THE LIFE OF TIMON OF ATHENS

Act 4 Scene 2

(Enter Flavius, with two or three Servants)
l1l	First Servant	Hear you, master steward, where’s our master?
l2l		Are we undone, cast off, nothing remaining?
l3l	Flavius	Alack, my fellows, what should I say to you?
l4l		Let me be recorded: by the righteous gods,
l5l		I am as poor as you.
	First Servant	Such a house broke,
l6l		So noble a master fall’n? All gone, and not
l7l		One friend to take his fortune by the arm
l8l		And go along with him?
	Second Servant	As we do turn our backs
l9l		From our companion thrown into his grave,
l10l		So his familiars to his buried fortunes
l11l		Slink all away, leave their false vows with him
l12l		Like empty purses picked# and his poor self,
l13l		A dedicated beggar to the air,
l14l		With his disease of all-shunned poverty,
l15l		Walks like contempt alone.
		(Enter other Servants)
		 More of our fellows.
l16l	Flavius	All broken implements of a ruined house.
l17l	Third Servant	Yet do our hearts wear Timon’s livery.
l18l		That see I by our faces. We are fellows still,
l19l		Serving alike in sorrow. Leaked is our barque,
l20l		And we, poor mates, stand on the dying deck
l21l		Hearing the surges’ threat. We must all part
l22l		Into this sea of air.
	Flavius	Good fellows all,
l23l		The latest of my wealth I’ll share amongst you.
l24l		Wherever we shall meet, for Timon’s sake
l25l		Let’s yet be fellows. Let’s shake our heads and say,
l26l		As ’twere a knell unto our master’s fortunes,
l27l		“We have seen better days.”
		(He gives them money)
		 Let each take some.
l28l		Nay, put out all your hands. Not one word more.
l29l		Thus part we rich in sorrow, parting poor.
		(They embrace, and the Servants part several ways)
l30l	
	O, the fierce wretchedness that glory brings us!
l31l		Who would not wish to be from wealth exempt,
l32l		Since riches point to misery and contempt?
l33l		Who would be so mocked with glory, or to live
l34l		But in a dream of friendship,
l35l		To have his pomp and all what state compounds
l36l		But only painted like his varnished friends?
l37l		Poor honest lord, brought low by his own heart,
l38l		Undone by goodness! Strange, unusual blood
l39l		When man’s worst sin is he does too much good!
l40l		Who then dares to be half so kind again?
l41l		For bounty, that makes gods, does still mar men.
l42l		My dearest lord, blessed to be most accursed,
l43l		Rich only to be wretched, thy great fortunes
l44l		Are made thy chief afflictions. Alas, kind lord!
l45l		He’s flung in rage from this ingrateful seat
l46l		Of monstrous friends#
l47l		Nor has he with him to supply his life,
l48l		Or that which can command it.
l49l		I’ll follow and enquire him out.
l50l		I’ll ever serve his mind with my best will.
l51l		Whilst I have gold I’ll be his steward still.
		(Exit)