Apem. Let me stay at thy peril, Timon. I come to obferve. I give thee warning on't. Tim. I take no heed of thee; th'art an Athenian, therefore welcome; I myself would have no power. -Pr'ythee, let my meat make thee filent. Apem. I fcorn thy meat; 'twould choak me, for I fhould ne'er flatter thee. O you Gods! what a number of men eat Timon, and he fees 'em not? It grieves me to fee So many dip their meat in one man's blood, And, all the madnefs is, he cheers them up too: Is th' readiest man to kill him. 'T has been prov'd. I myself would have no power] If this be the true reading, the fenfe is, all Athenians are wel come to share my fortune: I would myfelf have no exclufive right or power in this houfe. Perhaps we might read, I myself would bave poor. I would have every Athenian confider himself as joint poffeffor of my fortune. 21 fearn thy meat, 'twould theak me: FOR I bould NE'ER fatter thee.] A very pretty reafon why his meat would choak him, because he fhould never flatter him. We fhould read and point this nonsense thus, Ifcorn thy meat: t'would choak thee. WARBURTON. Of this emendation there is little need. The meaning is, I could not fwallow thy meat, for I could not pay for it with flattery; and what was given me with an ill will would flick in my throat. 3 So many dip their meat in one man's blood,] The allufion is to a pack of hounds trained to purfuit by being gratified with the blood of the animal which they kill, and the wonder is that the animal on which they are feeding cheers them to the chafe. be cheers them up Too] I believe Shakespear wrote up to't. WARBURTON. I believe not. Left they should spy my + wind-pipe's dangerous notes; Great men fhould drink with harness on their throats. Tim. My Lord, in heart; and let the health go round. Lucul. Let it flow this way, my good Lord. Apém. Flow this way!-a brave fellow! he keeps his tides well. Thofe healths will make thee and thy ftate look ill, Timon Here's that which is too weak to be a finner, honeft water, which ne'er left man ith' mire; This and my food are equal. There's no odds. Immortal Gods, I crave no pelf; Rich men fin, and I eat root. [Eats and drinks. Much good dich thy good heart, Apemantus! now. Alc. My heart is ever at you fervice, my Lord. Tim. You had rather been at a breakfast of enemies, than a dinner of friends. Alc. So they were bleeding new, my Lord, there's wid pipe's dangerous notes;] The notes of the wind-pipe feem to be only the indications which fhew where the wind pipe is. 5 My Lord, in heart;] That is, my Lord's health with finceri ty. propofed thus: My Love in heart, but it is not necessary. An emendation has been no to meat like 'em. I could wish my friend at fuch a feaft. Apem. Would all these flatterers were thine enemies then; that thou might'ft kill 'em, and bid me D'em! Luc. Might we but have the happiness, my Lord, that you would once use our hearts, whereby we might expreís fome part of our zeals, we fhould think ourfelves for ever perfect. 8 Tim. Oh, no doubt, my good friends, but the gods themselves have provided that I should have much help from you; 7 how had you been my friends elfe? why have you that charitable title from thousands, did not you chiefly belong to my heart? I have told more of you to myself, than you can with modesty speak in your own behalf. And thus far I confirm you. Oh you Gods, think I, what need we have any friends, if we should never have need of 'em? they would most resemble sweet inftruments hung up in cafes, that keep their founds to themfelves. Why, I have oft wifht for ever perfect] That is, arrived at the perfection of hap pinefs. 7 bow bad you been my friends elfe? why have you that charitable title from tho: fands,] The Oxford Editor alters charitable title to character and title. He dil not know that charitable fig. nifies dear, endearing: no confequently understood what Milton meant by, Relations dear, and all the Charities Of father, fon, and brotherAlms, in Englife, are called Charities, and from thence we may collect that our ancestors knew well in what the virtue of almsgiving confifted; not in the act, but the difofition. WARB. 8 did not you chiey belong to my heart ?] I think it should be inverted thus: did I not chiefly belong to your hearts. Lucius wishes that Timon would give him and the reft an opportunity of. expreffing fome part of their zeals. Timon anfwers that, doubtless the Gods have providei that I should bave help from you; how else are you my friends? why are you ftiled my friends, if—what? if I do not love you. Such is the prefent reading; but the confe quence is not very clear; the proper clofe muft be, if you do not love me, and to this my alteration reftores it. 9 Ic nfirm you.] I fix your cha racters firmly in my own mind. my myfelf poorer, that I might come nearer to you. We are born to do benefits. And what better or properer can we call our own, than the riches of our friends? O, what a precious comfort 'tis to have fo many, like brothers, commanding one another's fortunes! '0 joy, e'en made away ere't can be born; mine eyes cannot hold water. Methinks to forget their faults, I drink to you. 3 Apem. Thou weep'ft to make them drink, Timox. Lucul. Joy had the like conception in our eyes, And at that inftant like a babe fprung up. Apem. Ho, ho! I laugh to think that babe a baftard. 3 Lord. I promise you, my Lord, you mov'd me much. Apem. Much! Sound Tucket. Tim. What means that trump? how now? Ojry, e'en made away ere't can be born;] For this Hanmer writes, O joy, e'en made a joy ere't can be born; and is followed by Dr. Warburton. I am always inclinable to think well of that which is approved by fo much learning and fagacity, yet cannot receive this alteration. Tears being the effect both of joy and grief fupplied our authour with an opportunity of conceit which he feldom fails to indulge. Timon weeping with a kind of tender pleasure, cries out, Ojoy, een made away, deftroyed, turn ed to tears, before it can be born, before it can be fully poeffed, mine eyes, &c.] In the ori ginal edition the words ftand thus: mine eyes cannot hold out water, methinks. To forget their faults, I drink to you. Perhaps the true reading is this, Mine eves cannot hold out; they water. Methinks, to forget their faults, I drink to you. 3 to make them drink,] Hanmer reads, to make them drink thee, and is again followed by Dr. Warburton, I think without fufficient reafon. The covert fenfe of Apemantus is, what thou lofeft they get. 4 like a tabe] That is, a weeping babe. Enter Enter Servant. Serv. Please you, my Lord, there are certain ladies moft defirous of admittance. Tim. Ladies? What are their wills? Serv. There comes with them a fore-runner, my Lord, which bears that office to fignify their pleasures. Tim. I pray, let them be admitted. Enter Cupid with a Mafque of Ladies, as Amazons, Th'Ear, Tafte, Touch, Smell, pleas'd from thy They only now come but to feaft thine eyes. Tim. They're welcome all; let 'em have kind ad mittance. Let mufick make their welcome, 3 In former copies : There tafte, touch, all pleas'd from thy Fable rife, They only now- The five fenfes are talked of by Cupid, but three of them only are made out; and thofe only in a very heavy unintelligible manner. It is plain therefore we should read. THEAR, tafle, touch, SMELL, pleas'd from thy Table rife, THESE only now, &c. i. the five fenfes, Timon, ac, knowledge thee their patron; four of them, viz. the hearing, |