Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame
he was extreemlie afraide, and compelled to runne backe into the
building, and at last getting foorth with much adoe hee came into a
fertile place._
A great and commendable thing with out dout it shold be, trulie to
discribe, & from point to point, to set down the incredible work, and
vnimagined composition, of so vast a frame, and huge bignes, of so great
a buildinge with the excellencie of the entrance, in a conspicuous and
sightly place, conueniently situated, where of my delight to behold
them, did exced the greatnes of my admiration breeding in me such a
conceit so as I perswaded my self that _Iupiter_ durst not vndertake the
like to the rest of the gods, & certainly beleeuing that no workman, or
human witt could compase so huge a frame, expresse so notable conceits,
or imagine and inuent so rare deuises and so gorgiouslie to garnishe
them, in so singuler an order and simmetry, to dispose them, and without
supplement or correction perfictlye to finishe them. A rare and insolent
pride in a building. Vppon which occasion I was in some doubt and that
not a little that if the naturall historiographer had seene or heard of
this, hee woulde haue scorned that of Egipt, and the cunning and
industrie of the woorking thereof, for that heerein the sundrie and
diuers woorkes effected by many seuerall workmen seemed in the
perfections, of their dewe proportions as if they had been performed by
one himselfe.
He would also as lightlie haue regarded the skillfull cunning of
_Satirus_ the architect and other of fame, especially _Simandrus_, for
the woorke of _Memnon_, who cut the three statures of _Iupiter_ in one
stone, the feet being aboue seauen cubits long.
To this the representation of the magnanimous _Semiramis_ carued out of
the mountaine _Bagistanus_ must geue place.
And letting passe to speake of the insolent greatnes of the Piramides of
memphis, those writers at large would haue bente them selues to this
description. And leauing vnreported, the famous Theaters, Amphitheaters,
Bathes, and building sacred and prophane, carriages, of waters, and
colosses, and that of Appolline translated by_Lioculus_. Or the temple
dedicated to _Iupiter_ by _Claudius C[ae]ser_. Or that of _Lisippus_ at
_Tarentum_, or the wonder of _Carelindius_ at the Rhodes, and of
_Xenodorus_ in France, and in Roome. And the colosse of _Serapus_ nine
cubits longe of Smarage or _Emerauldes_, or the famous Labyrinth of
_Egypt_. Or the representacion of _Hercules_ at _Tyre_.
They woulde haue accommodated their sweete styles, to the commendation
heard of as aboue all other most excellent, although the Obelisk of
Iupiter, compact of fower frustes, fortie Cubits high, fower Cubits
broade, and two Cubits thick, in his deluber within the temple dooth
manifest it selfe to be a wonderfull miracle.
Vnsaciable thus casting mine eyes, and turning vp my countenance now
this way & now that way, towards this huge & mighty frame, I thus
thought with my selfe. If the fragments and remaynder of so sacred an
antiquitie, and if the greet and dust of such a decayed monument, can
breed a stupifaction in the admiration thereof, and cause so great
delyght to behould the same, what would it haue done in chiefest pride.
After this my discourseing, reason perswaded mee to suppose, that with
in might bee the Aultar of _Venus_ for hir misticall Sacrifices and
sacred flames, or the representation of hir Godhead, or the _Aphrodise_
of hir selfe and hir little Archer, and therefore with a deuoute
reuerence, my right foote beeing set vppon the halowed lymit of the
doore, there came towards me flying a white _Horix_.[A]
[Sidenote A: A bird of slow flight & long liuing, in old monuments
by Augurs dedicated to Saturne.]
But I sodainlye with out any further regard or curious forcaste which
with my searching eies went in as the spatious and lightsome entrie
gaueme leaue, representing vnto me such sights as merit, and are
Condigne of euerlastinge remembrannce, in ether sydes stilled with smoth
poollishede Marble, in the middle parte where of there was impacte a
rounde table, inclaustrede and compassede about with a greene Stonne
verye pretious and accordinglie asosciated with curious workemanship.
And the opposite of verie blacke stone, scorning and contemning the
hardnes of iron, and cleare and shining as a mirror. By meanes whereof
as I passed by (vnawares) I grew afrayd at my owne shadow, neuertheles I
was by an by comforted with vnexspected delight, for the place that
occasioned my disquiet nowe offered vnto me the grounde of all sciences,
historied in a visible manifest and experte painting.
And on either sides vnder the same beautifull and most noble tables,
there were placed all a long seates of stone. The pauement neat and
cleane from dust, being made of _Ostracus_.[A]
[Sidenote A: Ostracus be pounded shels mixed with lime, whereof a
plaster is made to floor withall.]
And so in like manner the coloured vpper seeling was pure and voyd of
Spiders and Cobwebs, by reason of the continuall fresh ayre both entring
in and going out.
The seeling of the walles as aforesayde, mounted vp to the bendyng of
the Arche from the Chapters which stood vpon their strict and vpright
Antes euen to the vttermost ende of the entrie, which was by my
perspectiue iudgement twelue paces.
From which perpolyte ligature and fastned ioyntes, the roofe of the
entrie all the length thereof, did march with a hemicircubate flexure,
answerable to the Antes and streight sides of the afore described porche
full of varieties and exquisite representments, rarely ingrauen and of
little water monsters, as in the water it selfe in their right and well
disposed plemmyrules, halfe men and women, with their fishie tailes:
some imbracing one an other with a mutuall consent, some playing vppon
Flutes, and others vpon other fantasticall instruments.
Some sitting in straunge fashioned Charriots, and drawne in them by
swift Dolphines, crowned and adorned with water Lillies sutable to the
furniture of the garnished seates: some with diuers dishes and vessels
replenished with many sortes of fruites. Others with plentiful copies,
some coupled togither with bands, and others wrastling as they did,
riding vppon _Hipposatamies_, and other sundrie and vncoth beastes, with
a Chiloneall defence.
Some wantonly disposed, others to varietie of sportes and feastes, with
liuely indeuours and quicke motions, most singularlye well set foorth,
and filling all ouer the aforesayde arched suffite.
Along vnder the bending ryse of the entrie, I beheld a singular
woorkemanship of sundrie representments and counterfeits, in an
excellent Thessellature, bright shining lyke goalde: and of diuers other
coulers, with a border two foote broade, compassing about the turning
couer of the roofe, both vnder and aboue, and deuiding them from the
woorke, vpon the plaine sides, of so perfect and fresh coulers, as if
they had beene new set, with a naturall leafe woorke of an emerawld
greene, vppon a punice or tawnie grounde, with Flowers of _Ciantes_ and
_Ph[ae]nicees_ adulterated with curious knottes and windings, and in the
conteyned space of the aforesayde sides, I sawe this auncient Hystorye
paynted.
_Europa_ a young Ladye, swimming into _Creete_ vppon a prestigious Bull.
And the edict of King _Agenor_ to his Sonnes _Cadus_, _Foenice_, and
_Cilicia_, to finde out theyr defloured sister, which thing they could
not do, but after that they had valiauntly kylled the skalie fierce
Dragon that kepte the fayre Fountayne: and consulted with _Appollo_,
they determined with theyr followers, and agreed to builde a Cittie,
where the bellowing Heyffer should appoynte, wherevppon that countrey,
euen to this daye carryeth the name of the bellowing of a Cowe _Europe_.
_Cadmus_ builte _Athens_. The other brother_Foenicia_. The third
_Cilicia_.
Thys woorke and musaicall painting, was rightlye placed in order, as the
beginning and end of the historie required with fictions in theyr
naturall coulers, theyr actions and degrees tightlye expressed.
On the contrarie side, I beheld in the same manner the wanton and
lasciuious _Pasiph[ae]_ burning in infamous lust, lying in a Machine or
frame of wood, and the Bull leaping vpon that hee knew not.
After that the monstrous mynotaure with hys vglye shape shut and
inclosed in the intricate Labyrinth. And after that the imprysoned
_Dedalus_, artificially making of winges for hymselfe, and his young
sonne Icarus, who vnhappylye not obseruing hys Fathers rule, fell downe
headlong into the deepe see, leauing vnto the same seas his name, after
his drowning. And his discreete father, being safe according to his
vowe, hanging vp his wings in the temple of _Appollo_.
Vppon the which I stoode with open mouth attentiuely gazing with my
eyes, and rauished in minde with the beautie of the hystorie, so well
disposed, so perfectly ordered, so artificiallye paynted and curiouslie
expressed, whole and sounde, without any signe of decaye, the strength
of the glutinous substance, which ioyned and held the Thessalature or
checkers, together was such and so perfect. For therein the workeman had
taken great paine and shewed a rare cunning.
And thus foote by foote I went forward bowldly, examining and behoulding
what direction and arte of painting hee had obserued with a pensiled
distribution to make whole proportions in a smoothe and flat playne.
Some lynes drawing neere to my obiect, and some seeming as they had
beene a farre of hardely to bee deserned, and yet both of a like
neerenesse. And the same againe which was hardlie to bee seene, to offer
it selfe more and more, to the iudgement of the eye, with exquisite
parergie and shadowing Waters, Fountaines, Mountaines, Hilles, woodes,
and beasts, in theyr naturall coulours, and distante one from an other,
with opposite light. And in apparrell the plyghts and fouldes so
cunninglye perfected and shaddowed that as well in that, as in all the
rest, the arte did seeme to enuye nature it selfe, and that not a little
whereat I greatly woondered.
After this manner I came to the further ende, where the beautifull
hystories finished, and beyond the same more inward the darknes was such
as I durst not enter, & comming back againe I heard among the ruines a
continuing noise like the cracking of bones or their ratling together,
whereat I stood still forgetting my fore conceiued delight being
interrupted therewith from the sweetnes of the obiects. At length I
might heare a rustling as if a dead Oxe had been dragged vpon the
ground, the noyse still approaching and comming neerer and neerer the
poarch that I was to passe out at, where I heard a great hissing of a
huge Serpent: the sodaine feare I was in, made mee past crying out for
helpe, neither did I see how to escape, but by running into the darke
and obscure vastnes whiche before I was afraide to enter into.
Oh vnhappie wretch oppressed with aduers and sad fortune, I saw in the
entrie of the doore comming towardes mee, no hurtfull _L_yon crowching
to _Androdus_, but a fearefull and horrible Dragon[A] shaking her
trisulked and three parted tongue against mee, grating her teeth, and
making a skritching or critching noyse, her squamy and scaly hide
trailing vpon the flowerd pauement, clapping her winges vpon her
wrimpled backe, with a long taile folding and crinckling like and Eele
and neuer resting. _Ohi me_, the sight was sufficient to haue affrighted
_Mars_ himselfe in the assurednes of warlike Armour, or to haue made
tremble the strong and mightie Hercules, for all his molorchied and
clubbed but. And to call _Theseus_ backe from his begunne imprese and
bold attempt, and to terrifie the Gyant _Typhon_, and to make the