“And here before my death, I wyl repeate To thee the thing which I of late did dreame, That thou and al the worlde may see, how great A care it is to rule a royal realme: My dreame shal showe, that blisse doth not consist In wealth nor want: but he alone is blest, Who is content with his assigned fate, And neuer striues to clime to higher state. 18. “When seemely _Sol_ had rest his glittering gleames, And _Nox_ the earth with darkenesse did imp[a]le:[1220] Dame _Sinthia_ then with her bright burnishte beames, The shadowed shades of darkenesse did assayle, Then _Somnus_ causde my senses al to quayle: On careful couche then being layde to rest, With doubtful dreames I strangely was distrest. 19. “In cottage colde where care me thought did keepe, With naked neede and want of wherewithal: Where pouertie next begger’s doore did creepe, And where expences were so passing smal, That al men deemde that man forethrong’d with thral, Which there did dwel, euen there from bondage free, I viewde a man al voyde of miserie. 20. “And whilst I musde how he in bliue of blisse Coulde leade his life amidst that caue of care, From princely court proceeded eare I wist, A man, with whom there might no man compare: His wealth, his wit, his courage were so rare, That none before nor since were like to him: Yet he mee thought in waues of woe did swimme. 21. “This man had al that men could wyshe or craue For happy state, yet nought he had in deede: The other, he had nought that men would haue, Yet had he al, beleeue it as thy creede: This saying of that happy man I reade, That hauing nought, yet al thinges so I haue, That hauing nought, I nothing more doo craue. 22. “The king mee thought with al his courtly trayne, Past to the place where pouertie did dwel, With frowning face and with a troubled brayne, With woe and want, his vexed vaynes did swell, With myrth and ioy the poore man did excel: And being come vnto his house ymade Of one poore hogsheadde, thus to him he sayde. 23. “'_Diogenes_, thou lead’st a lothsome life, Me thinke thou might’st much better spend thy time Within my court, both thou and eeke thy wife: Thou by that meanes to high estate maist clime: I haue the wealth, and thou art voyde of crime, And loe, before thy face, I here am prest To geue thee that, which thou shalt nowe request.’ 24.