Timon of Athens
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] |
Timon of Athens, Act 3, Scene 5