And send for money for 'em.

Hor. I'm weary of this charge, the gods can witness: I know my lord hath spent of Timon's wealth,

And now ingratitude makes it worse than stealth.

First Var. Serv. Yes, mine's three thousand crowns: what's yours?

Luc. Serv. Five thousand mine.

First Var. Serv. 'Tis much deep and it should seem,

by the sum,

Your master's confidence was above mine;

Else, surely, his had equall'd."

Enter FLAMINIUS.

Tit. One of lord Timon's men.

Luc. Serv. Flaminius! Sir, a word. Pray, is my lord ready to come forth?

Flam. No, indeed, he is not.

Tit. We attend his lordship: pray, signify so much. Flam. I need not tell him that; he knows you are too diligent. [Exit FLAMINIUS.

Enter FLAVIUS, muffled in a cloak.

Luc Serv. Ha! is not that his steward muffled so? He goes away in a cloud call him, call him.

Tit. Do you hear, sir?

Var. Serv. By your leave, sir,—

Flav. What do you ask of me, my friend?

Tit. We wait for certain money here, sir.

Flav.

Ay,

Else, surely, his had equall'd.] The meaning probably is, "Your master's confidence exceeded my master's, or my master's demand had been equal to your master's."

If money were as certain as your waiting,
'Twere sure enough. Why then preferr'd you not
Your sums and bills, when your false masters ate
lord's meat?

Of my

Then, they could smile, and fawn upon his debts,

And take down the interest

Into their gluttonous maws. You do yourselves but

wrong,

To stir me up: let me pass quietly:

Believe't, my lord and I have made an end;

I have no more to reckon, he to spend.

Luc. Serv. Ay, but this answer will not serve.
Flav.

If 'twill not serve,

'Tis not so base as you; for you serve knaves. [Exit. First Var. Serv. How! what does his cashier'd worship mutter?

Second Var. Serv. No matter what he's poor, and that's revenge enough. Who can speak broader than he that has no house to put his head in? such may rail against great buildings.

Enter SERVILIUS.

Tit. O here's Servilius; now we shall know some

answer.

Ser. If I might beseech you, gentlemen, to repair some other hour, I should derive much from 't; for take 't of my soul, my lord leans wondrously to discontent. His comfortable temper has forsook him: he's much out of health, and keeps his chamber.

Luc. Serv. Many do keep their chambers are not sick : And if it be so far beyond his health,

Methinks he should the sooner pay his debts,
And make a clear way to the gods.

Serv.

Good gods!

Tit. We cannot take this for an answer, sir.

Flam. [Within.] Servilius, help!-my lord! my lord!

Enter TIMON, in a rage; FLAMINIUS, following. Tim. What! are my doors oppos'd against my passage? Have I been ever free, and must my house

Be my retentive enemy, my gaol?

The place which I have feasted, does it now,

Like all mankind, show me an iron heart?

Luc. Serv. Put in now, Titus.

Tit. My lord, here is my bill.

Luc. Serv. Here's mine.

Hor. Serv. And mine, my lord.

Both Var. Serv. And ours, my lord.

Phi. All our bills.

Tim. Knock me down with 'em : cleave me to the girdle.

Luc. Serv. Alas! my lord,—

Tim. Cut my heart in sums.

Tit. Mine, fifty talents.

Tim. Tell out my blood.

Luc. Serv. Five thousand crowns, my lord.

Tim. Five thousand drops pays that.

What yours?-and yours?

First Var. Serv. My lord,

Second Var. Serv. My lord,

Tim. Tear me, take me; and the gods fall upon you!

[Exit.

Hor. Faith, I perceive our masters may throw their caps

at their money: these debts may well be called desperate ones, for a madman owes 'em.

Re-enter TIMON and FLAVIUS.

[Exeunt.

Tim. They have e'en put my breath from me, the slaves: Creditors?-devils!

Flav. My dear lord,—

Tim. What if it should be so?

Flav. My lord,

Tim. I'll have it so.-My steward!

Flav. Here, my lord.

Tim. So fitly? Go, bid all my friends again,

Lucius, Lucullus, and Sempronius; all:7

I'll once more feast the rascals.

O my lord!

Flav.
You only speak from your distracted soul:
There is not so much left to furnish out

A moderate table.

Tim.

Be't not in thy care: go,

I charge thee; invite them all let in the tide.

Of knaves once more; my cook and I'll provide. [Exeunt.

SCENE V.-The Same.-The Senate-House. The Senate

sitting.

First Sen. My lords, you have my voice to 't: the fault's bloody; 'tis necessary he should die.

Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.

Second Sen. Most true; the law shall bruise him.

ALL:] The strange name Ullorxa precedes "all" in the folio 1623, but was afterwards properly omitted, as a mere accidental and inexplicable interpolation.

Enter ALCIBIADES, attended.

Alcib. Honour, health, and compassion to the senate! First Sen. Now, captain?

Alcib. I am a humble suitor to your virtues;

For pity is the virtue of the law,

And none but tyrants use it cruelly.

It pleases time and fortune to lie heavy
Upon a friend of mine; who, in hot blood,
Hath stepp'd into the law, which is past depth
To those that, without heed, do plunge into 't.
He is a man, setting his fault aside,

Of comely virtues :

Nor did he soil the fact with cowardice,

(An honour in him which buys out his fault)
But, with a noble fury, and fair spirit,
Seeing his reputation touch'd to death,
He did oppose his foe:

And with such sober and unnoted passion
He did reprove his anger, ere 'twas spent,

As if he had but mov'd an argument."

First Sen. You undergo too strict a paradox,

Striving to make an ugly deed look fair:

Your words have took such pains, as if they labour'd
To bring manslaughter into form, and set quarrelling
Upon the head of valour; which, indeed,

8

-setting his FAULT aside,] Fault instead of fate is the substitution of the Corr. fol. 1632. Pope made the same emendation.

9-MOV'D an argument.] It is "prov'd an argument" in the old copies; and in the preceding line, "He did reprove his anger", for "behave his anger": both changes are from the Corr. fol. 1632.