Taste, touch, smell, pleas'd from thy table rise;
They only now come but to feast thine eyes.
Tim. They are welcome all. Let them have kind ad-

mittance:

Music, make their welcome.

[Exit CUPID. First Lord. You see, my lord, how amply y' are belov'd.

Music. Re-enter CUPID, with a masque of Ladies as Amazons, with lutes in their hands, dancing, and playing.

Apem. Hey 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.

1

[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. Tim. You have done our pleasures much grace, fair ladies,

-hautboys and cease.] The old descriptive stage-direction, here as well as above.

Set a fair fashion on our entertainment,

Which was not half so beautiful and kind :

You have added worth unto 't, and lively lustre,
And entertain'd me with mine own device;

I am to thank you for it.

First Lady. My lord, you take us even at the best. Apem. 'Faith, for the worst is filthy; and would not hold taking, I doubt me.

Tim. Ladies, there is an idle banquet

Attends you please you to dispose yourselves.

All Ladies. Most thankfully, my lord.

Tim. Flavius !

Flav. My lord.

Tim.

[Exeunt CUPID and Ladies.

The little casket bring me hither.

Flav. Yes, my lord. [Aside]. More jewels yet!
There is no crossing him in his humour;

Else I should tell him,-well,-i' faith, I should,
When all's spent, he'd 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, and returns with the casket.

First Lord. Where be our men?

Serv. Here, my lord, in readiness.
Second Lord. Our horses!

[As if departing.

Tim.

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. So are we all.

Enter a Servant.

Serv. My lord, there are certain nobles of the senate

newly alighted, and come to visit you.

Tim. They are fairly welcome.
Flav.
Vouchsafe me a word: it does concern you near.

I beseech your honour,

Tim. Near? why then another time I'll hear thee:

I pr'ythee, let's be provided to show them entertainment. Flav. I scarce know how.

Enter another Servant.

[Aside.

Second Serv. May it please your honour, lord Lucius, Out of his free love, hath presented to you

Four milk-white horses trapp'd in silver.

Tim. I shall accept them fairly let the presents

Enter a third Servant.

Be worthily entertain'd.-How now! what news?

Third Serv. 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.

Tim. I'll hunt with him; and let them be receiv'd, Not without fair reward.

Flav. [Aside.]

What will this come to?

He commands us to provide, and give great gifts,

And all out of an empty coffer :2

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

* And all out of an empty coffer.] The verse throughout this play is often so defective and corrupt, that modern editors have utterly failed to piece and patch it : it has defied all finger-counting.

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 forc'd out!

Happier is he that has no friend to feed

Than such as do even enemies exceed.

I bleed inwardly for my lord.
Tim.

You do yourselves

Much wrong; you bate too much of your own merits.
Here, my lord, a trifle of our love.

[Exit.

Second Lord. With more than common thanks I will receive it.

Third Lord. O! he's the very soul of bounty.

Tim. 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 lik'd it.

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

Tim. 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.

Tim. 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.

Alcib.

Ay, defil'd land, my lord.3

First Lord. We are so virtuously bound,—
Tim.

Am I to you.

Second Lord. So infinitely endear'd,—

Tim. All to you.-Lights! more lights!
First Lord.

And so

The best of happiness,

Honour, and fortunes, keep with you, lord Timon.

Tim. Ready for his friends. [Exeunt ALCIB. Lords, etc. Apem.

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.
Tim. Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not sullen,
I would be good to thee.

Apem. 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 need these feasts, pomps, and vain glories?

Tim. Nay, an you begin to rail on society once, I am

3 Ay, DEFIL'D land, my lord.] Alcibiades poorly plays upon the word pitch'd used by Timon.

I doubt whether their LEGS-] i.e., Their bows: to make a leg was formerly, as it still is, to make a bow.