Chapter: A SENATOR'S house

Enter A SENATOR, with papers in his hand

  SENATOR. And late, five thousand. To Varro and to Isidore
    He owes nine thousand; besides my former sum,
    Which makes it five and twenty. Still in motion
    Of raging waste? It cannot hold; it will not.
    If I want gold, steal but a beggar's dog
    And give it Timon, why, the dog coins gold.
    If I would sell my horse and buy twenty moe
    Better than he, why, give my horse to Timon,
    Ask nothing, give it him, it foals me straight,
    And able horses. No porter at his gate,
    But rather one that smiles and still invites
    All that pass by. It cannot hold; no reason
    Can sound his state in safety. Caphis, ho!
    Caphis, I say!

                         Enter CAPHIS

  CAPHIS. Here, sir; what is your pleasure?
  SENATOR. Get on your cloak and haste you to Lord Timon;
    Importune him for my moneys; be not ceas'd
    With slight denial, nor then silenc'd when
    'Commend me to your master' and the cap
    Plays in the right hand, thus; but tell him
    My uses cry to me, I must serve my turn
    Out of mine own; his days and times are past,
    And my reliances on his fracted dates
    Have smit my credit. I love and honour him,
    But must not break my back to heal his finger.
    Immediate are my needs, and my relief
    Must not be toss'd and turn'd to me in words,
    But find supply immediate. Get you gone;
    Put on a most importunate aspect,
    A visage of demand; for I do fear,
    When every feather sticks in his own wing,
    Lord Timon will be left a naked gull,
    Which flashes now a phoenix. Get you gone.
  CAPHIS. I go, sir.
  SENATOR. Take the bonds along with you,
    And have the dates in compt.
  CAPHIS. I will, sir.
  SENATOR. Go.                                            Exeunt

 It turns out that Timon has borrowed large sums of money to support his extravagant lifestyle. We open Act 2 with a Senator thinking back on how much Timon owes him. The Senator quickly figures out that Timon can't go on borrowing money when he keeps giving such large gifts away. The Senator wants his money back and ASAP, so he sends his servant Caphis over to Timon's to get it. He instructs his servant shout "show me the money!" and not return until he gets it.

