That thought is bounty's foe;
Being free itself, it thinks all other so]
_Free_, is _liberal_, not parsimonious.
III.i.57 (319,6) Has friendship such a faint and milky heart, It turns
in less than two nights?] Alluding to the _turning_ or acescence of
milk.
III.ii.3 (320,3) We know him for no less] That is, _we know him_ by
report to be _no less_ than you represent him, though we are strangers
to his person.
III.ii.24 (321,5) yet had he mistook him, and sent him to me] [W:
mislook'd] I rather read, _yet had he_ not _mistook him, and sent to
me_.
III.ii.45 (322,7) If his occasion were not virtuous] [_Virtuous_, for
strong, forcible, pressing. _WARBURTON_.] The meaning may more naturally
be;--If he did not want it for a good use. (1773)
III.ii.51 (322,9) that I should purchase the day before for a little
part, and undo a great deal of honour?] [T: a little dirt] This
emendation is received, like all others, by sir T. Hanmer, but neglected
by Dr. Warburton. I think Theobald right in suspecting a corruption; nor
is his emendation injudicious, though perhaps we may better read,
_purchase the day before for a little park_.
III.ii.71 (323,1) And just of the same piece is every flatterer's soul]
This is Dr. Warburton's emendation. The other editions read,
_Why this is the world's soul;
Of the same piece is every flatterer's_ sport.
Mr. Upton has not unluckily transposed the two final words, thus,
_Why, this is the world's_ sport:
_Of the same piece is ev'ry flatterer's_ soul.
The passage is not so obscure as to provoke so much enquiry. _This_,
says he, _is the soul_ or spirit _of the world: every flatterer_ plays
the same game, makes _sport_ with the confidence of his friend. (see
1765, VI, 211, 4)
III.ii.81 (324,2) He does deny him, in respect of his, What charitable
men afford to beggars] That is, _in respect of his_ fortune, what Lucius
denies to Timon is in proportion to what Lucius possesses, less than the
ususal alms given by good men to beggars.
III.ii.90 (324,3) I would have put my wealth into donation, And the best
half should ha' return'd to him] Hanmer reads,
_I would have put my wealth into_ partition,
_And the best half should have_ attorn'd _to him_.
Dr. Warbarton receives _attorn'd_. The only difficulty is in the word
_return'd_, which, since he had received nothing from him, cannot be
used but in a very low and licentious meaning, (see 1765, VI, 212, 6)
III.iii.5 (325,4) They have all been touch'd] That is, _tried_, alluding
to the _touchstone_.
III.iii.11 (325,5) His friends, like physicians,/Thrive, give him over?]
The original reading is,
--his friends, (_like physicians_)
Thrive, give him over?
which Theobald has misrepresented. Hanmer reads, _try'd_, plausibly
enough. Instead of _three_ proposed by Mr. Pope, I should read _thrice_.
But perhaps the old reading is the true.
III.iii.24 (326,6) I had such a courage] Such an ardour, such an eager
desire.
III.iii.28 (326,8) The devil knew not what he did] I cannot but think
that, the negative _not_ has intruded into this passage, and the reader
will think so too, when he reads Dr. Warburton's explanation of the next
words.
III.iii.28 (326,9) The devil knew not what he did, when he made men
politick; he cross'd himself by't: and I cannot think, but in the end
the villainies of man will set him clear] [_Set him clear_ does not mean
acquit him before heaven; for then _the devil_ must be supposed _to know
what_ he did: but it signifies puzzle him, outdo him at his own weapons.
WARBURTON.] How the devil, or any other being, should be _set clear_ by
being _puzzled_ and _outdone_, the commentator has not explained. When
in a crowd we would have an opening made, we say, _Stand clear_, that
is, _out of the way of danger_. With some affinity to this use, though
not without great harshness, to _set clear_, may be to _set aside_. But
I believe the original corruption is the insertion of the negative,
which was obtruded by some transcriber, who supposed _crossed_ to mean
_thwarted_, when it meant, _exempted from evil_. The use of _crossing_,
by way of protection or purification, was probably not worn out in
Shakespeare's time. The sense of _set clear_ is now easy; he has no
longer the guilt of tempting man. To cross himself may mean, in a very
familiar sense, _to clear his score, to get out of debt, to quit his
reckoning_. He knew not _what he did_, may mean, he knew not how much
good he was doing himself. There is then no need of emendation. (1773)
III.iii.42 (327,2) keep his house] i.e. keep within doors for fear of
duns.
III.iv (328,3) _Enter Varro, Titus, Hortense, Lucius_] Lucius is here
again for the servant of Lucius.
III.iv.12 (328,4) a prodigal's course/Is like the sun's] That is, like
him in blaze and splendour.
_Soles occidere et redire possunt._ Catul.
III.iv.25 (329,5) I am weary of this charge] That is, of this
_commission_, of this _employment_.
III.iv.32 (329,6) Else, surely, his had equall'd] Should it not be,
_else, surely, mine had equall'd_.
III.iv.67 (330,7) _Enter Servilius_] It may be observed that Shakespeare
has unskilfully filled his Greek story with Roman names.