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Timon of Athens: Act 1 Scene 2

Scene II A banqueting-room in Timon's house.

[Hautboys playing loud music. A great banquet

served in; FLAVIUS and others attending; then enter

TIMON, ALCIBIADES, Lords, Senators, and VENTIDIUS.

Then comes, dropping, after all, APEMANTUS,

discontentedly, like himself]

VENTIDIUS

Most honour'd Timon,

It hath pleased the gods to remember my father's age,

And call him to long peace.

He is gone happy, and has left me rich:

Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound

To your free heart, I do return those talents,

Doubled with thanks and service, from whose help

I derived liberty.

TIMON

O, by no means,

Honest Ventidius; you mistake my love:

I gave it freely ever; and there's none

Can truly say he gives, if he receives:

If our betters play at that game, we must not dare

To imitate them; faults that are rich are fair.

VENTIDIUS

A noble spirit!

TIMON

Nay, my lords,

[They all stand ceremoniously looking on TIMON]

Ceremony was but devised at first

To set a gloss on faint deeds, hollow welcomes,

Recanting goodness, sorry ere 'tis shown;

But where there is true friendship, there needs none.

Pray, sit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes

Than my fortunes to me.

[They sit]

FIRST LORD

My lord, we always have confess'd it.

APEMANTUS

Ho, ho, confess'd it! hang'd it, have you not?

TIMON

O, Apemantus, you are welcome.

APEMANTUS

No;

You shall not make me welcome:

I come to have thee thrust me out of doors.

TIMON

Fie, thou'rt a churl; ye've got a humour there

Does not become a man: 'tis much to blame.

They say, my lords, 'ira furor brevis est;' but yond

man is ever angry. Go, let him have a table by

himself, for he does neither affect company, nor is

he fit for't, indeed.

APEMANTUS

Let me stay at thine apperil, Timon: I come to

observe; I give thee warning on't.

TIMON

I take no heed of thee; thou'rt an Athenian,

therefore welcome: I myself would have no power;

prithee, let my meat make thee silent.

APEMANTUS

I scorn thy meat; 'twould choke me, for I should

ne'er flatter thee. O you gods, what a number of

men eat Timon, and he sees 'em not! It grieves me

to see so many dip their meat in one man's blood;

and all the madness is, he cheers them up too.

I wonder men dare trust themselves with men:

Methinks they should invite them without knives;

Good for their meat, and safer for their lives.

There's much example for't; the fellow that sits

next him now, parts bread with him, pledges the

breath of him in a divided draught, is the readiest

man to kill him: 't has been proved. If I were a

huge man, I should fear to drink at meals;

Lest they should spy my windpipe's dangerous notes:

Great men should drink with harness on their throats.

TIMON

My lord, in heart; and let the health go round.

SECOND LORD

Let it flow this way, my good lord.

APEMANTUS

Flow this way! A brave fellow! he keeps his tides

well. Those healths will make thee and thy state

look ill, Timon. Here's that which is too weak to

be a sinner, honest water, which ne'er left man i' the mire:

This and my food are equals; there's no odds:

Feasts are too proud to give thanks to the gods.

Apemantus' grace.

Immortal gods, I crave no pelf;

I pray for no man but myself:

Grant I may never prove so fond,

To trust man on his oath or bond;

Or a harlot, for her weeping;

Or a dog, that seems a-sleeping:

Or a keeper with my freedom;

Or my friends, if I should need 'em.

Amen. So fall to't:

Rich men sin, and I eat root.

[Eats and drinks]

Much good dich thy good heart, Apemantus!

TIMON

Captain Alcibiades, your heart's in the field now.

ALCIBIADES

My heart is ever at your service, my lord.

TIMON

You had rather be at a breakfast of enemies than a

dinner of friends.

ALCIBIADES

So the were bleeding-new, my lord, there's no meat

like 'em: I could wish my best friend at such a feast.

APEMANTUS

Would all those fatterers were thine enemies then,

that then thou mightst kill 'em and bid me to 'em!

FIRST LORD

Might we but have that happiness, my lord, that you

would once use our hearts, whereby we might express

some part of our zeals, we should think ourselves

for ever perfect.

TIMON

O, no doubt, my good friends, but the gods

themselves have provided that I shall have much help

from you: how had you been my friends else? why

have you that charitable title from thousands, did

not you chiefly belong to my heart? I have told

more of you to myself than you can with modesty

speak in your own behalf; and thus far I confirm

you. O you gods, think I, what need we have any

friends, if we should ne'er have need of 'em? they

were the most needless creatures living, should we

ne'er have use for 'em, and would most resemble

sweet instruments hung up in cases that keep their

sounds to themselves. Why, I have often wished

myself poorer, that I might come nearer to you. We

are born to do benefits: and what better or

properer can we can our own than the riches of our

friends? O, what a precious comfort 'tis, to have

so many, like brothers, commanding one another's

fortunes! O joy, e'en made away ere 't can be born!

Mine eyes cannot hold out water, methinks: to

forget their faults, I drink to you.

APEMANTUS

Thou weepest to make them drink, Timon.

SECOND LORD

Joy had the like conception in our eyes

And at that instant like a babe sprung up.

APEMANTUS

Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a bastard.

THIRD LORD

I promise you, my lord, you moved me much.

APEMANTUS

Much!

[Tucket, within]

TIMON

What means that trump?

[Enter a Servant]

How now?

SERVANT

Please you, my lord, there are certain

ladies most desirous of admittance.

TIMON

Ladies! what are their wills?

SERVANT

There comes with them a forerunner, my lord, which

bears that office, to signify their pleasures.

TIMON

I pray, let them be admitted.

[Enter Cupid]

CUPID

Hail to thee, worthy Timon, and to all

That of his bounties taste! The five best senses

Acknowledge thee their patron; and come freely

To gratulate thy plenteous bosom: th' ear,

Taste, touch and smell, pleased from thy tale rise;

They only now come but to feast thine eyes.

TIMON

They're welcome all; let 'em have kind admittance:

Music, make their welcome!

[Exit Cupid]

FIRST LORD

You see, my lord, how ample you're beloved.

[Music. Re-enter Cupid with a mask of Ladies

as Amazons, with lutes in their hands,

dancing and playing]

APEMANTUS

Hoy-day, what a sweep of vanity comes this way!

They dance! they are mad women.

Like madness is the glory of this life.

As this pomp shows to a little oil and root.

We make ourselves fools, to disport ourselves;

And spend our flatteries, to drink those men

Upon whose age we void it up again,

With poisonous spite and envy.

Who lives that's not depraved or depraves?

Who dies, that bears not one spurn to their graves

Of their friends' gift?

I should fear those that dance before me now

Would one day stamp upon me: 't has been done;

Men shut their doors against a setting sun.

[The Lords rise from table, with much adoring of

TIMON; and to show their loves, each singles out an

Amazon, and all dance, men with women, a lofty

strain or two to the hautboys, and cease]

TIMON

You have done our pleasures much grace, fair ladies,

Set a fair fashion on our entertainment,

Which was not half so beautiful and kind;

You have added worth unto 't and lustre,

And entertain'd 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 attends you:

Please you to dispose yourselves.

All Ladies

Most thankfully, my lord.

[Exeunt Cupid and Ladies]

TIMON

Flavius.

FLAVIUS

My lord?

TIMON

The little casket bring me hither.

FLAVIUS

Yes, my lord. More jewels yet!

There is no crossing him in 's humour;

[Aside]

Else I should tell him,--well, i' faith I should,

When all's spent, he 'ld be cross'd 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!

[Re-enter FLAVIUS, with the casket]

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 it and wear it,

Kind my lord.

FIRST LORD

I am so far already in your gifts,--

All

So are we all.

[Enter a Servant]

SERVANT

My lord, there are certain nobles of the senate

Newly alighted, and come to visit you.

TIMON

They are fairly welcome.

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

[Aside] 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, trapp'd in silver.

TIMON

I shall accept them fairly; let the presents

Be worthily entertain'd.

[Enter a third Servant]

How now! what news?

THIRD SERVANT

Please you, my lord, that honourable

gentleman, Lord Lucullus, entreats your company

to-morrow 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.

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

You do yourselves

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

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

And now I remember, my lord, you gave

Good words the other day of a bay courser

I rode on: it is yours, because you liked it.

SECOND 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 friend's 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;

It comes in charity to thee: for all thy living

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

Lie in a pitch'd 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 endear'd--

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 APEMANTUS and TIMON]

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 court'sies.

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 givest so long,

Timon, I fear me thou wilt give away thyself in

paper shortly: what need 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]

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]