How goes our reck'ning?

Tim. To Lacedemon did my land extend.

Flav. O my good Lord, the world is but a word? Were it all yours, to give it in a breath,

How quickly were it gone !

Tim. You tell me true.

Flav. If you fufpect my husbandry, or falfhood, Call me before th' exacteft Auditors,

And fet me on the proof. So the Gods blefs me,
When all our Offices have been oppreft

With riotous feeders; when our vaults have wept
With drunken fpilth of wine; when every room
Hath blaz'd with lights, and bray'd with minstrelfy;
I have retir'd me to a wasteful cock,

And fet mine eyes at flow.

Tim. Pr'ythee, no more.

Flav. Heav'ns! have I faid, the bounty of this Lord!

How many prodigal bits have flaves and peafants

aked, what a Lord feldom And this is the right.

knows,

How goes our reck’ning :

The

meaning is, as the world itself may be comprised in a word,

WARBURTON.

But the Steward was too well fa- you might give it away in a tisfied in that matter. I would breath. read therefore,

6a wafleful cock, i. e. a cockloft, a garret. And a wafeful cock fignifies a garret lying in wafte, neglected, put to no use.

HANMER.

Hanmer's explanation is received by Dr. Warburton, yet I think them both apparently miftaken. A wasteful cock is a cock or pipe with a turning ftopple running to wafte. In this fenfe both the terms have their usual meaning; but I know not that cock is ever used for cockloft, or wasteful, for lying in waste, or that lying in wafte is at all a phrafe.

This night englutted! Who now is not Timon's!
What heart, head, fword, force, means, but is Lord
Timon's?

Great Timon's, noble, worthy, royal Timon's ?
Ah! when the means are gone, that buy this praise,
The breath is gone whereof this praise is made;
Feaft-won, faft-loft; one cloud of winter fhow'rs,
Thefe flies are coucht.

Tim. Come, fermon me no further.

No villainous bounty yet hath paft my heart;
Unwifely, not ignobly, have I giv'n."

Why doft thou weep? canft thou the confcience lack,
To think I fhall lack friends? fecure thy heart;
If I would broach the veffels of my love,

7 And try the arguments of hearts by borrowing,
Men and men's fortunes could I frankly use,
As I can bid thee speak.

Flav. Affurance blefs your thoughts!

Tim. And in fome fort thefe wants of mine are crown'd,

That I account them bleffings; for by these

Shall I try friends. You fhall perceive how you
Miftake my fortunes: I'm wealthy in my friends.
Within there, Ho! Servilius, Flaminius!

Enter Flaminius, Servilius, and other fervants.

Serv. My Lord, my Lord.

Tim. I will difpatch you fev'rally.

You to Lord Lucius-to Lord Lucullus, you.-I hunt

7 And try the arguments-] Arguments, for natures. WARB. How arguments fhould ftand

for natures I do not fee. But the licentioufness of our authour for

ces us often upon far fetched expofitions. Arguments may nean contents, as the arguments of a book, or evidences and proofs.

ed

ed with his Honour to day-You to Sempronius-Commend me to their loves; and I am proud, fay, that my occafions have found time to use 'em toward a fupply of money. Let the request be fifty talents.

Flam. As you have faid, my Lord.

Flav. Lord Lucius and Lucullus? hum

Tim. Go, you, Sir, to the Senators; To Flavius. Of whom, even to the State's best health, I have Deferv'd this hearing; bid 'em fend o'th' inftant A thousand talents to me.

Flav. I've been bold,

For that I knew it the moft gen'ral way,
To them to use your fignet and your name;
But they do fhake their heads, and I am here
No richer in Return.

Tim. Is't true? can't be?

Flav. They answer in a joint and corporate voice, That now they are at Fall, want Treasure, cannot Do what they would; are forry-You are honourableBut yet they could have wifh't-They know notSomething hath been amifs-a noble naturę

May catch a wrench-'Would all were well-'Tis pityAnd fo intending other ferious matters,

After diftasteful looks, and these hard fractions,
With certain half-caps, and 3 cold moving nods,
They froze me into filence.

Tim. You Gods reward them!

I pr'ythee, man, look cheerly. Thefe old fellows
* Have their Ingratitude in them hereditary;
Their blood is cak'd, 'tis cold, it feldom flows,
'Tis lack of kindly warmth, they are not kind;
And, nature as it grows again tow'rd earth,
Is fashion'd for the journey, dull and heavy.
Go to Ventidius-Pr'ythee, be not fad,
Thou'rt true, and juft; ingenuously I speak,
No Blame belongs to thee.-Ventidius lately
Bury'd his father, by whofe death he's stepp'd
Into a great eftate; when he was poor,
Imprifon'd, and in fcarcity of friends,

I clear'd him with five talents. Greet him from me;
Bid him fuppofe, fome good neceflity

Touches his friend, which craves to be remember'd With thofe five talents. That had, give't thefe fellows To whom 'tis inftant due. Ne'er fpeak, or think, That Timon's fortunes 'mong his friends can fink. Stew. 'Would, I could not: that thought is bounty's foe;

Being free itfelf, it thinks all other fo.

[Exeunt.

I

ACT III. SCENE I.

Lucullus's House in Athens.

Flaminius waiting, Enter a Servant to him.

SERVANT.

Have told my Lord of you; he is coming down

to you.

Flam. I thank you, Sir.

Enter Lucullus.

Serv. Here's my Lord.

Lucul. [Afide.] One of Lord Timon's men; a gift, I warrant. Why, this hits right: I dreamt of a filver bafon and ewre to-night. Flaminius, honeft Flaminius, you are very refpectively welcome, Sir.-Fill me fome wine. And how does that honourable, complete, free-hearted Gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful good Lord and mafter?

Flam. His health is well, Sir.

Lucul. I am right glad that his health is well, Sir; and what haft thou there under thy cloak, pretty Flaminius?

Flam. 'Faith, nothing but an empty box, Sir, which, in my Lord's behalf, I come to entreat your Honour to fupply, who, having great and inftant occafion to ufe fifty talents, hath fent to your Lordship to furnish him, nothing doubting your prefent affistance therein.

Lucul. La, la, la, la,-Nothing doubting, fays he? alas, good Lord. A noble gentleman 'tis, if he would not keep fo good a houfe. Many a time and often I ha' din'd with him, and told him on't; and come again to fupper to him, on purpofe to have him fpend lefs; and yet he would embrace no counsel, take no

warn