THE LIFE OF TIMON OF ATHENS

Act 1 Scene 1

(Enter Poet at one door, Painter carrying a picture at another door, followed by Jeweller, Merchant, and Mercer, at several doors)
l1l	Poet	 Good day, sir.
	Painter	I am glad you’re well.
l2l	Poet	I have not seen you long. How goes the world?
l3l	Painter	It wears, sir, as it grows.
	Poet	Ay, that’s well known.
l4l		But what particular rarity, what strange,
l5l		Which manifold record not matches?—See,
l6l		Magic of bounty, all these spirits thy power
l7l		Hath conjured to attend.
		(Merchant and Jeweller meet. Mercer passes over the stage, and exits)
		 I know the merchant.
l8l	Painter	I know them both. Th’ other’s a jeweller.
l9l	Merchant	(to Jeweller)
		 O, ’tis a worthy lord!
	Jeweller	Nay, that’s most fixed.
l10l	Merchant	A most incomparable man, breathed, as it were,
l11l		To an untirable and continuate goodness.
l12l		He passes.
	Jeweller	
		(showing a jewel)
		 I have a jewel here.
l13l	Merchant	O, pray, let’s see ’t. For the Lord Timon, sir?
l14l	Jeweller	If he will touch the estimate. But for that—
l15l	Poet	(to himself )
		 “When we for recompense have praised the vile,
l16l		It stains the glory in that happy verse
l17l		Which aptly sings the good.”
	Merchant	
		(to Jeweller)
		 ’Tis a good form.
l18l	Jeweller	And rich. Here is a water, look ye.
l19l	Painter	(to Poet)
		 You are rapt, sir, in some work, some dedication
l20l		To the great lord.
	Poet	A thing slipped idly from me.
l21l		Our poesy is as a gum which oozes
l22l		From whence ’tis nourished. The fire i’ th’ flint
l23l		Shows not till it be struck# our gentle flame
l24l		Provokes itself, and like the current flies
l25l		Each bound it chafes. What have you there?
l26l	Painter	A picture, sir. When comes your book forth?
l27l	Poet	Upon the heels of my presentment, sir.
l28l		Let’s see your piece.
	Painter	
		(showing the picture)
		 ’Tis a good piece.
l29l	Poet	So ’tis. This comes off well and excellent.
l30l	Painter	Indifferent.
	Poet	Admirable. How this grace
l31l		Speaks his own standing! What a mental power
l32l		This eye shoots forth! How big imagination
l33l		Moves in this lip! To th’ dumbness of the gesture
l34l		One might interpret.
l35l	Painter	It is a pretty mocking of the life.
l36l		Here is a touch# is ’t good?
	Poet	I will say of it,
l37l		It tutors nature. Artificial strife
l38l		Lives in these touches livelier than life.
		(Enter certain Senators)
l39l	Painter	 How this lord is followed!
l40l	Poet	The senators of Athens. Happy man!
l41l	Painter	Look, more.
		(The Senators pass over the stage, and exeunt)
l42l	Poet	 You see this confluence, this great flood of visitors.
l43l		I have in this rough work shaped out a man
l44l		Whom this beneath world doth embrace and hug
l45l		With amplest entertainment. My free drift
l46l		Halts not particularly, but moves itself
l47l		In a wide sea of tax. No levelled malice
l48l		Infects one comma in the course I hold,
l49l		But flies an eagle flight, bold and forth on,
l50l		Leaving no tract behind.
l51l	Painter	How shall I understand you?
l52l	Poet	I will unbolt to you.
l53l		You see how all conditions, how all minds,
l54l		As well of glib and slipp’ry creatures as
l55l		Of grave and austere quality, tender down
l56l		Their service to Lord Timon. His large fortune,
l57l		Upon his good and gracious nature hanging,
l58l		Subdues and properties to his love and tendance
l59l		All sorts of hearts# yea, from the glass-faced flatterer
l60l		To Apemantus, that few things loves better
l61l		Than to abhor himself# even he drops down
l62l		The knee before him, and returns in peace,
l63l		Most rich in Timon’s nod.
	Painter	I saw them speak together.
l64l	Poet	Sir, I have upon a high and pleasant hill
l65l		Feigned Fortune to be throned. The base o’ th’ mount
l66l		Is ranked with all deserts, all kind of natures
l67l		That labour on the bosom of this sphere
l68l		To propagate their states. Amongst them all
l69l		Whose eyes are on this sovereign lady fixed
l70l		One do I personate of Lord Timon’s frame,
l71l		Whom Fortune with her ivory hand wafts to her,
l72l		Whose present grace to present slaves and servants
l73l		Translates his rivals.
	Painter	’Tis conceived to scope.
l74l		This throne, this Fortune, and this hill, methinks,
l75l		With one man beckoned from the rest below,
l76l		Bowing his head against the steepy mount
l77l		To climb his happiness, would be well expressed
l78l		In our condition.
	Poet	Nay, sir, but hear me on.
l79l		All those which were his fellows but of late,
l80l		Some better than his value, on the moment
l81l		Follow his strides, his lobbies fill with tendance,
l82l		Rain sacrificial whisperings in his ear,
l83l		Make sacred even his stirrup, and through him
l84l		Drink the free air.
	Painter	Ay, marry, what of these?
l85l	Poet	When Fortune in her shift and change of mood
l86l		Spurns down her late belovèd, all his dependants,
l87l		Which laboured after him to the mountain’s top
l88l		Even on their knees and hands, let him fall down,
l89l		Not one accompanying his declining foot.
l90l	Painter	’Tis common.
l91l		A thousand moral paintings I can show
l92l		That shall demonstrate these quick blows of Fortune’s
l93l		More pregnantly than words. Yet you do well
l94l		To show Lord Timon that mean eyes have seen
l95l		The foot above the head.
		(Trumpets sound. Enter Timon wearing a rich)
l96l		jewel], with a Messenger from Ventidius# Lucilius [and other Servants] attending. Timon addresses himself courteously to every suitor, then speaks to the Messenger
	Timon	 Imprisoned is he, say you?
l97l	Messenger	Ay, my good lord. Five talents is his debt,
l98l		His means most short, his creditors most strait.
l99l		Your honourable letter he desires
l100l		To those have shut him up, which failing,
l101l		Periods his comfort.
	Timon	Noble Ventidius! Well,
l102l		I am not of that feather to shake off
l103l		My friend when he must need me. I do know him
l104l		A gentleman that well deserves a help,
l105l		Which he shall have. I’ll pay the debt and free him.
l106l	Messenger	Your lordship ever binds him.
l107l	Timon	Commend me to him. I will send his ransom#
l108l		And, being enfranchised, bid him come to me.
l109l		’Tis not enough to help the feeble up,
l110l		But to support him after. Fare you well.
l111l	Messenger	All happiness to your honour.
		(Exit)
l112l		(Enter an Old Athenian)
		Old Athenian	 Lord Timon, hear me speak.
	Timon	Freely, good father.
l113l	Old Athenian	Thou hast a servant named Lucilius.
l114l	Timon	I have so. What of him?
l115l	Old Athenian	Most noble Timon, call the man before thee.
l116l	Timon	Attends he here or no? Lucilius!
l117l	Lucilius	(coming forward)
		 Here at your lordship’s service.
l118l	Old Athenian	This fellow here, Lord Timon, this thy creature,
l119l		By night frequents my house. I am a man
l120l		That from my first have been inclined to thrift,
l121l		And my estate deserves an heir more raised
l122l		Than one which holds a trencher.
	Timon	Well, what further?
l123l	Old Athenian	One only daughter have I, no kin else
l124l		On whom I may confer what I have got.
l125l		The maid is fair, o’ th’ youngest for a bride,
l126l		And I have bred her at my dearest cost
l127l		In qualities of the best. This man of thine
l128l		Attempts her love. I prithee, noble lord,
l129l		Join with me to forbid him her resort.
l130l		Myself have spoke in vain.
l131l	Timon	The man is honest.
l132l	Old Athenian	Therefore he will be, Timon.
l133l		His honesty rewards him in itself#
l134l		It must not bear my daughter.
l135l	Timon	Does she love him?
l136l	Old Athenian	She is young and apt.
l137l		Our own precedent passions do instruct us
l138l		What levity’s in youth.
	Timon	
		(to Lucilius)
		 Love you the maid?
l139l	Lucilius	Ay, my good lord, and she accepts of it.
l140l	Old Athenian	If in her marriage my consent be missing,
l141l		I call the gods to witness, I will choose
l142l		Mine heir from forth the beggars of the world,
l143l		And dispossess her all.
	Timon	How shall she be endowed
l144l		If she be mated with an equal husband?
l145l	Old Athenian	Three talents on the present# in future, all.
l146l	Timon	This gentleman of mine hath served me long.
l147l		To build his fortune I will strain a little,
l148l		For ’tis a bond in men. Give him thy daughter.
l149l		What you bestow in him I’ll counterpoise,
l150l		And make him weigh with her.
	Old Athenian	Most noble lord,
l151l		Pawn me to this your honour, she is his.
l152l	Timon	My hand to thee# mine honour on my promise.
l153l	Lucilius	Humbly I thank your lordship. Never may
l154l		That state or fortune fall into my keeping
l155l		Which is not owed to you.
		(Exeunt Lucilius and Old Athenian)
l156l	Poet	(presenting a poem to Timon)
		 Vouchsafe my labour, and long live your lordship!
l157l	Timon	I thank you. You shall hear from me anon.
l158l		Go not away.
		(To Painter)
		 What have you there, my friend?
l159l	Painter	A piece of painting, which I do beseech
l160l		Your lordship to accept.
	Timon	Painting is welcome.
l161l		The painting is almost the natural man#
l162l		For since dishonour traffics with man’s nature,
l163l		He is but outside# these pencilled figures are
l164l		Even such as they give out. I like your work,
l165l		And you shall find I like it. Wait attendance
l166l		Till you hear further from me.
	Painter	The gods preserve ye!
l167l	Timon	Well fare you, gentleman. Give me your hand.
l168l		We must needs dine together.
		(To Jeweller)
		 Sir, your jewel
l169l		Hath suffered under praise.
	Jeweller	What, my lord, dispraise?
l170l	Timon	A mere satiety of commendations.
l171l		If I should pay you for ’t as ’tis extolled
l172l		It would unclew me quite.
	Jeweller	My lord, ’tis rated
l173l		As those which sell would give# but you well know
l174l		Things of like value differing in the owners
l175l		Are prizèd by their masters. Believe ’t, dear lord,
l176l		You mend the jewel by the wearing it.
l177l	Timon	Well mocked.
l178l	Merchant	No, my good lord, he speaks the common tongue
l179l		Which all men speak with him.
		(Enter Apemantus)
		
	Timon	 Look who comes here.
l180l		Will you be chid?
l181l	Jeweller	We will bear, with your lordship.
l182l	Merchant	He’ll spare none.
l183l	Timon	Good morrow to thee, gentle Apemantus.
l184l	Apemantus	Till I be gentle, stay thou for thy good morrow—
l185l		When thou art Timon’s dog, and these knaves honest.
l186l	Timon	Why dost thou call them knaves? Thou know’st them not.
l187l	Apemantus	Are they not Athenians?
l188l	Timon	Yes.
l189l	Apemantus	Then I repent not.
l190l	Jeweller	You know me, Apemantus?
l191l	Apemantus	Thou know’st I do. I called thee by thy name.
l192l	Timon	Thou art proud, Apemantus!
l193l	Apemantus	 Of nothing so much as that I am not like
l194l		Timon.
l195l	Timon	Whither art going?
l196l	Apemantus	To knock out an honest Athenian’s brains.
l197l	Timon	That’s a deed thou’lt die for.
l198l	Apemantus	Right, if doing nothing be death by th’ law.
l199l	Timon	 How likest thou this picture, Apemantus?
l200l	Apemantus	 The best for the innocence.
l201l	Timon	 Wrought he not well that painted it?
l202l	Apemantus	 He wrought better that made the painter, and
l203l		yet he’s but a filthy piece of work.
l204l	Painter	You’re a dog.
l205l	Apemantus	Thy mother’s of my generation. What’s she,
l206l		if I be a dog?
l207l	Timon	Wilt dine with me, Apemantus?
l208l	Apemantus	No, I eat not lords.
l209l	Timon	An thou shouldst, thou’dst anger ladies.
l210l	Apemantus	O, they eat lords. So they come by great bellies.
l211l	Timon	 That’s a lascivious apprehension.
l212l	Apemantus	So thou apprehend’st it# take it for thy labour.
l213l	Timon	How dost thou like this jewel, Apemantus?
l214l	Apemantus	 Not so well as plain dealing, which will not
l215l		cost a man a doit.
l216l	Timon	 What dost thou think ’tis worth?
	Apemantus	Not worth my thinking.
l217l		How now, poet?
l218l	Poet	How now, philosopher?
l219l	Apemantus	Thou liest.
l220l	Poet	Art not one?
l221l	Apemantus	Yes.
l222l	Poet	Then I lie not.
l223l	Apemantus	Art not a poet?
l224l	Poet	Yes.
l225l	Apemantus	Then thou liest. Look in thy last work, where
l226l		thou hast feigned him a worthy fellow.
l227l	Poet	That’s not feigned, he is so.
l228l	Apemantus	Yes, he is worthy of thee, and to pay thee for
l229l		thy labour. He that loves to be flattered is worthy o’ th’
l230l		flatterer. Heavens, that I were a lord!
l231l	Timon	What wouldst do then, Apemantus?
l232l	Apemantus	E’en as Apemantus does now: hate a lord
l233l		with my heart.
l234l	Timon	What, thyself?
l235l	Apemantus	Ay.
l236l	Timon	Wherefore?
l237l	Apemantus	That I had no augury but to be a lord.—Art
l238l		not thou a merchant?
l239l	Merchant	Ay, Apemantus.
l240l	Apemantus	 Traffic confound thee, if the gods will not!
l241l	Merchant	 If traffic do it, the gods do it.
l242l	Apemantus	 Traffic’s thy god, and thy god confound thee!
		(Trumpet sounds. Enter a Messenger)
l243l	Timon	 What trumpet’s that?
l244l	Messenger	’Tis Alcibiades, and some twenty horse
l245l		All of companionship.
l246l	Timon	(to Servants)
		 Pray entertain them. Give them guide to us.
		(Exit one or more Servants)
l247l		(To Jeweller)
		 You must needs dine with me.
		( 247B To Poet)
		 Go not you hence
l248l		Till I have thanked you.
		(To Painter)
		 When dinner’s done
l249l		Show me this piece.
		(To all)
		 I am joyful of your sights.
		(Enter Alcibiades with his horsemen)
l250l		Most welcome, sir!
l251l	Apemantus	(aside)
		 So, so, there.
l252l		Aches contract and starve your supple joints!
l253l		That there should be small love ’mongst these sweet knaves,
l254l		And all this courtesy! The strain of man’s bred out
l255l		Into baboon and monkey.
l256l	Alcibiades	(to Timon)
		 Sir, you have saved my longing, and I feed
l257l		Most hungrily on your sight.
	Timon	Right welcome, sir!
l258l		Ere we depart, we’ll share a bounteous time
l259l		In different pleasures. Pray you, let us in.
		(Exeunt all but Apemantus)
l260l		(Enter two Lords)
		First Lord	 What time o’ day is ’t, Apemantus?
l261l	Apemantus	Time to be honest.
	First Lord	That time serves still.
l262l	Apemantus	The most accursèd thou, that still omitt’st it.
l263l	Second Lord	Thou art going to Lord Timon’s feast?
l264l	Apemantus	Ay, to see meat fill knaves, and wine heat fools.
l265l	Second Lord	 Fare thee well, fare thee well.
l266l	Apemantus	 Thou art a fool to bid me farewell twice.
l267l	Second Lord	 Why, Apemantus?
l268l	Apemantus	Shouldst have kept one to thyself, for I mean
l269l		to give thee none.
l270l	First Lord	Hang thyself!
l271l	Apemantus	No, I will do nothing at thy bidding. Make
l272l		thy requests to thy friend.
l273l	Second Lord	Away, unpeaceable dog, or I’ll spurn thee
l274l		hence.
l275l	Apemantus	I will fly, like a dog, the heels o’ th’ ass.
		( 275 Exit)
l276l	?Middleton>
First Lord	 He’s opposite to humanity. Come, shall we in,
l277l		And taste Lord Timon’s bounty? He outgoes
l278l		The very heart of kindness.
l279l	Second Lord	He pours it out. Plutus the god of gold
l280l		Is but his steward# no meed but he repays
l281l		Sevenfold above itself# no gift to him
l282l		But breeds the giver a return exceeding
l283l		All use of quittance.
	First Lord	The noblest mind he carries
l284l		That ever governed man.
l285l	Second Lord	Long may he live in fortunes! Shall we in?
l286l	[First Lord]	I’ll keep you company.
		(Exeunt)
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