HEPHAESTION

Your Majesty therein shows that you have as great desire to rule as to subdue: & needs must that common wealth be fortunate, whose Captain is a Philosopher, and whose Philosopher is a Captain. They were not Philosophers, if they knew not their duties. I do not think but his excuse will be better then Melippus message. It is better to have in your court a wise man, then in your ground a golden mine. Therefore would I lean war, to study wisdom, were I Alexander. I cannot but commend the stout courage of Timeclea. Could I aswell subdue kingdoms, as I can my thoughts, or were I as far from ambition, as I am from love, all the world would account me as vali aunt in arms as I know my self moderate in affection. It is no virtue. Might my words crave pardon and my counsel credit, I would both discharge the duty of a subject, for so I am, and the office of a friend, for so I will. I cannot tell Alexander, whither the report be more shameful to be herd, or the cause sorrowful to be believed? What, is the son of Philip, king of Mace done become the subject of Campaspe, the captive of The bes? Is that mind, whose greatness the world could not contain, drawn within the compass of and idle alluring eye? Will you handle the spindle with Hercules, when you should shake the spear with Achilles? Is the warlike found of drum and trump turned to the soft noise of lire and lute, the neighing of barbed steeds, whose loudness filled the air with terror, and whose breathes dim med the sun with smoke, converted to delicate tunes and amorous glances? Oh Alexander, that soft and yeel ding mind should not be in him, whose hard and un conquered heart hath made so many yield. But you love, ah grief, but whom? Campaspe, ah shame, a maid forsooth unknown, unnoble; and who can tell whither immodest? whose eyes are framed by art to inamour, and whose heart was made by nature to enchant. I, but she is beautiful, yea, but not therefore chaste: I, but she is comely in all parts of the body: yea, but she may be croo ked in some part of the mind; I, but she is wise, yea, but she is a woman: Beauty is Like the blackberry, which see meth read, when it is not ripe resembling precious stones that are polished with honney, which the smother they look, the sooner they break. It is thought wondered a mong the sea men that Mugil of all fish the swiftest is found in the belly of the Bret of all the slowest; And shall it not seem monstrous to wise men, that the heart of the greatest conqueror of the world, should be found in the hands of the weakest creature of nature? of a woman? of a captive? Hermyns have fair skins, but fowl livers; Sepulcher's fresh colours but rotten bones, women fair faces, but false hearts. Remember Alex ander thou haste a camp to govern, not a chamber, fallen not from the armour of Mars to the arms of Venus, from ̄ the fiery assaults of war, to the maidenly skirmishes of love from displaying the Eagle in thine ensign, to set down the sparrow. I sighs Alexander that where fortune could not counquer, folly should overcome. But behold all the perfection that may be in Campaspe, a hair curling by nature, not art: sweet alluring eyes, a fair face made in despite of Venus ; and a stately port in disdain of In , a wit apt to conceive, and quick to answer a skin as soft as silk, and as smooth as jet, a long white hand, a fine little foot, to conclude, all parts answerable to the best partly, what of this? Though she have heavenly gifts, virtue and beauty, is she not of earthly metal flesh and blood? You Alexander that would be a God, show your self in this worse then a man, so soon to be both overseen and overtaken in a woman, whose false tears know their true times, whose smooth words wound deeper then sharpeswordes. There is no surfeit so dan gerous, as that of honey, nor any poison so deadly, as that of love, in the one physic cannot prevail, nor in the other counsel. I must needs yield, when neither reason nor counsel can be herd. Suppose she loves not you, affection continued ̄ meth not by appointment or birth, and then as good hated as inforced. Why, that which you say the Gods cannot re sister, Love. You say that in love there is no reason, and therefore there can be no likelihood. He is dogged, but discrete, I cannot tell how sharp with a kind of sweetness, full of wit, yet too to wayward. You love, and therefore think any thing. Occasion cannot want, if will do not. Behold all Persia swelling in the pride of their own power, the Scythians careless what courage or fortune can do: the Egyptians dreaming in the soothsayings of their Augurs, and gaping over the sinoak of their beasts in Tralles. All these Alexander are to be subdued, if that world be not slipped out of your head, which you have sworn to conquer with that hand. I will not contrary your majesty, for time must wear out that love hath wrought, and reason wean what appetite nursed. Let her pass. Melancholy I am not, nor well content: for I know not how there is such a rust crept into my bones with this long ease, that I fear I shall not scour it out with infinite labours. You know Timoclea had Theagines to her bro there. Not I. You may, to yield to Lust by force, but to consent to love by fear you cannot. It may be: for commonly we see it incident in artificers to be enamoured of their own works, as Ar chidamus of his wooden douc, Pygmalion, of his ivory Image, Arachue of his wood ̄ swan, especially painters, who playing with their own conceits, now coveting to draw a glancing eye, then a rolling, now a winking; still mending it, never ending it, till they be caught with it, and then poor souls they kiss the colours with their lips, with which before they were loath to tainte their fingers. I what your device shall be. I pity the poor painter, if he be in love. As the Macedonians do of their Herb Beet, which looking yellow in the ground; and black in the hand, think it better seen then touched. A word by superstition thought a God, by use turned to and humour, by self will made a slattering mad ness. It would better become thee to be more curtain ous, and frame thy self to please. The conquering of Thebes was not so honoura ble, as the subduing of these thoughts. You said you would ask every one of them a question, which yester night none of us could answer. You may: but he will be very perverse with you. I am no thought catcher, but I guess unhappily.