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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

Page 481

by William Shakespeare

Than to abhor himself – even he drops down

  The knee before him, and returns in peace

  Most rich in Timon’s nod.

  PAINTER I saw them speak together.

  POET Sir,

  I have upon a high and pleasant hill

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  Feign’d Fortune to be thron’d. The base o’th’ mount

  Is rank’d with all deserts, all kind of natures

  That labour on the bosom of this sphere

  To propagate their states. Amongst them all,

  Whose eyes are on this sovereign lady fix’d,

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  One do I personate of Lord Timon’s frame,

  Whom Fortune with her ivory hand wafts to her,

  Whose present grace to present slaves and servants

  Translates his rivals.

  PAINTER ’Tis conceiv’d to scope.

  This throne, this Fortune, and this hill, methinks,

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  With one man beckon’d from the rest below,

  Bowing his head against the steepy mount

  To climb his happiness, would be well express’d

  In our condition.

  POET Nay, sir, but hear me on: –

  All those which were his fellows but of late,

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  Some better than his value, on the moment

  Follow his strides, his lobbies fill with tendance,

  Rain sacrificial whisperings in his ear,

  Make sacred even his stirrup, and through him

  Drink the free air.

  PAINTER Ay marry, what of these?

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  POET When Fortune in her shift and change of mood

  Spurns down her late beloved, all his dependants

  Which labour’d after him to the mountain’s top

  Even on their knees and hands, let him sit down,

  Not one accompanying his declining foot.

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  PAINTER ’Tis common.

  A thousand moral paintings I can show

  That shall demonstrate these quick blows of

  Fortune’s

  More pregnantly than words. Yet you do well

  To show Lord Timon that mean eyes have seen

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  The foot above the head.

  Trumpets sound. Enter LORD TIMON, addressing himself courteously to every suitor; a Messenger from Ventidius, talking with him; LUCILIUS and other servants.

  TIMON Imprison’d is he, say you?

  MESSENGER Ay, my good lord. Five talents is his debt;

  His means most short, his creditors most strait.

  Your honourable letter he desires

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  To those have shut him up, which failing

  Periods his comfort.

  TIMON Noble Ventidius. Well,

  I am not of that feather to shake off

  My friend when he must need me. I do know him

  A gentleman that well deserves a help,

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  Which he shall have: I’ll pay the debt, and free him.

  MESSENGER Your lordship ever binds him.

  TIMON Commend me to him; I will send his ransom;

  And being enfranchis’d, bid him come to me.

  ’Tis not enough to help the feeble up,

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  But to support him after. Fare you well.

  MESSENGER All happiness to your honour! Exit.

  Enter an Old Athenian.

  OLD ATHENIAN Lord Timon, hear me speak.

  TIMON Freely, good father.

  OLD ATHENIAN Thou hast a servant nam’d Lucilius.

  TIMON I have so. What of him?

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  OLD ATHENIAN

  Most noble Timon, call the man before thee.

  TIMON Attends he here or no? Lucilius!

  LUCILIUS Here, at your lordship’s service.

  OLD ATHENIAN

  This fellow here, Lord Timon, this thy creature,

  By night frequents my house. I am a man

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  That from my first have been inclin’d to thrift,

  And my estate deserves an heir more rais’d

  Than one which holds a trencher.

  TIMON Well; what further?

  OLD ATHENIAN One only daughter have I, no kin else,

  On whom I may confer what I have got.

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  The maid is fair, o’th’ youngest for a bride,

  And I have bred her at my dearest cost

  In qualities of the best. This man of thine

  Attempts her love. I prithee, noble lord,

  Join with me to forbid him her resort;

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  Myself have spoke in vain.

  TIMON The man is honest.

  OLD ATHENIAN Therefore he will be, Timon.

  His honesty rewards him in itself;

  It must not bear my daughter.

  TIMON Does she love him?

  OLD ATHENIAN She is young and apt:

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  Our own precedent passions do instruct us

  What levity’s in youth.

  TIMON [to Lucilius] Love you the maid?

  LUCILIUS Ay, my good lord, and she accepts of it.

  OLD ATHENIAN

  If in her marriage my consent be missing,

  I call the gods to witness, I will choose

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  Mine heir from forth the beggars of the world,

  And dispossess her all.

  TIMON How shall she be endow’d

  If she be mated with an equal husband?

  OLD ATHENIAN

  Three talents on the present; in future, all.

  TIMON

  This gentleman of mine hath serv’d me long.

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  To build his fortune I will strain a little,

  For ’tis a bond in men. Give him thy daughter;

  What you bestow, in him I’ll counterpoise,

  And make him weigh with her.

  OLD ATHENIAN Most noble lord,

  Pawn me to this your honour, she is his.

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  TIMON My hand to thee; mine honour on my promise.

  LUCILIUS Humbly I thank your lordship. Never may

  That state or fortune fall into my keeping

  Which is not owed to you. Exit.

  POET

  Vouchsafe my labour, and long live your lordship!

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  TIMON I thank you; you shall hear from me anon.

  Go not away. What have you there, my friend?

  PAINTER A piece of painting, which I do beseech

  Your lordship to accept.

  TIMON Painting is welcome.

  The painting is almost the natural man:

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  For since dishonour traffics with man’s nature,

  He is but out-side; these pencill’d figures are

  Even such as they give out. I like your work,

  And you shall find I like it. Wait attendance

  Till you hear further from me.

  PAINTER The gods preserve ye!

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  TIMON Well fare you, gentleman. Give me your hand;

  We must needs dine together. Sir, your jewel

  Hath suffer’d under praise.

  JEWELLER What, my lord, dispraise?

  TIMON A mere satiety of commendations.

  If I should pay you for’t as ’tis extoll’d,

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  It would unclew me quite.

  JEWELLER My lord, ’tis rated

  As those which sell would give; but you well know,

  Things of like value, differing in the owners,

  Are prized by their masters. Believe’t, dear lord,

  You mend the jewel by the wearing it.

  TIMON Well mock’d.

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  Enter APEMANTUS.

  MERCHANT

  No, my good lord; he speaks the common tongue,

  Which all men speak with him.

  TIMON Look who comes here: will you be chid?

>   JEWELLER We’ll bear, with your lordship.

  MERCHANT He’ll spare none.

  TIMON Good morrow to thee, gentle Apemantus.

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  APEMANTUS

  Till I be gentle, stay thou for thy good morrow,

  When thou art Timon’s dog, and these knaves

  honest.

  TIMON

  Why dost thou call them knaves, thou know’st them

  not?

  APEMANTUS Are they not Athenians?

  TIMON Yes.

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  APEMANTUS Then I repent not.

  JEWELLER You know me, Apemantus?

  APEMANTUS Thou know’st I do, I call’d thee by thy

  name.

  TIMON Thou art proud, Apemantus.

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  APEMANTUS Of nothing so much as that I am not like

  Timon.

  TIMON Whither art going?

  APEMANTUS To knock out an honest Athenian’s brains.

  TIMON That’s a deed thou’lt die for.

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  APEMANTUS Right, if doing nothing be death by th’ law.

  TIMON How lik’st thou this picture, Apemantus?

  APEMANTUS The best, for the innocence.

  TIMON Wrought he not well that painted it?

  APEMANTUS He wrought better that made the painter,

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  and yet he’s but a filthy piece of work.

  PAINTER Y’are a dog.

  APEMANTUS Thy mother’s of my generation. What’s

  she, if I be a dog?

  TIMON Wilt dine with me, Apemantus?

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  APEMANTUS No; I eat not lords.

  TIMON And thou shouldst, thou’dst anger ladies.

  APEMANTUS O they eat lords; so they come by great

  bellies.

  TIMON That’s a lascivious apprehension.

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  APEMANTUS So thou apprehend’st it; take it for thy

  labour.

  TIMON How dost thou like this jewel, Apemantus?

  APEMANTUS Not so well as plain-dealing, which will

  not cast a man a doit.

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  TIMON What dost thou think ’tis worth?

  APEMANTUS Not worth my thinking. How now Poet?

  POET How now Philosopher?

  APEMANTUS Thou liest.

  POET Art not one?

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  APEMANTUS Yes.

  POET Then I lie not.

  APEMANTUS Art not a poet?

  POET Yes.

  APEMANTUS Then thou liest. Look in thy last work,

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  where thou hast feign’d him a worthy fellow.

  POET That’s not feign’d, he is so.

  APEMANTUS Yes, he is worthy of thee, and to pay thee

  for thy labour. He that loves to be flattered is worthy

  o’th’ flatterer. Heavens, that I were a lord!

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  TIMON What wouldst do then, Apemantus?

  APEMANTUS E’en as Apemantus does now: hate a lord

  with my heart.

  TIMON What, thyself?

  APEMANTUS Ay.

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  TIMON Wherefore?

  APEMANTUS That I had no angry wit to be a lord. Art

  not thou a merchant?

  MERCHANT Ay, Apemantus.

  APEMANTUS Traffic confound thee, if the gods will not!

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  MERCHANT If traffic do it, the gods do it.

  APEMANTUS Traffic’s thy god, and thy god confound thee!

  Trumpet sounds. Enter a Messenger.

  TIMON What trumpet’s that?

  MESSENGER ’Tis Alcibiades, and some twenty horse,

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  All of companionship.

  TIMON Pray entertain them, give them guide to us.

  Exeunt some attendants.

  You must needs dine with me. Go not you hence

  Till I have thank’d you. When dinner’s done

  Show me this piece. I am joyful of your sights.

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  Enter ALCIBIADES, and attendants.

  Most welcome, sir!

  APEMANTUS So, so, there!

  Aches contract and starve your supple joints!

  That there should be small love amongst these sweet knaves,

  And all this courtesy! The strain of man’s bred out

  Into baboon and monkey.

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  ALCIBIADES Sir, you have sav’d my longing, and I feed

  Most hungerly on your sight.

  TIMON Right welcome, sir.

  Ere we depart, we’ll share a bounteous time

 

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