POET. Vouchsafe my labour, and long live your lordship! TIм. I thank you; you shall hear from me anon: Go not away.-What have you there, my friend? PAIN. A piece of painting, which I do beseech Your lordship to accept.

TIM.

Painting is welcome.
The painting is almost the natural man;
For since dishonour traffics with man's nature,
He is but outside: These pencil'd figures are
Even such as they give out. I like your work;
And you shall find I like it; wait attendance
Till you hear further from me.

PAIN.

The gods preserve you! TIM. Well fare you, gentlemen: Give me your hand: We must needs dine together.-Sir, your jewel

Hath suffer'd under praise.

JEW.

What, my lord? dispraise?

TIM. A mere satiety of commendations. If I should pay you for 't as 't is extoll'd It would unclew me quite.

JEW.

My lord, 't is rated

As those which sell would give: But you well know,
Things of like value, differing in the owners,

Are prized by their masters: believe 't, dear lord,
You mend the jewel by the wearing it.

TIM. Well mock'd.

MER. No, my good lord; he speaks the common tongue, Which all men speak with him.

TIM. Look, who comes here. Will you be chid?

Enter APEMANTUS.

JEW. We will bear with your lordship.

MER.

He'll spare none.

TIM. Good morrow to thee, gentle Apemantus!

APEM. Till I be gentle, stay thou for thy good morrow; When thou art Timon's dog, and these knaves honest.

TIM. Why dost thou call them knaves? thou know'st

them not.

APEM. Are they not Athenians?

TIM. Yes.

APEM. Then I repent not.

JEW. You know me, Apemantus.

APEM. Thou know'st I do; I called thee by thy name.
TIM. Thou art proud, Apemantus.

APEM. Of nothing so much as that I am not like Timon.

TIM. Whither art going?

APEM. To knock out an honest Athenian's brains.

TIM. That's a deed thou 'lt die for.

APEM. Right, if doing nothing be death by the law.
TIM. How likest thou this picture, Apemantus?

APEM. The best, for the innocence.

TIM. Wrought he not well that painted it?

APEM. He wrought better that made the painter; and yet he 's but a filthy piece of work.

PAIN. You are a dog.

APEM. Thy mother 's of my generation: What 's she, if I be a dog?

TIM. Wilt dine with me, Apemantus?

APEM. No; I eat not lords.

TIM. An thou shouldst, thou 'dst anger ladies.

APEM. O, they eat lords; so they come by great bellies. TIM. That's a lascivious apprehension.

APEM. So thou apprehend'st it: Take it for thy labour. TIM. How dost thou like this jewel, Apemantus?

APEM. Not so well as plain-dealing, which will not cost a man a doit.

TIM. What dost thou think 't is worth?

APEM. Not worth my thinking.-How now, poet?
POET. How now, philosopher?

APEM. Thou liest.

POET. Art not one?

APEM. Yes.

POET. Then I lie not.

APEM. Art not a poet?

POET. Yes.

APEM. Then thou liest: look in thy last work, where thou hast feign'd him a worthy fellow.

POET. That's not feign'd, he is so.

APEM. Yes, he is worthy of thee, and to pay thee for thy

labour: He that loves to be flattered is worthy o' the flatterer. Heavens, that I were a lord!

TIM. What wouldst do then, Apemantus?

APEM. Even as Apemantus does now, hate a lord with my heart.

TIM. What, thyself?

АРЕМ. АУ.

TIM. Wherefore?

APEM. That I had no angry wit to be a lord.-Art not thou a merchant?

MER. Ay, Apemantus.

APEM. Traffic confound thee, if the gods will not.

MER. If traffic do it, the gods do it.

APEM. Traffic 's thy god, and thy god confound thee!
Trumpets sound.

TIM. What trumpet 's that?

Enter a Servant.

SERV. 'T is Alcibiades, and some twenty horse, All of companionship.

TIM. Pray entertain them; give them guide to us.—

[Exeunt some Attendants. You must needs dine with me:-Go not you hence Till I have thank'd you; and when dinner 's done, Show me this piece.—I am joyful of your sights. Enter ALCIBIADES, with his company.

Most welcome, sir!

APEM.

So, so; there!—

Aches contract and starve your supple joints!

[They salute.

That there should be small love 'mongst these sweet knaves, And all this court'sy! The strain of man 's bred out

Into baboon and monkey.

ALCIB. Sir, you have sav'd my longing, and I feed
Most hungerly on your sight.

TIM.
Ere we depart, we 'll share a bounteous time
In different pleasures. Pray you, let us in.

Right welcome, sir.

[Exeunt all but APEMANTUS.

Enter Two Lords.

1 LORD. What time o' day is 't, Apemantus?

APEM. Time to be honest.

1 LORD. That time serves still.

APEM. The most accursed thou that still omitt'st it.

2 LORD. Thou art going to lord Timon's feast.

APEM. Ay; to see meat fill knaves, and wine heat fools. 2 LORD. Fare thee well, fare thee well.

APEM. Thou art a fool to bid me farewell twice.

2 LORD. Why, Apemantus?

APEM. Shouldst have kept one to thyself, for I mean to give thee none.

1 LORD. Hang thyself.

APEM. No, I will do nothing at thy bidding; make thy requests to thy friend.

2 LORD. Away, unpeaceable dog, or I'll spurn thee hence. APEM. I will fly, like a dog, the heels of the ass.

[Exit. 1 LORD. He's opposite to humanity. Come, shall we in, And taste lord Timon's bounty? he outgoes

The

very heart of kindness.

2 LORD. He pours it out; Plutus, the god of gold, Is but his steward: no meed, but he repays

Sevenfold above itself; no gift to him,

But breeds the giver a return exceeding
All use of quittance.

1 LORD.

The noblest mind he carries,

That ever govern’d man.

2 LORD. Long may he live in fortunes! Shall we in? 1 LORD. I'll keep you company.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-The same. A Room of State in Timon's House.
Hautboys playing loud music. A great banquet served in;
FLAVIUS and others attending; then enter TIMON, ALCIBI-
ADES, LUCIUS, LUCULLUS, SEMPRONIUS, and other Athenian
Senators, with VENTIDIUS, and Attendants.
Then comes,
dropping after all, APEMANTUS, discontentedly.

VEN. Most honour'd Timon,

It hath pleas'd 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

To your free heart, I do return those talents,
Doubled with thanks, and service, from whose help
I deriv'd liberty.

TIM.

O, by no means,

Honest Ventidius: you mistake my love;
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,
VEN. A noble spirit.

[They all stand ceremoniously looking on TIMON.
TIM. Nay, my lords, ceremony was but devis'd at first
To set a gloss on faint deeds, hollow welcomes,
Recanting goodness, sorry ere 't is shown;

But where there is true friendship, there needs none.
Pray sit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes,
Than my fortunes to me.

[They sit

1 LORD. My lord, we always have confess'd it.
APEM. Ho, ho, confess'd it! hang'd it, have you not?
TIM. O, Apemantus!-you are welcome.

APEM. No, you shall not make me welcome:

I come to have thee thrust me out of doors.

TIM. Fye, thou 'rt a churl; you've got a humour there Does not become a man, 't is much to blame:—

They say, my lords, 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 't, indeed.

APEM. Let me stay at thine apperil, 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: prithee, let my meat make thee silent.

APEM. I scorn thy meat; 't would 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.