Enter Flaminius waiting to speak with Lucullus,
from his master. Enter a Servant to him. SERVANT
I have told my lord of you. He is coming
down to you. FLAMINIUS
I thank you, sir. Enter Lucullus. SERVANT Here’s my lord. LUCULLUS, aside
One of Lord Timon’s men? A gift, I 5
warrant. Why, this hits right. I dreamt of a silver
basin and ewer tonight.—Flaminius, honest
Flaminius, you are very respectively welcome, sir.
(To Servant.) Fill me some wine. (Servant exits.)
And how does that honorable, complete, free-hearted 10
gentleman of Athens, thy very bountiful
good lord and master? FLAMINIUS His health is well, sir. LUCULLUS
I am right glad that his health is well, sir.
And what hast thou there under thy cloak, pretty 15
Flaminius? FLAMINIUS
Faith, nothing but an empty box, sir, which
in my lord’s behalf I come to entreat your Honor
to supply; who, having great and instant occasion
to use fifty talents, hath sent to your Lordship to 20
furnish him, nothing doubting your present assistance
therein. LUCULLUS
La, la, la, la. “Nothing doubting” says he?
Alas, good lord! A noble gentleman ’tis, if he would
not keep so good a house. Many a time and often I 25
ha’ dined with him and told him on ’t, and come
again to supper to him of purpose to have him
spend less, and yet he would embrace no counsel,
take no warning by my coming. Every man has his
fault, and honesty is his. I ha’ told him on ’t, but I 30
could ne’er get him from ’t. Enter Servant with wine. SERVANT
Please your Lordship, here is the wine. LUCULLUS
Flaminius, I have noted thee always wise.
Here’s to thee. He drinks. FLAMINIUS
Your Lordship speaks your pleasure. 35 LUCULLUS
I have observed thee always for a towardly
prompt spirit—give thee thy due—and one that
knows what belongs to reason and canst use the
time well, if the time use thee well. Good parts in
thee.—Get you gone, sirrah. 40 Servant exits. Draw nearer, honest Flaminius. Thy lord’s a bountiful
gentleman, but thou art wise and thou
know’st well enough, although thou com’st to me,
that this is no time to lend money, especially upon
bare friendship, without security. Here’s three solidares 45
for thee. (Gives him money.) Good boy,
wink at me, and say thou saw’st me not. Fare thee
well. FLAMINIUS
Is ’t possible the world should so much differ,
And we alive that lived? Fly, damnèd baseness, 50
To him that worships thee! He throws the money back at Lucullus. LUCULLUS
Ha! Now I see thou art a fool and fit for thy
master. Lucullus exits. FLAMINIUS
May these add to the number that may scald thee!
Let molten coin be thy damnation, 55
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 my master’s passion. This slave
Unto his honor has my lord’s meat in him. 60
Why should it thrive and turn to nutriment
When he is turned to poison?
O, may diseases only work upon ’t,
And when he’s sick to death, let not that part of
nature 65
Which my lord paid for be of any power
To expel sickness, but prolong his hour. He exits. | One of Timon's servants, Flaminius, shows up at Lucullus's house with an empty box. Lucullus sees the box and thinks, hey, it's present time. But when Flaminius explains that the box is empty, and Timon needs a favor from him this time, Lucullus changes his tune. People shouldn't really be that extravagant in their gifts, Lucullus says: it's not normal. Timon should put the brakes on once in a while. Flaminius walks away empty-handed, but not before he notes (just to the audience) that Lucullus is still full of Timon's meat since he was happy with Timon's generosity at the banquet only two nights ago. |