ABSTRACT
Act I, Scene 3 Melipus, Plato, Aristotle, Crisippus, Crates, Cleanthes, Anaxarchus, Alexander, Hephestion, Parmenio, Clytus, Diogenes.
Enter Melippus MELIP. I had never such a doe to warne schollers to come before
a king. First, I cam to Crisippus, a tall leane old mad man, willing him presently to appeare before Alexander; he stoode staring on my face, neither moving his eies nor his body; I urging him to give some answer, hee tooke up a booke, sate downe, and saide nothing: Melissa his maid told me it was his manner, and that oftentimes she was fain to thrust meate into his mouth: for that he wold rather starve then ceasse studie. Well thoght I, seeing bookish men are so blockish, & so great clarkes such simple courtiers, I wil neither be partaker of their commons nor their commendations. From thence I came to Plato & to Aristotle, and to diverse other, none refusing to come, saving an oide obscure fellowe, who sitting in a tub turned
towardes the sunne, reade Greeke to a yong boy; him when I willed to appeare before Alexander, he answeared, if Alexander wold faine see me, let him come to mee; if learne of me, lette him come to me; 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 be so crabbed in his sayings. So going my way, I said, thou shalt repent it, if thou commest not to Alexander: nay, smiling answered he, Alexander may repent it, if he come not to Diogenes; vertue must be sought, not offered: and so turning himself to his eel, he grunted I know not what, like a pig under a tub. But I must be gone, the Philosophers are comming. [Exit.
