THE LIFE OF TIMON OF ATHENS
Page: 27

TIMON.
Five thousand drops pays that. What yours? and yours?

FIRST VARRO'S SERVANT.
My lord--

SECOND VARRO'S SERVANT.
My lord--

TIMON.
Tear me, take me; and the gods fall upon you!

[Exit.]

HORTENSIUS.
Faith, I perceive our masters may throw their caps at their
money: these debts may well be called desperate ones, for a
madman owes 'em.

[Exeunt.]

[Re-enter TIMON and FLAVIUS.]

TIMON.
They have e'en put my breath from me, the slaves.
Creditors? devils!

FLAVIUS.
My dear lord--

TIMON.
What if it should be so?

FLAMINIUS.
My lord--

TIMON.
I'll have it so. My steward!

FLAVIUS.
Here, my lord.

TIMON.
So fitly! Go, bid all my friends again:
Lucius, Lucullus, and Sempronius; all:
I'll once more feast the rascals.

FLAVIUS.
O my lord!
You only speak from your distracted soul;
There is not so much left to furnish out
A moderate table.

TIMON.
Be it not in thy care: go.
I charge thee, invite them all: let in the tide
Of knaves once more; my cook and I'll provide.

[Exeunt.]



Scene V. The Same. The Senate House. The Senate Sitting.

FIRST SENATOR.
My lord, you have my voice to it: the fault's
Bloody. 'tis necessary he should die;
Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.

SECOND SENATOR.
Most true; the law shall bruise him.

[Enter ALCIBIADES, attended.]

ALCIBIADES.
Honour, health, and compassion to the senate!

FIRST SENATOR.
Now, captain.

ALCIBIADES.
I am a humble suitor to your virtues;
For pity is the virtue of the law,
And none but tyrants use it cruelly.
It pleases time and fortune to lie heavy
Upon a friend of mine, who, in hot blood
Hath stepp'd into the law, which is past depth
To those that without heed do plunge into't.
He is a man, setting his fate aside,
Of comely virtues;
Nor did he soil the fact with cowardice,--
An honour in him which buys out his fault,--
But, with a noble fury and fair spirit,
Seeing his reputation touch'd to death,
He did oppose his foe;
And with such sober and unnoted passion
He did behave his anger, ere 'twas spent,
As if he had but prov'd an argument.