Isi. Your Steward puts me off my Lord, and I Am sent expressely to your Lordship
Tim. Giue me breath: I do beseech you good my Lords keepe on, Ile waite vpon you instantly. Come hither: pray you How goes the world, that I am thus encountred With clamorous demands of debt, broken Bonds, And the detention of long since due debts Against my Honor? Stew. Please you Gentlemen, The time is vnagreeable to this businesse: Your importunacie cease, till after dinner, That I may make his Lordship vnderstand Wherefore you are not paid
Tim. Do so my Friends, see them well entertain'd
Stew. Pray draw neere. Enter.
Enter Apemantus and Foole.
Caph. Stay, stay, here comes the Foole with Apemantus, let's ha some sport with 'em
Var. Hang him, hee'l abuse vs
Isid. A plague vpon him dogge
Var. How dost Foole? Ape. Dost Dialogue with thy shadow? Var. I speake not to thee
Ape. No 'tis to thy selfe. Come away
Isi. There's the Foole hangs on your backe already
Ape. No thou stand'st single, th'art not on him yet
Cap. Where's the Foole now? Ape. He last ask'd the question. Poore Rogues, and Vsurers men, Bauds betweene Gold and want
Al. What are we Apemantus? Ape. Asses
All. Why? Ape. That you ask me what you are, & do not know your selues. Speake to 'em Foole
Foole. How do you Gentlemen? All. Gramercies good Foole: How does your Mistris? Foole. She's e'ne setting on water to scal'd such Chickens as you are. Would we could see you at Corinth
Ape. Good, Gramercy. Enter Page.
Foole. Looke you, heere comes my Masters Page
Page. Why how now Captaine? what do you in this wise Company. How dost thou Apermantus? Ape. Would I had a Rod in my mouth, that I might answer thee profitably
Boy. Prythee Apemantus reade me the superscription of these Letters, I know not which is which
Ape. Canst not read? Page. No
Ape. There will litle Learning dye then that day thou art hang'd. This is to Lord Timon, this to Alcibiades. Go thou was't borne a Bastard, and thou't dye a Bawd
Page. Thou was't whelpt a Dogge, and thou shalt famish a Dogges death. Answer not, I am gone.
Exit
Ape. E'ne so thou out-runst Grace, Foole I will go with you to Lord Timons
Foole. Will you leaue me there? Ape. If Timon stay at home. You three serue three Vsurers? All. I would they seru'd vs
Ape. So would I: As good a tricke as euer Hangman seru'd Theefe
Foole. Are you three Vsurers men? All. I Foole
Foole. I thinke no Vsurer, but ha's a Foole to his Seruant. My Mistris is one, and I am her Foole: when men come to borrow of your Masters, they approach sadly, and go away merry: but they enter my Masters house merrily, and go away sadly. The reason of this? Var. I could render one
Ap. Do it then, that we may account thee a Whoremaster, and a Knaue, which notwithstanding thou shalt be no lesse esteemed
Varro. What is a Whoremaster Foole? Foole. A Foole in good cloathes, and something like thee. 'Tis a spirit, sometime t' appeares like a Lord, somtime like a Lawyer, sometime like a Philosopher, with two stones moe then's artificiall one. Hee is verie often like a Knight; and generally, in all shapes that man goes vp and downe in, from fourescore to thirteen, this spirit walkes in
Var. Thou art not altogether a Foole