TIMON. With all my heart, gentlemen both! And how fare you? FIRST LORD. Ever at the best, hearing well of your lordship. SECOND LORD. The swallow follows not summer more willing than we your lordship. TIMON. [Aside] Nor more willingly leaves winter; such summer-birds are men- Gentlemen, our dinner will not recompense this long stay; feast your ears with the music awhile, if they will fare so harshly o' th' trumpet's sound; we shall to't presently. FIRST LORD. I hope it remains not unkindly with your lordship that I return'd you an empty messenger. TIMON. O sir, let it not trouble you. SECOND LORD. My noble lord- TIMON. Ah, my good friend, what cheer? SECOND LORD. My most honourable lord, I am e'en sick of shame that, when your lordship this other day sent to me, I was so unfortunate a beggar. TIMON. Think not on't, sir. SECOND LORD. If you had sent but two hours before- TIMON. Let it not cumber your better remembrance. [The banquet brought in] Come, bring in all together. SECOND LORD. All cover'd dishes! FIRST LORD. Royal cheer, I warrant you. THIRD LORD. Doubt not that, if money and the season can yield it. FIRST LORD. How do you? What's the news? THIRD LORD. Alcibiades is banish'd. Hear you of it? FIRST AND SECOND LORDS. Alcibiades banish'd! THIRD LORD. 'Tis so, be sure of it. FIRST LORD. How? how? SECOND LORD. I pray you, upon what? TIMON. My worthy friends, will you draw near? THIRD LORD. I'll tell you more anon. Here's a noble feast toward. SECOND LORD. This is the old man still. THIRD LORD. Will't hold? Will't hold? SECOND LORD. It does; but time will- and so- THIRD LORD. I do conceive. TIMON. Each man to his stool with that spur as he would to the lip of his mistress; your diet shall be in all places alike. Make not a city feast of it, to let the meat cool ere we can agree upon the first place. Sit, sit. The gods require our thanks: You great benefactors, sprinkle our society with thankfulness. For your own gifts make yourselves prais'd; but reserve still to give, lest your deities be despised. Lend to each man enough, that one need not lend to another; for were your god-heads to borrow of men, men would forsake the gods. Make the meat be beloved more than the man that gives it. Let no assembly of twenty be without a score of villains. If there sit twelve women at the table, let a dozen of them be- as they are. The rest of your foes, O gods, the senators of Athens, together with the common lag of people, what is amiss in them, you gods, make suitable for destruction. For these my present friends, as they are to me nothing, so in nothing bless them, and to nothing are they welcome.