SCENE, a public Street.

Enter LUCIUS, with three Strangers.

Luc. Who, the Lord Timon? he is my very good friend, and an honourable gentleman.

1 Stran. We know him for no lefs, though we are but strangers to him. But I can tell you one thing, my Lord, and which I hear from common rumours, now Lord Timon's happy hours are done and past, and his eftate fhrinks from him.

Luc. Fy, no, do not believe it: he cannot want for money.

2 Stran. But believe you this, my Lord, that not long ago one of his men was with the Lord Lucullus, to borrow fifty talents, nay, urged extremely for't, and fhewed what neceffity belonged to't, and yet was denied.

Luc. How?

2 Stran. I tell you, denied, my Lord.

Lue. What a ftrange cafe was that? now, before the gods, I am afhamed on't. Denied that honourable man? there was very little honour fhewed in that. For my own part, I muft needs confefs I have received fome small kindneffes from him, as money, plate, jewels, and fuch like trifles, nothing comparing to his; yet had he miftook him, and fent him to me, I fhould ne'er have denied his occafion for many talents.

Enter SERVILIUS,

Ser. See, by good hap, yonder's my Lord, I have fwate to fee his Honour---My honoured Lord-[To Lucius.

Luc. Servilius! you are kindly met, Sir. Fare thee well; commend me to thy honourable virtuous Lord, my very exquifite friend.

Ser. May it please your Honour, my Lord hath fent----

Luc. Ha! what hath he fent? I am fo much endeared to that Lord; he's ever fending: how shall J thank him, think'st thou? and what has he fent now?

Ser. He's only fent his prefent occafion now, my Lord, requefting your Lordship to fupply his inftant use with fifty talents.

Luc. I know his Lordship is but merry with me; He cannot want fifty-five hundred talents. Ser. But in the mean time he wants lefs, my Lord.

If his occafion were not virtuous,

I should not urge it half so faithfully.

Luc. Doit thou fpeak ferioufly, Servilius?
Ser. Upon my foul, 'tis true, Sir.

Luc. What a wicked beaft was I, to disfurnish myself against fuch a good time, when I might ha’ fhewn myself honourable! how unluckily it hap pened, that I fhould purchase the day before for a little (17) dirt, and undo a great deal of honour!

(17) That I should purchase the day before for a little part, and undo a great deal of honour?] Though there is a feeming plaufible antithefis in the terms, I am very well affured they are corrupt at the bottom, For a little part of what? honour is the only fubftantive that follows in the fentence; but men don't purchase for honour, though sometimes they may turn purchasers out of oftentation. How much is the antithefis improved by the fenfe which my emendation gives! That I should be fo unlucky to make this purchase, for the Jucre of a little dirt, and undo a great deal of honour! This manner of expreffing contemptuously of land, is very frequent with the poets

So Hamlet, act fifth, fpeaking of Ofrick;

he hath much land and fertile;-'tis a chough; but, 49 fay, fpacious in the poffeffion of airt,

Servilius, now before the gods, I am not able to do---(the more beaft, I fay)---I was fending to ufe Lord Timon myfelf, thefe gentlemen can witness; but I would not, for the wealth of Athens, I had done't now. Commend me bountifully to his good Lordfhip, and, I hope, his Honour will conceive the fairest of me, becaufe I have no power to be kind. And tell him this from me, I count it one. of my greatest afflictions that I cannot pleasure fuch an honourable gentleman. Good Servilius, will you befriend me fo far as to use my own words to him?

Ser. Yes, Sir, I fhall.

[Exit Servilius. Luc. I'll lock you out a good turn, Servilius--True, as you faid, Timon is fhrunk, indeed; And he, that's once denied, will hardly fpeed.

1 Stran. Do you obferve this, Hoftilius?. 2 Stran. Ay, too well.

[Exit.

Stran. Why, this is the world's foul;
Of the fame piece is every flatterer's spirit: (18)
Who can call him his friend.

That dips in the fame dith? for, in my knowing,
Timon has been to this Lord as a father, '

So Beaumont and Fletcher, in the Scornful Lady, a&t first; your brother's houfe is big enough; and to fay truth, he has too much land; hang it, dirt.

And again, in the fecond act;

noble boy, the god of gold here has feed thee well; take money for thy drt.

And the Elder Brother, act third;

1

Had you only fhewed me land, I had delivered it,
And been a proud man to have parted with it :
'Tis dirt and labour,

More authorities would be fuperfluous.

(18) Is every flatterer's fport:] This fenfelefs corruption has hitherto run through all the editions, and, as I fuppofe, without fufpicion.

And kept his credit with his bounteous purse:
Supported his eftate; nay, Timon's money
Has paid his men their wages. He ne'er drinks,
But Timon's filver treads upon his lip;
And yet, oh, see the monftrousness of man,
When he looks out in an ungrateful shape!
He does deny him (in respect of his)
What charitable men afford to beggars.
3 Stran. Religion groans at it.

Stran. For mine own part,
I never tafted Timon in my life;
Nor any of his bounties came o'er me,
To mark me for his friend: yet, I protest,
For his right noble mind, illuftrious virtue,
And honourable carriage,

Had his neceffity made ufe of me,

I would have put my wealth into donation,
And the best half fhould have returned to him,
So much I love his heart: but I perceive,
Men must learn now with pity to difpenfe,
For policy fits above confcience.

[Exeunt

Enter a third Servant with SEMPRONIUS.

Sem. Muft he needs trouble me in't, 'bove all others?--

He might have tried Lord Lucius, or Lucullus, And now Ventidius is wealthy too,

Whom he redeemed from prison: all these three Owe their eftates unto him.

Ser. Oh,

my Lord,

They've all been touched, and all are found bafe metal;

For they have all denied him.

Sem. How? denied him?

Ventidius and Lucullus both denied him?

And does he send to me? three! hum--

It fhews but little love or judgment in him.
Muft I be his laft refuge? his friends, like phyfi-
cians, (19)

Thrived, give him over? must I take the cure
On me? h'as much disgraced me in't; I'm angry.
He might have known my place; I fee no fenfe for't,
But his occafions might have wooed me first:
For, in my confcience, I was the first man
That e'er received gift from him.
And does he think fo backwardly of me,
That I'll requité it last? no:

So it may prove an argument of laughter
To th' reft, and 'mongft Lords I be thought a fool :
I'd rather than the worth of thrice the fum,
H'ad fent to me first, but for my mind's fake :
I'd fuch a courage to have done him good.
But now return,

And with their faint reply this anfwer join;
Who bates mine honour, fhall not know my coin.

[Exit.

Ser. Excellent! your Lordship's a goodly villain. The devil knew not what he did, when he made man politic; he crossed himself by't: and I cannot

(19) -his friends, like physicians Thrived, give him over?] I have reftored this old reading, only amended the pointing which was faulty. Mr Pope, fufpecting the phrafe, has fubftituted three in the room of thrived, and fo difarmed the Poet's fatire. Physicians thrived is no more than physicians grown rich; only the adjective paffive of this verb, indeed, is not fo common in use, and yet it is a familiar expreffion to this day, to say fuch a one is well thriven on his trade. This very farcafm of our Author is made ufe of by Webster a contemporary Poet, in his Duchefs of Malfy, the cloathing only a little varied;

Phyficians thus,

With their hands full of money, use to give o'er
Their patients.