READ STUDY GUIDE: Act III, Scenes iv-vi |
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Act III, Scene iv:
A hall in TIMON'S House.
A hall in TIMON'S House.
| [Enter two Servants of VARRO, and the Servant of LUCIUS, meeting TITUS, HORTENSIUS, and other Servants to TIMON's Creditors,waiting his coming out.] |
| FIRST VARRO'S SERVANT. |
| Well met; good morrow, Titus and Hortensius. |
| TITUS.: |
| The like to you, kind Varro. |
| HORTENSIUS.: |
| Lucius! What! do we meet together! |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Ay, and I think one business does command us all; for mine is |
| money. |
| TITUS.: |
| So is theirs and ours. |
| [Enter PHILOTUS.] |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| And Sir Philotus too! |
| PHILOTUS.: |
| Good day at once. |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Wlcome, good brother. |
| What do you think the hour? |
| PHILOTUS.: |
| Labouring for nine. |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| So much? |
| PHILOTUS.: |
| Is not my lord seen yet? |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Not yet. |
| PHILOTUS.: |
| I wonder on't; he was wont to shine at seven. |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Ay, but the days are waxed 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; |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Mark, how strange it shows, |
| 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, |
| And now ingratitude makes it worse than stealth. |
| FIRST VARRO'S SERVANT. |
| Yes, mine's three thousand crowns; what's yours? |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Five thousand mine. |
| FIRST VARRO'S SERVANT. |
| 'Tis much deep: and it should seem by the sum, |
| Your master's confidence was above mine; |
| Else, surely, his had equall'd. |
| [Enter FLAMINIUS.] |
| TITUS.: |
| One of Lord Timon's men. |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Flaminius! Sir, a word. Pray, is my lord ready to |
| come forth? |
| 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 FLAMINUS.] |
| [Enter FLAVIUS, in a cloak, muffled.] |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Ha! is not that his steward muffled so? |
| He goes away in a cloud: call him, call him. |
| TITUS.: |
| Do you hear, sir? |
| SECOND VARRO'S SERVANT. |
| By your leave, sir. |
| FLAVIUS.: |
| What do you ask of me, my friend? |
| TITUS.: |
| We wait for certain money here, sir. |
| FLAVIUS.: |
| Ay, |
| 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, |
| 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; |
| I have no more to reckon, he to spend. |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Ay, but this answer will not serve. |
| FLAVIUS.: |
| If 'twill not serve, 'tis not so base as you; |
| For you serve knaves. |
| [Exit.] |
| FIRST VARRO'S SERVANT. |
| How! what does his cashiered worship mutter? |
| SECOND VARRO'S 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. |
| 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. |
| LUCIUS' 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! |
| 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 oppos'd against my passage? |
| Have I been ever free, and must my house |
| Be my retentive enemy, my gaol? |
| The place which I have feasted, does it now, |
| Like all mankind, show me an iron heart? |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Put in now, Titus. |
| TITUS.: |
| My lord, here is my bill. |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Here's mine. |
| 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. |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Alas, my lord— |
| TIMON.: |
| Cut my heart in sums. |
| TITUS.: |
| Mine, fifty talents. |
| TIMON.: |
| Tell out my blood. |
| LUCIUS' SERVANT. |
| Five thousand crowns, my lord. |
| TIMON.: |
| Five thousand drops pays that. What yours? and yours? |
| FIRST VARRO'S SERVANT. |
| My lord— |
| SECOND VARRO'S 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 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— |
| TIMON.: |
| What if it should be so? |
| FLAMINIUS.: |
| My lord— |
| TIMON.: |
| I'll have it so. My steward! |
| FLAVIUS.: |
| Here, my lord. |
| TIMON.: |
| So fitly! Go, bid all my friends again: |
| Lucius, Lucullus, and Sempronius; all: |
| I'll once more feast the rascals. |
| FLAVIUS.: |
| O my lord! |
| You only speak from your distracted soul; |
| There is not so much left to furnish out |
| A moderate table. |
| TIMON.: |
| Be it 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. |
| [Exeunt.] |
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