MELLACRITES

Nothing, but that these two have said nothing. I would wish that eueriething I touched might turn to gold: this is the sinews of war, and the sweetness of peace. Is it not gold that makes the chastest to yield to lust, the honestest to lewdness, the wisest to folly, the faithfullest to deceit, and the most holy in heart, to be most hollow of heart? In this word Gold are all the po wers of the gods, the desires of men, the wonders of the world, the miracles of nature, the looseness of for tune and triumphs of time. By gold may you shake the courts of other Princes, and have your own settled, one spade of gold undermines faster then and hundred mat tocks of steel. Would one be thought religious & de vout? Quantum quisque suam nummorum servat in arcam, tan tum habet & fidei: Religions balance are golden bags. Desire you virtue? querenda pecuniam primum est, virtus post nummos: the first stair of virtue is money. Doth any thirst after gentry, and wish to be esteemed beau tiful? & genus & formam regina pecuniam donat: king Coin hath a mint to stamp gentlemen, and art to make amia blenes. I deny not but love is sweet, and the marrow of a men mind, that to conquer kings is the quintes sense of the thoughts of kings: why ţhen follow both, Auream sunt for nunc saecula, plurimus auro venit honos, auro conciliatur amor: it is a world for gold, honour and love are both taken up on interest. Does Midas determine to tempt the minds of true Subjects? to draw them from obedience to treachery, from their allegiance and oaths to treason and perjury? quid non mortalia pectora cogit aurisacra fame's? what holes does not gold boar in men's hearts? Such virtue is there in gold, that being bred in the barrenest ground, and trodden under foot, it mounts to fit on Princes heads. Wish gold Midas, or wish not to be Midas. In the council of the gods, was not Anubis with his long nose of gold, preferred be before Neptune's, whose stature was but brass? And Aescu lapius more honoured for his golden beard, then Apollo for his sweet harmony? To enjoy a fair Lady in love, and want fair gold to give: to have thousands of people to fight, and no penny to pay, will make ones mistress wild, and his soldiers tame. Jupiter was a God, but he knew gold was a greater: and flew into those grates with his golden wings, where he could not enter with his Swans wings. What stayed Atlanta's course with Hippoma ? and apple of gold; what made the three goddesses strive? and apple of gold. If therefore thou make not thy mistress a goldfinch, thou mayest chance to find her a wagtail: believe me, Res est ingeniosa dare. Beside, how many gates of cities this golden key hath opened, we may re member of late, and ought to fear hereafter. That iron world is worn out, the golden is now come, Sub Jove nunc mundus jussa sequare Jovis. I had rather have the earth's guts, then the Moons brains. What is it that gold cannot continued ̄ manned, or hath not conquered? Justice her self, that sitteth wimpled about the eyes, does it not because she will take no gold, but that she would not be seen blushing when she takes it: the balance she holds are not to weie the right of the cause, but the weight of the bribe: she will put up her naked sword if thou offer her a gol den scabbard. This stick. We follow, desiring that our thoughts may be touched with thy finger, that they also may become gold. Madam, things passed cannot be recalled, but re pented; and therefore are rather to be pitied than puni shed. It now behooves us how to redress the miseram ble estate of our king, not to dispute of the occasion. Your highness sees, and without grief you cannot see, that his meat turns to massy gold in his mouth, and his wine slideth down his throat Like liquid gold: if he touch his robes they are turned to gold, and what is not that touches him, but becomes gold? Madam we will go, and omit nothing that duty may perform, or pains. Thou Martius art so warlike, that thou wouldst cut of the wish with a sword, not cure it with a salve: but the Gods that can give the desires of the heart, can as easily withdraw the torment. Suppose Vulcan should so temper thy sword, that were thy heart never so vale ant, thine arm never so strong, yet thy blade should never draw blood, wouldst not thou wish to have a weaker hand, and a sharper edge? If Mars should answer thee thus, go both thy sword in water, and wash thy hands in milk, and thy sword shall cleave adamant, and thy heart answer the sharpness of thy sword, wouldst not thou try the con clusion? Then let Midas believe till he have tried, and think that the Gods rule as well by giving remedies, as granting wishes. But Eristus is mum. And you Licio, wait on your self. I'll be as near you as yourskin presently. It is a good word in Midas, otherwise I should term it in another blockishness. I cannot tell whither it be a sourness commonly incident to age, or a see uerenesse particular to the Kings of Phrygia, or a suspi cion cleaving to great Estates; but me thinks he see meth so jealous of us all, and becomes so ouerth wart to all others, that either I must conjecture his wits are not his own, or his meaning very hard to some. And I (Martius) that honoured gold for a God, and accounted all other gods but led, will follow Mar tius, and say; Vilius argentum est aur , virtutibus aurum. Let us not debate the cause, but seek to pre vent the snares; for in my mind it foretelleth that which wounds my mind. Let us in. What says Midas? It were good to expound these oracles, that the learned men in Phrygia were assembled, otherwise the remedy will be as impossible to be had, as the cause to be sifted. A short answer, yet a found, Bacchus is pithy and pitiful. Midas overjoyed with this good fortune, de termined to use some solace in the woods; where, by chance we roufed a great boar, he eager of the sport, outrid us: and we thinking he had been come to his Palace some other way, came our selves the next way. If he be not returned, he cannot be long: we have also lost our pages, which we think are with him. What found is this? who dares utter that he hears?