Timon of Athens - William Shakespeare [books to read romance txt] 📗

exactest auditors
And set me on the proof. So the gods bless me,
When all our offices have been oppress’d
With riotous feeders, when our vaults have wept
With drunken spilth of wine, when every room
Hath blazed with lights and bray’d with minstrelsy,
I have retired me to a wasteful cock,
And set mine eyes at flow. Timon Prithee, no more. Flavius

Heavens, have I said, the bounty of this lord!
How many prodigal bits have slaves and peasants
This night englutted! Who is not Timon’s?
What heart, head, sword, force, means, but is Lord Timon’s?
Great Timon, noble, worthy, royal Timon!
Ah, when the means are gone that buy this praise,
The breath is gone whereof this praise is made:
Feast-won, fast-lost; one cloud of winter showers,
These flies are couch’d.

Timon

Come, sermon me no further:
No villanous bounty yet hath pass’d my heart;
Unwisely, not ignobly, have I given.
Why dost thou weep? Canst thou the conscience lack,
To think I shall lack friends? Secure thy heart;
If I would broach the vessels of my love,
And try the argument of hearts by borrowing,
Men and men’s fortunes could I frankly use
As I can bid thee speak.

Flavius Assurance bless your thoughts! Timon

And, in some sort, these wants of mine are crown’d,
That I account them blessings; for by these
Shall I try friends: you shall perceive how you
Mistake my fortunes; I am wealthy in my friends.
Within there! Flaminius! Servilius!

Enter Flaminius, Servilius, and other Servants. Servants My lord? my lord? Timon I will dispatch you severally; you to Lord Lucius; to Lord Lucullus you: I hunted with his honour to-day: you, to Sempronius: commend me to their loves, and, I am proud, say, that my occasions have found time to use ’em toward a supply of money: let the request be fifty talents. Flaminius As you have said, my lord. Flavius Aside. Lord Lucius and Lucullus? hum! Timon

Go you, sir, to the senators⁠—
Of whom, even to the state’s best health, I have
Deserved this hearing⁠—bid ’em send o’ the instant
A thousand talents to me.

Flavius

I have been bold⁠—
For that I knew it the most general way⁠—
To them to use your signet and your name;
But they do shake their heads, and I am here
No richer in return.

Timon Is’t true? can’t be? Flavius

They answer, in a joint and corporate voice,
That now they are at fall, want treasure, cannot
Do what they would; are sorry⁠—you are honourable⁠—
But yet they could have wish’d⁠—they know not⁠—
Something hath been amiss⁠—a noble nature
May catch a wrench⁠—would all were well⁠—’tis pity;⁠—
And so, intending other serious matters,
After distasteful looks and these hard fractions,
With certain half-caps and cold-moving nods
They froze me into silence.

Timon

You gods, reward them!
Prithee, man, look cheerly. These old fellows
Have their ingratitude in them hereditary:
Their blood is caked, ’tis cold, it seldom flows;
’Tis lack of kindly warmth they are not kind;
And nature, as it grows again toward earth,
Is fashion’d for the journey, dull and heavy.
To a Servant. Go to Ventidius. To Flavius. Prithee, be not sad,
Thou art true and honest; ingeniously I speak,
No blame belongs to thee. To Servant. Ventidius lately
Buried his father; by whose death he’s stepp’d
Into a great estate: when he was poor,
Imprison’d and in scarcity of friends,
I clear’d him with five talents: greet him from me;
Bid him suppose some good necessity
Touches his friend, which craves to be remember’d
With those five talents. Exit Servant. To Flavius. That had, give’t these fellows
To whom ’tis instant due. Ne’er speak, or think,
That Timon’s fortunes ’mong his friends can sink.

Flavius

I would I could not think it: that thought is bounty’s foe;
Being free itself, it thinks all others so. Exeunt.

Act III Scene I

A room in Lucullus’ house.

Flaminius waiting. Enter a Servant to him. Servant I have told my lord of you; he is coming down to you. Flaminius I thank you, sir. Enter Lucullus. Servant Here’s my lord. Lucullus Aside. One of Lord Timon’s men? a gift, I warrant. Why, this hits right; I dreamt of a silver basin and ewer to-night. Flaminius, honest Flaminius; you are very respectively welcome, sir. Fill me some wine. Exit Servants. And how does that honourable, complete, free-hearted gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful good lord and master? Flaminius His health is well sir. Lucullus I am right glad that his health is well, sir: and what hast thou there under thy cloak, pretty Flaminius? Flaminius ’Faith, nothing but an empty box, sir; which, in my lord’s behalf, I come to entreat your honour to supply; who, having great and instant occasion to use fifty talents, hath sent to your lordship to furnish him, nothing doubting your present assistance therein. Lucullus La, la, la, la! “nothing doubting,” says he? Alas, good lord! a noble gentleman ’tis, if he would not keep so good a house. Many a time and often I ha’ dined with him, and told him on’t, and come again to supper to him, of purpose to have him spend less, and yet he would embrace no counsel, take no warning by my coming. Every man has his fault, and honesty is his: I ha’ told him on’t, but I could ne’er get him from’t. Re-enter Servant, with wine. Servant Please your lordship, here is the wine. Lucullus Flaminius, I have noted thee always wise. Here’s to thee. Flaminius Your lordship speaks your pleasure. Lucullus I have observed thee always for a towardly prompt spirit⁠—give thee thy due⁠—and one that knows what belongs to reason; and canst use the time well, if the time use thee well: good parts in thee. To Servant. Get you gone, sirrah. Exit Servant. Draw nearer, honest Flaminius. Thy lord’s a bountiful gentleman: but thou art wise; and thou knowest well enough, although thou comest to me, that this is no time to lend money, especially upon bare friendship, without security. Here’s three solidares for thee: good boy, wink at me, and say thou sawest me not. Fare thee well. Flaminius

Is’t possible the world should so much differ,
And