Page 537
Scene 12.
My Lord hath sent for his Son to come home, for to marry with the Arch-Prince's Neece.
She is a Lady that hath more Wealth than Beauty, and more Title than Wit.
My Lord cares not to marry his Son to Beauty or Wit, but to Riches and Honour.
My Lord is Covetous and Ambitious.
So are all wise men: for they know that Wealth and Honour are the Pillars and Supporters, to hold up their Familyes; that makes Fathers desirous, and industrious to marry their Sons to great Fortunes, and not to great Beam••yes, that their successors may not be buryed in Poverty; for Beauty is only for delight, but not for continuance, Beauty lives only with fond Youth, Riches with wife Age, and Dignity Crowns antient Riches; for along and rich succession, is a Gentlemans Pedigree.
I thought Merit had been the foundation of a Gentleman.
So it is sometimes, but not always: for where Merit Digni∣fied one Family, Riches Dignified a hundred; poor Merit is buryed in Ob∣livion, unless Fame builds him a Monument, whereas Riches build Monu∣ments to Fames Palace, and bring Fame down to his Palace; but Merit without the assistance of Riches, can neither feed, nor cloth, nor sustain, nor cannot buy Houses to live in, nor Lands to live on, it cannot leave anything for Antiquity but the memory of it self: wherefore my Lord is wise to ch••se Riches for his Son.
But 'tis a question whether his Son will take them, and leave the Lady be once was marryed too; for 'tis said that she is grown an extraor∣dinary Beauty.