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Timon of Athens: Act III, Scene 4

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Timon of Athens
Act III, Scene 4

Athens. A hall in Timon’s house.

  1. Enter Varro’s two Servants, meeting Titus and others, all
  2. servants of Timon’s creditors, to wait for his coming out.
  3. Then enter Lucius’ Servant and Hortensius.

Varro’s First Servant

1
  1. Well met, good morrow, Titus and Hortensius.

Titus

2
  1. The like to you, kind Varro.

Hortensius

3 - 4
  1.                              Lucius!
  2. What, do we meet together?

Lucius’s Servant

5 - 7
  1.                            Ay, and I think
  2. One business does command us all; for mine
  3. Is money.

Titus

8
  1. So is theirs and ours.
  1. Enter Philotus.

Lucius’s Servant

9
  1.                        And, sir, Philotus too!

Philotus

10
  1. Good day at once.

Lucius’s Servant

11 - 12
  1.                   Welcome, good brother.
  2. What do you think the hour?

Philotus

13
  1.                             Laboring for nine.

Lucius’s Servant

14
  1. So much?

Philotus

15
  1.          Is not my lord seen yet?

Lucius’s Servant

16
  1.                          Not yet.

Philotus

17
  1. I wonder on’t, he was wont to shine at seven.

Lucius’s Servant

18 - 23
  1. Ay, but the days are wax’d shorter with him.
  2. You must consider that a prodigal course
  3. Is like the sun’s, but not like his recoverable,
  4. I fear. ’Tis deepest winter in Lord Timon’s purse;
  5. That is, one may reach deep enough and yet
  6. Find little.

Philotus

24
  1.              I am of your fear for that.

Titus

25 - 26
  1. I’ll show you how t’ observe a strange event.
  2. Your lord sends now for money.

Hortensius

27
  1.                                Most true, he does.

Titus

28 - 29
  1. And he wears jewels now of Timon’s gift,
  2. For which I wait for money.

Hortensius

30
  1. It is against my heart.

Lucius’s Servant

31 - 34
  1.                         Mark how strange it shows,
  2. Timon in this should pay more than he owes;
  3. And e’en as if your lord should wear rich jewels
  4. And send for money for ’em.

Hortensius

35 - 37
  1. I’m weary of this charge, the gods can witness.
  2. I know my lord hath spent of Timon’s wealth,
  3. And now ingratitude makes it worse than stealth.

Varro’s First Servant

38
  1. Yes, mine’s three thousand crowns; what’s yours?

Lucius’s Servant

39
  1. Five thousand mine.

Varro’s First Servant

40 - 42
  1. ’Tis much deep, and it should seem by th’ sum
  2. Your master’s confidence was above mine,
  3. Else surely his had equall’d.
  1. Enter Flaminius.

Titus

43
  1. One of Lord Timon’s men.

Lucius’s Servant

44
  1. Flaminius? Sir, a word. Pray is my lord ready to come forth?

Flaminius

45
  1. No, indeed he is not.

Titus

46
  1. We attend his lordship; pray signify so much.

Flaminius

47
  1. I need not tell him that, he knows you are too diligent.
  1. Exit.
  1. Enter Steward Flavius in a cloak, muffled.

Lucius’s Servant

48 - 49
  1. Ha! Is not that his steward muffled so?
  2. He goes away in a cloud; call him, call him.

Titus

50
  1. Do you hear, sir?

Varro’s Second Servant

51
  1. By your leave, sir—

Flavius

52
  1. What do ye ask of me, my friend?

Titus

53
  1. We wait for certain money here, sir.

Flavius

54 - 64
  1.                                      Ay,
  2. If money were as certain as your waiting,
  3. ’Twere sure enough.
  4. Why then preferr’d you not your sums and bills
  5. When your false masters eat of my lord’s meat?
  6. Then they could smile, and fawn upon his debts,
  7. And take down th’ int’rest into their glutt’nous maws.
  8. You do yourselves but wrong to stir me up,
  9. Let me pass quietly.
  10. Believe’t, my lord and I have made an end:
  11. I have no more to reckon, he to spend.

Lucius’s Servant

65
  1. Ay, but this answer will not serve.

Flavius

66 - 67
  1. If ’twill not serve, ’tis not so base as you,
  2. For you serve knaves.
  1. Exit.

Varro’s First Servant

68
  1. How? What does his cashier’d worship mutter?

Varro’s Second Servant

69 - 71
  1. No matter what, he’s poor, and that’s revenge enough. Who
  2. can speak broader than he that has no house to put his head
  3. in? Such may rail against great buildings.
  1. Enter Servilius.

Titus

72
  1. O, here’s Servilius; now we shall know some answer.

Servilius

73 - 77
  1. If I might beseech you, gentlemen, to repair some other
  2. hour, I should derive much from’t; for take’t of my soul, my
  3. lord leans wondrously to discontent. His comfortable temper
  4. has forsook him, he’s much out of health, and keeps his
  5. chamber.

Lucius’s Servant

78 - 81
  1. Many do keep their chambers are not sick;
  2. And if it be so far beyond his health,
  3. Methinks he should the sooner pay his debts,
  4. And make a clear way to the gods.

Servilius

82
  1.                                   Good gods!

Titus

83
  1. We cannot take this for answer, sir.

Flaminius

84
  1. Within.
  2. Servilius, help! My lord, my lord!
  1. Enter Timon in a rage, Flaminius following.

Timon

85 - 89
  1. What, are my doors oppos’d against my passage?
  2. Have I been ever free, and must my house
  3. Be my retentive enemy? My jail?
  4. The place which I have feasted, does it now
  5. (Like all mankind) show me an iron heart?

Lucius’s Servant

90
  1. Put in now, Titus.

Titus

91
  1. My lord, here is my bill.

Lucius’s Servant

92
  1. Here’s mine.

Hortensius

93
  1. And mine, my lord.

Varro’s First and Second Servants

94
  1. And ours, my lord.

Philotus

95
  1. All our bills.

Timon

96
  1. Knock me down with ’em, cleave me to the girdle!

Lucius’s Servant

97
  1. Alas, my lord—

Timon

98
  1. Cut my heart in sums.

Titus

99
  1. Mine, fifty talents.

Timon

100
  1. Tell out my blood.

Lucius’s Servant

101
  1. Five thousand crowns, my lord.

Timon

102
  1. Five thousand drops pays that. What yours? And yours?

Varro’s First Servant

103
  1. My lord—

Varro’s Second Servant

104
  1. My lord—

Timon

105
  1. Tear me, take me, and the gods fall upon you!
  1. Exit Timon.

Hortensius

106 - 108
  1. Faith, I perceive our masters may throw their caps at their
  2. money. These debts may well be call’d desperate ones, for a
  3. madman owes ’em.
  1. Exeunt.
  1. Enter Timon and Flavius.

Timon

109 - 110
  1. They have e’en put my breath from me, the slaves.
  2. Creditors? Devils!

Flavius

111
  1. My dear lord—

Timon

112
  1. What if it should be so?

Flavius

113
  1. My lord—

Timon

114
  1. I’ll have it so. My steward!

Flavius

115
  1. Here, my lord.

Timon

116 - 118
  1. So fitly? Go, bid all my friends again,
  2. Lucius, Lucullus, and Sempronius—all.
  3. I’ll once more feast the rascals.

Flavius

119 - 122
  1.                                   O my lord,
  2. You only speak from your distracted soul;
  3. There’s not so much left to furnish out
  4. A moderate table.

Timon

123 - 125
  1.                   Be it not in thy care;
  2. Go, I charge thee, invite them all, let in the tide
  3. Of knaves once more; my cook and I’ll provide.
  1. Exeunt.
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