Lyly, John · published 1592 · first performed or written 1589 (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (first) · before the Court T24 Apollo, Phoebus and the Muses typicality 0.84 · 525 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T24: apollo, phoebus, midas, muses, ears, play, hedone, gods, siren, time.
Then attend Midas. I accept thy submission, and sacrifice, so as yearly at this temple thou offer Sacrifice in submission: withal, take Apollo's council, which if thou scorn, thou shalt find thy destiny. I will not speak in riddles, all shallbe plaine, because thou art dull, but all certain, if thou be obstinate. Weigh not in one balance gold and justice. With one hand wage not war and peace. Let thy head be glad of one Crown. And take care to keep one friend. The friend that thou wouldst make thy foe. The kingdom thou wouldst make the world The hand that thou dost arm with force. The gold that thou dost think a god Shall conquer, fall, shrink short, be common: With force, with pride, with fear, with traffic. If this thou like, shake off an ass's ears: If not, for ever shake an ass's ears. Apollo will not reply. It may be Sophronia, that neither you, nor any else, understand Apollo, because none of you have the heart of a king: but my thoughts expound my fortunes, and my fortunes hang upon my thoughts. That great Apollo, that joined to my head Asses ears, hath put into my heart a lion's mind. I see that by obscure shadows, which you cannot discern in fresh colours. Apollo in the depth of his dark answer, is to me the glistering of a bright sun. I perceive (and yet not too late) that Lesbos will not be touched by gold, by force it cannot: that the Gods have pitched it out of the world, as not to be controlled by any in the world. Though my hand be gold, yet I must not think to span over the main Ocean. Though my soldiers be valiant, I must not therefore think my quarrels just. There is no way to nail the crown of Phrygia fast to my daughter's head, but in letting the crowns of other's sit in quiet on theirs, Midas? How darest thou reply seeing me resolved? thy counsel hath spilled more blood than all my soldiers lances, let none be so hardy as to look to cross me. Sacred Apollo; if sacrifice yearly at thy temple, and submission hourly in mine own Court, if fulfilling thy counsel, and correcting my councillors, may shake off these Asses ears, I here before thee vow to shake off all envies abroad, and at home all tyranny. Honoured be Apollo, Midas is restored. Fortunate Midas, that feelst thy head lightened of dull ears, and thy heart of deadly sorrows. Come my Lords, let us repair to our Palace, in which Apollo shall have a stately statue erected: every month will we solemnize there a feast, and here every year a sacrifice. Phrygia shallbe governed by Gods, not men, least the Gods make beasts of men. So my counsel of war shall not make conquests in their own conceits, nor my counsellors in peace make me poor, to enrich themselves. So blessed be Apollo, quiet be Lesbos, happy be Midas: and to begin this solemnity, let us sing to Apollo, for, so much as Music, nothing can content Apollo.
seed 43: T29 · seed 44: T27 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Then attend Mydas. I accept thy submission, and sacrifice, so as yerelie at this temple thou offer Sacrifice in submission: withal, take Apollos councel, which if thou scorne, thou shalt finde thy destinie. I will not speake in riddles, all shalbe plaine, because thou art dul, but all certaine, if thou be obstinate. Weigh not in one ballance gold and iustice. With one hand wage not war and peace. Let thy head be glad of one Crowne. And take care to keep one frend. The frend that thou wouldst make thy foe. The kingdome thou wouldst make the world The hand that thou doest arme with force. The gold that thou doest think a god Shall conquere, fall, shrinke short, be common: With force, with pride, with feare, with traffick. If this thou like, shake off an Asses eares: If not, for euer shake an Asses eares. Apollo will not reply. It may be Sophronia, that neither you, nor anie els, vnderstand Apollo, because none of you haue the hart of a king: but my thoughts expound my fortunes, and my fortunes hang vpon my thoughts. That great Apollo, that ioynd to my head Asses eares, hath put into my heart a Lions minde. I see that by obscure shadows, which you cannot discerne in fresh colours. Apollo in the depth of his darke answere, is to mee the glistering of a bright sunne. I perceiue (and yet not too late) that Lesbos wil not be touched by gold, by force it cannot: that the Gods haue pitched it out of the world, as not to bee controlde by any in the world. Though my hande bee golde, yet I must not thinke to span ouer the maine Ocean. Though my souldiers be valiant, I must not therfore thinke my quarrels iust. There is no way to nayle the crowne of Phrygia fast to my daughters head, but in letting the crownes of others sitte in quiet on theirs, Mydas? How darest thou replie seeing me resolued? thy counsell hath spilt more bloud than all my souldiers lances, let none be so hardie as to looke to crosse me. Sacred Appollo; if sacrifice yerely at thy temple, and submission hourely in mine owne Court, if fulfilling thy counsell, and correcting my councellors, may shake off these Asses eares, I heere before thee vow to shake off al enuies abrode, and at home all tyrannie. Honored be Apollo, Mydas is restored. Fortunate Mydas, that feelst thy head lightned of dul eares, and thy heart of deadly sorows. Come my Lords, let vs repaire to our Palace, in which Apollo shall haue astately statue erected: euery month will we solemnize there a feast, and here euery yere a sacrifice. Phrygia shalbe gouerned by Gods, not men, leaste the Gods make beasts of men. So my counsell of warre shal not make conquests in their owne conceiptes, nor my councellers in peace make me poor, to enrich them selues. So blessed be Apollo, quiet be Lesbos, happie be Mydas: and to begin this solemnitie, let vs sing to Apollo, for, so much as Musick, nothing can content Apollo.