Caelia Camilla Amerula Suauia So. LAdies here must we attend the happy return of my father but in the mean season what pastime shal we vse to passe the time I wil agree to any so it be not to talke of loue Sua. Then sleepe is the best exercise Soph. Why Suauia are you so light that you must chat of loue or so heauie that you must needes sleepe Penelope in the absence of her Lord beguyled the daies with spinning Sua. Indeed she spun a fair threed if it were to make a string to the bow wherin she drew herwoers Soph. Why Suauia it was a bow which she knew to be aboue thy strength and therein she shewde her wit Sua. Qui latus arguerit corneus arcus erat it was made of horne madam and therin she shewde her meaning Soph. Why doest thou not think she was chast Sua. Yes of all her woers Soph. To talke with thee is to lose time not well to spend it how say you Amerula what shal we do Am. Tel tales Soph. What say you Caelia Cae Sing Soph. What think you Camilla Cam. Daunce Soph. You see Suauia that there are other things to keep one from idlenes besides loue nay that there is nothing to make idlenes but loue Sua. Well let mee stande by and feede mine owne thoughts with sweetenes whilest they fil your eyes and eares with songs and dauncings Soph. Amerula begin thy tale Am. There dwelt somtimes in Phrygia a Lady very fair but passing froward as much maruelled at for beutie as for peeuishnes misliked Hie she was in the instep but short in the heele strait laced but loose bodied It came to passe that a gentleman as yong in wit as yeres and in yeres a very boy chanced to glaunce his eies on her there were they dazeled on her beautie as larkes that are caught in the Sunne with the glittering of a glasse In her faire lookes were his thoughts intangled like the birdes of Canarie that fal into a silken net Dote he did without measure and die he must without her loue She on the other side as one that knew her good began to look askaunce yet felt the passions of loue eating into her heart though shee dissembled them with her eyes Suau. Ha ha he Soph. Why laughest thou Sua. To see you Madame so tame as to be brought to heare a tale of loue that before were so wylde you would not come to the name and that Amerula could deuise how to spend the time with a tale onely that she might not talke of loue and now to make loue onely her tale Soph. Indeed I was ouershot in iudgement and she in discretion Amerula another tale or none this is too louely Sua. Nay let me heare anie woman tell a tale of x. lines long without it tend to loue I wil be bound neuer to come at the Court And you Caelia that would fain trip on your petitoes can you perswade me to take delight to dance not loue or you that cannot rule your feet can guid your affections hauing the one as vnstaid as the other vnsteadie dauncing is loue sauce therefore I dare be so sawcie as if you loue to daunce to say you daunce for loue But Camilla she will sing whose voice if it should vtter her thoughts would make the tune of a hart out of tune She that hath crochets in her head hath also loue conceipts I dare sweare she harpeth not onely on plaine song before you Sophronia none of them all vse plaine dealing but because they see you so curious they frame themselues counterfet For my selfe as I knowe honest loue to bee a thing inseperable from our sex so doo I thinke it most allowable in the Court vnlesse we would haue all our thoughts made of Church-worke and so carrie a holie face and a hollow hart Sophr. Ladies how like you Suauia in her louing vaine Cael. Wé are content at this time to sooth her in her vanitie Amer. Shee casts all our mindes in the mould of her owne head and yet erreth as farre from our meanings as she doth from her owne modestie Sua. Amerula if you were not bitter your name had been ill bestowed but I think it as lawfull in the Court to bee counted louing and chast as you in the Temple to seeme religious and be spitefull Camill. I meruaile you will reply anie more Amerula her toung is so nimble it will neuer lye still Sua. The liker thy feete Camilla which were taught not to stand still Sophronia So no more Ladies let our comming to sport not tourne to spight Loue thou Suauia if thou thinke it sweete sing thou Caelia for thine owne content tell thou tales and daunce thou Camilla and so euerie one vsing hir own delight shall haue no cause to be discontent But here cōmeth Martius the rest What newes Martius of my Soueraigne and Father Mydas Mart. Madam he no sooner bathed his lims in the riuer but it turnde to a golden stream the sands to fine gold and all to gold that was cast into the water Mydas dismaid at the sodaine alteration assaied againe to touch a stone but he could not alter the nature of the stone Then went we with him to the Temple of Bacchus where we offred a launce wreathed about with yuie Garlands of ripe grapes and skinnes of Wolues and Panthers and a great standing cup of the water which so lately was turnd to golde Bacchus accepted our giftes commaunding Mydas to honour the Gods and also in wishing to bee as wise as he meant to haue made him fortunate Soph. Happie Sophronia that hast liued to heare these newes and happie Mydas if thou liue better to gouern thy fortune But what is become of our king Mell. Mydas ouerioyed with this good fortune determined to vse some solace in the woods where by chaunce we roused a great bore he eager of the sport outrid vs and wee thinking hee had been come to his Pallace some other way came our selues the next way If he be not returned he cannot be long we haue also lost our pages which we thinke are with him Sophro. The Gods shield him from all harmes the woods are full of Tygers and he of courage wilde beasts make no difference between a king a clowne nor hunters in the heat of their pastime feare no more the fiersnes of the boare thā the fearfulnes of the hare But I hope well let vs in to see all well Exeunt Actus 4. Scaena 1. Apollo Pan. Mydas Nymphes Ap. PAn wilt thou contend with Apollo who tunes the heauens and makes them all hang by harmony Orpheus that caused trees to moue with the sweetnes of his harp offreth yerely homage to my lute so doth Arion that brought Dolphins to his sugred notes and Amphion that by musicke reard the walls of Thebes Onely Pan with his harsh whistle which makes beasts shake for feare not men dance for ioy seekes to compare with Apollo
pull ouer so fowle a skinne Pi. These boyes be droonk I would not be in your takings Li. I thinke so for we take nothing in our hands but weapons it is for thee to vse needles and pinnes a sampler not a buckler Pi. Nay then wee shall neuer haue done I meane I would not be so courst as you shal be Pet. Worse and worse Wee are no chase prettie mops for Deere we are not neither red nor fallowe because we are Batchelers and haue not cornu copia we want heads Hares we cannot be because they are male one yere and the next female we change not our sex Badgers we are not for our legs are one as long as another and who wil take vs to be Foxes that stand so nere a goose and bite not Pi. Fooles you are and therefore good game for wise men to hunt but for knaues I leaue you for honest wenches to talke of Li. Nay stay sweet Pipenetta we are but disposed to be merrie Pi. I maruel how old you wil be before you be disposed to be honest But this is the matter my master is gone abroad and wants his page to wayt on him my mistresse would rise and lacks your worshippe to fetch her haire Pet. Why is it not on her head Pi. Me thinks it should but I meane the haire that she must weare to day Li. Why doth she weare any but her owne Pi. In faith sir no I am sure it is her owne when shee paies for it But do you heare the strange newes at the Court Pet. No except this be it to haue ones haire lie all night out of the house from ones head Pi. Tush euerie thing that Mydas toucheth is gold Pet. The deuil it is Pi. Indeed gold is the deuil Li. Thou art deceiued wench angels are gold But is it true Pi. True Why the meat that he tutcheth turneth to gold so doth the drinke so doth his raiment Pet. I would he would geue me a good boxe on the eare that I might haue a golden cheeke Li. How happie shal we be if hee woulde but stroke our heads that we might haue golden haires But let vs all in least he lose the vertue of the gift before wee taste the benefit Pi. If he take a cudgel and that turn to gold yet beating you with it you shal only feele the weight of gold Pet. What difference to be beaten with gold and to be beaten gold Pi. As much as to say drinke before you goe and goe before you drinke Li. Come let vs goe least we drinke of a drie cuppe for our long tarrying Exeunt Actus 2. Scae. 1. Eristus Caelia Sophronia Mellacrites Martius Erist. FAire Caelia thou seest of gold there is sacietie of loue there cannot Cael. 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 Erist. No sweet Caelia in loue there is varietie Cae. Indeed men varie in their loue Erist. They varie their loue yet change it not Cae. Loue and change are at variance therefore if they varie they must change Erist. 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 Cae. 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 Erist. 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 Ent. Soph. Sophro. 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 Mel. 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 Erist. 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 Mar. 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
sword that were thy heart neuer so valeant thine arme neuer so strong yet thy blade shoulde neuer draw bloud wouldest not thou wish to haue a weaker hand and a sharper edge Mar. Yes Mel. If Mars should answere thee thus go bath thy sword in water and wash thy hands in milke and thy sword shal cleaue adamant and thy heart answere the sharpnes of thy sword wouldst not thou trie the conclusion Mar. What els Mel. Then let Mydas beleeue til he haue tried and thinke that the Gods rule as wel by geuing remedies as graunting wishes But Eristus is mum Mar. Caelia hath sealed his mouth Erist. Caelia hath sealed her face in my heart which I am no more ashamed to confesse than thou that Mars hath made a scarre in thy face Martius But let vs in to the king Sir boies you wait wel Pet. We durst not go to Bacchus for if I see a grape my head akes Erist. And if I finde a cudgell I le make your shoulders ake Mel. And you Licio wait on your selfe Li. I cannot chuse sir I am alwaies so neer my selfe Mel. I le be as neere you as your skin presently Exeunt Actus 3. Scae. 1. Mydas Mellacrites Martius Eristus My. IN Pactolus go bathe thy wish and thee Thy wish the waues shal haue and thou be free 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 Mar. 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 Myd. Euerie little king is a king and the title consisteth not in the compasse of grounde but in the right of inheritance Mar. Are not conquests good titles Myd. Conquests are great thefts Mar. If your Highnesse would be aduised by mee then would I rob for kingdomes and if I obteyned fain woulde I see him that durste call the Conquerour a theefe Myd. Martius thy councell hath shed as much bloud as would make another sea Valor I cannot call it and barbarousnesse is a worde too milde Come Mellaorites let vs goe and come you Eristus that if I obteine mercie of Bacchus wee may offer Sacrifice to Bacchus Martius if you be not disposed to goe dispose as you will of your selfe Martius I will humbly attend on your Highnesse as still hoping to haue my hearts desire and you your height of honor Exeunt Actus 3. Scae. 2. Licto Petulus Dello Motto Pet. AH Licio a bots on the Barbar euer since I consened him of the golden beard I haue had the toothach Li. I