THE LIFE OF TIMON OF ATHENS
Page: 9

Ne'er flatter thee. O you gods! what a number
Of men eats Timon, and he sees 'em not!
It grieves me to see so many dip their meat
In one man's blood; and all the madness is,
He cheers them up too.
I wonder men dare trust themselves with men:
Methinks they should invite them without knives;
Good for their meat, and safer for their lives.
There's much example for 't; the fellow that
Sits next him now, parts bread with him, pledges
The breath of him in a divided draught,
Is the readiest man to kill him: 't has been prov'd.
If I were a huge man, I should fear to drink at meals;
Lest they should spy my wind-pipe's dangerous notes:
Great men should drink with harness on their throats.

TIMON.
My lord, in heart; and let the health go round.

SECOND LORD.
Let it flow this way, my good lord.

APEMANTUS.
Flow this way! A brave fellow! he keeps his tides well. Those
healths will make thee and thy state look ill, Timon.
Here's that which is too weak to be a sinner,
Honest water, which ne'er left man i' the mire:
This and my food are equals; there's no odds:
Feasts are too proud to give thanks to the gods.

Immortal gods, I crave no pelf;
I pray for no man but myself.
Grant I may never prove so fond
To trust man on his oath or bond;
Or a harlot for her weeping;
Or a dog that seems a-sleeping;
Or a keeper with my freedom;
Or my friends, if I should need 'em.
Amen. So fall to't.
Rich men sin, and I eat root.

[Eats and drinks.]

Much good dich thy good heart, Apemantus!

TIMON.
Captain Alcibiades, your heart's in the field now.

ALCIBIADES.
My heart is ever at your service, my lord.

TIMON.
You had rather be at a breakfast of enemies than a dinner of
friends.

ALCIBIADES.
So they were bleeding--new, my lord, there's no meat
like 'em: I could wish my best friend at such a feast.

APEMANTUS.
'Would all those flatterers were thine enemies then, that
then thou mightst kill 'em, and bid me to 'em.

FIRST LORD.
Might we but have that happiness, my lord, that you
would once use our hearts, whereby we might express some part of