The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1035 page)

of common sense; and you can do well, if

luck favours you; you have good qualities.

[to servant]

Off you go, sir.

Come closer, honest Flaminius.  Your lord is a generous

gentleman: but you are wise; and you

know well enough, although you've come to me,

that this is not a good time to be lending money,

without security, just on the basis of friendship.  Here are

three shillings for you; look the other way,

and say you didn't see me.  Farewell.

FLAMINIUS

Is't possible the world should so much differ,

And we alive that lived? Fly, damned baseness,

To him that worships thee!

Is it possible for the world to change so much

in the span of a single lifetime?  You filthy stuff,

go back to the one who worships you!

Throwing the money back

LUCULLUS

Ha! now I see thou art a fool, and fit for thy master.

Ha!  I see now that you're a fool, and well suited to your master.

Exit

FLAMINIUS

May these add to the number that may scald thee!

Let moulten coin be thy damnation,

Thou disease of a friend, and not himself!

Has friendship such a faint and milky heart,

It turns in less than two nights? O you gods,

I feel master's passion! this slave,

Unto his honour, has my lord's meat in him:

Why should it thrive and turn to nutriment,

When he is turn'd to poison?

O, may diseases only work upon't!

And, when he's sick to death, let not that part of nature

Which my lord paid for, be of any power

To expel sickness, but prolong his hour!

Exit

May these be added to the collection which burn you!

Let melted coins be your torture in hell,

you disease of friendship, no true friend!

Is friendship so weak and insipid

that it changes in less than two nights?  Oh you gods,

I feel the anger my master would!  This slave,

who pretends to be so honourable, is full of my lord's food:

why should it nourish him,

when he is so poisonous?

Oh, may it only bring him diseases!

And, when he's sick to death, don't let any part of his body

which grew through my lordship's food help

to cure him, let it prolong his agony!

Enter LUCILIUS, with three Strangers

LUCILIUS

Who, the Lord Timon? he is my very good friend, and

an honourable gentleman.

Who, Lord Timon? He's a very good friend of mine,

and an honourable 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 rumours: now Lord Timon's

happy hours are done and past, and his estate

shrinks from him.

That's what we think of him too, although we are unknown

to him. But I can tell you one thing, my lord, which

everyone is talking about: now Lord Timon's

good times are over, and he's losing his fortune.

LUCILIUS

Fie, no, do not believe it; he cannot want for money.

Nonsense, don't believe it; he can't need 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't and

showed what necessity belonged to't, and yet was denied.

But you should know this, my lord, that, not long ago,

one of his men went to the Lord Lucullus to borrow

some talents, indeed he was very pressing and

said the matter was extremely urgent, but he was refused.

LUCILIUS

How!

What!

Second Stranger

I tell you, denied, my lord.

I tell you, he was refused, my lord.

LUCILIUS

What a strange case was that! now, before the gods,

I am ashamed on't. Denied that honourable man!

there was very little honour showed in't. 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

ne'er have denied his occasion so many talents.

What a peculiar business that is! I swear to the gods,

it makes me ashamed. Refused that honourable man?

That was a dishonourable act. On my

own part, I must admit I have had some

little presents from him, like money, plate, jewels

and similar trinkets, nothing like his ones;

but, if he had mistakenly sent the request to me, I would

never have refused him a sum of talents in his need.

Enter SERVILIUS

SERVILIUS

See, by good hap, yonder's my lord;

I have sweat to see his honour. My honoured lord,--

See, luckily, my lord is over there;

I need to see him urgently. My honoured lord–

LUCILIUS

Servilius! you are kindly met, sir. Fare thee well:

commend me to thy honourable virtuous lord, my very

exquisite friend.

Servilius! It's good to see you, sir. Farewell:

give my regards to your honourable virtuous lord,

my most delightful friend.

SERVILIUS

May it please your honour, my lord hath sent--

If you please your honour, my lord has sent–

LUCILIUS

Ha! what has he sent? I am so much endeared to

that lord; he's ever sending: how shall I thank

him, thinkest thou? And what has he sent now?

Ha! What has he sent?  I am so grateful to that lord,

he's always sending things:  how do you think

I should thank him?  What has he sent this time?

SERVILIUS

Has only sent his present occasion now, my lord;

requesting your lordship to supply his instant use

with so many talents.

All he has sent today is news of his need, my lord;

he asks your lordship to help his immediate wants

by giving him a number of talents.

Lucilius

I know his lordship is but merry with me;

He cannot want fifty five hundred talents.

I know his Lordship is only having a joke with me;

however big a sum was he could always cover it.

SERVILIUS

But in the mean time he wants less, my lord.

If his occasion were not virtuous,

I should not urge it half so faithfully.

But at the moment he doesn't want a large sum, my lord.

If his needs hadn't been honestly incurred,

I wouldn't be half as keen to ask.

LUCILIUS

Dost thou speak seriously, Servilius?

Are you being serious, Servilius?

SERVILIUS

Upon my soul,'tis true, sir.

I swear, it's true, sir.

LUCILIUS

What a wicked beast was I to disfurnish myself

against such a good time, when I might ha' shown

myself honourable! how unluckily it happened, that I

should purchase the day before for a little part,

and undo a great deal of honoured! 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't now.

Commend me bountifully to his good lordship; and I

hope his honour 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

honourable gentleman. Good Servilius, will you

befriend me so far, as to use mine own words to him?

How wrong of me not to have prepared myself properly

for this fortunate occasion, when I could have shown

myself to be honourable! How unfortunate that

just yesterday I invested my money in a little business,

which means I can't do something so honourable! Servilius,

I swear that I can't help you (I'm a real beast, I say!)

–I was about to send to Lord Timon myself to borrow money,

these gentlemen can witness it–I would give the wealth

of Athens not to have done it. Give his good lordship

my warmest regards; and I hope his

honour will think the best of me, because I can't

possibly help him: and tell him

from me, that it is a source of enormous

regret that I can't help such an

honourable gentleman. Good Servilius, will you

do me the favour of using my own words to him?

SERVILIUS

Yes, sir, I shall.

Yes, sir, I shall.

LUCILIUS

I'll look you out a good turn, Servilius.

Exit SERVILIUS

True as you said, Timon is shrunk indeed;

And he that's once denied will hardly speed.

Exit

I'll have to think of something I can do the you, Servilius.

It's just as you said, Timon has come down;

and once you fall you can't get back up.

First Stranger

Do you observe this, Hostilius?

Do you see this, Hostilius?

Second Stranger

Ay, too well.

Yes, all too well.

First Stranger

Why, this is the world's soul; and just of the

same piece

Is every flatterer's spirit. Who can call him

His friend that dips in the same dish? for, in

My knowing, Timon has been this lord's father,

And kept his credit with his purse,

Supported his estate; nay, Timon's money

Has paid his men their wages: he ne'er drinks,