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Exit.
3.6 Enter divers of Timon’s Friends and senators at several doors.
1 LORD The good time of day to you, sir.
2 LORD I also wish it to you. I think this honourable lord
did but try us this other day.
1 LORD Upon that were my thoughts tiring when we
encounter’d. I hope it is not so low with him as he
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made it seem in the trial of his several friends.
2 LORD It should not be, by the persuasion of his new
feasting.
1 LORD I should think so. He hath sent me an earnest
inviting, which many my near occasions did urge me
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to put off; but he hath conjur’d me beyond them, and
I must needs appear.
2 LORD In like manner was I in debt to my importunate
business, but he would not hear my excuse. I am sorry,
when he sent to borrow of me, that my provision was
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out.
1 LORD I am sick of that grief too, as I understand how
all things go.
2 LORD Every man here’s so. What would he have
borrowed of you?
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1 LORD A thousand pieces.
2 LORD A thousand pieces?
1 LORD What of you?
2 LORD He sent to me, sir – Here he comes.
Enter TIMON and attendants.
TIMON With all my heart, gentlemen both; and how
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fare you?
1 LORD Ever at the best, hearing well of your lordship.
2 LORD The swallow follows not summer more willing
than we your lordship.
TIMON [aside] Nor more willingly leaves winter; such
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summer birds are men. – Gentlemen, our dinner will
not recompense this long stay. Feast your ears with the
music awhile, if they will fare so harshly o’th’
trumpet’s sound; we shall to’t presently.
1 LORD I hope it remains not unkindly with your
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lordship that I return’d you an empty messenger.
TIMON O sir, let it not trouble you.
2 LORD My noble lord –
TIMON Ah my good friend, what cheer?
[The banquet brought in.]
2 LORD My most honourable lord, I am e’en sick of
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shame, that when your lordship this other day sent to
me I was so unfortunate a beggar.
TIMON Think not on’t, sir.
2 LORD If you had sent but two hours before –
TIMON Let it not cumber your better remembrance. –
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Come, bring in all together.
2 LORD All cover’d dishes.
1 LORD Royal cheer, I warrant you.
3 LORD Doubt not that, if money and the season can
yield it.
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1 LORD How do you? What’s the news?
3 LORD Alcibiades is banish’d: hear you of it?
1 AND 2 LORDS Alcibiades banish’d?
3 LORD ’Tis so, be sure of it.
1 LORD How? How?
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2 LORD I pray you, upon what?
TIMON My worthy friends, will you draw near?
3 LORD I’ll tell you more anon. Here’s a noble feast
toward.
2 LORD This is the old man still.
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3 LORD Will’t hold? Will’t hold?
2 LORD It does; but time will – and so –
3 LORD I do conceive.
TIMON Each man to his stool, with that spur as he
would to the lip of his mistress. Your diet shall be in all
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places alike. Make not a City feast of it, to let the meat
cool ere we can agree upon the first place. Sit, sit. The
gods require our thanks.
You great benefactors, sprinkle our society with
thankfulness. For your own gifts, make yourselves
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prais’d; but reserve still to give, lest your deities be
despis’d. Lend to each man enough, that one need not
lend to another; for were your godheads to borrow of
men, men would forsake the gods. Make the meat be
belov’d, more than the man that gives it. Let no assembly
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of twenty be without a score of villains. If there sit twelve
women at the table, let a dozen of them be as they are.
The rest of your fees, O gods, the Senators of Athens,
together with the common leg of people – what is amiss
in them, you gods, make suitable for destruction. For
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these my present friends, as they are to me nothing, so in
nothing bless them, and to nothing are they welcome.
Uncover, dogs, and lap.
[The dishes are uncovered and seen to be full of warm water.]
SOME What does his lordship mean?
OTHERS I know not.
TIMON May you a better feast never behold,
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You knot of mouth-friends! Smoke and lukewarm
water
Is your perfection. This is Timon’s last;
Who, stuck and spangled with your flatteries,
Washes it off, and sprinkles in your faces
Your reeking villainy. [throwing the water in their faces]
Live loath’d, and long,
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Most smiling, smooth, detested parasites,
Courteous destroyers, affable wolves, meek bears,
You fools of fortune, trencher-friends, time’s flies,
Cap-and-knee slaves, vapours, and minute-jacks!
Of man and beast the infinite malady
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Crust you quite o’er! What, dost thou go?
Soft, take thy physic first – thou too – and thou!
Stay, I will lend thee money, borrow none.
Drives them out.
What? All in motion? Henceforth be no feast,
Whereat a villain’s not a welcome guest.
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Burn, house! Sink, Athens! Henceforth hated be
Of Timon, man and all humanity! Exit.
Re-enter the Lords and senators.
1 LORD How now, my lords?
2 LORD Know you the quality of Lord Timon’s fury?
3 LORD Push, did you see my cap?
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4 LORD I have lost my gown.
1 LORD He’s but a mad lord, and nought but humours
sways him. He gave me a jewel th’other day, and now
he has beat it out of my hat. Did you see my jewel?
3 LORD Did you see my cap?
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2 LORD Here ’tis.
4 LORD Here lies my gown.
1 LORD Let’s make no stay.
2 LORD Lord Timon’s mad.
3 LORD I feel’t upon my bones.
4 LORD
One day he gives us diamonds, next day stones.
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Exeunt.
4.1 Enter TIMON.
TIMON Let me look back upon thee. O thou wall
That girdles in those wolves, dive in the earth
And fence not Athens! Matrons, turn incontinent!
Obedience fail in children! Slaves and fools,
Pluck the grave wrinkled senate from the bench,
5
And minister in their steads! To general filths
Convert, o’th’ instant, green virginity!
Do’t in your parents’ eyes! Bankrupts, hold fast;
Rather than render back, out with your knives,
And cut your trusters’ throats! Bound servants, steal!
10
Large-handed robbers your grave masters are,
; And pill by law. Maid, to thy master’s bed;
Thy mistress is o’th’ brothel! Son of sixteen,
Pluck the lin’d crutch from thy old limping sire;
With it beat out his brains! Piety and fear,
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Religion to the gods, peace, justice, truth,
Domestic awe, night-rest and neighbourhood,
Instruction, manners, mysteries and trades,
Degrees, observances, customs and laws,
Decline to your confounding contraries;
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And yet confusion live! Plagues incident to men,
Your potent and infectious fevers heap
On Athens ripe for stroke! Thou cold sciatica,
Cripple our senators, that their limbs may halt
As lamely as their manners! Lust and liberty
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Creep in the minds and marrows of our youth,
That ’gainst the stream of virtue they may strive,
And drown themselves in riot! Itches, blains,
Sow all th’Athenian bosoms, and their crop
Be general leprosy! Breath infect breath,
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That their society, as their friendship, may
Be merely poison! Nothing I’ll bear from thee
But nakedness, thou detestable town!
Take thou that too, with multiplying bans!
Timon will to the woods, where he shall find
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Th’unkindest beast more kinder than mankind.
The gods confound – hear me, you good gods all –
Th’Athenians both within and out that wall;
And grant, as Timon grows, his hate may grow
To the whole race of mankind, high and low!
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Amen. Exit.
4.2 Enter Steward, with two or three Servants.
1 SERVANT
Hear you, master steward, where’s our master?
Are we undone, cast off, nothing remaining?
STEWARD Alack, my fellows, what should I say to you?
Let me be recorded by the righteous gods,
I am as poor as you.
1 SERVANT Such a house broke?
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So noble a master fall’n, all gone, and not
One friend to take his fortune by the arm,
And go along with him.
2 SERVANT As we do turn our backs
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From our companion thrown into his grave,
So his familiars to his buried fortunes
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Slink all away, leave their false vows with him,
Like empty purses pick’d; and his poor self,
A dedicated beggar to the air,
With his disease of all-shunn’d poverty,
Walks like contempt, alone. More of our fellows.
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Enter other Servants.
STEWARD All broken implements of a ruin’d house.
3 SERVANT Yet do our hearts wear Timon’s livery,
That see I by our faces; we are fellows still,
Serving alike in sorrow. Leak’d is our bark,
And we, poor mates, stand on the dying deck,
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Hearing the surges threat; we must all part
Into this sea of air.
STEWARD Good fellows all,
The latest of my wealth I’ll share amongst you.
Wherever we shall meet, for Timon’s sake
Let’s yet be fellows. Let’s shake our heads, and say,
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As ’twere a knell unto our master’s fortunes,
‘We have seen better days’. Let each take some;
[giving them money]
Nay, put out all your hands. Not one word more;
Thus part we rich in sorrow, parting poor.
Embrace, and part several ways.
O the fierce wretchedness that glory brings us!
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Who would not wish to be from wealth exempt,
Since riches point to misery and contempt?
Who would be so mock’d with glory, or to live
But in a dream of friendship,
To have his pomp and all what state compounds
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But only painted like his varnish’d friends?
Poor honest lord, brought low by his own heart,
Undone by goodness; strange, unusual blood,
When man’s worst sin is he does too much good!
Who then dares to be half so kind again?
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For bounty, that makes gods, do still mar men.
My dearest lord, bless’d to be most accurs’d,
Rich only to be wretched – thy great fortunes
Are made thy chief afflictions. Alas, kind lord,
He’s flung in rage from this ingrateful seat
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Of monstrous friends;
Nor has he with him to supply his life,
Or that which can command it.
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 487