_Thou art a slave, whom fortune's tender arm With favour never claspt; but bred a dog. --But myself, Who had the world as my confectionary,_ &c. The intermediate lines are to be considered as a parenthesis of passion. IV.iii.271 (367,5) If thou wilt curse, thy father, that poor rag,/ Must be thy subject] If we read _poor rogue_, it will correspond rather better to what follows. IV.iii.276 (367,6) Thou hadst been knave and flatterer] Dryden has quoted two verses of Virgil to shew how well he could have written satires. Shakespeare has here given a specimen of the same power by a line bitter beyond all bitterness, in which Timon tells Apemantus, that he had not virtue enough for the vices which he condemns. Dr. Warburton explains _worst_ by _lowest_, which somewhat weakens the sense, and yet leaves it sufficiently vigorous. I have heard Mr. Bourke commend the subtilty of discrimination with which Shakespeare distinguishes the present character of Timon from that of Apemantus, whom to vulgar eyes he would now resemble. (see 1763, VI, 249, 6) (rev. 1778, VIII, 424, 4) IV.iii.308 (369,8) Ay, though it look like thee] Timon here supposes that an objection against hatred, which through the whole tenor of the conversation appears an argument for it. One would have expected him to have answered, Yes, _for it looks like thee_. The old edition, which always gives the pronoun instead of the affirmative particle, has it, _I, though it look like thee_. Perhaps we should read, _I_ thought _it_ look'd _like thee_. IV,iii.363 (371,2) Thou art the cap] i.e. the property, the bubble. WARBURTON.] I rather think, the _top_, the _principal_. The remaining dialogue has more malignity than wit. IV.iii.383 (372,4) 'Twixt natural, son and sire!'] [Greek: dia touton ouk adelphoi dia touton ou toxaeas. ANAC.] IV.iii.398 (373,6) More things like men?] This line, in the old edition, is given to Aremantus, but it apparently belongs to Timon. Hanmer has transposed the foregoing dialogue according to his own mind, not unskilfully, but with unwarrantable licence. IV.iii.419 (373,7) you want much of meat] [T: of meet] Such is Mr. Theobald's emendation, in which he is followed by Dr. Warburton. Sir T. Hanmer reads, --_you want much of_ men. They have been all busy without necessity. Observe the series of the conversation. The thieves tell him, that they are _men that much do want_. Here is an ambiguity between _much want_ and _want_ of _much_. Timon takes it on the wrong side, and tells them that their _greatest want is_, that, like other men, _they want much of meat_; then telling them where meat may be had, he asks, _Want? why want?_ (see 1765, VI, 254, 5) IV.iii.420 (374,8) the earth hath roots;/Within this mile break forth an hundred springs] _Vile plus, et duris haerentia mora rubetis Pugnantis stomachi composuere famen: Flumine vicino stultus sitit._