Timon of Athens - Act 2 - Scene 2

SCENE II. The same. A hall in Timon's house.

    Enter FLAVIUS, with many bills in his hand

FLAVIUS

    No care, no stop! so senseless of expense,
    That he will neither know how to maintain it,
    Nor cease his flow of riot: takes no account
    How things go from him, nor resumes no care
    Of what is to continue: never mind
    Was to be so unwise, to be so kind.
    What shall be done? he will not hear, till feel:
    I must be round with him, now he comes from hunting.
    Fie, fie, fie, fie!

    Enter CAPHIS, and the Servants of Isidore and Varro

CAPHIS

    Good even, Varro: what,
    You come for money?
    Varro's Servant Is't not your business too?

CAPHIS

    It is: and yours too, Isidore?
    Isidore's Servant It is so.

CAPHIS

    Would we were all discharged!
    Varro's Servant I fear it.

CAPHIS

    Here comes the lord.

    Enter TIMON, ALCIBIADES, and Lords, & c

TIMON

    So soon as dinner's done, we'll forth again,
    My Alcibiades. With me? what is your will?

CAPHIS

    My lord, here is a note of certain dues.

TIMON

    Dues! Whence are you?

CAPHIS

    Of Athens here, my lord.

TIMON

    Go to my steward.

CAPHIS

    Please it your lordship, he hath put me off
    To the succession of new days this month:
    My master is awaked by great occasion
    To call upon his own, and humbly prays you
    That with your other noble parts you'll suit
    In giving him his right.

TIMON

    Mine honest friend,
    I prithee, but repair to me next morning.

CAPHIS

    Nay, good my lord,--

TIMON

    Contain thyself, good friend.
    Varro's Servant One Varro's servant, my good lord,--
    Isidore's Servant From Isidore;
    He humbly prays your speedy payment.

CAPHIS

    If you did know, my lord, my master's wants--
    Varro's Servant 'Twas due on forfeiture, my lord, six weeks And past.
    Isidore's Servant Your steward puts me off, my lord;
    And I am sent expressly to your lordship.

TIMON

    Give me breath.
    I do beseech you, good my lords, keep on;
    I'll wait upon you instantly.

    Exeunt ALCIBIADES and Lords

    To FLAVIUS
    Come hither: pray you,
    How goes the world, that I am thus encounter'd
    With clamourous demands of date-broke bonds,
    And the detention of long-since-due debts,
    Against my honour?

FLAVIUS

    Please you, gentlemen,
    The time is unagreeable to this business:
    Your importunacy cease till after dinner,
    That I may make his lordship understand
    Wherefore you are not paid.

TIMON

    Do so, my friends. See them well entertain'd.

    Exit

FLAVIUS

    Pray, draw near.

    Exit

    Enter APEMANTUS and Fool

CAPHIS

    Stay, stay, here comes the fool with Apemantus:
    let's ha' some sport with 'em.
    Varro's Servant Hang him, he'll abuse us.
    Isidore's Servant A plague upon him, dog!
    Varro's Servant How dost, fool?

APEMANTUS

    Dost dialogue with thy shadow?
    Varro's Servant I speak not to thee.

APEMANTUS

    No,'tis to thyself.

    To the Fool
    Come away.
    Isidore's Servant There's the fool hangs on your back already.

APEMANTUS

    No, thou stand'st single, thou'rt not on him yet.

CAPHIS

    Where's the fool now?

APEMANTUS

    He last asked the question. Poor rogues, and
    usurers' men! bawds between gold and want!

All Servants

    What are we, Apemantus?

APEMANTUS

    Asses.

All Servants

    Why?

APEMANTUS

    That you ask me what you are, and do not know
    yourselves. Speak to 'em, fool.

Fool

    How do you, gentlemen?

All Servants

    Gramercies, good fool: how does your mistress?

Fool

    She's e'en setting on water to scald such chickens
    as you are. Would we could see you at Corinth!

APEMANTUS

    Good! gramercy.

    Enter Page

Fool

    Look you, here comes my mistress' page.

Page

    [To the Fool] Why, how now, captain! what do you
    in this wise company? How dost thou, Apemantus?

APEMANTUS

    Would I had a rod in my mouth, that I might answer
    thee profitably.

Page

    Prithee, Apemantus, read me the superscription of
    these letters: I know not which is which.

APEMANTUS

    Canst not read?

Page

    No.

APEMANTUS

    There will little learning die then, that day thou
    art hanged. This is to Lord Timon; this to
    Alcibiades. Go; thou wast born a bastard, and thou't
    die a bawd.

Page

    Thou wast whelped a dog, and thou shalt famish a
    dog's death. Answer not; I am gone.

    Exit

APEMANTUS

    E'en so thou outrunnest grace. Fool, I will go with
    you to Lord Timon's.

Fool

    Will you leave me there?

APEMANTUS

    If Timon stay at home. You three serve three usurers?

All Servants

    Ay; would they served us!

APEMANTUS

    So would I,--as good a trick as ever hangman served thief.

Fool

    Are you three usurers' men?

All Servants

    Ay, fool.

Fool

    I think no usurer but has a fool to his servant: my
    mistress is one, and I am her fool. When men come
    to borrow of your masters, they approach sadly, and
    go away merry; but they enter my mistress' house
    merrily, and go away sadly: the reason of this?
    Varro's Servant I could render one.

APEMANTUS

    Do it then, that we may account thee a whoremaster
    and a knave; which not-withstanding, thou shalt be
    no less esteemed.
    Varro's Servant What is a whoremaster, fool?

Fool

    A fool in good clothes, and something like thee.
    'Tis a spirit: sometime't appears like a lord;
    sometime like a lawyer; sometime like a philosopher,
    with two stones moe than's artificial one: he is
    very often like a knight; and, generally, in all
    shapes that man goes up and down in from fourscore
    to thirteen, this spirit walks in.
    Varro's Servant Thou art not altogether a fool.

Fool

    Nor thou altogether a wise man: as much foolery as
    I have, so much wit thou lackest.

APEMANTUS

    That answer might have become Apemantus.

All Servants

    Aside, aside; here comes Lord Timon.

    Re-enter TIMON and FLAVIUS

APEMANTUS

    Come with me, fool, come.

Fool

    I do not always follow lover, elder brother and
    woman; sometime the philosopher.

    Exeunt APEMANTUS and Fool

FLAVIUS

    Pray you, walk near: I'll speak with you anon.

    Exeunt Servants

TIMON

    You make me marvel: wherefore ere this time
    Had you not fully laid my state before me,
    That I might so have rated my expense,
    As I had leave of means?

FLAVIUS

    You would not hear me,
    At many leisures I proposed.

TIMON

    Go to:
    Perchance some single vantages you took.
    When my indispos ition put you back:
    And that unaptness made your minister,
    Thus to excuse yourself.

FLAVIUS

    O my good lord,
    At many times I brought in my accounts,
    Laid them before you; you would throw them off,
    And say, you found them in mine honesty.
    When, for some trifling present, you have bid me
    Return so much, I have shook my head and wept;
    Yea, 'gainst the authority of manners, pray'd you
    To hold your hand more close: I did endure
    Not seldom, nor no slight cheques, when I have
    Prompted you in the ebb of your estate
    And your great flow of debts. My loved lord,
    Though you hear now, too late--yet now's a time--
    The greatest of your having lacks a half
    To pay your present debts.

TIMON

    Let all my land be sold.

FLAVIUS

    'Tis all engaged, some forfeited and gone;
    And what remains will hardly stop the mouth
    Of present dues: the future comes apace:
    What shall defend the interim? and at length
    How goes our reckoning?

TIMON

    To Lacedaemon did my land extend.

FLAVIUS

    O my good lord, the world is but a word:
    Were it all yours to give it in a breath,
    How quickly were it gone!

TIMON

    You tell me true.

FLAVIUS

    If you suspect my husbandry or falsehood,
    Call me before the 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