And in the anonymous play of "Jack Drum's Entertainment," printed in 1601, one of the characters uses these expressions : "But if all the brewers' jades in the town can drag me from the love of myself, they shall do more than e'er the seven wise men of Greece could. Come, come; now I'll be as sociable as Timon of Athens." We know also that there existed about that date a play upon the subject of Timon of Athens. The original manuscript of it is in the library of the Rev. Alexander Dyce, who has recently superintended an impression of it for the Shakespeare Society. He gives it as his opinion, that it was "intended for the amusement of an academic audience," and although the epilogue may be considered rather of a contrary complexion, the learned editor is probably right it is, however, nearly certain that it was acted; and although it will not bear a moment's comparison with Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens," similar incidents and persons are contained in both. Thus, Timon is in the commencement rich, bountiful, and devoured by flatterers: he becomes poor, and is at once deserted by all but his faithful steward;-but before he abandons Athens in disgust, he invites his parasites to a last banquet, where he gives them stones painted to resemble artichokes, which he flings at them as he drives them out of his hall. Shakespeare represents Timon as regaling his guests with warm water; but it is very remarkable, that at the end of his mock-banquet scene, after the hero has quitted the stage, leaving certain lords behind him, upon whom he had thrown the warm water, the following dialogue occurs :— "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." Shakespeare's Timon had cast no "stones" at his guests, and the above extract reads exactly as if it had formed part of some play in which stones (as in the "Timon" edited by the Rev. A. Dyce) had been employed instead of warm water. Unless stones had been thrown, there could, as Steevens observes, be no propriety in the mention of them by the fourth Lord; and though Shakespeare may not have seen the academic play to which we have alluded, a fragment may by accident have found its way into his "Timon of Athens," which belonged to some other drama, where the banquet-scene was differently conducted. It is just possible that our great dramatist, at some subsequent date, altered his original draught, and by oversight left in the rhyming couplet with which the third Act concludes. We need not advert to other resemblances between the academic play and "Timon of Athens," because, by the liberality of the possessor of the manuscript, it may be now said to have become public property. VENTIDIUS, one of Timon's false Friends. APEMANTUS, a churlish Philosopher. ALCIBIADES, an Athenian Captain. FLAVIUS, Steward to Timon. Servants of Varro, Ventidius, and Isidore: two of Timon's Creditors. Cupid and Maskers. Three Strangers. PHRYNIA, TIMANDRA, Mistresses to Alcibiades. Lords, Senators, Officers, Soldiers, Thieves, and Attendants. SCENE, Athens; and the Woods adjoining. TIMON OF ATHENS. ACT I. SCENE I. Athens. A Hall in TIMON'S House. Enter Poet, Painter, Jeweller, Merchant, and Others, at several Doors. But what particular rarity? what strange, Jew. Nay, that's most fix'd. Mer. A most incomparable man; breath'd, as it were, To an untirable and continuate goodness: He passes'. Jew. I have a jewel here— Mer. O! pray, let's see't. For the lord Timon, sir? Jew. If he will touch the estimate; but, for that 1 He PASSES.] As we now say, He surpasses. Poet. "When we for recompence' have prais'd the vile, It stains the glory in that happy verse Which aptly sings the good." Mer. 'Tis a good form. Jew. And rich: here is a water, look ye. Pain. You are rapt, sir, in some work, some dedi cation To the great lord. Poet. A thing slipp'd idly from me. From whence 'tis nourish'd: the fire i' the flint Pain. A picture, sir.-When comes your book forth? Let's see your piece. Pain. "Tis a good piece. Poet. So 'tis: this comes off well, and excellent. Poet. Admirable! How this grace Speaks his own standing; what a mental power Pain. It is a pretty mocking of the life. Here is a touch; is't good? Poet. I'll say of it, It tutors nature: artificial strife Lives in these touches, livelier than life. 2" When we for recompence, &c.] "We must here suppose (says Warburton) the poet busy in reading in his own work; and that these three lines are the introduction of the poem addressed to Timon, which he afterwards gives the painter an account of." Enter certain Senators, who pass over the Stage. Pain. How this lord is follow'd! Poet. The senators of Athens :- happy men! Pain. Look, more! Poet. You see this confluence, this great flood of visitors. I have in this rough work shap'd out a man, Whom this beneath world doth embrace and hug Pain. How shall I understand you? Poet. I will unbolt to you. You see how all conditions, how all minds, Pain. I saw them speak together. Poet. Sir, I have upon a high and pleasant hill, Feign'd Fortune to be thron'd: the base o' the mount To propagate their states: amongst them all, In a wide sea of wax :] The practice of writing with an iron style, upon table-books covered with wax, seems to have prevailed at an early date in England, as well as in Greece and Rome. |