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Timon of Athens (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
82
Timon of Athens.
Ape. Till I be gentle, stay thou for thy good morrow.
When thou art Timons dogge, and these Knaues honest.
225Tim. Why dost thou call them Knaues, thou know'st
them not?
Ape. Are they not Athenians?
Tim. Yes.
Ape. Then I repent not.
230Iew. You know me, Apemantus?
Ape. Thou know'st I do, I call'd thee by thy name.
Tim. Thou art proud Apemantus?
Ape. Of nothing so much, as that I am not like Timon
Tim. Whether art going?
235Ape. To knocke out an honest Athenians braines.
Tim. That's a deed thou't dye for.
Ape. Right, if doing nothing be death by th' Law.
Tim. How lik'st thou this picture Apemantus?
Ape. The best, for the innocence.
240Tim. Wrought he not well that painted it.
Ape. He wrought better that made the Painter, and
yet he's but a filthy peece of worke.
Pain. Y'are a Dogge.
Ape. Thy Mothers of my generation: what's she, if I
245be a Dogge?
Tim. Wilt dine with me Apemantus?
Ape. No: I eate not Lords.
Tim. And thou should'st, thoud'st anger Ladies.
Ape. O they eate Lords;
250So they come by great bellies.
Tim. That's a lasciuious apprehension.
Ape. So, thou apprehend'st it,
Take it for thy labour.
Tim. How dost thou like this Iewell, Apemantus?
255Ape. Not so well as plain-dealing, which wil not cast
a man a Doit.
Tim. What dost thou thinke 'tis worth?
Ape. Not worth my thinking.
How now Poet?
260poet. How now Philosopher?
pe. Thou lyest.
Poet. Art not one?
Ape. Yes.
Poet. Then I lye not.
265Ape. Art not a Poet?
Poet. Yes.
Ape. Then thou lyest:
Looke in thy last worke, where thou hast fegin'd him a
worthy Fellow.
270Poet. That's not feign'd, he is so.
Ape. Yes he is worthy of thee, and to pay thee for thy
labour. He that loues to be flattered, is worthy o'th flat-
terer. Heauens, that I were a Lord.
Tim. What wouldst do then Apemantus?
275Ape. E'ne as Apemantus does now, hate a Lord with
my heart.
Tim. What thy selfe?
Ape. I.
Tim. Wherefore?
280Ape. That I had no angry wit to be a Lord.
Art not thou a Merchant?
Mer. I Apemantus.
Ape. Traffick confound thee, if the Gods will not.
Mer. If Trafficke do it, the Gods do it.
285Ape. Traffickes thy God, & thy God confound thee.
Trumpet sounds. Enter a Messenger.
Tim. What Trumpets that?
Mes. 'Tis Alcibiades, and some twenty Horse
All of Companionship.
290Tim. Pray entertaine them, giue them guide to vs.
You must needs dine with me: go not you hence
Till I haue thankt you: when dinners done
Shew me this peece, I am ioyfull of your sights.
Enter Alcibiades with the rest.
295Most welcome Sir.
Ape. So, so; their Aches contract, and sterue your
supple ioynts: that there should bee small loue amongest
these sweet Knaues, and all this Curtesie. The straine of
mans bred out into Baboon and Monkey.
300Alc. Sir, you haue sau'd my longing, and I feed
Most hungerly on your sight.
Tim. Right welcome Sir:
Ere we depatt, wee'l share a bounteous time
In different pleasures.
305Pray you let vs in.
Exeunt.
Enter two Lords.
1.Lord What time a day is't Apemantus?
Ape. Time to be honest.
1 That time serues still.
310Ape. The most accursed thou that still omitst it.
2 Thou art going to Lord Timons Feast.
Ape. I, to see meate fill Knaues, and Wine heat fooles.
2 Farthee well, farthee well.
Ape. Thou art a Foole to bid me farewell twice.
3152 Why Apemantus?
Ape. Should'st haue kept one to thy selfe, for I meane
to giue thee none.
1 Hang thy selfe.
Ape. No I will do nothing at thy bidding:
320Make thy requests to thy Friend.
2 Away vnpeaceable Dogge,
Or Ile spurne thee hence.
Ape. I will flye like a dogge, the heeles a'th' Asse.
1 Hee's opposite to humanity.
325Come shall we in,
And raste Lord Timons bountie: he out- goes
The verie heart of kindnesse.
2 He powres it out: Plutus the God of Gold
Is but his Steward: no meede but he repayes
330Seuen- fold aboue it selfe: No guift to him,
But breeds the giuer a returne: exceeding
All vse of quittance.
1 The Noblest minde he carries,
That euer gouern'd man.
3352 Long may he liue in Fortunes. Shall we in?
Ile keepe you Company.
Exeunt.
Hoboyes Playing lowd Musicke.

A great Banquet seru'd in: and then, Enter Lord Timon, the
States, the Athenian Lords, Ventigius which Timon re-
340deem'd from prison. Then comes dropping after all Ape-
mantus discontentedly like himselfe.

Ventig. Most honoured Timon,
It hath pleas'd the Gods to remember my Fathers age,
And call him to long peace:
345He is gone happy, and has left me rich:
Then, as in gratefull Vertue I am bound
To your free heart, I do returne those Talents
Doubled with thankes and seruice, from whose helpe
I deriu'd libertie.
350Tim. O by no meanes,
Honest Ventigius: You mistake my loue,
I gaue