We are so virtuously bound, —
And so am I to you.
So infinitely endear'd, —
All to you. Lights, more lights!
The best of happiness,
Honour, and fortunes, keep with you, Lord Timon!
Ready for his friends.
[Exeunt ALCIBIADES, Lords, and etc.].]
What a coil's here!
Serving of becks and jutting out of bums!
I doubt whether their legs be worth the sums
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 curtsies.
Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not sullen,
I would be good to thee.
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 needs these feasts, pomps, and 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.]
So: 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.]
Act II
Scene I. Athens. A Room in a SENATOR'S House
[Enter A SENATOR, with papers in his hand.]
And late, five thousand: to Varro and to Isidore
He owes nine thousand; besides my former sum,
Which makes it five-and-twenty. Still in motion
Of raging waste! It cannot hold; it will not.
If I want gold, steal but a beggar's dog
And give it Timon, why, the dog coins gold;
If I would sell my horse, and buy twenty more
Better than he, why, give my horse to Timon,
Ask nothing, give it him, it foals me straight,
And able horses. No porter at his gate,
But rather one that smiles and still invites
All that pass by. It cannot hold; no reason
Can found his state in safety. Caphis, ho!
Caphis, I say!
[Enter CAPHIS.]
Here, sir; what is your pleasure?
Get on your cloak, and haste you to Lord Timon;
Importune him for my moneys; be not ceas'd
With slight denial, nor then silenc'd when —
'Commend me to your master' – and the cap
Plays in the right hand, thus; – but tell him,
My uses cry to me; I must serve my turn
Out of mine own; his days and times are past,
And my reliances on his fracted dates
Have smit my credit: I love and honour him,
But must not break my back to heal his finger;
Immediate are my needs, and my relief
Must not be toss'd and turn'd to me in words,
But find supply immediate. Get you gone:
Put on a most importunate aspect,
A visage of demand; for I do fear,
When every feather sticks in his own wing,
Lord Timon will be left a naked gull,
Which flashes now a phoenix. Get you gone.
I go, sir.
Take the bonds along with you,
And have the dates in compt.
I will, sir.
Go.
[Exeunt.]
Scene II. The same. A Hall in TIMON'S House
[Enter FLAVIUS, with many bills in his hand.]
No care, no stop! So senseless of expense,
That he will neither know how to maintain it,
Nor cease his flow of riot: takes no account
How things go from him, nor resumes no care
Of what is to continue: never mind
Was to be so unwise, to be so kind.
What shall be done? He will not hear, till feel:
I must be round with him. Now he comes from hunting.
Fie, fie, fie, fie!
[Enter CAPHIS, and the SERVANTS Of ISIDORE and VARRO.]
Good even, Varro. What! You come for money?
Is't not your business too?
It is: and yours too, Isidore?
It is so.
Would we were all discharg'd!
I fear it.
Here comes the lord!
[Enter TIMON, ALCIBIADES, and Lords, etc.]
So soon as dinner's done, we'll forth again.
My Alcibiades. With me? what is your will?
My lord, here is a note of certain dues.
Dues! Whence are you?
Of Athens here, my lord.
Go to my steward.
Please it your lordship, he hath put me off
To the succession of new days this month:
My master is awak'd by great occasion
To call upon his own; and humbly