis all engag'd, some forfeited and gone; And what remains will hardly stop the mouth Of present dues. The future comes apace; What shall defend the interim? And at length How goes our reck'ning?

TIMON. To Lacedaemon did my land extend.

FLAVIUS. O my good lord, the world is but a word; Were it all yours to give it in a breath, How quickly were it gone!

TIMON. You tell me true.

FLAVIUS. If you suspect my husbandry or falsehood, Call me before th' exactest auditors And set me on the proof. So the G.o.ds bless me, When all our offices have been oppress'd With riotous feeders, when our vaults have wept With drunken spilth of wine, when every room Hath blaz'd with lights and bray'd with minstrelsy, I have retir'd me to a wasteful c.o.c.k And set mine eyes at flow.

TIMON. Prithee no more.

FLAVIUS. 'Heavens,' have I said 'the bounty of this lord!

How many prodigal bits have slaves and peasants This night englutted! Who is not Lord Timon's?

What heart, head, sword, force, means, but is Lord Timon's?

Great Timon, n.o.ble, worthy, royal Timon!'

Ah! when the means are gone that buy this praise, The breath is gone whereof this praise is made.

Feast-won, fast-lost; one cloud of winter show'rs, These flies are couch'd.

TIMON. Come, sermon me no further.

No villainous bounty yet hath pa.s.s'd my heart; Unwisely, not ign.o.bly, have I given.

Why dost thou weep? Canst thou the conscience lack To think I shall lack friends? Secure thy heart: If I would broach the vessels of my love, And try the argument of hearts by borrowing, Men and men's fortunes could I frankly use As I can bid thee speak.

FLAVIUS. a.s.surance bless your thoughts!

TIMON. And, in some sort, these wants of mine are crown'd That I account them blessings; for by these Shall I try friends. You shall perceive how you Mistake my fortunes; I am wealthy in my friends.

Within there! Flaminius! Servilius!

Enter FLAMINIUS, SERVILIUS, and another SERVANT

SERVANTS. My lord! my lord!

TIMON. I will dispatch you severally- you to Lord Lucius; to Lord Lucullus you; I hunted with his honour to-day. You to Semp.r.o.nius.

Commend me to their loves; and I am proud, say, that my occasions have found time to use 'em toward a supply of money. Let the request be fifty talents.

FLAMINIUS. As you have said, my lord. Exeunt SERVANTS FLAVIUS. [Aside] Lord Lucius and Lucullus? Humh!

TIMON. Go you, sir, to the senators, Of whom, even to the state's best health, I have Deserv'd this hearing. Bid 'em send o' th' instant A thousand talents to me.

FLAVIUS. I have been bold, For that I knew it the most general way, To them to use your signet and your name; But they do shake their heads, and I am here No richer in return.

TIMON. Is't true? Can't be?

FLAVIUS. They answer, in a joint and corporate voice, That now they are at fall, want treasure, cannot Do what they would, are sorry- you are honourable- But yet they could have wish'd- they know not- Something hath been amiss- a n.o.ble nature May catch a wrench- would all were well!- 'tis pity- And so, intending other serious matters, After distasteful looks, and these hard fractions, With certain half-caps and cold-moving nods, They froze me into silence.

TIMON. You G.o.ds, reward them!

Prithee, man, look cheerly. These old fellows Have their ingrat.i.tude in them hereditary.

Their blood is cak'd, 'tis cold, it seldom flows; 'Tis lack of kindly warmth they are not kind; And nature, as it grows again toward earth, Is fas.h.i.+on'd for the journey dull and heavy.

Go to Ventidius. Prithee be not sad, Thou art true and honest; ingeniously I speak, No blame belongs to thee. Ventidius lately Buried his father, by whose death he's stepp'd Into a great estate. When he was poor, Imprison'd, and in scarcity of friends, I clear'd him with five talents. Greet him from me, Bid him suppose some good necessity Touches his friend, which craves to be rememb'red With those five talents. That had, give't these fellows To whom 'tis instant due. Nev'r speak or think That Timon's fortunes 'mong his friends can sink.

FLAVIUS. I would I could not think it.

That thought is bounty's foe; Being free itself, it thinks all others so. Exeunt

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ACT III. SCENE I.

LUCULLUS' house

FLAMINIUS waiting to speak with LUCULLUS. Enter SERVANT to him

SERVANT. I have told my lord of you; he is coming down to you.

FLAMINIUS. I thank you, sir.

Enter LUCULLUS

SERVANT. Here's my lord.

LUCULLUS. [Aside] One of Lord Timon's men? A gift, I warrant. Why, this. .h.i.ts right; I dreamt of a silver basin and ewer to-night- Flaminius, honest Flaminius, you are very respectively welcome, sir. Fill me some wine. [Exit SERVANT] And how does that honourable, complete, freehearted gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful good lord and master?

FLAMINIUS. His health is well, sir.

LUCULLUS. I am right glad that his health is well, sir. And what hast thou there under thy cloak, pretty Flaminius?

FLAMINIUS. Faith, nothing but an empty box, sir, which in my lord's behalf I come to entreat your honour to supply; who, having great and instant occasion to use fifty talents, hath sent to your lords.h.i.+p to furnish him, nothing doubting your present a.s.sistance therein.

LUCULLIUS. La, la, la, la! 'Nothing doubting' says he? Alas, good lord! a n.o.ble gentleman 'tis, if he would not keep so good a house. Many a time and often I ha' din'd with him and told him on't; and come again to supper to him of purpose to have him spend less; and yet he would embrace no counsel, take no warning by my coming. Every man has his fault, and honesty is his. I ha'

told him on't, but I could ne'er get him from't.

Re-enter SERVANT, with wine

SERVANT. Please your lords.h.i.+p, here is the wine.

LUCULLUS. Flaminius, I have noted thee always wise. Here's to thee.

FLAMINIUS. Your lords.h.i.+p speaks your pleasure.

LUCULLUS. I have observed thee always for a towardly prompt spirit, give thee thy due, and one that knows what belongs to reason, and canst use the time well, if the time use thee well. Good parts in thee. [To SERVANT] Get you gone, sirrah. [Exit SERVANT] Draw nearer, honest Flaminius. Thy lord's a bountiful gentleman; but thou art wise, and thou know'st well enough, although thou com'st to me, that this is no time to lend money, especially upon bare friends.h.i.+p without security. Here's three solidares for thee.

Good boy, wink at me, and say thou saw'st me not. Fare thee well.

FLAMINIUS. Is't possible the world should so much differ, And we alive that liv'd? Fly, d.a.m.ned baseness, To him that wors.h.i.+ps thee. [Throwing the money back]

LUCULLUS. Ha! Now I see thou art a fool, and fit for thy master.

Exit FLAMINIUS. May these add to the number that may scald thee!

Let molten coin be thy d.a.m.nation, Thou disease of a friend and not himself!

Has friends.h.i.+p such a faint and milky heart It turns in less than two nights? O you G.o.ds, I feel my master's pa.s.sion! This slave Unto his honour has my lord's meat in him; Why should it thrive and turn to nutriment When he is turn'd to poison?

O, may diseases only work upon't!

And when he's sick to death, let not that part of nature Which my lord paid for be of any power To expel sickness, but prolong his hour! Exit

SCENE II.

A public place

Enter Lucius, with three STRANGERS

LUCIUS. Who, the Lord Timon? He is my very good friend, and an honourable gentleman.

FIRST STRANGER. We know him for no less, though we are but strangers 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 estate shrinks from him.

LUCIUS. Fie, no: do not believe it; he cannot want for money.

SECOND STRANGER. But believe you this, my lord, that not long ago one of his men was with the Lord Lucullus to borrow so many talents; nay, urg'd extremely for't, and showed what necessity belong'd to't, and yet was denied.

LUCIUS. How?

SECOND STRANGER. I tell you, denied, my lord.

LUCIUS. What a strange case was that! Now, before the G.o.ds, I am asham'd on't. Denied that honourable man! There was very little honour show'd in't. For my own part, I must needs confess I have received some small kindnesses from him, as money, plate, jewels, and such-like trifles, nothing comparing to his; yet, had he mistook him and sent to me, I should ne'er have denied his occasion so many talents.