Gold, lead

In the Eikon Basilike, Charles says: 'I would rather choose to wear a crown of thorns with my Saviour, than to exchange that of gold, which is due to me, for one of lead, whose embased flexibleness shall be forced to bend and comply to the various and oft contrary dictates of any factions.'

Damn but that's puzzling; for despite their evident differences one aspect that gold and lead undeniably share is that both possess equal flexibleness ... unless that is, in the some obscure sense, precisely the point here?