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Timon of Athens (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
Timon of Athens.
85
Enter three Seruants.
865Ser. My Lord, my Lord.
Tim. I will dispatch you seuerally.
You to Lord Lucius, to Lord Lucullus you, I hunted
with his Honor to day; you to Sempronius; commend me
to their loues; and I am proud say, that my occasions
870haue found time to vse 'em toward a supply of mony: let
the request be fifty Talents.
Flam. As you haue said, my Lord.
Stew. Lord Lucius and Lucullus? Humh.
Tim. Go you sir to the Senators;
875Of whom, euen to the States best health; I haue
Deseru'd this Hearing: bid 'em send o'th' instant
A thousand Talents to me.
Ste. I haue beene bold
(For that I knew it the most generall way)
880To them, to vse your Signet, and your Name,
But they do shake their heads, and I am heere
No richer in returne.
Tim. Is't true? Can't be?
Stew. They answer in a ioynt and corporate voice,
885That now they are at fall, want Treasure cannot
Do what they would, are sorrie: you are Honourable,
But yet they could haue wisht, they know not,
Something hath beene amisse; a Noble Nature
May catch a wrench; would all were well; tis pitty,
890And so intending other serious matters,
After distastefull lookes; and these hard Fractions
With certaine halfe-caps, and cold mouing nods,
They froze me into Silence.
Tim. You Gods reward them:
895Prythee man looke cheerely. These old Fellowes
Haue their ingratitude in them Hereditary:
Their blood is cak'd, 'tis cold, it sildome flowes,
'Tis lacke of kindely warmth, they are not kinde;
And Nature, as it growes againe toward earth,
900Is fashion'd for the iourney, dull and heauy.
Go to Ventiddius (prythee be not sad,
Thou art true, and honest; Ingeniously I speake,
No blame belongs to thee:) Ventiddius lately
Buried his Father, by whose death hee's stepp'd
905Into a great estate: When he was poore,
Imprison'd, and in scarsitie of Friends,
I cleer'd him with fiue Talents: Greet him from me,
Bid him suppose, some good necessity
Touches his Friend, which craues to be remembred
910With those fiue Talents; that had, giue't these Fellowes
To whom 'tis instant due. Neu'r speake, or thinke,
That Timons fortunes 'mong his Friends can sinke.
Stew. I would I could not thinke it:
That thought is Bounties Foe;
915Being free it selfe, it thinkes all others so.
Exeunt
Flaminius waiting to speake with a Lord from his Master,
enters a seruant to him.

Ser. I haue told my Lord of you, he is comming down
to you.
920Flam. I thanke you Sir.
Enter Lucullus.
Ser. Heere's my Lord.
Luc. One of Lord Timons men? A Guift I warrant.
Why this hits right: I dreampt of a Siluer Bason & Ewre
925to night. Flaminius, honest Flaminius, you are verie re-
spectiuely welcome sir. Fill me some Wine. And how
does that Honourable, Compleate, Free-hearted Gentle-
man of Athens, thy very bountifull good Lord and May-
ster?
930Flam. His health is well sir.
Luc. I am right glad that his health is well sir: and
what hast thou there vnder thy Cloake, pretty Flaminius?
Flam. Faith, nothing but an empty box Sir, which in
my Lords behalfe, I come to intreat your Honor to sup-
935ply: who hauing great and instant occasion to vse fiftie
Talents, hath sent to your Lordship to furnish him: no-
thing doubting your present assistance therein.
Luc. La, la, la, la: Nothing doubting sayes hee? Alas
good Lord, a Noble Gentleman 'tis, if he would not keep
940so good a house. Many a time and often I ha din'd with
him, and told him on't, and come againe to supper to him
of purpose, to haue him spend lesse, and yet he wold em-
brace no counsell, take no warning by my comming, eue-
ry man has his fault, and honesty is his. I ha told him on't,
945but I could nere get him from't.
Enter Seruant with Wine.
Ser. Please your Lordship, heere is the Wine.
Luc. Flaminius, I haue noted thee alwayes wise.
Heere's to thee.
950Flam. Your Lordship speakes your pleasure.
Luc. I haue obserued thee alwayes for a towardlie
prompt spirit, giue thee thy due, and one that knowes
what belongs to reason; and canst vse the time wel, if the
time vse thee well. Good parts in thee; get you gone sir-
955rah. Draw neerer honest Flaminius. Thy Lords a boun-
tifull Gentleman, but thou art wise, and thou know'st
well enough (although thou com'st to me) that this is no
time to lend money, especially vpon bare friendshippe
without securitie. Here's three Solidares for thee, good
960 Boy winke at me, and say thou saw'st mee not. Fare thee
well.
Flam. Is't possible the world should so much differ,
And we aliue that liued? Fly damned basenesse
To him that worships thee.
965Luc. Ha? Now I see thou art a Foole, and fit for thy
Master.
Exit L.
Flam. May these adde to the number yt may scald thee:
Let moulten Coine be thy damnation,
Thou disease of a friend, and not himselfe:
970Has friendship such a faint and milkie heart,
It turnes in lesse then two nights? O you Gods!
I feele my Masters passion. This Slaue vnto his Honor,
Has my Lords meate in him:
Why should it thriue, and turne to Nutriment,
975When he is turn'd to poyson?
O may Diseases onely worke vpon't:
And when he's sicke to death, let not that part of Nature
Which my Lord payd for, be of any power
To expell sicknesse, but prolong his hower.
Exit.
980
Enter Lucius, with three strangers.
Luc. Who the Lord Timon? He is my very good friend
and an Honourable Gentleman.
1 We know him for no lesse, thogh we are but stran-
gers to him. But I can tell you one thing my Lord, and
985which I heare from common rumours, now Lord Timons
happie howres are done and past, and his estate shrinkes
from him.
Lucius. Fye no, doe not beleeue it: hee cannot want
for money.
9902 But beleeue you this my Lord, that not long agoe,
one of his men was with the Lord Lucullus, to borrow so
many Talents, nay vrg'd extreamly for't, and shewed
what