Timon of Athens
| ACT III SCENE VI | The same. A banqueting-room in Timon’s house. | |
| [ Music. Tables set out: Servants attending. Enter divers Lords, Senators and others, at several doors ] | ||
| First Lord | The good time of day to you, sir. | |
| Second Lord | I also wish it to you. I think this honourable lord | |
| did but try us this other day. | ||
| First Lord | Upon that were my thoughts tiring, when we | |
| encountered: I hope it is not so low with him as | 5 | |
| he made it seem in the trial of his several friends. | ||
| Second Lord | It should not be, by the persuasion of his new feasting. | |
| First Lord | I should think so: he hath sent me an earnest | |
| inviting, which many my near occasions did urge me | ||
| to put off; but he hath conjured me beyond them, and | 10 | |
| I must needs appear. | ||
| Second Lord | In like manner was I in debt to my importunate | |
| business, but he would not hear my excuse. I am | ||
| sorry, when he sent to borrow of me, that my | ||
| provision was out. | 15 | |
| First Lord | I am sick of that grief too, as I understand how all | |
| things go. | ||
| Second Lord | Every man here’s so. What would he have borrowed of | |
| you? | ||
| First Lord | A thousand pieces. | 20 |
| Second Lord | A thousand pieces! | |
| First Lord | What of you? | |
| Second Lord | He sent to me, sir,–Here he comes. | |
| [Enter TIMON and Attendants] | ||
| TIMON | With all my heart, gentlemen both; and how fare you? | |
| First Lord | Ever at the best, hearing well of your lordship. | 25 |
| Second Lord | The swallow follows not summer more willing than we | |
| your lordship. | ||
| TIMON | [Aside] Nor more willingly leaves winter; such | |
| summer-birds are men. Gentlemen, our dinner will not | ||
| recompense this long stay: feast your ears with the | 30 | |
| music awhile, if they will fare so harshly o’ the | ||
| trumpet’s sound; we shall to ‘t presently. | ||
| First Lord | I hope it remains not unkindly with your lordship | |
| that I returned you an empty messenger. | ||
| TIMON | O, sir, let it not trouble you. | 35 |
| Second Lord | My noble lord,– | |
| TIMON | Ah, my good friend, what cheer? | |
| Second Lord | My most honourable lord, I am e’en sick of shame, | |
| that, when your lordship this other day sent to me, | ||
| I was so unfortunate a beggar. | 40 | |
| TIMON | Think not on ‘t, sir. | |
| Second Lord | If you had sent but two hours before,– | |
| TIMON | Let it not cumber your better remembrance. | |
| [The banquet brought in] | ||
| Come, bring in all together. | ||
| Second Lord | All covered dishes! | 45 |
| First Lord | Royal cheer, I warrant you. | |
| Third Lord | Doubt not that, if money and the season can yield | |
| it. | ||
| First Lord | How do you? What’s the news? | |
| Third Lord | Alcibiades is banished: hear you of it? | 50 |
| Second Lord | Alcibiades banished! | |
| Third Lord | ‘Tis so, be sure of it. | |
| First Lord | How! how! | |
| Second Lord | I pray you, upon what? | |
| TIMON | My worthy friends, will you draw near? | 55 |
| Third Lord | I’ll tell you more anon. Here’s a noble feast toward. | |
| Second Lord | This is the old man still. | |
| Third Lord | Will ‘t hold? will ‘t hold? | |
| Second Lord | It does: but time will–and so– | |
| Third Lord | I do conceive. | 60 |
| TIMON | Each man to his stool, with that spur as he would to | |
| the lip of his mistress: your diet shall be in all | ||
| places alike. Make not a city feast of it, to let | ||
| the meat cool ere we can agree upon the first place: | ||
| sit, sit. The gods require our thanks. | 65 | |
| You great benefactors, sprinkle our society with | ||
| thankfulness. For your own gifts, make yourselves | ||
| praised: but reserve still to give, lest your | ||
| deities be despised. Lend to each man enough, that | ||
| one need not lend to another; for, were your | 70 | |
| godheads to borrow of men, men would forsake the | ||
| gods. Make the meat be beloved more than the man | ||
| that gives it. Let no assembly of twenty be without | ||
| a score of villains: if there sit twelve women at | ||
| the table, let a dozen of them be–as they are. The | 75 | |
| rest of your fees, O gods–the senators of Athens, | ||
| together with the common lag of people–what is | ||
| amiss in them, you gods, make suitable for | ||
| destruction. For these my present friends, as they | ||
| are to me nothing, so in nothing bless them, and to | 80 | |
| nothing are they welcome. | ||
| Uncover, dogs, and lap. | ||
| [ The dishes are uncovered and seen to be full of warm water ] | ||
| Some Speak | What does his lordship mean? | |
| Some Others | I know not. | |
| TIMON | May you a better feast never behold, | 85 |
| You knot of mouth-friends I smoke and lukewarm water | ||
| Is your perfection. This is Timon’s last; | ||
| Who, stuck and spangled with your flatteries, | ||
| Washes it off, and sprinkles in your faces | ||
| Your reeking villany. | 90 | |
| [Throwing the water in their faces] | ||
| Live loathed and long, | ||
| Most smiling, smooth, detested parasites, | ||
| Courteous destroyers, affable wolves, meek bears, | ||
| You fools of fortune, trencher-friends, time’s flies, | ||
| Cap and knee slaves, vapours, and minute-jacks! | 95 | |
| Of man and beast the infinite malady | ||
| Crust you quite o’er! What, dost thou go? | ||
| Soft! take thy physic first–thou too–and thou;– | ||
| Stay, I will lend thee money, borrow none. | ||
| [Throws the dishes at them, and drives them out] | ||
| What, all in motion? Henceforth be no feast, | 100 | |
| Whereat a villain’s not a welcome guest. | ||
| Burn, house! sink, Athens! henceforth hated be | ||
| Of Timon man and all humanity! | ||
| [Exit] | ||
| [Re-enter the Lords, Senators, &c] | ||
| First Lord | How now, my lords! | |
| Second Lord | Know you the quality of Lord Timon’s fury? | 105 |
| Third Lord | Push! did you see my cap? | |
| Fourth Lord | I have lost my gown. | |
| First Lord | He’s but a mad lord, and nought but humour sways him. | |
| He gave me a jewel th’ other day, and now he has | ||
| beat it out of my hat: did you see my jewel? | 110 | |
| Third Lord | Did you see my cap? | |
| Second Lord | Here ’tis. | |
| Fourth Lord | Here lies my gown. | |
| First Lord | Let’s make no stay. | |
| Second Lord | Lord Timon’s mad. | 115 |
| Third Lord | I feel ‘t upon my bones. | |
| Fourth Lord | One day he gives us diamonds, next day stones. | |
| [Exeunt] | ||
Timon of Athens, Act 4, Scene 1