Melip. I had never such adoe to warne schollers to come before a king! First I came to Crisippus, a tall, leane old mad man, willing him presently to appeare before Alexander. Hee stood staring on my face, neither moving his eyes nor his body. I urging him to give some answer, hee tooke up a booke, sate downe, and 5 saide nothing. Melissa, his maide, told mee it was his manner, and that oftentimes shee was fain to thrust meat into his mouth, for that he would rather sterve than cease studie. Well, thought I, seeing bookish men are so blockish and great clearkes such simple courtiers, I will neither be partaker of their commons nor their commendations. 10 From thence I came to Plato and to Aristotle[812] and to divers other; none refusing to come, saving an olde, obscure fellow, who, sitting in a tub turned towardes the sunne, read Greeke to a young boy. Him when I willed to appeare before Alexander, he answered, "If Alexander would faine see mee, let him come to mee; if learne 15 of me, let him come to mee; whatsoever it be, let him come to me." "Why," said I, "he is a king." He answered, "Why, I am a philosopher." "Why, but he is Alexander." "I, but I am Diogenes." I was halfe angry to see one so crooked in his shape to bee so crabbed in his sayings; so, going my way, 20 I said, "Thou shalt repent it, if thou comest not to Alexander." "Nay," smiling answered hee, "Alexander may repent it if hee come not to Diogenes: vertue must bee sought, not offered." And so, turning himselfe to his cell, hee grunted I know not what, like a pig under a tub. But I must bee gone, the philosophers are 25 comming.
Exit.
[Enter Plato, Aristotle, Crysippus, Crates, Cleanthes, and Anaxarchus[813]]
Plato. It is a difficult controversie, Aristotle, and rather to be wondred at than beleeved, how natural causes should worke supernaturall effects.
Aris. I do not so much stand upon the apparition is seene in the 30 moone,[814] neither the Demonium of Socrates, as that I cannot by naturall reason give any reason of the ebbing and flowing of the sea; which makes me in the depth of my studies to crie out, O ens entium, miserere mei.
Plato. Cleanthes and you attribute so much to nature by searching 35 for things which are not to be found, that, whilest you studie a cause of your owne,[815] you omitt the occasion it selfe. There is no man so savage in whom resteth not this divine particle: that there is an omnipotent, eternall, and divine mover, which may be called God.
Cleant. I am of this minde: that that first mover, which you 40 terme God, is the instrument of all the movings which we attribute to nature.[816] The earth, which is masse, swimmeth[817] on the sea, seasons divided in themselves, fruits growing in themselves, the majestie of the skie, the whole firmament of the world, and whatsoever else appeareth miraculous,—what man almost of meane 45 capacitie but can prove it natural?
Anax. These causes shall be debated at our philosophers feast, in which controversie I will take part with Aristotle that there is Natura naturans,[818] and yet not God.
Cra. And I with Plato that there is Deus optimus maximus, and 50 not nature.
[Enter Alexander, attended by Hephestion, Parmenio, and Clytus]