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Methinks thou art more honest now than wise; |
For by oppressing and betraying me |
Thou mightst have sooner got another service; |
For many so arrive at second masters |
Upon their first lord's neck. But tell me true, |
For I must ever doubt though ne'er so sure, |
Is not thy kindness subtle, covetous, |
If not a usuring kindness, and as rich men deal gifts, |
Expecting in return twenty for one? |
FLAVIUS. No, my most worthy master, in whose breast |
Doubt and suspect, alas, are plac'd too late! |
You should have fear'd false times when you did feast: |
Suspect still comes where an estate is least. |
That which I show, heaven knows, is merely love, |
Duty, and zeal, to your unmatched mind, |
Care of your food and living; and believe it, |
My most honour'd lord, |
For any benefit that points to me, |
Either in hope or present, I'd exchange |
For this one wish, that you had power and wealth |
To requite me by making rich yourself. |
TIMON. Look thee, 'tis so! Thou singly honest man, |
Here, take. The gods, out of my misery, |
Have sent thee treasure. Go, live rich and happy, |
But thus condition'd; thou shalt build from men; |
Hate all, curse all, show charity to none, |
But let the famish'd flesh slide from the bone |
Ere thou relieve the beggar. Give to dogs |
What thou deniest to men; let prisons swallow 'em, |
Debts wither 'em to nothing. Be men like blasted woods, |
And may diseases lick up their false bloods! |
And so, farewell and thrive. |
FLAVIUS. O, let me stay |
And comfort you, my master. |
TIMON. If thou hat'st curses, |
Stay not; fly whilst thou art blest and free. |
Ne'er see thou man, and let me ne'er see thee. |
Exeunt severally |
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ACT V. SCENE I. |
The woods. Before TIMON's cave |
Enter POET and PAINTER |
PAINTER. As I took note of the place, it cannot be far where he |
abides. |
POET. to be thought of him? Does the rumour hold for true that he's |
so full of gold? |
PAINTER. Certain. Alcibiades reports it; Phrynia and Timandra had |
gold of him. He likewise enrich'd poor straggling soldiers with |
great quantity. 'Tis said he gave unto his steward a mighty sum. |
POET. Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his friends? |
PAINTER. Nothing else. You shall see him a palm in Athens again, |
and flourish with the highest. Therefore 'tis not amiss we tender |
our loves to him in this suppos'd distress of his; it will show |
honestly in us, and is very likely to load our purposes with what |
they travail for, if it be just and true report that goes of his |
having. |
POET. What have you now to present unto him? |
PAINTER. Nothing at this time but my visitation; only I will |
promise him an excellent piece. |
POET. I must serve him so too, tell him of an intent that's coming |
toward him. |
PAINTER. Good as the best. Promising is the very air o' th' time; |
it opens the eyes of expectation. Performance is ever the duller |
for his act, and but in the plainer and simpler kind of people |
the deed of saying is quite out of use. To promise is most |
courtly and fashionable; performance is a kind of will or |
testament which argues a great sickness in his judgment that |
makes it. |
Enter TIMON from his cave |
TIMON. [Aside] Excellent workman! Thou canst not paint a man so bad |
as is thyself. |
POET. I am thinking what I shall say I have provided for him. It |
must be a personating of himself; a satire against the softness |
of prosperity, with a discovery of the infinite flatteries that |
follow youth and opulency. |
TIMON. [Aside] Must thou needs stand for a villain in thine own |
work? Wilt thou whip thine own faults in other men? Do so, I have |
gold for thee. |
POET. Nay, let's seek him; |
Then do we sin against our own estate |
When we may profit meet and come too late. |
PAINTER. True; |
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