| ACT III SCENE IV | The same. A hall in Timon's house. | |
| [
Enter two Servants of Varro, and the Servant of
LUCIUS, meeting TITUS, HORTENSIUS, and other
Servants of TIMON's creditors, waiting his coming out
] |
| Varro's First Servant | Well met; good morrow, Titus and Hortensius. |
| TITUS | The like to you kind Varro. |
| HORTENSIUS | Lucius! |
| What, do we meet together? |
| Lucilius' Servant | Ay, and I think | 5 |
| One business does command us all; for mine Is money. |
| TITUS | So is theirs and ours. |
| [Enter PHILOTUS] |
| Lucilius' Servant | And Sir Philotus too! |
| PHILOTUS | Good day at once. |
| Lucilius' Servant | Welcome, good brother. | 10 |
| What do you think the hour? |
| PHILOTUS | Labouring for nine. |
| Lucilius' Servant | So much? |
| PHILOTUS | Is not my lord seen yet? |
| Lucilius' Servant | Not yet. | 15 |
| PHILOTUS | I wonder on't; he was wont to shine at seven. |
| Lucilius' Servant | Ay, but the days are wax'd shorter with him: |
| You must consider that a prodigal course |
| Is like the sun's; but not, like his, recoverable. |
| I fear 'tis deepest winter in Lord Timon's purse; | 20 |
| That is one may reach deep enough, and yet |
| Find little. |
| PHILOTUS | I am of your fear for that. |
| TITUS | I'll show you how to observe a strange event. |
| Your lord sends now for money. | 25 |
| HORTENSIUS | Most true, he does. |
| TITUS | And he wears jewels now of Timon's gift, |
| For which I wait for money. |
| HORTENSIUS | It is against my heart. |
| Lucilius' Servant | Mark, how strange it shows, | 30 |
| Timon in this should pay more than he owes: |
| And e'en as if your lord should wear rich jewels, |
| And send for money for 'em. |
| HORTENSIUS | I'm weary of this charge, the gods can witness: |
| I know my lord hath spent of Timon's wealth, | 35 |
| And now ingratitude makes it worse than stealth. |
| Varro's First Servant | Yes, mine's three thousand crowns: what's yours? |
| Lucilius' Servant | Five thousand mine. |
| Varro's First Servant | 'Tis much deep: and it should seem by the sun, |
| Your master's confidence was above mine; | 40 |
| Else, surely, his had equall'd. |
| Enter FLAMINIUS. |
| TITUS | One of Lord Timon's men. |
| Lucilius' Servant | Flaminius! Sir, a word: pray, is my lord ready to |
| come forth? | 45 |
| FLAMINIUS | No, indeed, he is not. |
| TITUS | We attend his lordship; pray, signify so much. |
| FLAMINIUS | I need not tell him that; he knows you are too diligent. |
| [Exit] |
| [Enter FLAVIUS in a cloak, muffled] |
| Lucilius' Servant | Ha! is not that his steward muffled so? |
| He goes away in a cloud: call him, call him. | 50 |
| TITUS | Do you hear, sir? |
| Varro's Second Servant | By your leave, sir,-- |
| FLAVIUS | What do ye ask of me, my friend? |
| TITUS | We wait for certain money here, sir. |
| FLAVIUS | Ay, | 55 |
| 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 eat of my lord's meat? |
| Then they could smile and fawn upon his debts | 60 |
| 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; | 65 |
| I have no more to reckon, he to spend. |
| Lucilius' Servant | Ay, but this answer will not serve. |
| FLAVIUS | If 'twill not serve,'tis not so base as you; |
| For you serve knaves. |
| [Exit] |
| Varro's First Servant | How! what does his cashiered worship mutter? | 70 |
| Varro's Second Servant | 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] |
| TITUS | O, here's Servilius; now we shall know some answer. | 75 |
| SERVILIUS | 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. | 80 |
| Lucilius' Servant | 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. |
| SERVILIUS | Good gods! | 85 |
| TITUS | We cannot take this for answer, sir. |
| FLAMINIUS | [Within] Servilius, help! My lord! my lord!
|
| [Enter TIMON, in a rage, FLAMINIUS following] |
| TIMON | What, are my doors opposed against my passage? |
| Have I been ever free, and must my house |
| Be my retentive enemy, my gaol? | 90 |
| The place which I have feasted, does it now, |
| Like all mankind, show me an iron heart? |
| Lucilius' Servant | Put in now, Titus. |
| TITUS | My lord, here is my bill. |
| Lucilius' Servant | Here's mine. | 95 |
| HORTENSIUS | And mine, my lord. |
| Both Varro's Servants | And ours, my lord. |
| PHILOTUS | All our bills. |
| TIMON | Knock me down with 'em: cleave me to the girdle. |
| Lucilius' Servant | Alas, my lord,- | 100 |
| TIMON | Cut my heart in sums. |
| TITUS | Mine, fifty talents. |
| TIMON | Tell out my blood. |
| Lucilius' Servant | Five thousand crowns, my lord. |
| TIMON | Five thousand drops pays that. | 105 |
| What yours?--and yours? |
| Varro's First Servant | My lord,-- |
| Varro's Second Servant | My lord,-- |
| TIMON | Tear me, take me, and the gods fall upon you! |
| [Exit] |
| HORTENSIUS | 'Faith, I perceive our masters may throw their caps | 110 |
| at their money: these debts may well be called |
| desperate ones, for a madman owes 'em. |
| [Exeunt] |
| [Re-enter TIMON and FLAVIUS] |
| TIMON | They have e'en put my breath from me, the slaves. |
| Creditors? devils! |
| FLAVIUS | My dear lord,-- | 115 |
| TIMON | What if it should be so? |
| FLAVIUS | My lord,-- |
| TIMON | I'll have it so. My steward! |
| FLAVIUS | Here, my lord. |
| TIMON | So fitly? Go, bid all my friends again, | 120 |
| Lucius, Lucullus, and Sempronius: |
| All, sirrah, all: |
| I'll once more feast the rascals. |
| FLAVIUS | O my lord, |
| You only speak from your distracted soul; | 125 |
| There is not so much left, to furnish out |
| A moderate table. |
| TIMON | 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. | 130 |
| [Exeunt] |
Sources for Timon of Athens