酷兔英语

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TIMON. Does she love him?
OLD ATHENIAN. She is young and apt:

Our own precedent passions do instruct us
What levity's in youth.

TIMON. Love you the maid?
LUCILIUS. Ay, my good lord, and she accepts of it.

OLD ATHENIAN. If in her marriage my consent be missing,
I call the gods to witness I will choose

Mine heir from forth the beggars of the world,
And dispossess her all.

TIMON. How shall she be endow'd,
If she be mated with an equal husband?

OLD ATHENIAN. Three talents on the present; in future, all.
TIMON. This gentleman of mine hath serv'd me long;.

To build his fortune I will strain a little,
For 'tis a bond in men. Give him thy daughter:

What you bestow, in him I'll counterpoise,
And make him weigh with her.

OLD ATHENIAN. Most noble lord,
Pawn me to this your honour, she is his.

TIMON. My hand to thee; mine honour on my promise.
LUCILIUS. Humbly I thank your lordship. Never may

That state or fortune fall into my keeping
Which is not owed to you!

Exeunt LUCILIUS and OLD ATHENIAN
POET. [Presenting his poem] Vouchsafe my labour, and long live your

lordship!
TIMON. I thank you; you shall hear from me anon;

Go not away. What have you there, my friend?
PAINTER. A piece of painting, which I do beseech

Your lordship to accept.
TIMON. Painting is welcome.

The painting is almost the natural man;
For since dishonour traffics with man's nature,

He is but outside; these pencill'd figures are
Even such as they give out. I like your work,

And you shall find I like it; wait attendance
Till you hear further from me.

PAINTER. The gods preserve ye!
TIMON. Well fare you, gentleman. Give me your hand;

We must needs dine together. Sir, your jewel
Hath suffered under praise.

JEWELLER. What, my lord! Dispraise?
TIMON. A mere satiety of commendations;

If I should pay you for't as 'tis extoll'd,
It would unclew me quite.

JEWELLER. My lord, 'tis rated
As those which sell would give; but you well know

Things of like value, differing in the owners,
Are prized by their masters. Believe't, dear lord,

You mend the jewel by the wearing it.
TIMON. Well mock'd.

Enter APEMANTUS
MERCHANT. No, my good lord; he speaks the common tongue,

Which all men speak with him.
TIMON. Look who comes here; will you be chid?

JEWELLER. We'll bear, with your lordship.
MERCHANT. He'll spare none.

TIMON. Good morrow to thee, gentle Apemantus!
APEMANTUS. Till I be gentle, stay thou for thy good morrow;

When thou art Timon's dog, and these knaves honest.
TIMON. Why dost thou call them knaves? Thou know'st them not.

APEMANTUS. Are they not Athenians?
TIMON. Yes.

APEMANTUS. Then I repent not.
JEWELLER. You know me, Apemantus?

APEMANTUS. Thou know'st I do; I call'd thee by thy name.
TIMON. Thou art proud, Apemantus.

APEMANTUS. Of nothing so much as that I am not like Timon.
TIMON. Whither art going?

APEMANTUS. To knock out an honest Athenian's brains.
TIMON. That's a deed thou't die for.

APEMANTUS. Right, if doing nothing be death by th' law.
TIMON. How lik'st thou this picture, Apemantus?

APEMANTUS. The best, for the innocence.
TIMON. Wrought he not well that painted it?

APEMANTUS. He wrought better that made the painter; and yet he's
but a filthy piece of work.

PAINTER. Y'are a dog.
APEMANTUS. Thy mother's of my generation; what's she, if I be a dog?

TIMON. Wilt dine with me, Apemantus?
APEMANTUS. No; I eat not lords.

TIMON. An thou shouldst, thou'dst anger ladies.
APEMANTUS. O, they eat lords; so they come by great bellies.

TIMON. That's a lascivious apprehension.
APEMANTUS. So thou apprehend'st it take it for thy labour.

TIMON. How dost thou like this jewel, Apemantus?
APEMANTUS. Not so well as plain dealing, which will not cost a man

a doit.
TIMON. What dost thou think 'tis worth?

APEMANTUS. Not worth my thinking. How now, poet!
POET. How now, philosopher!

APEMANTUS. Thou liest.
POET. Art not one?

APEMANTUS. Yes.
POET. Then I lie not.

APEMANTUS. Art not a poet?
POET. Yes.

APEMANTUS. Then thou liest. Look in thy last work, where thou hast
feign'd him a worthy fellow.

POET. That's not feign'd- he is so.
APEMANTUS. Yes, he is worthy of thee, and to pay thee for thy

labour. He that loves to be flattered is worthy o' th' flatterer.
Heavens, that I were a lord!

TIMON. What wouldst do then, Apemantus?
APEMANTUS. E'en as Apemantus does now: hate a lord with my heart.

TIMON. What, thyself?
APEMANTUS. Ay.

TIMON. Wherefore?
APEMANTUS. That I had no angry wit to be a lord.- Art not thou a

merchant?
MERCHANT. Ay, Apemantus.

APEMANTUS. Traffic confound thee, if the gods will not!
MERCHANT. If traffic do it, the gods do it.

APEMANTUS. Traffic's thy god, and thy god confound thee!
Trumpet sounds. Enter a MESSENGER

TIMON. What trumpet's that?
MESSENGER. 'Tis Alcibiades, and some twenty horse,

All of companionship.
TIMON. Pray entertain them; give them guide to us.

Exeunt some attendants
You must needs dine with me. Go not you hence

Till I have thank'd you. When dinner's done
Show me this piece. I am joyful of your sights.

Enter ALCIBIADES, with the rest
Most welcome, sir! [They salute]

APEMANTUS. So, so, there!
Aches contract and starve your supple joints!

That there should be small love amongst these sweet knaves,
And all this courtesy! The strain of man's bred out

Into baboon and monkey.
ALCIBIADES. Sir, you have sav'd my longing, and I feed

Most hungerly on your sight.
TIMON. Right welcome, sir!

Ere we depart we'll share a bounteous time
In different pleasures. Pray you, let us in.

Exeunt all but APEMANTUS
Enter two LORDS

FIRST LORD. What time o' day is't, Apemantus?
APEMANTUS. Time to be honest.

FIRST LORD. That time serves still.
APEMANTUS. The more accursed thou that still omit'st it.

SECOND LORD. Thou art going to Lord Timon's feast.
APEMANTUS. Ay; to see meat fill knaves and wine heat fools.

SECOND LORD. Fare thee well, fare thee well.
APEMANTUS. Thou art a fool to bid me farewell twice.

SECOND LORD. Why, Apemantus?
APEMANTUS. Shouldst have kept one to thyself, for I mean to give

thee none.
FIRST LORD. Hang thyself.

APEMANTUS. No, I will do nothing at thy bidding; 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 o' th' 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.
A room of state in TIMON'S house

Hautboys playing loud music. A great banquet serv'd in;
FLAVIUS and others attending; and then enter LORD TIMON,

the states, the ATHENIAN LORDS, VENTIDIUS, which TIMON redeem'd
from prison. Then comes, dropping after all, APEMANTUS,

discontentedly, like himself
VENTIDIUS. Most honoured 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 gratefulvirtue 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!

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, th'art a churl; ye have got a humour there


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