THou seruest Mellacrites , and I his daughter , which is the better man ?

The Masculin gender is more worthy then the feminine , therfore Licio backare .

That is when those two genders are at iarre , but when they belong both to one thing , then .

What then ?

Then they agree like the fiddle and the stick .

Pulchrè sanè . Gods blessing on thy blewe nose , but Licio , my mistres is a proper woman .

FAire Caelia , thou seest of gold there is sacietie , of loue there cannot .

If thou shouldst wish that whatsoeuer thou thoughtest might be loue , as Mydas what euer he toucht might be gold , it may be loue would bee as lothsome to thine eares , as gold is to his eyes , and make thy heart pinch with melancholie , as his guts doe with famine .

No sweet Caelia , in loue there is varietie .

Indeed men varie in their loue .

They varie their loue , yet change it not .

Loue and change are at variance , therefore if they varie , they must change .

Men change the manner of their loue , not the humor : the meanes how to obteine , not the mistresse they honor . So did Iupiter , that could not intreat Danae by golden words , possesse his loue by a golden shoure , not altering his affection , but vsing art .

The same Iupiter was an Aegle , a Swan , a Bull , and for euerie Saint a new shape , as men haue for euery mistres a new shadow . If you take example of the gods , who more wanton , more wauering ? if of your selues , being but men , who wil think you more constant then gods ? Eristus , if gold could haue allured mine eies , thou knowest Mydas that commaundeth all thinges to bee gold , had conquered : if threats might haue feared my heart , Mydas being a king , might haue commaunded my affections : if loue , golde , or authoritie might haue inchaunted me , Mydas had obteyned by loue , golde , and authoritie , Quorum si singula nostram flectere non poterant , potuissent omnia mentem .

Ah Caelia , if kinges saye they loue , and yet dissemble , who dare say that they dissemble , and not loue ? They commaunde the affections of others yeeld , and their owne to be beleeued . My teares which haue made furrowes in my cheekes , and in mine eyes fountaines : my sighes , which haue made of my heart a furnace , and kindled in my head flames : my body that melteth by peecemeale , and my mind that pineth at an instant , may witnesse that my loue is both vnspotted , & vnspeakeable , Quorum si singula duram flectere non poterant , deberent omnia mentem . But soft , here commeth the Princesse , with the rest of the Lords .

Mellacrites , I cannot tell whether I should more mislike thy councell , or Mydas consent , but the couetous humor of you both I contemne and wonder at , being vnfit for a king , whose honor should consiste in liberalitie , not greedines ; and vnworthy the calling of Mellacrites , whose fame should rise by the Souldiers god , Mars , not by the merchants god , Gold .

Madam , things past cannot be recalled , but repented ; and therefore are rather to be pittied than punished . It now behoueth vs how to redresse the miserable estate of our king , not to dispute of the occasion . Your highnes sees , and without griefe you cannot see , that his meat turneth to massie gold in his mouth , and his wine slideth downe his throte like liquide golde : if he touch his roabes they are turned to gold , and what is not that toucheth him , but becommeth golde ?

I Mellacrites , if thy tongue had been turned to gold before thou gauest our king such councel , Mydas heart had been ful of ease , and thy mouth of gold .

If my aduise had taken place , Mydas that now sitteth ouer head and eares in crownes , had worn vpon his head many kings crownes , and been conquerour of the world , that now is commaunder of drosse . That greedines of Mellacrites , whose heart-stringes are made of Plutus purse-stringes , hath made Mydas a lumpe of earth , that should be a god on earth ; and thy effeminate minde Eristus , whose eyes are stitcht on Caelias face , and thoughts guyde to her beautie , hath bredde in all the court such a tender wantonnes , that nothing is thoght of but loue , a passion proceeding of beastly lust , and coloured with a courtlie name of loue . Thus whilest we follow the nature of things , we forget the names . Since this vnsatiable thirst of gold , and vntemperat humor of lust crept into the kings court , Souldiers haue begged almes of Artificers , and with their helmet on their head been glad to follow a Louer with a gloue in his hatte , which so much abateth the courage of true Captaines , that they must account it more honorable , in the court to be a cowarde so rich and amorus , than in a campe to be valiant , if poore and maimed . He is more fauoured that pricks his finger with his mistres needle , then hee that breakes his launce on his enemies face : and he that hath his mouth full of fair words , than he that hath his bodie ful of deep scarres . If one be olde , & haue siluer haires on his beard , so he haue golden ruddocks in his bagges , he must be wise and honourable . If young and haue curled locks on his head , amarous glaunces with his eyes , smooth speeches in his mouth , euerie Ladies lap shal be his pillow , euery Ladies face his glasse , euery Ladies eare a sheath for his flatteries ; only Souldiers , if they be old , must beg in their owne countries ; if yong , trie the fortune of warres in another . Hee is the man ; that being let bloud caries his arme in a scarfe of his mistres fauour , not he that beares his legge on a stilt for his Countries safetie .

Stay Martius , though I know loue to growe to such losenes , and hoarding to such miserie , that I maye rather grieue at both , than remedie either : yet thy animating my father to continuall armes , to conquere crowns , hath only brought him into imminent danger of his owne head . The loue hee hath followed , I feare vnnaturall ; the riches he hath got , I know vnmeasurable ; the warres he hath leuied , I doubt vnlawfull ; hath drawn his bodie with graie haires to the graues mouth ; and his minde with eating cares to desperate determinations : ambition hath but two steps , the lowest bloud ; the highest enuie : both these hath my vnhappie father climbde , digging mines of gold with the liues of men , and now enuied of the whole world , is enuironed with enemies round about the world , not knowing that ambition hath one heele nayled in hell , though she stretch her finger to touch the heauens . I woulde the Gods would remoue this punishment , so that Mydas would be penitent . Let him thrust thee , Eristus with thy loue , into Italie , where they honour lust for a God , as the Aegyptians did dogs : thee , Mellacrites with thy greedines of gold , to the vtmost partes of the West , where all the guts of the earth are gold : and thee , Martius , that soundest but bloud and terror , into those barbarous Nations , where nothing is to be found but bloud and terror . Let Phrygia be an example of chastitie , not luste ; liberalitie , not couetousnes ; valor , not tyrannie . I wish not your bodies banisht , but your mindes , that my father and your king , may be our honor , and the worlds wonder . And thou Caelia , and all you Ladies , learn this of Sophronia , that beautie in a minute is both a blossome and a blast : Loue , a worme which seeming to liue in the eye , dies in the hart . You be all yong , and faire , endeuor all to be wise & vertuous , that when , like roses , you shal fall from the stalke , you may be gathered & put to the still .

Madam , I am free from loue , and vnfortunate to be beloued .

To be free from loue is strange , but to thinke scorne to be beloued , monstrous .

Eristus , thy tongue doth itch to talke of loue , and my eares tingle to heare it . I charge you all , if you owe any duetie to your king , to goe presently vnto the temple of Bacchus , offer praise-giftes , and sacrifice , that Mydas may be released of his wish , or his life : this I entreate you , this Mydas commaunds you . Iarre not with your selues , agree in one for your king , if euer you took Mydas for your lawful king .

Madam we will goe , and omit nothing that duety may performe , or paynes .

Goe speedelie , least Mydas die before you returne : and you Caelia shal go with me , that with talk we may beguyle the time , and my father think of no meat .

I attend .

Miserable Mydas , as vnaduised in thy wish , as in thy successe vnfortunat . O vnquenchable thirst of gold , which turneth mens heads to lead , and makest them blockish ; their hearts to iron , and makest them couetous ; their eyes to delight in the view , and makest them blinde in the vse . I that did possesse mynes of golde , could not bee contented till my minde were also a myne . Could not the treasure of Phrygia , nor the tributes of Greece , nor mountaines in the East , whose guts are gold , satisfie thy minde with gold ? Ambition eateth gold , & drinketh blood ; climeth so high by other mens heads , that she breaketh her owne necke . What should I doo with a world of ground , whose bodie must be content with seauen foote of earth ? or why did I couet to get so manie crownes , hauing my self but one head ? Those that tooke small vessells at the sea , I accompted Pyrates ; and my selfe that suppressed whole Fleetes , a Conquerour : as though robberies of Mydas might masque vnder the names of triumphs , and the traffique of other Nations bee called treacherie . Thou hast pampred vp thy selfe with slaughter , as Diomedes did his horse with blood ; so vnsatiable thy thirst , so heauie thy sword . Two bookes haue I alwaies carried in my bosome , calling them the dagger , and the sword ; in which the names of all Princes , Noblemen , and Gentlemen were dedicated to slaughter , or if not ( which worse is ) to slauerie . O my Lords , when I call to minde my cruelties in Lycaonia , my vsurping in Getulia , my oppression in Sola : then do I finde neither mercies in my conquests , nor colour for my warres , nor measure in my taxes . I haue written my lawes in blood , and made my Gods of golde ; I haue caused the mothers wombes to bee their childrens tombes , cradles to swimme in blood like boates , and the temples of the Gods a stewes for strumpets . Haue not I made the sea to groane vnder the number of my ships : and haue they not perished , that there was not two left to make a number ? Haue I not thrust my subiects into a Camp , like oxen into a Cart ; whom hauing made slaues by vniust warres , I vse now as slaues for all warres ? Haue not I entised the subiects of my neighbor Princes to destroy their natural Kings ? like moaths that eate the cloth in which they were bred , like vipers that gnawe the bowels of which they were borne , and like woormes that consume the wood in which they were ingendred ? To what kingdome haue not I pretended clayme ? as though I had been by the Gods created heire apparant to the world , making euerie trifle a title ; and all the territories about me , traitours to me . Why did I wish that all might bee gold I toucht , but that I thought all mens hearts would bee touched with gold , that what pollicie could not compasse , nor prowes , gold might haue commaunded , and conquered . A bridge of gold did I mean to make in that Iland where all my nauie could not make a breach . Those Ilandes did I long to touch , that I might turne them to gold , and my selfe to glorie . But vnhappie Mydas , who by the same meanes perisheth himself , that he thought to conquere others : being now become a shame to the world , a scorne to that petie Prince , and to thy self a consumption . A petie Prince , Mydas ? no , a Prince protected by the Gods , by Nature , by his own vertue , and his Subiects obedience . Haue not all treasons beene discouered by miracle , not counsell ? that doo the Gods chalenge . Is not the Countrie walled with huge waues ? that dooth Nature claime . Is hee not through the whole world a wonder , for wisdome and temperance ? that is his owne strength . Doe not all his Subiects ( like Bees ) swarme to preserue the King of Bees ? that their loyaltie mainteineth . My Lords , I faint both for lack of food , & want of grace . I will to the riuer , where if I be rid of this intollerable disease of gold , I will next shake off that vntemperat desire of gouernment , and measure my Territories , not by the greatnesse of my minde , but the right of my Succession .

I am not a little sorrie , that because all that your Highnesse toucheth turneth to pure golde , and therefore all your Princely affections should be conuerted to drosse . Doeth your Maiestie begin to melt your owne Crowne , that should make it with other Monarchies massie ? Begin you to make incloasure of of your minde , and to debate of inheritance , when the sworde proclaimes you conqueror ? If your Highnes heart be not of kingdome proofe , euery pelting Prince will batter it . Though you lose this garish golde , let your minde be still of steele , and let the sharpest sword decide the right of Scepters .

Euerie little king is a king , and the title consisteth not in the compasse of grounde , but in the right of inheritance .