TIMON OF ATHENS.) The story of the Misanthrope is told in almost every colletion of the time, and particularly in two books, with which Shakspeare was intimately acquainted; the Palace of Pleasure, and the English Plutarch. Indeed from a passage in an old play, called Jack Drum's Entertainment, I conjecture that he bad before made his appearance on the stage. FARMER.

The paffage in Jack Druni's Entertainment or Pasquil and Katherine, 1601, is this:

"Come, I'll be as fociable as Timon of Athens."

But the allusion is so slight, that it might as well have been borrowed from Plutarch or the novel.

Ioftead of warm water he fets

Mr. Strutt the engraver, to whom our antiquaries are under no inconfiderable obligations, has in his poffeffion a MS. play on this subje&. It appears to have been written, or tranfcribed, about the year 1600. There is a scene in it resembling Shakspeare's banquet given by Timon to his flatterers. before them ftones painted like artichokes, and afterwards beats them out of the room. He then retires to the woods, attended by his faithful fteward, who, (like Kent in King Lear) has disguised himself to continue his services to his master. Timon, in the last act is followed by his fickle mistress, &c. after he was reported to have discovered a hidden treasure by digging. The piece itself (though it appears to be the work of an academick) is a wretched one. The perfonæ dramatis are as follows:

Shakspeare undoubtedly formed this play on the passage in Plum tarch's Life of Antony relative to Timon, and not on the twentyeighth novel of the first volume of Painter's Palace of Pleasure; because he is there merely described as " a man-hater, of a strange and beafily nature," without any cause affigned; whereas Plutarch furnished our author with the following hint to work upon. " Antonius forsook the citie, and companie of his friendes, -saying, that he would lead Timon's life, because he had the like wrong offered him, that was offered unto Timon; and for the unthankfulness of those he had done good unto, and whom he tooke to be his friendes, he was angry with all men, and would trust no man."

To the manufcript play mentioned by Mr. Steevens, our author I have no doubt, was also indebted for some other circumstances. Here he found the faithful fteward, the banquet-scene, and the story of Timon's being possessed of great fums of gold which he had dug up in the woods: a circumftance which he could not have had from Lucian, there being then no translation of the dialogue that relates to this fubje&.

Spon fays, there is a building near Athens, yet remaining, called Timon's Tower.

Timon of Athens was written, I imagine, in the year 1610. See An Attempt to afcertain the Order of Shakspeare's Plays, Vol. II. MALONE.

Lucius,

Lucullus,

Sempronius,

Lords, and flatterers of Timon,

Ventidius, one of Timon's false Friends.

Apemantus, a churlish Philosopher.

Alcibiades, an Athenian General.

Flavius, Steward to Timon.

Two Servants of Varro, and the Servant of Ifidore ;

two of Timon's Creditors.

Cupid and Maskers. Three Strangers.

Poet, Painter, Jeweller, and Merchant.
An old Athenian. A Page. A Fool.

Phrynia,* Mistreffes to Alcibiades.
Timandra,

Other Lords, Senators, Officers, Soldiers, Thieves, and Attendants.

SCENE, Athens; and the Woods adjoining.

* Phrynia,] (or, as this name should have been written by Shakspeare, Phryne,) was an Athenian courtezan so exquifitely beautiful, that when her judges were proceeding to condemn her for numerous and enormous offences, a sight of her bofsom (which, as we learn from Quintilian, had been arifully denuded by her advocate,) disarmed the court of its feverity, and secured her life from the fentence of the law. STEEVENS.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Athens. A Hall in Timon's House.

Enter Poet, Painter, Jeweller. Merchant,
Others, at feveral doors.

POET. Good day, fır. 3
PAIN.

and

I am glad you are well.

POET. I have not seen you long; How goes the

world?

PAIN. It wears, fir, as it grows.
POET.

Ay that's well known:

But what particular rarity? 4 what strange,

12

-

Jeweller, Merchant,] In the old copy: Enter &c.

Merchant and Mercer, &c.

3 Poet. Good day, fir.]

play thus:

Pott. Good day.

STEEVENS.

It would be less abrupt to begin the

Pain. Good day, fir: I am glad you're well. FARMER. The present deficiency in the metre alfo pleads strongly in behalf of the supplemental words proposed by Dr. Farmer. STEEVENS. 4 But what particular rarity? &c.] I cannot but think that this paffage is at present in confufion. The poet asks a queftion, and flays not for an answer, nor has his queftion any apparent drift or confequence. I would range the passage thus:

Poet. Ay, that's well known.

But what particular rarity? what so strange,

That manifold record not matches?

Pain. See!

Poet, Magick of bounty! &c.

It may not be improperly observed here, that as there is only one copy of this play, no help can be had from collation, and more

liberty must be allowed to conjecture. JOHNSON.

Which manifold record not matches? See,
Magick of bounty! all these spirits thy power
Hath conjur'd to attend. I know the merchant.
PAIN. I know them both; t'other's a jeweller.
MER. O, 'tis a worthy lord!

JEW.

Nay, that's most fix'd.
MER. A most incomparable man; breath'd, as

it were,

To an untirable and continuate goodness : 4 'He passes. 5

Johnson supposes that there is some error in this passage, because the Poet afks a question, and stays not for an answer; and there. fore suggests a new arrangement of it. But there is nothing more common in real life than questions asked in that manner. And with respect to his proposed arrangement, I can by no means approve of it; for as the Poet and the Painter are going to pay their court to Timon, it would be strange if the latter should point out to the former, as a particular rarity, which manifold record could not match, a merchant and a jeweller, who came there on the fame errand. M. MASON.

The poet is led by what the painter has faid, to ask whether any thing very strange and unparalleled had lately happened, without any expectation that any fuch had happened: -and is prevented from waiting for an answer by observing so many conjured by Timon's bounty to attend. See, Magick of bounty!" &c This surely is very natural. MALONE.

To an untirable and continuate goodness:] Breathed is inured by constant practice; so trained as not to be wearied. To breathe a horse, is to exercise him for the course. JOHNSON.

So, in Hamlet:

-

" It is the breathing time of day with me." STEEVENS. continuate - This word is used by many ancient English writers. Thus, by Chapman, in his version of the fourth book of the Odyssey:

"Her handmaids join'd in a continuate yell."

STEEVENS.

* He passes,] i. e. exceeds, goes beyond common bounds. So, in The Merry Wives of Windfor: "Why this paffes, master Ford." STEEVENS.