THE LIFE OF TIMON OF ATHENS
Page: 8

FIRST LORD.
I'll keep you company.

[Exeunt.]



Scene II.-- The Same. A room of state in TIMON'S House.

[Hautboys playing loud music. A great banquet served in;
FLAVIUS and Others attending: then enter LORD TIMON, ALCIBIADES,
Lords, and Senators, VENTIDIUS and Attendants. Then comes,
dropping after all, APEMANTUS, discontentedly, like himself.]

VENTIDIUS.
Most honour'd Timon,
It hath pleas'd the gods to remember my father's age,
And call him to long peace.
He is gone happy, and has left me rich:
Then, as in grateful virtue I am bound
To your free heart, I do return those talents,
Doubled with thanks and service, from whose help
I deriv'd liberty.

TIMON.
O! by no means,
Honest Ventidius: you mistake my love;
I gave it freely ever; and there's none
Can truly say he gives, if he receives:
If our betters play at that game, we must not dare
To imitate them; faults that are rich are fair.

VENTIDIUS.
A noble spirit.

[They all stand ceremoniously looking on TIMON.]

TIMON.
Nay, my lords, ceremony was but devis'd at first
To set a gloss on faint deeds, hollow welcomes,
Recanting goodness, sorry ere 'tis shown;
But where there is true friendship there needs none.
Pray, sit; more welcome are ye to my fortunes
Than my fortunes to me.

[They sit.]

FIRST LORD.
My lord, we always have confess'd it.

APEMANTUS.
Ho, ho! confess'd it; hang'd it, have you not?

TIMON.
O! Apemantus, you are welcome.

APEMANTUS.
No,
You shall not make me welcome:
I come to have thee thrust me out of doors.

TIMON.
Fie! thou'rt a churl; ye've got a humour there
Does not become a man; 'tis much to blame.
They say, my lords, Ira furor brevis est;
But yond man is ever angry.
Go, let him have a table by himself;
For he does neither affect company,
Nor is he fit for it, indeed.

APEMANTUS.
Let me stay at thine apperil, Timon:
I come to observe; I give thee warning on't.

TIMON.
I take no heed of thee; thou'rt an Athenian, therefore, welcome.
I myself would have no power; prithee; let my meat make thee
silent.

APEMANTUS.
I scorn thy meat; 't'would choke me, for I should