The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 625
I'm not the type to ignore
a friend in need. I know he is
a gentleman that deserves a helping hand;
he shall have it. I'll pay the debt,
and free him.
Messenger
Your lordship ever binds him.
He will be your servant forever.
TIMON
Commend me to him: I will send his ransom;
And being enfranchised, bid him come to me.
'Tis not enough to help the feeble up,
But to support him after. Fare you well.
Give him my greetings: I will send the price;
once he's free, tell him to come to me.
It's not enough to help the weak man up,
one must support him afterwards. Farewell.
Messenger
All happiness to your honour!
All happiness to your honour!
Exit
Enter an old Athenian
Old Athenian
Lord Timon, hear me speak.
Lord Timon, listen to me.
TIMON
Freely, good father.
Gladly, good old fellow.
Old Athenian
Thou hast a servant named Lucilius.
You have a servant called Lucilius.
TIMON
I have so: what of him?
I have: what about him?
Old Athenian
Most noble Timon, call the man before thee.
Most noble Timon, call him to you.
TIMON
Attends he here, or no? Lucilius!
Is he here, or not? Lucilius!
LUCILIUS
Here, at your lordship's service.
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
That from my first have been inclined to thrift;
And my estate deserves an heir more raised
Than one which holds a trencher.
This fellow here, Lord Timon, this pet of yours,
hangs around my house at night. I am a man
who has always been careful to save money;
and I want an heir for my estate of a better class
than a serving man.
TIMON
Well; what further?
I see. What else?
Old Athenian
One only daughter have I, no kin else,
On whom I may confer what I have got:
The maid is fair, o' the 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;
Myself have spoke in vain.
I have just one daughter, no other family,
to leave what I have to:
the girl is beautiful, just of marriageable age,
and I have brought her up at great expense
to have the best accomplishments. This man of yours
is trying to get her: I ask you, noble lord,
to join with me in forbidding him from seeing her;
I've told him myself in vain.
TIMON
The man is honest.
The man is honest.
Old Athenian
Therefore he will be, Timon:
His honesty rewards him in itself;
It must not bear my daughter.
So he should be, Timon:
his honesty should be its own reward;
he shan't have my daughter in addition.
TIMON
Does she love him?
Does she love him?
Old Athenian
She is young and apt:
Our own precedent passions do instruct us
What levity's in youth.
She is young and suggestible:
we know from our own youth
how changeable the young are.
TIMON
[To LUCILIUS] Love you the maid?
Do you love the girl?
LUCILIUS
Ay, my good lord, and she accepts of it.
Yes, my good lord, and she returns it.
Old Athenian
If in her marriage my consent be missing,
I call the gods to witness, I will choose
Mine heir from forth the beggars of the world,
And dispossess her all.
If she marries without my consent,
I call on the gods to witness that I shall choose
my heir from amongst the beggars of the world,
and she won't get a penny.
TIMON
How shall she be endow'd,
if she be mated with an equal husband?
What dowry would she get,
if she had a husband of the same class?
Old Athenian
Three talents on the present; in future, all.
Three talents at the moment; in future she'll have everything.
TIMON
This gentleman of mine hath served me long:
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.
This gentleman of mine has served me for a long time:
I shall try and help him out a bit,
I'm obliged to. Let him marry your daughter:
what you give with her, I'll match with him,
to make them both equal.
Old Athenian
Most noble lord,
Pawn me to this your honour, she is his.
Most noble Lord,
if you do me this honour, he can have her.
TIMON
My hand to thee; mine honour on my promise.
We'll shake on it; and I give you my word I'll do it.
LUCILIUS
Humbly I thank your lordship: never may
The state or fortune fall into my keeping,
Which is not owed to you!
I give your lordship my humble thanks:
for the rest of my life I'll owe
everything to you!
Exeunt LUCILIUS and Old Athenian
Poet
Vouchsafe my labour, and long live your lordship!
Accept my work, and long live your lordship!
TIMON
I thank you; you shall hear from me anon:
Go not away. What have you there, my friend?
I thank you; you shall hear from me soon:
don't go away. What have you got there, my friend?
Painter
A piece of painting, which I do beseech
Your lordship to accept.
A painting, which I beg
your lordship to accept.
TIMON
Painting is welcome.
The painting is almost the natural man;
or since dishonour traffics with man's nature,
He is but outside: 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.
I like paintings.
Paintings are almost like man as he really is;
when dishonest reports make a man better than he is,
you can't see him: these painted figures are
exactly what they seem. I like your work;
and you shall see that I like it: stick around
until you hear from me again.
Painter
The gods preserve ye!
May the gods preserve you!
TIMON
Well fare you, gentleman: give me your hand;
We must needs dine together. Sir, your jewel
Hath suffer'd under praise.
Fare
well, gentlemen: give me your hand;
we must dine together. Sir, your jewel
seems less likely to sell, due to the praise it's had.
Jeweller
What, my lord! dispraise?
What, my lord! Have people been criticising it?
TIMON
A more satiety of commendations.
If I should pay you for't as 'tis extoll'd,
It would unclew me quite.
No, it's been loaded with praise.
If I paid you according to the amount of praise,
it would ruin me.
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.
My Lord, it's valued
by what the sellers would pay for it: but you well know
that things are given different values depending
upon who owns them: believe me, dear lord,
you increase its value by wearing it.
TIMON
Well mock'd.
Nicely played.
Merchant
No, my good lord; he speaks the common tongue,
Which all men speak with him.
No, my good lord; he's only saying
what everyone else says.
TIMON
Look, who comes here: will you be chid?
Look who's coming: do you want to be told off?
Enter APEMANTUS
Jeweller
We'll bear, with your lordship.
We can stand it if your lordship can.
Merchant
He'll spare none.
He won't spare anyone.
TIMON
Good morrow to thee, gentle Apemantus!
Good day to you, gentle Apemantus!
APEMANTUS
Till I be gentle, stay thou for thy good morrow;
When thou art Timon's dog, and these knaves honest.
You won't get a greeting from me until I am polite;
when you have turned into your dog, and these knaves have turned honest.
TIMON
Why dost thou call them knaves? thou know'st them not.
What you call them knaves? You don't know them.
APEMANTUS
Are they not Athenians?
They are Athenians, aren't they?
TIMON
Yes.
Yes.
APEMANTUS
Then I repent not.
Then I stick to what I said.
Jeweller
You know me, Apemantus?
Do you know me, Apemantus?
APEMANTUS
Thou know'st I do: I call'd thee by thy name.
You know I do: I called you by your name.
TIMON
Thou art proud, Apemantus.
You are proud, Apemantus.
APEMANTUS
Of nothing so much as that I am not like Timon.
Mainly of the fact that I am not like Timon.
TIMON
Whither art going?
Where are you going?
APEMANTUS
To knock out an honest Athenian's brains.
To knock out the brains of an honest Athenian.
TIMON
That's a deed thou'lt die for.
You'll be hanged for that.
APEMANTUS
Right, if doing nothing be death by the law.
Yes, if doing nothing is a capital offence.
TIMON
How likest thou this picture, Apemantus?
What do you think of this picture, Apemantus?
APEMANTUS
The best, for the innocence.
I like its simplicity best.
TIMON
Wrought he not well that painted it?
Didn't the painter do it well?
APEMANTUS
He wrought better that made the painter; and yet
he's but a filthy piece of work.
The one who made the painter did better; but
he's still a filthy piece of work.
Painter
You're a dog.
You're a dog.
APEMANTUS
Thy mother's of my generation: what's she, if I be a dog?
Your mother is the same as me: what's she, if I'm a
dog?
TIMON
Wilt dine with me, Apemantus?
Will you dine with me, Apemantus?
APEMANTUS
No; I eat not lords.
No; I don't eat lords.
TIMON
An thou shouldst, thou 'ldst anger ladies.
If you did, you would upset ladies.
APEMANTUS
O, they eat lords; so they come by great bellies.
Oh, they eat lords; that's how they get swollen bellies.
TIMON
That's a lascivious apprehension.
That's a dirty thought.
APEMANTUS
So thou apprehendest it: take it for thy labour.
That's how you look at it; you're welcome to it.
TIMON
How dost thou like this jewel, Apemantus?
What do you think of this jewel, Apemantus?
APEMANTUS
Not so well as plain-dealing, which will not cost a
man a doit.
I don't like it as much as honest dealing, which doesn't cost
a man a cent.
TIMON
What dost thou think 'tis worth?
What do you think it's worth?
APEMANTUS
Not worth my thinking. How now, poet!
It's not worth my thinking about. Hello there, poet!
Poet
How now, philosopher!
Hello there, philosopher!
APEMANTUS
Thou liest.
You're lying.
Poet
Art not one?
Aren't you one?
APEMANTUS
Yes.
Yes.
Poet
Then I lie not.
Then I'm not lying.
APEMANTUS
Art not a poet?
Aren't you a poet?
Poet
Yes.
Yes.
APEMANTUS
Then thou liest: look in thy last work, where thou
hast feigned him a worthy fellow.
Then you are lying: look in your last work, where you
described Timon as a good fellow.
Poet
That's not feigned; he is so.
That's not lying; he is.
APEMANTUS
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!
Yes, he's good for you, to pay you for your
work: someone loves to be flattered deserves
to have to put up with flatterers. Gods, I wish I were a lord!
TIMON
What wouldst do then, Apemantus?
What would you do then, Apemantus?
APEMANTUS
E'en as Apemantus does now; hate a lord with my heart.
Just the same as I do now; I would hate a lord with
all my heart.
TIMON
What, thyself?
What, yourself?
APEMANTUS
Ay.
Yes.
TIMON
Wherefore?
Why?
APEMANTUS
That I had no angry wit to be a lord.
Art not thou a merchant?
That I was so stupid as to want to be a lord.
Aren't you a merchant?
Merchant
Ay, Apemantus.
Yes, Apemantus.
APEMANTUS
&nbs
p; Traffic confound thee, if the gods will not!
May trade defeat you, if the gods will not!
Merchant
If traffic do it, the gods do it.
If trade did it, that means the gods did it.
APEMANTUS
Traffic's thy god; and thy god confound thee!
Trade is your god;and may your god defeat you!
Trumpet sounds. Enter a Messenger
TIMON
What trumpet's that?
What's that trumpet?