The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1026 page)

With the warmest welcome: my free ideas

Don’t stop for particulars, but flow across

My wax tablet: there’s not a

Jot of malice in anything I write;

It flies like an eagle, boldly going forward,

Leaving no trace behind.

Painter

How shall I understand you?

What do you mean?

Poet

I will unbolt to you.

You see how all conditions, how all minds,

As well of glib and slippery creatures as

Of grave and austere quality, tender down

Their services to Lord Timon: his large fortune

Upon his good and gracious nature hanging

Subdues and properties to his love and tendance

All sorts of hearts; yea, from the glass-faced flatterer

To Apemantus, that few things loves better

Than to abhor himself: even he drops down

The knee before him, and returns in peace

Most rich in Timon's nod.

I’ll explain.

You see how all classes, all minds,

Shallow and dubious characters as well

As those of serious and fine quality, offer

Their services to Lord Timon:  his great wealth

Combined with his good and kind nature

Draws the love and attendance of all sorts

Of people to him; from the vain flatterer

To Apemantus, who has no love for mankind,

Not even himself-even he kneels before him,

And goes home happy to have been acknowledged by Timon.

Painter

I saw them speak together.

I saw them talking to each other.

Poet

Sir, I have upon a high and pleasant hill

Feign'd Fortune to be throned: the base o' the mount

Is rank'd with all deserts, all kind of natures,

That labour on the bosom of this sphere

To propagate their states: amongst them all,

Whose eyes are on this sovereign lady fix'd,

One do I personate of Lord Timon's frame,

Whom Fortune with her ivory hand wafts to her;

Whose present grace to present slaves and servants

Translates his rivals.

Sir, I have imagined Fortune as having her throne

On top of a high and pleasant hill: the bottom of the hill

Is surrounded by all types of men, all kinds of natures,

That work on the face of the earth

To get more possessions: amongst them all,

With eyes fixed on this royal lady,

I represent one like Lord Timon,

Whom Fortune beckons with her white hand;

One whose obvious generosity makes all his rivals

Look like servants and slaves.

Painter

'Tis conceived to scope.

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 express'd

In our condition.

You’ve hit the mark there.

This throne, this Fortune, and this hill, I think,

With one man being chosen from below,

Leaning into the steep slope to climb up

To achieve happiness, is very like our

Position as artists.

Poet

Nay, sir, but hear me on.

All those which were his fellows but of late,

Some better than his value, on the moment

Follow his strides, his lobbies fill with tendance,

Rain sacrificial whisperings in his ear,

Make sacred even his stirrup, and through him

Drink the free air.

No sir, listen further.

All of those who were recently his equals,

Some of them richer than him, follow after

him at once, they fill up his waiting rooms,

whisper to him as if praying to gods,

even worship his stirrup as they hold it,

behaving as if he gave them the air they breathe.

Painter

Ay, marry, what of these?

Yes, certainly, so what about them?

Poet

When Fortune in her shift and change of mood

Spurns down her late beloved, all his dependants

Which labour'd after him to the mountain's top

Even on their knees and hands, let him slip down,

Not one accompanying his declining foot.

When Fortune changes her mood

and pushes away the one she recently favoured, all his

hangers-on, who struggled after him on his ascent,

even crawling after him, let him slip down,

nobody follows him as he falls.

Painter

'Tis common:

A thousand moral paintings I can show

That shall demonstrate these quick blows of Fortune's

More pregnantly than words. Yet you do well

To show Lord Timon that mean eyes have seen

The foot above the head.

This is commonplace;

I can show you a thousand instructional paintings,

that can show the quick changes of Fortune

better than words.  But you're doing a good thing

in showing Lord Timon that even lowly eyes

have seen that there are feet above one

ready to stamp one down.

Trumpets sound. Enter TIMON, addressing himself courteously to every suitor; a Messenger from VENTIDIUS talking with him; LUCILIUS and other servants following

TIMON

Imprison'd is he, say you?

You say he's in prison?

Messenger

Ay, my good lord: five talents is his debt,

His means most short, his creditors most strait:

Your honourable letter he desires

To those have shut him up; which failing,

Periods his comfort.

Yes, my good lord; he owes five talents,

he's short of money, and his creditors are very stern:

he wants you to write to

those who have locked him up; without that

he hasn't a hope.

TIMON

Noble Ventidius! Well;

I am not of that feather to shake off

My friend when he must need me. I do know him

A gentleman that well deserves a help:

Which he shall have: I'll pay the debt,

and free him.

Noble Ventidus!  Very well;

I'm not the type to ignore

a friend in need.  I know he is

a gentleman that deserves a helping hand;

he shall have it.  I'll pay the debt,

and free him.

Messenger

Your lordship ever binds him.

He will be your servant forever.

TIMON

Commend me to him: I will send his ransom;

And being enfranchised, bid him come to me.

'Tis not enough to help the feeble up,

But to support him after. Fare you well.

Give him my greetings: I will send the price;

once he's free, tell him to come to me.

It's not enough to help the weak man up,

one must support him afterwards.  Farewell.

Messenger

All happiness to your honour!

All happiness to your honour!

Exit

Enter an old Athenian

Old Athenian

Lord Timon, hear me speak.

Lord Timon, listen to me.

TIMON

Freely, good father.

Gladly, good old fellow.

Old Athenian

Thou hast a servant named Lucilius.

You have a servant called Lucilius.

TIMON

I have so: what of him?

I have: what about him?

Old Athenian

Most noble Timon, call the man before thee.

Most noble Timon, call him to you.

TIMON

Attends he here, or no? Lucilius!

Is he here, or not?  Lucilius!

LUCILIUS

Here, at your lordship's service.

Here, at your lordship's service.

Old Athenian

This fellow here, Lord Timon, this thy creature,

By night frequents my house. I am a man

That from my first have been inclined to thrift;

And my estate deserves an heir more raised

Than one which holds a trencher.

This fellow here, Lord Timon, this pet of yours,

hangs around my house at night.  I am a man

who has always been careful to save money;

and I want an heir for my estate of a better class

than a serving man.

TIMON

Well; what further?

I see.  What else?

Old Athenian

One only daughter have I, no kin else,

On whom I may confer what I have got:

The maid is fair, o' the youngest for a bride,

And I have bred her at my dearest cost

In qualities of the best. This man of thine

Attempts her love: I prithee, noble lord,

Join with me to forbid him her resort;

Myself have spoke in vain.

I have just one daughter, no other family,

to leave what I have to:

the girl is beautiful, just of marriageable age,

and I have brought her up at great expense

to have the best accomplishments.  This man of yours

is trying to get her:  I ask you, noble lord,

to join with me in forbidding him from seeing her;

I've told him myself in vain.

TIMON

The man is honest.

The man is honest.

Old Athenian

Therefore he will be, Timon:

His honesty rewards him in itself;

It must not bear my daughter.

So he should be, Timon:

his honesty should be its own reward;

he shan't have my daughter in addition.

TIMON

Does she love him?

Does she love him?

Old Athenian

She is young and apt:

Our own precedent passions do instruct us

What levity's in youth.

She is young and suggestible:

we know from our own youth

how changeable the young are.

TIMON

[To LUCILIUS] Love you the maid?

Do you love the girl?

LUCILIUS

Ay, my good lord, and she accepts of it.

Yes, my good lord, and she returns it.

Old Athenian

If in her marriage my consent be missing,

I call the gods to witness, I will choose

Mine heir from forth the beggars of the world,

And dispossess her all.

If she marries without my consent,

I call on the gods to witness that I shall choose

my heir from amongst the beggars of the world,