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[Enter LUCILIUS, with three Strangers]
LUCILIUS
Who the Lord Timon? He is my very good friend and an honorable gentleman.
FIRST STRANGER
We know him for no less, though we are but strangers to him. But I can tell
you one thing my lord, and which I hear from common rumors, now Lord Timon's
happy hours are done and past, and his estate shrinks from him.
LUCILIUS
Fie no, do not believe it: he cannot want for money.
SECOND STRANGER
But believe you this my lord, that not long ago, one of his men was with the
Lord Lucullus, to borrow so many talents, nay urged extremely for it, and
showed what necessity belonged to it, and yet was denied.
LUCILIUS
How?
SECOND STRANGER
I tell you, denied my lord.
LUCILIUS
What a strange case was that? Now before the gods I am ashamed on it. Denied
that honorable man? There was very little honor showed in it. For my own
part, I must needs confess, I have received some small kindnesses from him,
as money, plate, jewels, and such-like trifles; nothing comparing to his:
yet had he mistook him, and sent to me, I should nere have denied his
occasion so many talents.
SERVILIUS
See, by good hap yonder's my lord, I have sweat to see his honor. My honored
lord.
LUCILIUS
Servilius? You are kindly met sir. Fare thee well, commend me to thy
honorable virtuous lord, my very exquisite friend.
SERVILIUS
May it please your honor, my lord hath sent--
LUCILIUS
Ha? What has he sent? I am so much endeared to that lord; he's ever sending:
how shall I thank him thinkst thou? And what has he sent now?
SERVILIUS
Has only sent his present occasion now my lord: requesting your lordship to
supply his instant use with so many talents.
LUCILIUS
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I know | his lord|ship is | but mer|ry with me,
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He can|not want | fifty five^|hundred | talents.
SERVILIUS
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But in | the mean time he | wants^less | my lord.
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If his | occas|ion were / not vir|tuous,
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I should | not^urge | it half | so faith|fully.
LUCILIUS
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Dost^thou | speak ser/iously | Servil|ius?
SERVILIUS
Upon my soul 'tis true sir.
LUCILIUS
What a wicked beast was I to disfurnish myself against such a good time,
when I might have shown myself honorable? How unluckily it happened, that I
should purchase the day before for a little part, and undo a great deal of
honor? Servilius, now before the gods I am not able to do (the more beast I
say) I was sending to use Lord Timon myself, these gentlemen can witness;
but I would not, for the wealth of Athens I had done it now. Commend me
bountifully to his good lordship, and I hope his honor will conceive the
fairest of me, because I have no power to be kind. And tell him this from
me, I count it one of my greatest afflictions say, that I cannot pleasure
such an honorable gentleman. Good Servilius, will you befriend me so far, as
to use mine own words to him?
SERVILIUS
Yes sir, I shall.
LUCILIUS
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I'll look | you out | a good | turn serv|ilius.
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True as | you said,| Timon | is shrunk | indeed,
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And he | that's once | denied,| will hard|ly
speed.
[Exit]
FIRST STRANGER
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Do you ob|serve this Hos|tilius?
SECOND STRANGER
T T T
Aye, too well.
FIRST STRANGER
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Why* this | is the / world's soul,
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And just | of the / same piece (tri with
prev)
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Is eve|ry flat|terer's sport:| who can call him
his friend ????
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That dips | in the same | dish? For | in my |
knowing
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Timon has | been this lord's | father,
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And kept | his cred|it with | his purse: (tetra
with prev)
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2->
Suppor|ted his | estate,| nay* Tim|on's mon||ey
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Has paid | his men | their wag|es. He / nere
drinks,
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But Tim|on's silv|er treads | upon | his lip,
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And yet,| oh see | the mons|trousness | of man,
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When he | looks^out | in an / ungrate|ful shape;
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He does | deny | him (in | respect | of his)
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What char/itable | men af|ford to | beggars.
THIRD STRANGER
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Reli|gion groans | at it.
FIRST STRANGER
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For mine / own part,|| I nev|er tas|ted Tim|on in | my life
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Nor came | any | of his boun|ties ov|er me,
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To mark | me for | his friend.| Yet^I | protest,
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For his right | noble | mind, il|lustrious |
virtue,
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, oo
And hon|ora|ble car|riage,|
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Had his | neces|sity | made^use | of me,
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I would have | put my | wealth in/to do|nation,
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And the / best half | should have | returned | to
him,
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So much | I love | his heart:| but I | perceive,
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Men* must | learn^now | with pit|y to | dispense,
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T . T T ,
For pol|icy | sits above con|science.
[Exeunt]