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 sound his state in safety. Caphis ho!

Caphis, I say!

Enter Caphis

CAPHIS Here, sir. What is your pleasure?

SENATOR

Get on your cloak and haste you to Lord Timon.

Importune him for my moneys. Be not ceased

With slight denial, nor then silenced 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 tossed and turned 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.

CAPHIS

I go, sir.

SENATOR ⌈giving him bonds⌉

Take the bonds along with you,

And have the dates in count.

CAPHIS I will, sir.

SENATOR Go.

Exeunt ⌈severally⌉

2.2 Enter Flavius, with many bills in his hand

FLAVIUS

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.

⌈A sound of horns within⌉

I must be round with him, now he comes from hunting.

Fie, fie, fie, fie!

Enter Caphis ⌈at one door⌉ and Servants of Isidore and Varro ⌈at another door⌉

CAPHIS

Good even, Varro. What, you come for money?

VARRO’S SERVANT Is’t not your business too?

CAPHIS

It is; and yours too, Isidore?

ISIDORE’S SERVANT It is SO.

CAPHIS

Would we were all discharged.

VARRO’S SERVANT I fear it.

CAPHIS Here comes the lord.

Enter Timon and his train, amongst them Alcibiades, ⌈as from hunting⌉

TIMON

So soon as dinner’s done we’ll forth again,

My Alcibiades.

Caphis meets Timon

With me? What is your will?

CAPHIS

My lord, here is a note of certain dues.

TIMON Dues? Whence are you?

CAPHIS Of Athens here, my lord.

TIMON Go to my steward.

CAPHIS

Please it your lordship, he hath put me off,

To the succession of new days, this month.

My master is awaked by great occasion

To call upon his own, and humbly prays you

That with your other noble parts you’ll suit

In giving him his right.

TIMON Mine honest friend,

I prithee but repair to me next morning.

CAPHIS

Nay, good my lord.

TIMON Contain thyself, good friend.

VARRO’S SERVANT

One Varro’s servant, my good lord.

ISIDORE’S SERVANT (to Timon)

From Isidore. He humbly prays your speedy payment.

CAPHIS (to Timon)

If you did know, my lord, my master’s wants—

VARRO’S SERVANT (to Timon)

’Twas due on forfeiture, my lord, six weeks and past.

ISIDORE’S SERVANT (to Timon)

Your steward puts me off, my lord, and I

Am sent expressly to your lordship.

TIMON Give me breath.—

I do beseech you, good my lords, keep on.

I’ll wait upon you instantly.

Exeunt Alcibiades and Timon’s train

(To Flavius) Come hither. Pray you,

How goes the world, that I am thus encountered

With clamorous demands of broken bonds

And the detention of long-since-due debts,

Against my honour?

FLAVIUS (to Servants) Please you, gentlemen,

The time is unagreeable to this business;

Your importunacy cease till after dinner,

That I may make his lordship understand

Wherefore you are not paid.

TIMON (to Servants) Do so, my friends.

(To Flavius) See them well entertained. Exit

FLAVIUS Pray draw near.

Exit

Enter Apemantus and Fool

CAPHIS

Stay, stay, here comes the fool with Apemantus.

Let’s ha’ some sport with ’em.

VARRO’S SERVANT Hang him, he’ll abuse us.

ISIDORE’S SERVANT A plague upon him, dog!

VARRO’S SERVANT How dost, fool?

APEMANTUS Dost dialogue with thy shadow?

VARRO’S SERVANT I speak not to thee.

APEMANTUS No, ’tis to thyself, (To Fool) Come away.

ISIDORE’S SERVANT (to Varro’s Servant) There’s the fool hangs on your back already.

APEMANTUs No, thou stand‘st single: thou’rt not on him yet.

CAPHIS (to Isidore’s Servant) Where’s the fool now?

APEMANTUS He last asked the question. Poor rogues’ and usurers’ men, bawds between gold and want.

ALL SERVANTS What are we, Apemantus? 6

APEMANTUS Asses.

ALL SERVANTS Why?

APEMANTUS That you ask me what you are, and do not know yourselves. Speak to ’em, fool.

FOOL How do you, gentlemen?

ALL SERVANTS Gramercies, good fool. How does your mistress?

FOOL She’s e’en setting on water to scald such chickens as you are. Would we could see you at Corinth.

APEMANTUS Good; gramercy.

Enter Page with two letters

FOOL Look you, here comes my mistress’ page.

PAGE Why, how now, captain? What do you in this wise company? How dost thou, Apemantus?

APEMANTUS Would I had a rod in my mouth, that I might answer thee profitably.

PAGE Prithee, Apemantus, read me the superscription of these letters. I know not which is which.