Trumpets found. Enter TIMON, attended; the Servant 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

3

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

TIM.

Noble Ventidius! Well;

I am not of that feather, to shake off

My friend when he muft need me.5 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 :

2

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

3

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 Shak fpeare'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:

"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,
But to fupport him after. 6-Fare you well.
VEN. SERV. All happiness to your honour!"

Enter an old Athenian.

OLD ATH. Lord Timon, hear me speak.

[Exit.

TIM.
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 be-
fore thee.

TIM. Attends he here, or no?-Lucilius!

Enter LUCILIUS.

Luc. Here, at your lordfhip's fervice.
OLD ATH. This fellow here, lord Timon, this
thy creature,

By night frequents my houfe. I am a man
That from my firft have been inclin'd to thrift!
And my eflate deferves an heir more rais'd,
Than one which holds a trencher.

TIM.

Well; what further?

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

"More than they alk'd he gave; and deem'd it mean

་

Only to help the poor-to beg again." JOHNSON, It has been faid that Dr. Johnson was paid ten guineas by Dr. Madden for corre&ing 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, speaking to Lord Haftings, fays," I thank your honour." STEEVENS.

OLD ATH. One only daughter have I, no kin elfe,
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 refort;
Mytelf have spoke in vain.

TIM.

The man is honeft.

OLD ATH. Therefore he will be, Timon:

8

8 Therefore he will be, Timon:] The thought is closely expreffed, and obfcure: but this feems the meaning: If the man be honest, 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 rewards 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 underftanding, changed to, he will be. JOHNSON.

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

66

May he continue

"Long in his highness' favour: and do juftice
"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 conscioufnels of virtue; and he does not need the additional bleffing of a beautiful and accomplished wife.

It has been objected, I forget by whom, if the old Athenian means to say that Lucilius will still 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."

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 witnefs, I will choose

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

TIM.

How fhall fhe be endow'd,

If she be mated with an equal husband?2

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 hall The be endow'd,

If he be mated with an equal husband? ]

The players, thofe avowed enemies to even a common ellipfis, have here again difordered the metre by interpolation.

Will a fingle idea of our

author's have been loft, if, omitting the ufelefs and repeated words--fhe be, we fhould regulate the paffage thus:

How hall the 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, she is his.

TIM. My hand to thee; mine honour on my promise.

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

Which is not ow'd to you!2

[Exeunt LUCILIUS and old Athenian. POET. Vouchfafe my labour, and long live your lordship!

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 outfide: These pencil'd figures are
Even fuch as they give out. 3 I like

your work;

Never may

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:

"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."

- pencil'd figures are

MALONE.

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