Tim. I thank you ; you shall hear from me anon : Go not away.—What have you there, my friend? Pain. A piece of painting, which I do beseech Your lordship to accept. [Offering it. Tim. Painting is welcome.-- The gods preserve you 1! What, my lord ! dispraise ? My lord, 'tis rated Well mock'd. Look, who comes here. Will you be chid ? Enter APEMANTUS. Few. We 'll bear, with your lordship. Mer. He 'll spare none. Tim. Good morrow to thee, gentle Apemantus. Apem. Till I be gentle, stay thou for thy good morrow ; When thou art Timon's dog, and these knaves honest. Tim. Why dost thou call them knaves ? thou know'st them not. Apem. Are they not Athenians ? Tim. Yes. Apem. Then I repent not. Few. You know me, Apemantus. Apem. Thou know'st I do : I call'd thee by thy name. Tim. Thou art proud, Apemantus. A pem. Of nothing so much as that I am not like Timon. Tim. Whither art going? A pem. To knock out an honest Athenian's brains. Tim. That's a deed thou 'lt die for. A pem. Right; if doing nothing be death by the law. Tim. How likest thou this picture, Apemantus ? Apem. The best, for the innocence. Tim. Wrought he not well that painted it ? Apem. He wrought better that made the painter; and yet he's but a filthy piece of work. Pain. You're a dog. Apem. Thy mother 's of my generation : what's she, if I be a dog? Tim. Wilt dine with me, Apemantus ? Tim. How dost thou like this jewel, Apemantus ? Apem. Not so well as plain-dealing, which will not cost a man a doit. Tim. What dost thou think 'tis worth? A pein. Yes. A pom. Art not a poet? Apom. Then thou liest: look in thy last work, where thou hast feign'd him a worthy fellow. Poct. That's not feigned ; he is so. A pem. Yes, he is worthy of thee, and to pay thee for thy labour; he that loves to be flattered is worthy o' the flatterer. Heavens, that I were a lord ! Tim. What wouldst do then, Apemantus ? my heart. Tim. What, thyself? Apem. That I had no angry wit to be a lord. ! — Art not thou a merchant ? Mer. Ay, Apemantus. That I had no angry wit to be a lord.] The meaning is obscure, but it seems to be, that Apemantus would hate himself for enduring to be a lord. We adhere to the old text. Mer. If traffic do it, the gods do it. Trumpet sounds. Enter a Servant. 'Tis Alcibiades, and [Excunt some Attendants. Enter ALCIBIADES, his Company, etc. So, so, there.— Alcib. Sir, you have sav'd my longing, and I feed Right welcome, sir : [Excunt all but APEMANTUS. Enter two Lords. 'ACHES] The word Aches is here, as again in act v, sc. 1,and in The I,a Tempest, act i, sc. 2, p. 20, obviously to be pronounced as a dissyllable. Other and later poets so employed it. Apem. Time to be honest. A pem. Shouldst have kept one to thyself, for I mean to give thee none. First Lord. Hang thyself. Apem. No; I will do nothing at thy bidding : make thy requests to thy friend. Second Lord. Away, unpeaceable dog! or I 'll spurn thee hence. Apem. I will fly, like a dog, the heels of the ass. [Exit. First Lord. He's opposite to humanity.—Come, shall we in, Second Lord. He pours it out ; Plutus, the god of gold, The noblest mind he carries, Second Lord. Long may he live in fortunes ! Shall we in ? [Exeunt. 2 The MORE accursed thou,] So the Cor. fol. 1632, for "most accursed” of the old copies. |