Timon of Athens | Page 6

make thy requests to thy friend.
SECOND LORD. Away, unpeaceable dog! or I'll spurn thee hence.
APEMANTUS. I will fly, like a dog, the heels of an ass.
[Exit.]
FIRST LORD. He's opposite to humanity. Come, shall we in, And taste Lord Timon's bounty? he outgoes The very heart of kindness.
SECOND LORD. He pours it out; Plutus, the god of gold, Is but his steward: no meed but he repays Sevenfold above itself; no gift to him But breeds the giver a return exceeding All use of quittance.
FIRST LORD. The noblest mind he carries That ever govern'd man.
SECOND LORD. Long may he live in fortunes! Shall we in?
FIRST LORD. I'll keep you company.
[Exeunt.]

Scene II.-- The Same. A room of state in TIMON'S House.
[Hautboys playing loud music. A great banquet served in; FLAVIUS and Others attending: then enter LORD TIMON, ALCIBIADES, Lords, and Senators, VENTIDIUS and Attendants. Then comes, dropping after all, APEMANTUS, discontentedly, like himself.]
VENTIDIUS. Most honour'd Timon, It hath pleas'd the gods to remember my father's age, And call him to long peace. He is gone happy, and has left me rich: Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound To your free heart, I do return those talents, Doubled with thanks and service, from whose help I deriv'd liberty.
TIMON. O! by no means, Honest Ventidius: you mistake my love; I gave it freely ever; and there's none Can truly say he gives, if he receives: If our betters play at that game, we must not dare To imitate them; faults that are rich are fair.
VENTIDIUS. A noble spirit.
[They all stand ceremoniously looking on TIMON.]
TIMON. Nay, my lords, ceremony was but devis'd at first To set a gloss on faint deeds, hollow welcomes, Recanting goodness, sorry ere 'tis shown; But where there is true friendship there needs none. Pray, sit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes Than my fortunes to me.
[They sit.]
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, You shall not make me welcome: I come to have thee thrust me out of doors.
TIMON. Fie! thou'rt a churl; ye've got a humour there Does not become a man; 'tis much to blame. They say, my lords, Ira furor brevis est; But yond man is ever angry. Go, let him have a table by himself; For he does neither affect company, Nor is he fit for it, indeed.
APEMANTUS. Let me stay at thine apperil, Timon: I come to observe; I give thee warning on't.
TIMON. I take no heed of thee; thou'rt an Athenian, therefore, welcome. I myself would have no power; prithee; let my meat make thee silent.
APEMANTUS. I scorn thy meat; 't'would choke me, for I should Ne'er flatter thee. O you gods! what a number Of men eats Timon, and he sees 'em not! It grieves me to see so many dip their meat In one man's blood; and all the madness is, He cheers them up too. I wonder men dare trust themselves with men: Methinks they should invite them without knives; Good for their meat, and safer for their lives. There's much example for 't; the fellow that Sits next him now, parts bread with him, pledges The breath of him in a divided draught, Is the readiest man to kill him: 't has been prov'd. If I were a huge man, I should fear to drink at meals; Lest they should spy my wind-pipe's dangerous notes: 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 well. Those healths will make thee and thy state look ill, Timon. Here's that which is too weak to be a sinner, Honest water, which ne'er left man i' the mire: This and my food are equals; there's no odds: Feasts are too proud to give thanks to the gods. Immortal gods, I crave no pelf; I pray for no man but myself. Grant I may never prove so fond To trust man on his oath or bond; Or a harlot for her weeping; Or a dog that seems a-sleeping; Or a keeper with my freedom; Or my friends, if I should need 'em. Amen. So fall to't. Rich men sin, and I eat root.
[Eats and drinks.]
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 dinner of friends.
ALCIBIADES. So they were bleeding--new, my lord, there's no meat like 'em: I could wish my best friend at such a feast.
APEMANTUS. 'Would all those flatterers were thine enemies then, that then thou mightst