They only now come but to feast thine eyes.

TIM. They are welcome all; let them have kind

admittance :

Musick, make their welcome.

[Exit CUPID.

I. LORD. You fee, my lord, how ample you are

belov'd.

Musick. Re-enter CUPID, with a masque of Ladies as Amazons, with lutes in their hands, dancing, and playing.

APEM. Hey day! what a sweep of vanity comes

this way!

They dance! they are mad women.

Like madness is the glory of this life,

As this pomp shows to a little oil, and root.

2

corrupted word-There, shews that-The ear was intended to be contracted into one fyllable; and table also was probably used as taking up only the time of a monosyllable. MALONE.

Perhaps the prefent arrangement of the foregoing words, renders monofyllabification needless. STEEVENS.

8 Mufick, make their welcome.] Perhaps the poet wrote: Mufick, make known their welcome.

So, in Macbeth:

"We will require her welcome,

""Pronounce it for me, fir, to all our friends."

STEEVENS.

9 They dance! I believe They dance to be a marginal note only; and perhaps we should read:

These are mad women. TYRWHITт.

* Like madness is the glory of this life,

As this pomp shows to a little oil, and root.] The glory of this life is very near to madness, as may be made appear from this pomp. exhibited in a place where a philofopher is feeding on oil and roots. When we fee by example how few are the necessaries of life, we learn what madness there is in so much fuperfluity. JOHNSON.

The word like in this place does not express resemblance, but equality. Apemantus does not mean to say that the glory of this

We make ourselves fools, to disport ourselves;
And fpend our flatteries, to drink those men,
Upon whose age we void it up again,

With poisonous spite, and envy. Who lives, that's

not

Depraved, or depraves? who dies, that bears
Not one spurn to their graves of their friends' gift??
I should fear, those, that dance before me now,
Would one day stamp upon me: It has been done;
Men shut their doors against a setting fun.

The Lords rise from table, with much adoring of TIMON; and, to show their loves, each fingles out an Amazon, and all dance, men with women, lofty strain or two to the hautboys, and cease.

a

TIM. You have done our pleasures much grace,

fair ladies,+

Set a fair fashion on our entertainment,
Which was not half so beautiful and kind;
You have added worth unto't, and lively lustre,
And entertain'd me with mine own device;

I am to thank you for it.

life was like madness, but it was just as much madness in the eye of reason, as the pomp appeared to be, when compared to the frugal repast of a philosopher. M. MASON.

3

of their friends' gift?] That is, given them by their

friends. JOHNSON.

4

I should wish to read, for the fake of

- fair ladies, metre-fairest ladies. STEEVENS.

s-lively luftre,] For the epithet-lively, we are indebted

to the second folio: it is wanting in the first. STEEVENS.

6

mine own device;) The mask appears to have been de

figned by Timon to furprize his guests. JOHNSON.

7

1. LADY. My lord, you take us even at the best.* APEM. 'Faith, for the worst is filthy; and would not hold taking, I doubt me.

TIM. Ladies, there is an idle banquet Attends you: Please you to dispose yourselves. ALL LAD. Most thankfully, my lord.

TIM. Flavius,
FLAV. My lord.
Тім.

[Exeunt Cupid, and Ladies.

The little casket bring me hither.

71. Lady. My lord, &c.] In the old copy this speech is given to the I Lord. I have ventured to change it to the 1 Lady, as Mr. Edwards and Mr. Heath, as well as Dr. Johnson, concur in the emendation. STEEVENS.

The conjecture of Dr. Johnson, who observes, that L only was probably fet down in the MS. is well founded; for that abbreviation is ufed in the old copy in this very scene, and in many other places. The next fpeech, however coarse the allufion couched under the word taking may be, puts the matter beyond a doubt. MALONE.

8

- even at the best.] Perhaps we should read:

ever at the best.

Take us even at the best, I believe, means, you have seen the best we can do. They are supposed to be hired dancers, and therefore there is no impropriety in such a confeffion. Mr. Malone's fubsequent explanation, however, pleases me better than my own.

STEEVENS.

I believe the meaning is, "You have conceived the fairest of us," (to use the words of Lucullus in a subsequent scene;) you have eftimated us too highly, perhaps above our deserts. So, in Spenser's Faery Queen, Book VI. c. ix:

9

-

"He would commend his guift, and make the best."

MALONE.

would not hold taking,] i. e. bear handling, words which (if my memory does not deceive me) are employed to the fame

purpose in another of our author's plays. STEEVENS.

2

there is an idle banquet

Attends you:] So, in Romeo and Juliet:

"We have a foolish trifling supper towards." STEEVENS.

i

FLAV. Yes, my lord.-More jewels yet!

[Afide.

There is no crossing him in his humour;
Elfe I should tell him,-Well, i'faith, I should,
When all's spent, he'd be cross'd then, an he could.+
'Tis pity, bounty had not eyes behind;

That man might ne'er be wretched for his mind.

6

[Exit, and returns, with the casket.

1. LORD. Where be our men?

SERV.

2. LORD. Our horfes.
TIM.

Here, my lord, in readiness.

O my friends, I have one word To say to you:-Look you, my good lord, I must

3 There is no crossing him in his humour;] Read:

There is no croffing him in this bis humour. RITSON.

4 he'd be cross'd then, an he could.] The poet does not mean here, that he would be cross'd in humour, but that he would have his hand cross'd with money, if he could. He is playing on the word, and alluding to our old filver penny, used before K. Edward the First's time, which had a cross on the reverse with a crease, that it might be more easily broke into halves and quarters, half-pence and farthings. From this penny, and other pieces, was our common expression derived, I have not a cross about me; i. e. not a piece of money. THEOBALD.

So, in As you like it: “ - yet I should bear no cross, if I did bear you; for, I think you have no money in your purse."

STEEVENS,

The poet certainly meant this equivoque, but one of the senses intended to be conveyed was, he will then too late with that it were poffible to undo what he had done: he will in vain lament that I did not [cross or] thwart him in his career of prodigality. MALONE.

had not eyes behind;] To see the miseries that are fol

lowing her. JoHNSON.

6 for his mind.] For nobleness of foul. JOHNSON,

i

Entreat you, honour me so much, as to
Advance this jewel;"
Accept, and wear it, kind my lord.

1. LORD. I am so far already in your gifts,-
ALL. So are we all.

Enter a Servant.

SERV. My lord, there are certain nobles of the

fenate

Newly alighted, and come to visit you.

TIM. They are fairly welcome.

FLAV.
I beseech your honour,
Vouchsafe me a word; it does concern you near.
TIM. Near? why then another time I'll hear

thee:

I pr'ythee, let us be provided
To show them entertainment.
FLAV.

7

to

I scarce know how. [Afide.

Advance this jewel;] To prefer it; to raise it to honour by

wearing it. JOHNSON.

• Accept, and &c.] Thus the second folio. The first, unmetrically-Accept it. STEEVENS.

So, the Jeweller says in the preceding scene:

Things of like value, differing in the owners,
"Are prized by their masters: believe it, dear lord,
"You mend the jewel by wearing it." M. MASON.

9 I pr'ythee, let us be provided) As the measure is here imperfect, we may reasonably suppose our author to have written:

I prythee let us be provided ftraight

So, in Hamlet :

Make her grave ftraight."

i. e. immediately. STEEVENS.