Friday, July 11, 2025

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

                                                   But now return,

And with their faint reply, this answer join:

Who bates mine honour shall not know my coin.

 

Sempronius

Timon of Athens           Act III, Scene iii, Line 26


This is the part in the play where Timon realizes that he’s running out of money and starts asking his friends for financial help. Sempronius is one of those friends, and he’s talking to Timon’s servant who’s been sent with the request for funds. As you can see, the answer is no. He’s using the excuse that Timon asked his other friends first, and they all said no. Sempronius is saying that he feels slighted that Timon didn’t ask him first, and therefore he is answering no, just like all the rest. It’s nonsense.

Timon’s servant ends this short scene, alone, with a soliloquy about the nature of man that is reflected in this situation. I’m tempted to put it here, but it’s sixteen lines long, and you probably wouldn’t read it. Oh, what the heck.

Excellent! Your lordship’s a goodly villain. The devil knew not what he did when he made man politic (crafty and self-serving),- he crost himself by’t: and I cannot think but, in the end, the villainies of man will set him clear. How fairly this lord strives to appear foul! Takes virtuous copies to be wicked; like those that, under hot ardent zeal, would set whole realms on fire:

Of such nature is his politic love.

This was my lord’s last hope; now all are fled,

Save the gods only: now his friends are dead,

Doors, that were ne’er acquainted with their wards

Many a bounteous year, must be emploly’d

Now to guard sure their master,

And this is all a liberal course allows;

Who cannot keep his wealth must keep his house.

                                                                    [Exit]


And that’s the end of the scene. Kind of interesting that this little speech begins in prose and ends in verse. What do you think of that?



I think you didn't finish everything on your dinner plate, Mr. Blagys. 
There's no sense wasting that; it would make a tasty little snack for me, that's what I think.  


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  Today’s Totally Random Lines                                                      But now return, And with their faint reply, this a...