humour pleasing, and full of judicious goodness, rather then silly simplicity, used pastimes which, for their singularity, are commonly called the pleasures of Princes: after this manner he no lesse shewed the quaintuesse of his wit then his prudence. 66 Being in Bruxelles with all his court, and having at his table discoursed amply enough of the vanities and greatnesse of this world, he let each one say his pleasure on this subject, whereon was alleadged grave sentences, and rare examples; walking towards the evening in the towne, his head full of divers thoughts, he found a tradesman lying in a corner sleeping very soundly, the fumes of Bacchus having surcharged his braine. I describe this man's drunkennesse in as good manner as I can to the credit of the party. This vice is so common in both the superiour and inferiour [in] Germany, that divers making glory, and vaunting of their dexterity in this art, encrease their praise thereby, and hold it for a brave act. The good Duke, to give his followers an example of the vanity of all the magnificence with which he was invironed, devised a meanes farre lesse dangerous then that which Dionysius the tyrant used towards Democles, and which in pleasantnesse beares a marvellous utility. He caused his men to carry away this sleeper, with whom as with a blocke they might doe what they would, without awaking him; he caused them to carry him into one of the sumptuosest parts of his pallace, into a chamber most state-like furnished, and makes them lay him in a rich bed. They presently strip him of his bad cloathes, and put him on a very fine and cleane shirt in stead of his own, which was foule and filthy; they let him sleepe in that place at his ease, and whilest hee settles settles his drinke, the Duke prepares the pleasantest pastime that can be imagined. "In the morning this drunkard being awake, drawes the curtaines of this brave rich bed, sees himselfe in a chamber adorned like a paradice, he considers the rich furniture with an amazement such as you may imagine, he beleeves not his eyes but layes his fingers on them, and feeling them open, yet perswades himselfe they are shut by sleep, and that all that he sees is but a pure dreame. "As soone as he was knowne to be awake, in comes the officers of the Duke's house, who were instructed by the Duke what they should do: there were pages bravely apparelled, gentlemen of the chamber, gentlemen waiters, and the high chamberlaine, who all in faire order, and without 'laughing, bring cloathing for this new guest; they honour him with the same great reverences as if hee were a soveraigne prince; they serve him bare-headed, and aske him what suite hee will please to weare that day. "This fellow affrighted at the first, beleeving these things to be inchantments or dreames, reclaimed by these submissions, tooke heart, and grew bold, and setting a good face on the matter, chused amongst all the apparell that they presented unto him, that which he liked best, and which hee thought to be fittest for him; he is accommodated like a king, and served with such ceremonies as he had never seene before, and yet beheld them without saying any thing, and with an assured countenance. This done the greatest nobleman in the Duke's court enters the chamber with the same reverence and honour to him as if he had beene their soveraigne Prince; (Philip with princely delight beholds C 2 this this play from a private place) divers of purpose retitioning him for pardons, which he grants with such a countenance and gravity as if he had had a crowne on his head all his life time. "Being risen late and dinner time approaching, they asked him if he were pleased to have the tables covered; he likes that very well: the table is furnished, where he is set alone, and under a rich canopie he eates with the same ceremony which was observed at the Duke's meales; he made good cheere, and chawed with all his teeth, but only drank with more moderation then he could have wisht, but the majesty which he represented made him refraine. "All taken away, he was entertained with new and pleasant things, they led him to walke about the great chambers, galleries and gardens of the pallace, (for all this merriment was played within the gates, they being shut only for recreation to the Duke, and the principall of his court;) they shewed him all the richest and most pleasantest things therein, and talked to him thereof, as if they had all beene his, which he heard with an attention and contentment beyond measure, not saying one word of his base condition, or declaring that they tooke him for another. They made him passę the afternoone in all kind of sports, musicke, dancing; and a comedy spent some part of the time. They talked to him of some state matters, whereunto he answered according to his skill, and like a right twelfetide king. "Super time approaching, they aske this new created Prince if he would please to have the lords and ladies of his court to sup and feast with him, whereat he seemed something unwilling, as if hee would not abase his his dignity unto such familiarity; neverthelesse coun. terfeiting humanity, and affability he made signes that he condescended thereunto: he then towards night was led with sound of trumpets and hoboyes into a faire hall, where long tables were set, which were presently covered with divers sorts of dainty meates; the torches shined there in every corner and made a day in the midst of a night; the gentlemen and gentlewomen were set in fine order, and the Prince at the upper end in a higher seat: the service was magnificent; the musicke of voyces and instruments fed the eare, whilest mouthes found their food in the dishes; never was the imaginary Duke at such a feast; carousses begin after the manner of the country; the Prince is assaulted on all sides, as the owle is assaulted by all the birdes when he begins to soare: not to seeme uncivill, he would doe the like to his good and faithfull subjects; they serve him with very strong wine, good Hipocras, which hee swallowed downe in great draughts, and frequently redoubled so, that charged with so many extraordinaryes, he yeelded to death's cousin german sleep, which closed his eyes, stopt his eares, and made him loose the use of reason, and all his other sences, "Then the right Duke, who had put himselfe among the throng of his officers, to have the pleasure of this mummery, commanding that this sleeping man should bee stript out of his brave cloathes, and cloathed againe in his old ragges, and so sleeping carried and layd in the same place where he was taken vp the night before; this was presently done, and there did he snort all the night long, not taking any hurt either by the hardnesse of the stones, or the night ayre, so well was his stomacke filled with good preservatives. "Being awakened in the morning by some passen. ger, or it may be by some that the good Duke Philip had thereto appointed, ha, said he, my friends, what have you done? you have rob'd mee of a kingdome, and have taken mee out of the sweetest and happiest dreame that ever man could have fallen into: then very well remembring all the particulars of what had passed the day before, hee related unto them from point to point all that had happened unto him, still thinking it assuredly to be a dreame. Being returned home to his house, hee entertaines his wife, neighbours and friends, with this his dreame, as hee thought, the truth whereof being at last published by the mouthes of those courtiers who had beene present at this pleasant recreation, the good man could not beleeve it, thinking that for sport they had framed this history upon his dreame: but when Duke Philip who would have the full contentment of this pleasant tricke had shewed him the bed wherein hee lay, the cloathes which he had worne, the persons who had served him, the hall wherein he had eaten, the gardens and galleries wherein hee had walked, hardly could hee be induced to beleeve what he saw, imagining that all this was mere inchantment and illusion. "The Duke used some liberality towards him for to helpe him in the poverty of his family, and taking an occasion thereon to make an oration unto his courtiers concerning the vanity of this world's honours, hee told them that all that ambitious persons sceke with so much industry is but smoake and a meere dreame, and that they are strucken with that pleasant folly of the Athenian who imagined all the riches that arrived by shipping in the haven of Athens to be his, and that all |