Which was not half so beautiful and kind.

You have added worth unto’t and lustre,

And entertained me with mine own device.

I am to thank you for’t.

FIRST ⌈LADY⌉

My lord, you take us even at the best.

APEMANTUS Faith; for the worst is filthy, and would not hold taking, I doubt me.

TIMON

Ladies, there is an idle banquet ’tends you.

Please you to dispose yourselves.

ALL LADIES Most thankfully, my lord. Exeunt Ladies

TIMON Flavius.

FLAVIUS My lord.

TIMON The little casket bring me hither.

FLAVIUS Yes, my lord. (Aside) More jewels yet?

There is no crossing him in’s humour,

Else I should tell him well, i‘faith I should.

When all’s spent, he’d be crossed then, an he could.

’Tis pity bounty had not eyes behind,

That man might ne’er be wretched for his mind. Exit

FIRST LORD Where be our men?

SERVANT Here, my lord, in readiness.

SECOND LORD Our horses. ⌈Exit Servant⌉

Enter Flavius with the casket. He gives it to Timon, ⌈and exits⌉

TIMON

O my friends, I have one word to say to you.

Look you, my good lord,

I must entreat you honour me so much

As to advance this jewel. Accept and wear it,

Kind my lord.

FIRST LORD

I am so far already in your gifts.

ALL LORDS So are we all.

Timon gives them jewels.

Enter a Servant

FIRST SERVANT My lord, there are certain nobles of the senate newly alighted and come to visit you.

TIMON They are fairly welcome. Exit Servant

Enter Flavius

FLAVIUS I beseech your honour, vouchsafe me a word; it does concern you near.

TIMON

Near? Why then, another time I’ll hear thee.

I prithee, let’s be provided to show them entertainment.

FLAVIUS I scarce know how.

Enter a Second Servant

SECOND SERVANT

May it please your honour, Lord Lucius

Out of his free love hath presented to you

Four milk-white horses trapped in silver.

TIMON

I shall accept them fairly. Let the presents

Be worthily entertained.

Exit Servant

Enter a Third Servant

How now, what news?

THIRD SERVANT Please you, my lord, that honourable gentleman Lord Lucullus entreats your company tomorrow to hunt with him, and has sent your honour two brace of greyhounds.

TIMON

I’ll hunt with him, and let them be received

Not without fair reward. Exit Servant

FLAVIUS (aside) What will this come to?

He commands us to provide and give great gifts,

And all out of an empty coffer;

Nor will he know his purse, or yield me this:

To show him what a beggar his heart is,

Being of no power to make his wishes good.

His promises fly so beyond his state

That what he speaks is all in debt, he owes

For every word. He is so kind that he now

Pays interest for’t. His land’s put to their books.

Well, would I were gently put out of office

Before I were forced out.

Happier is he that has no friend to feed

Than such that do e’en enemies exceed.

I bleed inwardly for my lord. Exit

TIMON (to the Lords) You do yourselves

Much wrong, you bate too much of your own merits.

(To Second Lord) Here, my lord, a trifle of our love.

SECOND LORD

With more than common thanks I will receive it.

THIRD LORD

O, he’s the very soul of bounty!

TIMON (to First Lord) And now I remember, my lord, you gave good words the other day of a bay courser I rode on. ’Tis yours, because you liked it.

FIRST LORD

O I beseech you pardon me, my lord, in that.

TIMON

You may take my word, my lord, I know no man

Can justly praise but what he does affect.

I weigh my friends’ affection with mine own.

I’ll tell you true, I’ll call to you.

ALL LORDS O, none so welcome.

TIMON

I take all and your several visitations

So kind to heart, ‘tis not enough to give.

Methinks I could deal kingdoms to my friends,

And ne’er be weary. Alcibiades,

Thou art a soldier, therefore seldom rich.

⌈Giving a present⌉ It comes in charity to thee, for all

thy living

Is ’mongst the dead, and all the lands thou hast

Lie in a pitched field.

ALCIBIADES Ay, defiled land, my lord.

FIRST LORD We are so virtuously bound—

TIMON And so am I to you.

SECOND LORD So infinitely endeared—

TIMON All to you. Lights, more lights!

FIRST LORD

The best of happiness, honour, and fortunes

Keep with you, Lord Timon.

TIMON Ready for his friends.

Exeunt all but Timon and Apemantus

APEMANTUS 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 curtseys.

TIMON

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 giv’st so long, Timon, I fear me thou wilt give away thyself in paper shortly. What needs these feasts, pomps, and vainglories?

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

APEMANTUS 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

2.1 Enter a Senator ⌈With bonds⌉

SENATOR

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