To lord Lucullus you; I hunted with his
Honour to-day ;-You, to Sempronius ;

Commend me to their loves; and, I am proud, fay,
That my occafions have found time to use them
Toward a supply of money: let the request

Be fifty talents.

FLAM. AS you have faid, my lord.

FLAV. Lord Lucius, and lord Lucullus? humph! [Afide. TIM. Go you, fir, [To another SERV.] to the senators, (Of whom, even to the state's best health, I have Deferv'd this hearing,) bid 'em fend o'the inftant A thousand talents to me.

FLAV. I have been bold,

(For that I knew it the most general way,)
To them to use your fignet, and your name;
But they do fhake their heads, and I am here
No richer in return.

TIM. Is't true? can it be?

FLAV. They answer, in a joint and corporate voice, That now they are at fall, want treasure, cannot Do what they would; are forry-you are honourable,― But yet they could have wish'd-they know not-but Something hath been amiss a noble nature

May catch a wrench-would all were well-'tis pity-
And so, intending other serious matters,

After diftateful looks, and these hard fractions,
With certain half-caps, and cold-moving nods,
They froze me into filence.

TIM. You gods, reward them!

I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly: These old fellows
Have their ingratitude in them hereditary:
Their blood is cak'd, 'tis cold, it feldom flows;
Tis lack of kindly warmth, they are not kind;

And nature, as it grows again toward earth,

Is fashion'd for the journey, dull, and heavy.—

Go to Ventidius,-[To a SERV.] Pr'ythee, [To FLAVIUS,] be not fad,

Thou art true, and honeft; ingeniously I speak,
No blame belongs to thee :-[To SBRV.] Ventidius lately
Bury'd his father; by whose death, he's stepp'd
Into a great estate: when he was poor,
Imprifon'd, and in fcarcity of friends,

I clear'd him with five talents: Greet him from me;
Bid him suppose, fome good neceffity

Touches his friend, which craves to be remember'd With those five talents:-that had,-[TO FLAVIUS.] give it these fellows

To whom 'tis inftant due. Ne'er speak, or think,
That Timon's fortunes 'mong his friends can fink.
FLAY. I would, I could not think it; That thought is
bounty's foe;

Being free itself, it thinks all others fo.

ACT III.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I. The fame. A Room in LUCULLUS's House. FLAMINIUS waiting. Enter a SERVANT to him.

SERV. I have told my lord of you, he is coming down to you.

warrant.

LUCUL. [Afide.] One of lord Timon's men? a gift, I Why, this hits right; I dreamt of a filver bafon and ewer to-night. Flaminius, honeft Flaminius ; you are very respectively welcome, fir.Fill me some

wine. [Exit SERVANT.] And how does that honourable, complete, free-hearted gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful good lord and mafter?

FLAM. His health is well, fir.

LUCUL. I am right glad that his health is well, fir: And what haft thou there under thy cloak, pretty Flaminius ?

in

FLAM. 'Faith, nothing but an empty box, fir; which, my lord's behalf, I come to entreat your honour to fupply; who, having great and inftant occafion to use fifty talents, hath sent to your lordship to furnish him; nothing doubting your prefent affiftance therein.

LUCUL. La, la, la, la,-nothing doubting, fays he? alas, good lord! a noble gentleman 'tis, if he would not keep fo good a house. Many a time and often I have dined with him, and told him on't; and come again to fupper to him, of purpose to have him fpend lefs: and yet he would embrace no counsel, take no warning, by my coming. Every man has his fault, and honefty is his; I have told him on't, but I could never get him from it. Re-enter SERVANT, with wine.

SERV. Please your lordship, here is the wine.

LUCUL. Flaminius, I have noted thee always wife. Here's to thee.

FLAM. Your lordship fpeaks your pleasure.

LUCUL. I have obferved thee always for a towardly prompt fpirit,-give thee thy due, and one that knows what belongs to reafon; and canft ufe the time well, if the time use thee well: good parts in thee.-Get you gone, firrah, [To the SERVANT, who goes out.]-Draw nearer, honeft Flaminius. Thy lord's a bountiful gentleman: but thou art wife; and thou know'st well enough, although thou comeft to me, that this is no time.

I

to lend money; especially upon bare friendship, without fecurity. Here's three folidares for thee; good boy, wink at me, and say, thou faw'ft me not. Fare thee well.

FLAM. Is't poffible, the world fhould fo much differ;
And we alive, that liv'd? Fly, damned baseness,
To him that worships thee. [Throwing the money away.
LUCUL. Ha! Now I fee, thou art a fool, and fit for thy
mafter.
[Exit LUCULLUS.
FLAM. May these add to the number that may scald
Let molten coin be thy damnation,

Thou disease of a friend, and not himself!
Has friendship fuch a faint and milky heart,
It turns in less than two nights? O ye gods,
I feel my master's paffion! This flave

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 is fick to death, let not that
Which my lord paid for, be of any power
To expel fickness, but prolong his hour!

part

SCENE II. The fame. A publick Place.

Enter LUCIUS, with three STRANGERS.

[thee!

of nature

[Exit.

Luc. Who, the lord Timon? he is my very good friend, and an honourable gentleman.

I STRAN. We know him for no lefs, 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 paft, and his eftate fhrinks from him.

Luc. Fye, no, do not believe it; he cannot want for money.

VOL. V.

C

2 STRAN. But believe you this, my lord, that, not long ago, one of his men was with the lord Lucullus, to borrow fo many talents; nay, urged extremely for't, and fhow'd what neceffity belong'd to't, and yet was denied. Luc. How?

2 STRAN. I tell you, denied, my lord.

Luc. What a strange cafe was that? now, before the gods, I am afham'd on't. Denied that honourable man? there was very little honour fhow'd in't. For my own part, I must needs confefs, I have received fome small kindneffes from him, as money, plate, jewels, and fuch like trifles, nothing comparing to his; yet, had he mistook him, and fent to me, I fhould ne'er have denied his occafion fo many talents.

Enter SERVILIUS.

SER. See, by good hap, yonder's my lord; I have sweat to see his honour.-My honour'd lord,— [To LUCIUS. Luc. Servilius! you are kindly met, fir. Fare thee well:Commend me to thy honourable-virtuous lord, my very exquifite friend.

SER. May it please your honour, my lord hath sent— Luc. Ha! what has he fent? I am fo much endear'd to that lord; he's ever fending: How fhall I thank him, think'ft thou? And what has he fent now?

SER. He has only fent his prefent occafion now, my lord; requefting your lordship to fupply his inftant use with fo many talents.

Luc. I know, his lordship is but merry with me; He cannot want fifty-five hundred talents.

SER. But in the mean time he wants lefs, my lord.

If his occafion were not virtuous,

I fhould not urge it half fo faithfully.

Luc. Doft thou fpeak feriously, Servilius?