Of raging wafte? It cannot hold, it will not. Enter Caphis. Cap. Here, Sir, what is you pleasure ? Sen. Get on your cloak, and hafte you to Lord Timonz Importune him for monies, be not ceaft With flight denial; nor then filenc'd with Has fmit my credit. I love and honour him; A vifage of demand: for I do fear, (12) Afk nothing, give it him, it foals me ftraight An able borfe,] The ftupidity of this corruption will be very obvious, if we take the whole context together. "If I want gold, (fays "the Senator) let me fteal a beggar's dog, and give it to Timon, the "dog coins me gold. If I would fell my borse, and had a mind to "buy ten better inftead of him; why, I need but give my horfe to "Timon, to gain this point; and it prefently fetches me an borse." But is that gaining the point propos'd? fenfe and reafon warrant the reading, that I have reftor'd to the text. The first folio reads, lefs corruptly than the modern impreífions, And able horfes.. Which reading, join'd to the reasoning of the paffage, gave me the hint for this emendation. When When every feather fticks in his own wing, Cap. I go, Sir. Sen. I go, Sir?-take the bonds along with you, (13) And have the dates in compt. Cap. I will, Sir. Sen. Go. Flav. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to Timon's hall. Enter Flavius, with many bills in his hand. N O care, no ftop? fo fenfelefs of expence, That he will neither know how to maintain it, Nor ceafe his flow of riot? Takes no account How things go from him, and refumes no care Of what is to continue: never mind Was to be fo unwife, to be fo kind. What shall be done?-he will not hear, 'till feel: Enter Caphis, Ifidore, and Varro. Cap. Good evening, Varro; what, you come for money? Var. Is't not your business too? Cap. It is; and yours too, Ifidore? Ifid. It is fo. Cap. Would we were all discharg'd. Var. I fear it. Cap. Here comes the Lord. (13) take the bends along with you, And have the dates in. Come.] The abfurdity of this paffage is fo glaring, that one cannot help wondering, none of our poet's editors fhould have been fagacious enough to ftumble at it. Certainly, ever fince bonds were given, the date was put in when the bond was enter'd into: And these bonds Timon had already given, and the time limited for their payment was laps'd. The Senator's charge to his fervant must be to the tenour as I have amended the text; viz. Take good notice of the dates, for the better computation of the interest due upon them. Mr. Pope has vouchfafed to acknowledge my emendation, and cry recte to it in the appendix to his laft impreffion. Enter Enter Timon, and his train. Tim. So foon as dinner's done, we'll forth again, My Alcibiades.-Well, what's your will? [They prefent their bills. Cap. My Lord, here is a note of certain dues. Tim. Dues? whence are you? Cap. Of Athens here, my Lord. { Cap. Pleafe it your Lordship, he hath put me off To call upon his own; and humbly prays you, Tim. Mine honest friend, I pr'ythee, but repair to me next morning. Tim. Contain thyfelf, good friend. Var. One Varro's fervant, my good Lord- Ifid. Your fteward puts me off, my Lord, and I Tim. Give me breath: I do beseech you, good my Lords, keep on, [Ex. Lords. How goes the world, that I am thus encountred Against my honour? Flav. Pleafe you, gentlemen, The time is unagreeable to this bufinefs: That I may make his Lordfhip understand Wherefore you are not paid. Tim. Do fo, my friends; fee them well entertain’d. [Exit Tim. Flav. Pray, draw near. Enter Apemantus, and Fool. [Exit Flav. Cap. Stay, ftay, here comes the fool with Apemantus, let's have fome fport with 'em. Var. Hang him, he'll abufe us. Ifid. A plague upon him, dog. Apem. Doft dialogue with thy fhadow? Var. I fpeak not to thee. Apem. No, 'tis to thyfelf. Come away. Ijid. There's the fool hangs on your back already. Apem. No, thou ftand'ft fingle, thou art not on him yet. Cap. Where's the fool now? Apem. He laft afk'd the queftion. Poor rogues, and ufurers men! bawds between gold and want! All. What are we, Apemantus? Apem. Affes. All. Why? Apem. That you ask me what you are, and do not know yourselves. Speak to 'em, fool. Fool. How do you, gentlemen? All. Gramercies, good fool: how does your mistress ? Fool. She's e'en fetting on water to scald fuch chickens as you are. 'Would, we could fee you at Corinth. Apem. Good! gramercy! Enter Page. Fool. Look you, here comes my miftrefs's page. Page. Why how now, captain? what do you in this wife company? how doft thou, Apemantus? Apem. 'Would, I had a rod in my mouth, that I might anfwer thee profitably. Page. Pr'ythee, Apemantus, read me the fuperfcription of these letters; I know not which is which. Apem. Canft not read? Page. No. Apem. There will little learning die then, that day thou art hang'd. This is to Lord Timon, this to Alcibiades. Go, thou waft born a bastard, and thou'lt die a bawd. Page. [Exit. Page. Thou waft whelpt a dog, and thou shalt famish, a dog's death. Anfwer not, I am gone. Apem. Ev'n fo thou out-run'ft grace. Fool, I will go with you to Lord Timon's. Fool. Will you leave me there? Apem. If Timon ftay at homeYou three ferve three ufurers? All. I would, they ferv'd us. Apem. So would I-as good a trick as ever hangman ferv'd thief. Fool Are you three ufurers men? All. Ay, fool. Fool. I think, no usurer but has a fool to his servant. My mistress is one, and I am her fool; when men come to borrow of your mafters, they approach fadly, and go away merrily; but they enter my miftrefs's houfe merrily, and go away fadly. The reafon of this? Var. I could render one. Apem. Do it then, that we may account thee a whoremafter, and a knave; which notwithstanding, thou shalt be no less esteem'd. Var. What is a whore-mafter, fool? Fool. A fool in good clothes, and fomething like thee. "Tis a fpirit; fometimes it appears like a Lord, fometimes like a lawyer, fometimes like a philofopher, with two ftones more than's artificial one. He is very often like a knight; and generally, in all fhapes that man goes up and down in, from fourfcore to thirteen, this fpirit walks in. Var. Thou art not altogether a fool. Fool. Nor thou altogether a wife man; as much foolery as I have, fo much wit thou lack'ft. Apem. That answer might have become Apemantus. All. Afide, afide, here comes Lord Timon. Enter Timon and Flavius. Apem. Come with me, fool, come. Fool. I do not always follow lover, elder brother, and woman; fometime, the philofopher. Flav. |