Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare
Act 1 - Scene 2
A banqueting-room in Timon’s house.
Ventidius : Most honour'd Timon,
[p]It hath pleased the gods to remember my
father's age,
[p]And call him to long peace.
[p]He is gone happy, and
has left me rich:
[p]Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound
[p]To your
free heart, I do return those talents,
[p]Doubled with thanks and
service, from whose help
[p]I derived liberty.
Timon : O, by no means,
[p]Honest Ventidius; you mistake my love:
[p]I gave it
freely ever; and there's none
[p]Can truly say he gives, if he
receives:
[p]If our betters play at that game, we must not dare
[p]To
imitate them; faults that are rich are fair.
Ventidius : A noble spirit!
Timon : Nay, my lords,
[p][They all stand ceremoniously looking on
TIMON]
[p]Ceremony was but devised at first
[p]To set a gloss on faint
deeds, hollow welcomes,
[p]Recanting goodness, sorry ere 'tis
shown;
[p]But where there is true friendship, there needs
none.
[p]Pray, sit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes
[p]Than my
fortunes to me.
First Lord : My lord, we always have confess'd it.
Apemantus : Ho, ho, confess'd it! hang'd it, have you not?
Timon : O, Apemantus, you are welcome.
Apemantus : No;
[p]You shall not make me welcome:
[p]I come to have thee thrust me
out of doors.
Timon : Fie, thou'rt a churl; ye've got a humour there
[p]Does not become a
man: 'tis much to blame.
[p]They say, my lords, 'ira furor brevis
est;' but yond
[p]man is ever angry. Go, let him have a table
by
[p]himself, for he does neither affect company, nor is
[p]he fit
for't, indeed.
Apemantus : Let me stay at thine apperil, Timon: I come to
[p]observe; I give thee
warning on't.
Timon : I take no heed of thee; thou'rt an Athenian,
[p]therefore welcome: I
myself would have no power;
[p]prithee, let my meat make thee silent.
Apemantus : I scorn thy meat; 'twould choke me, for I should
[p]ne'er flatter
thee. O you gods, what a number of
[p]men eat Timon, and he sees 'em
not! It grieves me
[p]to see so many dip their meat in one man's
blood;
[p]and all the madness is, he cheers them up too.
[p]I wonder
men dare trust themselves with men:
[p]Methinks they should invite
them without knives;
[p]Good for their meat, and safer for their
lives.
[p]There's much example for't; the fellow that sits
[p]next him
now, parts bread with him, pledges the
[p]breath of him in a divided
draught, is the readiest
[p]man to kill him: 't has been proved. If I
were a
[p]huge man, I should fear to drink at meals;
[p]Lest they
should spy my windpipe's dangerous notes:
[p]Great men should drink
with harness on their throats.
Timon : My lord, in heart; and let the health go round.
Second Lord : Let it flow this way, my good lord.
Apemantus : Flow this way! A brave fellow! he keeps his tides
[p]well. Those
healths will make thee and thy state
[p]look ill, Timon. Here's that
which is too weak to
[p]be a sinner, honest water, which ne'er left
man i' the mire:
[p]This and my food are equals; there's no
odds:
[p]Feasts are too proud to give thanks to the
gods.
[p]Apemantus' grace.
[p]Immortal gods, I crave no pelf;
[p]I
pray for no man but myself:
[p]Grant I may never prove so fond,
[p]To
trust man on his oath or bond;
[p]Or a harlot, for her weeping;
[p]Or
a dog, that seems a-sleeping:
[p]Or a keeper with my freedom;
[p]Or my
friends, if I should need 'em.
[p]Amen. So fall to't:
[p]Rich men sin,
and I eat root.
[p][Eats and drinks]
[p]Much good dich thy good heart,
Apemantus!
Timon : Captain Alcibiades, your heart's in the field now.
Alcibiades : My heart is ever at your service, my lord.
Timon : You had rather be at a breakfast of enemies than a
[p]dinner of
friends.
Alcibiades : So the were bleeding-new, my lord, there's no meat
[p]like 'em: I
could wish my best friend at such a feast.
Apemantus : Would all those fatterers were thine enemies then,
[p]that then thou
mightst kill 'em and bid me to 'em!
First Lord : Might we but have that happiness, my lord, that you
[p]would once use
our hearts, whereby we might express
[p]some part of our zeals, we
should think ourselves
[p]for ever perfect.
Timon : O, no doubt, my good friends, but the gods
[p]themselves have provided
that I shall have much help
[p]from you: how had you been my friends
else? why
[p]have you that charitable title from thousands, did
[p]not
you chiefly belong to my heart? I have told
[p]more of you to myself
than you can with modesty
[p]speak in your own behalf; and thus far I
confirm
[p]you. O you gods, think I, what need we have any
[p]friends,
if we should ne'er have need of 'em? they
[p]were the most needless
creatures living, should we
[p]ne'er have use for 'em, and would most
resemble
[p]sweet instruments hung up in cases that keep
their
[p]sounds to themselves. Why, I have often wished
[p]myself
poorer, that I might come nearer to you. We
[p]are born to do
benefits: and what better or
[p]properer can we can our own than the
riches of our
[p]friends? O, what a precious comfort 'tis, to
have
[p]so many, like brothers, commanding one another's
[p]fortunes!
O joy, e'en made away ere 't can be born!
[p]Mine eyes cannot hold out
water, methinks: to
[p]forget their faults, I drink to you.
Apemantus : Thou weepest to make them drink, Timon.
Second Lord : Joy had the like conception in our eyes
[p]And at that instant like a
babe sprung up.
Apemantus : Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a bastard.
Third Lord : I promise you, my lord, you moved me much.
Apemantus : Much!
Timon : What means that trump?
[p][Enter a Servant]
[p]How now?
Servant : Please you, my lord, there are certain
[p]ladies most desirous of
admittance.
Timon : Ladies! what are their wills?
Servant : There comes with them a forerunner, my lord, which
[p]bears that
office, to signify their pleasures.
Timon : I pray, let them be admitted.
Cupid : Hail to thee, worthy Timon, and to all
[p]That of his bounties taste!
The five best senses
[p]Acknowledge thee their patron; and come
freely
[p]To gratulate thy plenteous bosom: th' ear,
[p]Taste, touch
and smell, pleased from thy tale rise;
[p]They only now come but to
feast thine eyes.
Timon : They're welcome all; let 'em have kind admittance:
[p]Music, make
their welcome!
First Lord : You see, my lord, how ample you're beloved.
[p][Music. Re-enter Cupid
with a mask of Ladies]
[p]as Amazons, with lutes in their
hands,
[p]dancing and playing]
Apemantus : Hoy-day, what a sweep of vanity comes this way!
[p]They dance! they
are mad women.
[p]Like madness is the glory of this life.
[p]As this
pomp shows to a little oil and root.
[p]We make ourselves fools, to
disport ourselves;
[p]And spend our flatteries, to drink those
men
[p]Upon whose age we void it up again,
[p]With poisonous spite and
envy.
[p]Who lives that's not depraved or depraves?
[p]Who dies, that
bears not one spurn to their graves
[p]Of their friends' gift?
[p]I
should fear those that dance before me now
[p]Would one day stamp upon
me: 't has been done;
[p]Men shut their doors against a setting
sun.
[p][The Lords rise from table, with much adoring of]
[p]TIMON;
and to show their loves, each singles out an
[p]Amazon, and all dance,
men with women, a lofty
[p]strain or two to the hautboys, and cease]
Timon : You have done our pleasures much grace, fair ladies,
[p]Set a fair
fashion on our entertainment,
[p]Which was not half so beautiful and
kind;
[p]You have added worth unto 't and lustre,
[p]And entertain'd
me with mine own device;
[p]I am to thank you for 't.
First Lady : My lord, you take us even at the best.
Apemantus : 'Faith, for the worst is filthy; and would not hold
[p]taking, I doubt
me.
Timon : Ladies, there is an idle banquet attends you:
[p]Please you to dispose
yourselves.
All Ladies : Most thankfully, my lord.
Timon : Flavius.
Flavius : My lord?
Timon : The little casket bring me hither.
Flavius : Yes, my lord. More jewels yet!
[p]There is no crossing him in 's
humour;
[p][Aside]
[p]Else I should tell him,--well, i' faith I
should,
[p]When all's spent, he 'ld be cross'd then, an he
could.
[p]'Tis pity bounty had not eyes behind,
[p]That man might
ne'er be wretched for his mind.
First Lord : Where be our men?
Servant : Here, my lord, in readiness.
Second Lord : Our horses!
Timon : O my friends,
[p]I have one word to say to you: look you, my good
lord,
[p]I must entreat you, honour me so much
[p]As to advance this
jewel; accept it and wear it,
[p]Kind my lord.
First Lord : I am so far already in your gifts,--
All : So are we all.
Servant : My lord, there are certain nobles of the senate
[p]Newly alighted, and
come to visit you.
Timon : They are fairly welcome.
Flavius : I beseech your honour,
[p]Vouchsafe me a word; it does concern you
near.
Timon : Near! why then, another time I'll hear thee:
[p]I prithee, let's be
provided to show them
[p]entertainment.
Flavius : [Aside] I scarce know how.
Second Servant : May it please your honour, Lord Lucius,
[p]Out of his free love, hath
presented to you
[p]Four milk-white horses, trapp'd in silver.
Timon : I shall accept them fairly; let the presents
[p]Be worthily
entertain'd.
[p][Enter a third Servant]
[p]How now! what news?
Third Servant : Please you, my lord, that honourable
[p]gentleman, Lord Lucullus,
entreats your company
[p]to-morrow to hunt with him, and has sent your
honour
[p]two brace of greyhounds.
Timon : I'll hunt with him; and let them be received,
[p]Not without fair
reward.
Flavius : [Aside] What will this come to?
[p]He commands us to provide, and give
great gifts,
[p]And all out of an empty coffer:
[p]Nor will he know
his purse, or yield me this,
[p]To show him what a beggar his heart
is,
[p]Being of no power to make his wishes good:
[p]His promises fly
so beyond his state
[p]That what he speaks is all in debt; he
owes
[p]For every word: he is so kind that he now
[p]Pays interest for
't; his land's put to their books.
[p]Well, would I were gently put
out of office
[p]Before I were forced out!
[p]Happier is he that has
no friend to feed
[p]Than such that do e'en enemies exceed.
[p]I bleed
inwardly for my lord.
Timon : You do yourselves
[p]Much wrong, you bate too much of your own
merits:
[p]Here, my lord, a trifle of our love.
Second Lord : With more than common thanks I will receive it.
Third Lord : O, he's the very soul of bounty!
Timon : And now I remember, my lord, you gave
[p]Good words the other day of a
bay courser
[p]I rode on: it is yours, because you liked it.
Second Lord : O, I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, in that.
Timon : You may take my word, my lord; I know, no man
[p]Can justly praise but
what he does affect:
[p]I weigh my friend's affection with mine
own;
[p]I'll tell you true. I'll call to you.
All Lords : O, none so welcome.
Timon : I take all and your several visitations
[p]So kind to heart, 'tis not
enough to give;
[p]Methinks, I could deal kingdoms to my
friends,
[p]And ne'er be weary. Alcibiades,
[p]Thou art a soldier,
therefore seldom rich;
[p]It comes in charity to thee: for all thy
living
[p]Is 'mongst the dead, and all the lands thou hast
[p]Lie in a
pitch'd field.
Alcibiades : Ay, defiled land, my lord.
First Lord : We are so virtuously bound--
Timon : And so
[p]Am I to you.
Second Lord : So infinitely endear'd--
Timon : All to you. Lights, more lights!
First Lord : The best of happiness,
[p]Honour and fortunes, keep with you, Lord
Timon!
Timon : Ready for his friends.
Apemantus : What a coil's here!
[p]Serving of becks and jutting-out of bums!
[p]I
doubt whether their legs be worth the sums
[p]That are given for 'em.
Friendship's full of dregs:
[p]Methinks, false hearts should never
have sound legs,
[p]Thus honest fools lay out their wealth on
court'sies.
Timon : Now, Apemantus, if thou wert not sullen, I would be
[p]good to thee.
Apemantus : No, I'll nothing: for if I should be bribed too,
[p]there would be
none left to rail upon thee, and then
[p]thou wouldst sin the faster.
Thou givest so long,
[p]Timon, I fear me thou wilt give away thyself
in
[p]paper shortly: what need these feasts, pomps
and
[p]vain-glories?
Timon : Nay, an you begin to rail on society once, I am
[p]sworn not to give
regard to you. Farewell; and come
[p]with better music.
Apemantus : So:
[p]Thou wilt not hear me now; thou shalt not then:
[p]I'll lock
thy heaven from thee.
[p]O, that men's ears should be
[p]To counsel
deaf, but not to flattery!
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Next: Act 2 - Scene 1
