The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works
Page 482
In different pleasures. Pray you, let us in.
Exeunt all but Apemantus.
Enter two Lords.
1 LORD What time o’ day is’t, Apemantus?
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APEMANTUS Time to be honest.
1 LORD That time serves still.
APEMANTUS The most accursed thou that still omitt’st it.
2 LORD Thou art going to Lord Timon’s feast?
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APEMANTUS Ay, to see meat fill knaves and wine heat fools.
2 LORD Fare thee well, fare thee well.
APEMANTUS Thou art a fool to bid me farewell twice.
2 LORD Why, Apemantus?
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APEMANTUS Shouldst have kept one to thyself, for I
mean to give thee none.
1 LORD Hang thyself!
APEMANTUS No, I will do nothing at thy bidding. Make
thy requests to thy friend.
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2 LORD Away, unpeaceable dog, or I’ll spurn thee hence!
APEMANTUS I will fly, like a dog, the heels o’th’ ass.
Exit.
1 LORD He’s opposite to humanity. Come, shall we in
And taste Lord Timon’s bounty? He out-goes
The very heart of kindness.
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2 LORD He pours it out. Plutus the god of gold
Is but his steward. No meed but he repays
Seven-fold above itself: no gift to him
But breeds the giver a return exceeding
All use of quittance.
1 LORD The noblest mind he carries
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That ever govern’d man.
2 LORD Long may he live in fortunes. Shall we in?
I’ll keep you company. Exeunt.
1.2 Hautboys playing loud music. A great banquet serv’d in; and then enter LORD TIMON, Athenian lords and senators; VENTIDIUS which Timon redeem’d from prison; LUCULLUS and ALCIBIADES. Steward and others in attendance. Then comes, dropping after all, APEMANTUS, discontentedly, like himself.
VENTIDIUS Most honoured Timon,
It hath pleas’d 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
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To your free heart, I do return those talents,
Doubled with thanks and service, from whose help
I deriv’d liberty.
TIMON O by no means,
Honest Ventidius. You mistake my love;
I gave it freely ever, and there’s none
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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, ceremony was but devis’d at first
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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.
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1 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.
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TIMON Fie, th’art a churl, y’have 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 very angry.
Go, let him have a table by himself,
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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; th’art an Athenian, there-
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fore 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 eats Timon, and he sees ’em not! It grieves me
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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
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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’as been
proved. If I were a huge man, I should fear to drink at
meals,
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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.
2 LORD Let it flow this way, my good lord.
APEMANTUS Flow this way? A brave fellow. He keeps
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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’th’ mire.
This and my food are equals, there’s no odds;
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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,
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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.
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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.
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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 they were bleeding new, my lord, there’s
no meat like ’em; I could wish my best friend at such
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a feast.
APEMANTUS Would all those flatterers were thine
enemies then, that then thou mightst kill ’em – and
bid me to ’em.
1 LORD Might we but have that happiness, my lord,
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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
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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
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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 keeps their sounds to
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themselves. Why, I have often wish’d myself poorer
that I might come nearer to you. We are born to do
benefits; and what better or properer can we call our
own than the riches of our friends? O what a precious
comfort ’tis to have so many like brothers
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commanding one another’s fortunes. O joy’s 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 weep’st to make them drink,
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Timon.
2 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.
3 LORD I promise you, my lord, you mov’d me much.
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APEMANTUS Much. [Tucket sounded.]
TIMON What means that trump? How now?
Enter Servant.
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,
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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
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plenteous bosom.
There, taste, touch, all, pleas’d from thy table 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.
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LUCULLUS You see, my lord, how ample y’are belov’d.
Music. Re-enter CUPID, with a masque 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 madwomen.
Like madness is the glory of this life,
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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.
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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’as been done.
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Men shut their doors against a setting sun.
The Lords rise from table, with much adoring of Timon,
and to show their loves each single 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,
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And entertain’d me with mine own device.
I am to thank you for’t.
1 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.
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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!
STEWARD My lord?
TIMON The little casket bring me hither.
STEWARD Yes, my lord. [aside] More jewels yet!
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There is no crossing him in’s humour,
Else I should tell him well, i’faith, I should,
When all’s spent, he’d be cross’d then, and he could.
’Tis pity bounty had not eyes behind,
That man might ne’er be wretched for his mind.
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Exit.
1 LORD Where be our men?
SERVANT Here, my lord, in readiness.
2 LORD Our horses!
Re-enter Steward, 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