lumsy caricature of
the graceful songs of the fairies guarding Titania's dreams. Again there
are parallels in Shakespeare's earliest comedy _Love's Labour's Lost_.
Sir Tophas, who is undoubtedly modelled upon Roister Doister, reappears
with his page, as Armado with his attendant Moth. And I have no doubt
that many other resemblances might be discovered by careful
investigation. We cannot wonder that _Endymion_ attracted Shakespeare,
for it is the most "romantic" of all Lyly's plays. Indistinctness of
character seems to be in keeping with an allegory of moonshine; and even
the mechanical action cannot spoil the poetical atmosphere which
pervades the whole. Here if anywhere Lyly reached the poetical plane. He
speaks of "thoughts stitched to the starres," of "time that treadeth all
things down but truth," of the "ivy which, though it climb up by the
elme, can never get hold of the beames of the sunne," and the play is
full of many other quaint poetical conceits.

[118] _Endymion_, Act III. Sc. II. ll. 30-60.

[119] Cp. also Shakespeare, _Sonnet_ CXXX.

From the point of view of drama, however, it cannot be considered equal
to the third of the allegorical plays. As a man of fashion Lyly was
nothing if not up to date. In August 1588 the great Armada had made its
abortive attack upon Cynthia's kingdom, and twelve months were scarcely
gone before the industrious Court dramatist had written and produced on
the stage an allegorical satire upon his Catholic Majesty Philip, King
of Spain. Though it contains compliments to Elizabeth, _Midas_ is more
of a patriotic than a purely Court play. The story, with but a few
necessary alterations, comes from Ovid's _Metamorphoses_[120]. It is the
old tale of the three wishes. Love, power, and wealth are offered, and
Midas chooses the last. But he soon finds that the gift of turning
everything to gold has its drawbacks. Even his beard accidentally
becomes bullion. He eventually gets rid of his obnoxious power by
bathing in a river. The fault of the play is that there are, as it were,
two sections; for now we are introduced to an entirely new situation.
The King chances upon Apollo and Pan engaged in a musical contest, and,
asked to decide between them, gives his verdict for the goat-foot god.
Apollo, in revenge, endows him with a pair of ass's ears. For some time
he manages to conceal them; but "murder will out," for the reeds breathe
the secret to the wind. Midas in the end seeks pardo