, Timon but lately had paid down the sum of five talents.

But among this confluence, this great flood of visitors, none were more
conspicuous than the makers of presents and givers of gifts. It was
fortunate for these men if Timon took a fancy to a dog or a horse, or
any piece of cheap furniture which was theirs. The thing so praised,
whatever it was, was sure to be sent the next morning with the
compliments of the giver for lord Timon's acceptance, and apologies for
the unworthiness of the gift; and this dog or horse, or whatever it
might be, did not fail to produce from Timon's bounty, who would not be
outdone in gifts, perhaps twenty dogs or horses, certainly presents of
far richer worth, as these pretended donors knew well enough, and that
their false presents were but the putting out of so much money at large
and speedy interest. In this way lord Lucius had lately sent to Timon a
present of four milk-white horses, trapped in silver, which this
cunning lord had observed Timon upon some occasion to commend; and
another lord, Lucullus, had bestowed upon him in the same pretended way
of free gift a brace of greyhounds, whose make and fleetness Timon had
been heard to admire; these presents the easy-hearted lord accepted
without suspicion of the dishonest views of the presenters; and the
givers of course were rewarded with some rich return, a diamond or some
jewel of twenty times the value of their false and mercenary donation.

Sometimes these creatures would go to work in a more direct way, and
with gross and palpable artifice, which yet the credulous Timon was too
blind to see, would affect to admire and praise something that Timon
possessed, a bargain that he had bought, or some late purchase, which
was sure to draw from this yielding and soft-hearted lord a gift of the
thing commended, for no service in the world done for it but the easy
expense of a little cheap and obvious flattery. In this way Timon but
the other day had given to one of these mean lords the bay courser
which he himself rode upon, because his lordship had been pleased to
say that it was a handsome beast and went well; and Timon knew that no
man ever justly praised what he did not wish to possess. For lord Timon
weighed his friends' affection with his own, and so fond was he of
bestowing, that he could have dealt kingdoms to these supposed friends,
and never have been weary.

Not that Timon's wealth all went to enrich these wicked flatterers; he