ARISTIPPUS

¶In faith Carisophus, you know your self best, But I will not call you noddy, but only in jest, And thus I assure you, though I came from school, To serve in this Court, I came not yet to be the Kings fool, Or to fill his ears with servile squirilitie, That office is yours, you know it right perfectly, Of Parasites and Scicophants you are a graven bencher, The King feeds you often from his own trencher, I envy not your state, nor yet your great favour, Then grudge not at all, if in my behaviour: I make the King merry, with pleasant urbanity, Whom I never abused to any men injury. ¶ Why man in the Court, do you not see, Rewards given for virtue, to every degree? To reward the unworthy that world is done, The Court is changed, a good thread hath been spun Of Dogs will heretofore, and why? be cause it was liked, And not for that it was best trimmed and picked: But now men's ears are finer, such gross toys are not set by, Therefore to a trimmer kind of mirth my self I apply, Wherein though I please, it comes not of my desert, But of the Kings favour. ¶ Bir Lady Carisophus, though you know not Philosophy, et surely you are a better Courtier then I, worser yet I not so evil a courtier that will seem to despise, such and old courtier as you so expert and so wise, ut where as you crave mine & offer your friendship so willingly, ith heart I give you thanks for this your great courtesy: Assuring of friendship both with tooth and nail, While life lasteth never to fail. O friend Carisophus. ¶ None so glad of Carisophus friendship as I, I make God a vow, I speak as I think, believe me. ¶ Friend Carisophus, this shall be done as you would wish, But I pray you tell Me, thus much by the way, Whither now from this place will you take your journey? ¶ A dew friend Carisophus: In good faith now, Of force I must laugh at this solemn vow, Is Aristippus linked in Friendship with Carisophus? Quid cum tanto Asino, talis Philosophus? They say, Morum similitudo consultat amicitias. Then, how can this Friendship between us two come to pass? We are as Like in conditions, as Jack Fletcher and his Bowlt, I brought up in learning, but he is a very dolt As touching good Letters: but otherwise such a crafty knave, If you seek a whole Region, his like you can not have: A Villain for his life, a Varlet died in Grain, You loose Money by him if you sell him for one knave, for he serves for twain: A flattering Parasite, a Sicophant also, A come accuser of men: to the good, and open Foe, Of half a word, he can make a Legend of lies, Which he will advouch with such tragical cries, As though all were true that comes out of his mouth, Where in deed to be hanged by and by, He cannot tell one tale but twice he must lie, He spares no men life to get the kings favour, In which kind of servis he hath God such a savour, That he will never leave, me think then that I, Have done very wisely to join in friendship with him, lest perhaps I Coming in his way might be nipped, for such knaves in presence, We see oft times put honest men to silence: Yet I have played with his beard in knitting this knot, I promised friendship, but you love few words: I spoke it, but I meant it not, Who marks this friendship between us two, Shall judge of the worldly friendship without any more a do, It may be a right Patron thereof, but true friendship in deed, Of nought but of virtue, does truly proséede, But why do I now enter into Philosophy, Which do profess the fine kind of courtesy? I will hence to the Court with all haste I may, I think the king be stirring, it is now bright day, To wait at a pinch still in sighed I mean, For wot you what? a new Broom sweeps clean, As to High honour I mind not to climb, So I mean in the court to loose ne time: Wherein happy man be his dole, I trust that I, Shall not speed worst, and that very quickly EXIT. ONEPTVNE, immortal be thy praise, For that so safe from Greece we have passed the seas, To this noble city SIRACUSAE, where we The ancient reign of the Romans may see, Whose force, Greece also here to before hath known, Whose virtue, the shrill trump of fame so far hath blown. Byr lady Will, this is good counsel, plainly to jest Of women, proof hath taught Me it is not best, I will change my copy, how be it, I care not a quinche, I know the galled horse will soonest winch: But learn thou secretly what privily they talk Of me in the Court, among them slyly walk, And bring me true news thereof. Do so my boy: if thou bring it finely to pass, For thy good service, thou shalt go in thine old coat at Christmas. ¶Enter Damon, Pithias, Stephano. EXEUNT ¶ Stephano, is all this true that thou hast told me. What pray is that? feign would I know. ¶ I think so in good faith, as you did handle him. My Carisophus, you have done good servi e, but what is the spiesna ¶By my troth, I will go see him and speak with him to if I may I am of the Court in deed, but none of the counsel. The more in favour, the less I dare say. To help and other and hurt my self, it is and evil point of courts e. He is not innocent, whom the king judgeth nocent. So fare passed that Dionisius hath sworn Damon to morrow shall di ¶ Best to content your self, when there is no remedy, He is well relived that for knoweth his misery, Yet if any comfort be, it rests in Eubulus, The chiefest counselor about king Dionisius: Which pitieth Damons case in this great extremity, Persuading the King from all kind of cruelty. ¶The king is at hand, stand close in the press, beware: if he know You are friend to Damon, e will take you for a spy also: Farewell I dare not be seen with you. You never lost it, for you never had it, as far as I know. Because you trust me, to you the truth I tell. Dictum sapienti sattest: friend Carisophus, shall I forget that thing, No, I warrant you, though I say litie to your face, will lay one month for you to Dionisius when I am in place: I speak one word for such a knave, hang Me. EXIT. My friend, in this case I can do you no pleasure. It should appear it comes of some evil behaviour, That you so suddenly are cast out of favour. To swear for your honesty, I should loose mine own. I follow the proverb: Amicus Usque and auras. I love no stretching, so may I breed mine own pain. Where true friendship is, it is so in very deed. The chiefest link lacked thereof, it must needs deseuer. Honesty. Yea truly, and that knot so knit will never slip. Between the honest only, for Amicitiam inter bonus : says a learned man That is no friendship, but a lewd liking, it lasts but a while. Where men loved one another, not for profit but for virtue. They must needs, for in two bodies they have but one heart. What a Devil then meant Carisophus, To join in friendship with fine Aristippus? In whom is as virtue, truth and honesty, As there are true feathers in the three Craines of the ventry: Yet these feathers have the shadow of lively feathers the truth to S a But Carisophus, hath not the shadow of and honest man, To be plain, because I know thy villainy: In abusing Dionisius, to many men's injury: Under the cloak of friendship, I played with his head, And sought means how thou with thine own fancy might be led, My friendship thou soughtest for thine own commodity, As worldly men do by profit measuring amity: Which I perceiving, to the like my self I framed, Wherein I know of the wise I shall not be blamed: If you ask me Quam e. I answer, Quia prudentis est multum dis imul To speak more plainer, as the proverb does go, In faith Carisophus, Cum cretence cretiso : Yet a perfect Friend I show my self to Thee in one thing, I do not dissemble, now I say I will not speak for Thee to the King, Therefore sink in thy sorrow, I do not deceive Thee, A false knave I found Thee, a false knave I leave Thee. EXIT