OLD ATH. Most noble Timon, call the man before thee. TIM. Attends he here, or no?—Lucilius ! Enter LUCILIUS. Luc. Here, at your lordship's fervice. OLD ATH. This fellow here, lord Timon, this thy creature, By night frequents my houfe. I am a man TIM. Well; what further? OLD ATH. One only daughter have I, no kin else, On whom I may confer what I have got : The maid is fair, o'the youngest for a bride, And I have bred her at my dearest cost, In qualities of the beft. This man of thine Attempts her love: I pr'ythee, noble lord, Join with me to forbid him her refort; Myfelf have spoke in vain. TIM. The man is honeft. OLD ATH. Therefore he will be, Timon :4 Therefore he will be, Timon:] The thought is closely expreffed, and obfcure: but this feems the meaning: "If the man be honest, my lord, for that reafon he will be fo in this; and not endeavour at the injuftice of gaining my daughter without my confent." WARBURTON. I rather think an emendation neceffary, and read: His honefty rewards him in itself. That is, "If he is honeft, bene fit illi, I with him the proper happiness of an honeft man, but his honefty gives him no claim to my daughter." The firft tranfcriber probably wrote-will be His honefty rewards him in itself, TIM. Does the love him? OLD ATH. She is young, and apt : TIM. [TO LUCILIUS.] Love you the maid? I call the gods to witness, I will choose with him, which the next, not understanding, changed to,-ke will be. JOHNSON. I think Dr. Warburton's explanation is best, because it exacts no change. So, in King Henry VIII: 66 May he continue Long in his highness' favour; and do justice "For truth's fake and his confcience." Again, more appofitely, in Cymbeline: "This hath been "Your faithful fervant: I dare lay mine honour Therefore he will be, Timon:] Therefore he will continue to be fo, and is fure of being sufficiently rewarded by the confcioufnefs of virtue; and he does not need the additional blessing of a beautiful and accomplished wife. It has been objected, I forget by whom, if the old Athenian means to say that Lucilius will fill continue to be virtuous, what occafion has he to apply to Timon to interfere relative to this marriage? But this is making Shakspeare write by the card. The words mean, undoubtedly, that he will be honeft in his general conduct through life; in every other action except that now complained of. MALONE. Othello: bear my daughter.] A fimilar expreffion occurs in "What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe, Mine heir from forth the beggars of the world, TIM. How fhall fhe be endow'd, If the be mated with an equal husband ?6 OLD ATH. Three talents, on the prefent; in future, all. TIM. This gentleman of mine hath ferv'd me long; To build his fortune, I will ftrain a little, For 'tis a bond in men. Give him thy daughter: What you beftow, in him I'll counterpoife, And make him weigh with her. OLD ATH. Most noble lord, Pawn me to this your honour, fhe is his. TIM. My hand to thee; mine honour on my promise. Luc. Humbly I thank your lordship: Never may That state or fortune fall into my keeping, Which is not ow'd to you !7 [Exeunt LUCILIUS and old Athenian. • And difpoffefs her all. Tim. How shall he be endow'd, If the be mated with an equal husband?] The players, thofe avowed enemies to even a common ellipfis, have here again difordered the metre by interpolation. Will a fingle idea of our author's have been loft, if, omitting the useless and repeated words-fhe be, we fhould regulate the paffage thus: How fhall fhe be Endow'd, if mated with an equal husband? Never may That State or fortune fall into my keeping, STEEVENS. Which is not ow'd to you!] The meaning is, let me never henceforth confider any thing that I poffefs, but as owed or due to you; held for your service, and at your difpofal. JOHNSON, So Lady Macbeth fays to Duncan ; POET. Vouchfafe my labour, and long live lordship! your TIM. I thank you; you shall hear from me anon: Go not away. What have you there, my friend? PAIN. A piece of painting, which I do befeech Your lordship to accept. TIM. Painting is welcome. For fince dishonour trafficks with man's nature, PAIN. The gods preferve you! TIM. Well fare you, gentlemen: Give me your hand; We must needs dine together.-Sir, your jewel JEW. What, my lord? dispraise? TIM. A meer fatiety of commendations. If I fhould pay you for't as 'tis extoll'd, It would unclew me quite.? "Your fervants ever "Have theirs, themfelves, and what is theirs, in compt, "To make their audit at your highnefs' pleasure, "Still to return your own." MALONE. -pencil'd figures are Even fuch as they give out.] Pictures have no hypocrisy; they are what they profefs to be. 9 JOHNSON. unclew me quite.] To unclew is to unwind a ball of thread. To unclew a man, is to draw out the whole mass of his fortunes. JOHNSON. So, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona : JEW. My lord, 'tis rated As those, which fell, would give: But you well know, Things of like value, differing in the owners, TIM. Well mock'd. MER. No, my good lord; he speaks the common tongue, Which all men speak with him. TIM. Look, who comes here. Will you be chid? Enter APEMANTUS.3 JEW. We will bear, with your lordship. MER. He'll fpare none. TIM. Good morrow to thee, gentle Apemantus! row; "Therefore as you unwind her love from him,— See Vol. IV. p. 259, n. 8. STEEVENS. Are prized by their masters:] Are rated according to the efteem in which their poffeffor is held. JOHNSON. 2 by wearing it.] Old copy-by the wearing it. STEEVENS. 3 Enter Apemantus.] See this character of a cynick finely drawn by Lucian, in his Auction of the Philofophers; and how well Shakspeare has copied it. WARBURTON. flay for -] Old copy-ftay thou for. With Sir T. Hannier I have omitted the ufelefs thou, (which the compofitor's eye might have caught from the following line,) because STEEVENS. it diforders the metre. |