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Speaks his own ftanding? What a mental power
This eye fhoots forth? How big imagination
Moves in this lip? To th'dumbness of the gefture
One might interpret.

Pain. It is a pretty mocking of the life.
Here is a touch. Is't good?

Poct. I'll day of it,

It tutors Nature; artificial ftrife

Lives in those touches, livelier than life,

Enter certain Senators.

Pain. How this Lord is followed!

Poet. The Senators of Athens! happy men!
Pain. Look, more!

Poet. You fee this confluence, this great

vifiters.

flood of

I have, in this rough Work, fhap'd out a Man,
Whom this beneath world doth embrace and hug
With ampleft entertainment. My free drift

At once on th' eaftern Cliff of to read,

Paradife

He lights, and to his proper
Shape returns.

-Like Maia's fon he flood. WARBURTON. This fentence feems to me obfcure, and, however explained, not very forcible. This grace Speaks his own ftanding, is only, The gracefulness of this fi gure fhews how it ftands. I am inclined to think fomething corrupted. It would be more natural and clear thus:

how this ftanding Speaks his own graces ? How this pofture difplays its own gracefulness. But I will indulge conjecture further, and propofe

-how this grace

Speaks understanding? what q mental pover

This eye fhoots forth?

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-artificial ftrife] Strife WARB.

for action or motion.

Strife is either the contest or act with nature.

Hic ille eft Raphael, timuit, quo fofpite, vinci

Rerum magna parens, et morienti, mori.

Or it is the contraft of forms, or oppofition of colours.

This confluence, this great flood of vifiters.

Mane Jalutantum totis vemit ædibus undam.“

Halts

3 Halts not particularly, but moves itself
In a wide fea of wax; no levell'd malice
Infects one comma in the course I hold,

But flies an eagle flight, bold, and forth on,
Leaving no tract behind.

Pain. How fhall I understand you ?

6

Poet. I'll unbolt to you.

You fee, how all conditions, how all minds,
As well of glib and flipp'ry creatures, as
Of grave and auftere quality, tender down
Their Service to Lord Timon; his large fortune,
Upon his good and gracious nature hanging,
Subdues and properties to his love and tendance
All forts of hearts, yea, from the 'glais-fac'd flatterer
To Apemantus, that few things loves better
Than to abhor himfelf; ev'n he drops down
The knee before him, and returns in peace
Moft rich in Timon's nod.

Pain. I faw them speak together.

Poet. I have upon a high and pleasant hill Feign'd Fortune to be thron'd. The Base o'th' mount

3 Halts not particularly,] My defign does not ftop at any fingle character.

In a wide fea of wax;] Anciently they wrote upon waxen tables with an iron ftile. HAN. 5 —— 20 LEVELL'D malice] Why this epi.het to malice? which belongs to all actions whatsoever, which have their aim or level. Shakespeare wrote,

——no LEVEN'D malice, which is not only a proper epithet for the acidity of that paf. fion, but anfwers well to the ́next words infects, and, leaving no tratt behind, as any thing fermenting or corrofive does."

WARBURTON.

To level is to aim, to point the fhot at a mark. Shakespeare's meaning is, my poem is not a fatire written with any particularview, or levell'd at any fingle perfon; I fly like an eagle into the general expanfe of life, and leave not, by any private mifchief, the trace of my paffage. 6 I'll unbolt-] I'll open; I'll explain.

7-glib and flipp'ry creatures,] Hanmer and Dr. Warburton after him, read, natures. Slippery is smooth, unrefifting.

-glass faced flatterer] That fhows in his own look, as by reflection, the looks of his pa

tron.

Is

Is rank'd with all deferts, all kind of natures,
That labour on the bofom of this fphere
'To propagate their ftates; amongst them all,
Whose eyes are on this fov'reign lady fixt,
One do I perfonate of Timon's frame,

Whom Fortune with her iv'ry hand wafts to her,
Whose present grace to prefent flaves and fervants

Tranflates his rivals.

Pain. 'Tis conceiv'd to fcope.

This Throne, this Fortune, and this Hill, methinks,
With one man beckon'd from the rest below,
Bowing his head against the steepy mount
To climb his happiness, would be well exprest
In our condition.

Poet. Nay, but hear me on:

All those which were his fellows but of late,
Some better than his value, on the moment
Follow his ftrides; his lobbies fill with 'tendance;
* Rain facrificial whifp'rings in his ear;

Make facred even his stirrop; and through him
Drink the free air.

9-rank'd with all deferts, ] Cover'd with ranks of all kinds of men.

To propagate their states ;] To propagate, for to make,

WARBURTON. To advance or improve their various conditions of life, 2-conceiv'd to cope.] Properly imagined, appofitely, to the purpose.

3 In our condition,] Condition, for art. WARBURTON, Rain facrificial whip'rings in bis ear;] The fenfe is obvious, and means, in general, Rattering him. The particular kind of flattery may be collected

from the circumftance of its being offered up in whispers: Which fhews it was the calumniating those whom Timon hated or envied, or whofe vices were oppofite to his own. This offering up, to the perfon flattered, the Shakespear, with the utmost beaumurder'd reputation of others, ty of thought and expreffion, luding to the victims offer'd up calls facrificial whiff'rings, alto Idols. WARBURTON.

5-through him catch his breath in affected fondDrink the free air] That is, nefs.

Pain. Ay, marry, what of these?

Poet. When Fortune in her shift and change of mood

Spurns down her late belov'd, all his Dependants,
Which labour'd after to the moutain's top

Even on their knees and hands, let him flip down,
Not one accompanying his declining foot.
Pain. 'Tis common.

A thousand moral Paintings I can fhew,

That shall demonftrate these quick blows of fortune
More pregnantly than words; yet you do well
To fhew Lord Timon, that mean eyes have feen
The foot above the head.

SCENE

Trumpets found.

II.

Enter Timon, addreffing himself courteously to every fuitor.

Tim. Imprifon'd is he, fay you? [To a Meffenger. Mef. Ay, my good Lord. Five talents is his debt, His means most short, his creditors most straight. Your honourable letter he defires

To those have fhut him up, which failing periods
His comfort.

Tim. Noble Ventidius! Well

I am not of that feather to shake off

My friend when he moft needs me. I do know him A gentleman that well deferves a help,

Which he fhall have. I'll pay the debt, and free him. Mef. Your lordship ever binds him.

Tim. Commend me to him, I will fend his ranfom And, being enfranchis'd, bid him come to me. 'Tis not enough to help the feeble up.

6 'Tis not enough, &c.] This thought is better expreffed by Dr.Madden in his elegy on Arch

bishop Boulter.

-He thought it mean
Only to help the poor to beg again.

But to fupport him after. Fare you well.
Mef. All happinefs to your honour.

Enter an old Athenian.

Old Ath. Lord Timon, hear me fpcak.
Tim. Freely, good father.

Old Ath. Thou haft a fervant nam'd Lucilius.
Tim I have fo: what of him?

[Exit.

Old Ath. Moft noble Timon, call the man before thee. Tim. Attends he here or no?-Lucilius!

Enter Lucilius.

Luc. Here, at your Lordship's fervice.
Old. Ath. This fellow here, Lord Timon, this thy

creature

By night frequents my house. I am a man
That from my first have been inclin❜d to thrift,
And my estate deferves an heir more rais'd,
Than one which holds a trencher.

Tim. Well, what further?

Old Ath. One only daughter have I, no kin else, On whom I may confer what I have got; The maid is fair, o'th' youngeft for a bride, And I have bred her at my dearest coft, In qualities of the best. This man of thine Attempts her love: I pray thee, noble Lord, Join with me to forbid him her refort; Myfelf have fpoke in vain,

Tim. The man is honeft.

Old Ath. Therefore he will be, Timon:

7 Therefore he will be, Timon.] The thought is clofely expreffed, and obfcure but this feems the meaning, If the man be honest, my Lord, for that reafon he will be

His

fo in this; and not endeavour at the injuftice of gaining my daughter without my confent. WARE. I rather think an emendation neceffary, and read,

There

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