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Trumpets found. Enter TIMON, attended; the Ser vant of Ventidius talking with him.

TIM.

Imprifon'd is he, fay you?*

VEN. SERV. Ay, my good lord: five talents is his

debt;

His means moft fhort, his creditors moft ftrait:
Your honourable letter he defires

To those have shut him up; which failing to him, 3
Periods his comfort, 4

TIM.

Noble Ventidius! Well;

I am not of that feather, to fhake off

5

My friend when he muft need me. I do know him A gentleman, that well deferves a help,

Which he fhall have: I'll pay the debt, and free him.

VEN. SERV. Your lordship ever binds him.

TIM. Commend me to him; I will fend his ran

fom;

And, being enfranchis'd, bid him come to me:

3

Imprifon'd is he, fay you?] Here we have another interpolation deftructive to the metre. Omitting-is he, we ought to read:

3

Imprifon'd, fay you? STEEVENS.

which failing to him,] Thus the fecond folio. The firft omits to him, and confequently mutilates the verse. STEEVENS. 4 Periods his comfort.] To period is, perhaps, a verb of Shakfpeare's introduction into the English language. I find it, however, ufed by Heywood, after him, in A Maidenhead well Loft, 1634:

How eafy could I period all my care." Again, in The Country Girl, by T. B. 1647:

5

To period our vain-grievings." STEEVENS.

muft need me. ] i. e. when he is compelled to have need of my affiftance; or, as Mr. Malone has more happily explained the phrase,—“ cannot but want my affiftance." STEEVENS.

VOL. XVII.

C

'Tis not enough to help the feeble up,

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But to fupport him after. -Fare you well.
VEN. SERV. All happiness to your honour!"

Enter an old Athenian.

OLD ATH. Lord Timon, hear me speak.

TIM.

[Exit.

Freely, good father. OLD ATH, Thou haft a fervant nam'd Lucilius. TIM. I have fo: What of him?

OLD ATH. Moft 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 iny houfe. I am a man
That from my firft have been inclin'd to thrift!
And my eftate deserves an heir more rais'd,
Than one which holds a trencher.

TIM.

Well; what further?

6 'Tis not enough &c.] This thought is better expreffed by Dr. Madden in his Elegy on Archbishop Boulter:

"More than they afk'd he gave; and deem'd it mean "Only to help the poor-to beg again." JOHNSON. It has been said that Dr. Johnson was paid ten guineas by Dr. Madden for correcting this poem. STEEVENS.

7 your honour!]

The common addrefs to a lord in Our author's time, was your honour, which was indifferently used with your lordship. See any old letter, or dedication of that age; and Vol. XV. p. 366, where a Pursuivant, fpeaking to Lord Haftings, fays, I thank your honour." STEEVENS.

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 coft, In qualities of the beft. This man of thine Attempts her love: I pr'ythee, noble lord, Join with me to forbid him her resort; Myself have spoke in vain.

8

TIM.

The man is honeft.

OLD ATH. Therefore he will be, Timon:

8

Therefore he will be, Timon:] The thought is clofely expreffed, and obfcure: but this feems the meaning: If the man be honeft, my lord, for that reafon he will be fo in this; and not endeavour at the injuftice of gaining my daughter without my confent."

I rather think an emendation neceffary, and read;
Therefore well be him, Timon:

His honefly reward him in itself.

WARBURTON.

That is, "6 If he is honeft, bene fit illi, I wish 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 with him, which the next, not underflanding, changed to, — he will be. JOHNSON.

I think Dr. Warburton's explanation is beft, because it exa&s no change. So, in K. Henry VIII:

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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
"He will remain fo." STEEVENS.

Therefore he will be, Timon:] Therefore be will continue to be fo, and is fure of being fufficiently rewarded by the consciousness of virtue; and he does not need the additional bleffing of a beautiful and accomplished wife.

It has been obje&ed, I forget by whom, if the old Athenian means to fay that Lucilius will ftill 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

His honefty rewards him in itself,
It must not bear my daughter.9

TIM.

Does fhe love him?

OLD ATH. She is young, and apt: Our own precedent paffions do inftruct us What levity's in youth.

TIM. [to LUCILIUS] Love you the maid?

Luc. Ay, my good lord, and fhe accepts of it. OLD ATH. If in her marriage my confent be miffing,

I call the gods to witness, I will choose

Mine heir from forth the beggars of the world,
And difpoffefs her all.

TIM.

How fhall fhe be endow'd,

If fhe be mated with an equal husband?”

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,

words mean undoubtedly, that he will be honeft in his general condud through life; in every other action except that now complained of.

9

MALONE

bear my daughter.] A fimilar expreffion occurs in Othello : "What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe,

"If he can carry her thus!" STEEVENS.

And difpoffefs her all.

Tim.

How fhall he be endow'd,

If the be mated with an equal hufband?] The players, thofe avowed enemies to even a common ellipfis, have here again difordered the metre by interpolation. Will a fugle idea of our author's have been loft, if, omitting the ufelefs and repeated words-fhe be, we should regulate the paffage thus:

How shall he be

Endow'd, if mated with an equal husband? STEEVENS.

For 'tis a bond in men. Give him thy daughter:
What you beflow, in him I'll counterpoife,

And make him weigh with her.

OLD ATH.

Moft noble lord,

Pawn me to this your honour, fhe is his.

1Iм. My hand to thee; mine honour on my promife.

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Luc. Humbly I thank your lordship: Never may That flate or fortune fall into my keeping,

Which is not ow'd to you!"

[Exeunt LUCILIUS and old Athenian. POET. Vouchsafe my labour, and long live

lordship!

your

TIM. I thank you; you fhall 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.

The painting is almoft the natural man;

For fince difhonour trafficks with man's nature,
He is but outside': Thefe pencil'd figures are
Even fuch as they give out.
they give out. I like your work;

Never may

3

That fate or fortune fall into my keeping,

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 fervice, and at your difpofal. JOHNSON. So Lady Macbeth fays to Duncan:

3

"Your fervants ever

"Have theirs, themfelves, and what is theirs, in compt,
"To make their audit at your highness' pleasure,

"

Still to return your own. MALONE.

pencil'd figures are

Even fuch as they give out.] Pidures have no hypocrify; they are what they profess to be. JOHNSON.

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