Acknowledge thee their patron; and come freely
To gratulate thy plenteous bofom: The ear,
Taste, touch, smell, all pleas'd from thy table rife;
They only now come but to feast thine eyes.

Tim. They are welcome all; let them have kind admit.

tance:

Mufick, make their welcome.

[Exit CUPID. 1 Lord. You fee, my lord, how ample you are belov'd.

Mufick. Re-enter CUPID, with a masque of Ladies as Amazons, with lutes in their hands, dancing, and playing.

Apem. Hey day! what a fweep of vanity comes this way!

They dance! they are mad women.

Like madness is the glory of this life,

As this pomp fhows to a little oil, and root.
We make ourselves fools, to difport ourselves;
And spend our flatteries, to drink those men,
Upon whofe age we void it up again,
With poisonous fpite, and envy.

Who lives, that's not

Depraved, or depraves? who dies, that bears

Not one fpurn to their graves of their friends' gift?
I fhould fear, thofe, that dance before me now,
Would one day stamp upon me: It has been done;
Men shut their doors against a setting fun.

The Lords rife from table, with much adoring of TIMON; and, to how their loves, each fingles out an Amazon, and all dance, men with women, a lofty strain or two to the hautboys, and cease.

Tim. You have done our pleasures much grace, fair la

dies,

Set

Lies $

Attends you: Please you to dispose yoursel
All Lad. Most thankfully, my lord.

Tim. Flavius,

Flav. My lord.

Tim.

[Exeunt CUPID

The little casket bring me

Flav. Yes, my lord.-More jewels yet!
There is no croffing him in his humour;
Elfe I should tell him,-Well,-i'faith, I fh
When all's spent, he'd be crofs'd then, an
'Tis pity, bounty had not eyes behind;
That man might ne'er be wretched for his

To say to you:-Look you, my good lord,
Entreat you, honour me so much, as to

Advance this jewel;

Accept, and wear it, kind my lord.

1 Lord. I am fo far already in your gifts,All. So are we all.

C

Enter a Servant.

Serv. My lord, there are certain nobles of the fenate Newly alighted, and come to visit you.

Tim. They are fairly welcome.

Flav. I beseech your honour, Vouchsafe me a word; it does concern you near. Tim. Near? why then another time I'll hear thee: I pr'ythee, let us be provided

To show them entertainment.

Flav.

I fcarce know how. [Afide.

Enter another Servant.

2 Serv. May it please your honour, the lord Lucius, Out of his free love, hath presented to you

Four milk-white horses, trapp'd in filver.

Tim. I fhall accept them fairly: let the prefents

Enter a third Servant.

Be worthily entertain'd.-How now, what news?

3 Serv. Please you, my lord, that honourable gentleman, lord Lucullus, entreats your company to-morrow to hunt with him; and has fent your honour two brace of greyhounds.

Tim. I'll hunt with him; And let them be receiv'd, Not without fair reward.

Flav. [Afide.]

What will this come to?

He commands us to provide, and give great gifts,

And all out of an empty coffer.

Nor will he know his purse; or yield me this,

To show him what a beggar his heart is,

Being of no power to make his wishes good;
His promises fly fo beyond his ftate,

That what he speaks is all in debt, he owes
For every word; he is so kind, that he now

Pays interest for't; his land's put to their books.
Well, 'would I were gently put out of office,
Before I were forc'd out!

Happier is he that has no friend to feed,
Than fuch as do even enemies exceed.

I bleed inwardly for my lord.

Tim.

You do yourselves

[Exit.

Much wrong, you bate too much of your own merits
Here, my lord; a trifle of our love.

2 Lord. With more than common thanks I will receive it.

3 Lord. O, he is the very foul of bounty!

Tim. And now I remember me, my lord, you gave Good words the other day of a bay courfer

I rode on it is yours, because you lik'd it.

z Lord. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, in that. Tim. You may take my word, my lord; I know, no

man

Can juftly praife, but what he does affect :

I weigh my friend's affection with mine own;
I'll tell you true. I'll call on you.

All Lords.

None fo welcome.

Tim. I take all and your several vifitations
So kind to heart, 'tis not enough to give ;
Methinks, I could deal kingdoms to my friends,
And ne'er be weary.-Alcibiades,

Thou art a foldier, therefore feldom rich,

It comes in charity to thee: for all thy living

Is 'mongst the dead; and all the lands thou haft
Lie in a pitch'd field.

Alcib.

Ay, defiled land, my lord.

1 Lord. We are so virtuously bound,

Tim.

Am I to you.

2 Lord.

So infinitely endear'd,—————

And fo

Tim. All to you.-Lights, more lights.

1 Lord.

The beft of happiness,

Honour, and fortunes, keep with you, lord Timon!

Tim. Ready for his friends.

Apem.

[Exeunt ALCIBIADES, Lords, &c.

What a coil's here!

Serving of becks, and jutting out of bums!
I doubt whether their legs be worth the fums
That are given for 'em. Friendship's full of dregs:
Methinks, false hearts should never have found legs.
Thus honeft fools lay out their wealth on court'fies.
Tim. Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not fullen,
I'd be good to thee.

Apem.

No, I'll nothing for,

If I fhould be brib'd too, there would be none left
To rail upon thee; and then thou would'ft fin the fafter.
Thou giv'ft fo long, Timon, I fear me, thou

Wilt give away thyself in paper shortly:

What need these feasts, pomps, and vain glories?

Tim. Nay,

An you begin to rail on fociety once,

I am fworn, not to give regard to you.
Farewell; and come with better mufick.

Apem.

So ;

[Exit.

Thou'lt not hear me now,-thou shalt not then, I'll lock
Thy heaven from thee. O, that men's ears should be
To counsel deaf, but not to flattery !

[Exit.

ACT