Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame
for the woorke which I had seene was full of maruelous woonders, and
thinking by what meane I was depriued of them, I called to remembrance
the brasen Lyons, in Salomons Temple, which were of such fierce
countenances, as that they would bring men to forgetfulnes.
And into such an estate I was afrayde that the dragon had brought me,
that so excellent and maruellous woorkes, and rare inuentions, in a
manner vnpossible for any humaine creature to performe, worthie to be
manifested, and by my selfe diligentlye perused, should now be fled out
of my sucking remembrance, so as I should not bee able to make a true
reporte of them: but therein I contraried my selfe: neither did I finde
that I was in a Lithargie passion: But that I verrie well remembred and
helde without any defaulte in order and proportion whatsoeuer I had
seene and beheld. And that the monstrous and cruell beast was a verrie
liuelye substance, and no fiction, the like of any mortall man sildome
seene, no not of _Regulus_. The verie remembrance whereof, made my hayre
stand right vp, and foorthwith mooued me to mend my pace.
Afterward returning to my selfe, I thought thus. Heere without all
doubte (for so I imagined by reason of the glorious bountie of the
beautiful soile) is no habitation but for ciuill people, or rather for
Angles and noble personages, and a place for Nimphes to frequent vnto,
or for the Goddes and Auncients, Monarches and princes, in so much as my
perswasiue desire did prouoke forwarde my restrained pace, causing a
perceuerance in my late begun iourney. And thus as one captiuated and
subiect to the sharpe spurre of vnsatiable desire, I purposed to houlde
on whether the fayrenesse of my fortune should conduct mee, as yet but
indifferent and rather languishing.
Nowe come to behoulde a fayre and plentifull countrie, fruitefull
fieldes, and fertill groundes, I did exceedinglye commend the desire
that mooued mee first to enter into them. But especially to giue thankes
to him that had brought mee out from the fearefull place, which now I
little regarded being far enough off from it.
[Decoration]
_Poliphilus sheweth the commodiousnesse of the countrie where-into hee
was come, in his trauailing within the same, he came vnto a goodlie
Fountaine, and howe hee sawe fiue faire Damsels comming towardes him,
and their woondering at his comming hither, assuring him from hurte,
and inuiting him to bee a partaker of their solaces._
Thus gotten foorth of this fearefull hell, darke hollownesse, and
dreadfull place (although it were a sacred Aphrodise and reuerend
Temple:) and beeing come into a desired light, louelye ayre, and
pleasaunt countrie, full of contentment: I turned my selfe about to
looke backe at the place from whence I came out, and where my life, my
life that latelye I esteemed so lightlie, was so greatlye perplexed and
daungered, where I beheld a mountaine vnnaturall, with a moderate
assention and steepe rising, ouer-growne and shaddowed with greene and
tender leaues of mastie Okes, Beeches, Wainescot Okes, Holmes, _Cerries
Aesculies_, Corke trees, Yew trees, Holly or Huluer, or Acilon.
And towardes the plaine, it was couered with Hamberries, Hasels,
Fylbirds, prune, print, or priuet, and whitened with the flowers
thereof: by coulered Xeapie, beeing red towardes the north, and white
against the Southe, Plane trees, Ashe trees, and such like, spredding
and stretching out their braunches: fowlded and imbraced with the
running of Hunnisuckles or woodbines, and Hoppes, which made a pleasaunt
and coole shade. Vnder the which grewe Ladyes Seale or Rape Violet,
hurtfull for the sight, iagged Polypodie, and the Trientall and foure
inched Scolopendria, or Hartes toongue, Heleborous Niger, or Melampodi,
Trayfles, and such other Vmbriphilous hearbes and Woodde Flowers, some
adorned with them, and some without.
So that the mouth of the darke place, out of the which I had escaped,
was in a manner within the highe Mountaine, all ouergrone with trees.
And as I could coniecture it was iust against the afore spoken of frame,
and in my iudgement it had been some rare peice of woork, more auncient
then the other, and by time wasted and consumed, now bearing Iuie and
other wall trees, and so was become an ouer growne wood, that I could
scarce perceiue any comming out, or mouth for easie passage but euen for
a necessitie, for it was rownd about compassed and enuironed with bushie
and spreeding trees, so as I was neuer determined to enter in there
againe.
In the streight passage of the valie betwixt the extensed and highe
mounting rockes, the ayre was dim by reason of the retained vapores, and
yet I was as well pleased therewith as _Apollo_ at his deuine birth.
But letting passe this hole, from the which I gat out by stooping, let
vs come on forward to the sweet liberties which I next beheld and that
was a thicke wood of Chestnuts at the foote of the hill, which I
supposed to be a soile for _Pan_ or some Siluane God with their feeding
heards and flockes, with a pleasant shade, vnder the which a I passed
on, I came to an auncient bridge of marble with a very great and highe
arche, vppon the which along winning to eyther sides of the walls, there
were conuenient seats to rest vppon, which although they were welcome to
my wearye bodie, yet I had more desire to go on forwarde, vppon which
sides of the bridge, iust ouer the top of the arche, there was placed a
porphirit table with a gorgeous border of curious workmanship, one table
on the one side and an other on the other side, but that one the left
side was of _Ophite_.
Vppon the table on my right hand as I went I beheld _Egiplie
hierogliphies_ on this sorte, An auncient Helmet crested with a
Doggeshead.
The bony scalpe of an oxe with two green braunches of trees bound fast
to the hornes. And an ould lampe. Which hierogliphis the braunches
excepted because I know not whether they were of Firre tree, Pineapple,
Larix or _I_uniper, or such like: I thus interpret.
_PATIENTIA EST ORNAMENTVM,_
_CVSTODIA ET PROTECTIO_
_VIT[AE]._
On the other side there was ingrauen a cyrcle, then an Anchor with a
Dolphin winding about the strangule thereof, which I coniectured should
signifie this, +AEI SPEU DE BRADEOS+, _Semper festina tarde_.
Vnder which auncient, sure, and faire bridge, did runne a most cleare
swift water, deuiding it selfe into two seuerall currents, the one one
way and the other an other, which ranne most colde, making a soft
continuall still noyse, in their freesed, broken and nibbled Channels,
by their eaten in and furrowed bancke, full of stones, couered ouer and
shadowed with trees, their spredding rootes appearing in the same bare,
and about them hanging _Tricomanes_, _Adiantus_ and _Cimbalaria_, and
bearded also with diuers small hayres as vse to growe about the banckes
of Ryuers.
The wood that I haue spoken of, was to looke vppon verye pleasant,
neyther ouer thick or more large in compasse than a man would wish, but
building a delightfull shadowe, the trees full of small birdes and
foules.
Right forwarde, the Bridge did extende it selfe, and leade towardes a
large plaine, resounding all ouer with the sweete chirpings, melodious
recordings, and loude singing of them. Wherein were leaping and running
little Sqirrels, and the drowsie Dormouse, and other harmeles beastes.
And after this manner as aforesayd, this wooddie Countrie shewed it
selfe, enuironed about with high mountaines as much as a man might looke
vnto, and the plaine couered all ouer with a fine varietie of sundrie
sweete hearbes, and the cleare channels of Charistaline streames,
sliding downe a long the hilles with a murmuring noyse into the leauell
vally.
Adorned and beautified with the flowing bitter Oliue, Lawrell, white
Poplar, and Lisimachia, blacke Pople, Alders, and wilde Ashe.
Vpon the hils grew high Firre trees vnarmed, and the weeping Larix,
whereon Turpentine is made, and such like.
When I had well considered of this so fruitfull and so commodious a
place for cattel and beasts to be fedde in and kept, (for it looked as
though it would desire a shepheardes company and a pastorall song) I
mused what should be the occasion, that so commodious a place should lye
vninhabited. And casting my eyes further on forward into the plaine
before mee, and leauing this fore discribed place, I might perceiue a
building of Marble, shewing the roofe thereof ouer the tender toppes of
the compassing trees. At the sight whereof, I grew wonderfully glad and
in good hope, that there yet I should finde some habitation and refuge.
To the which without delaie I hastined my selfe. And being come
thereunto, I found a building eight square, with a rare and wonderfull
fountaine: which was not altogither amisse. For as yet I had not
quenched and slaked my thirst.
This building was eight cornered, small towardes the top and leaded.
Vpon one side there was placed a faire stone of pure white Marble foure
cornered, half as long again as it was broad, which latitude as I
supposed was some sixe foote.
Of this goodly stone were exact two litle halfe pillers, chamfered with
their bases, holding vp a streight Sime, with a gule and adiected
denticulature & cordicules, or worke of harts, with their chapters vnder
a Trabet, Zophor and Coronice, ouer the which was a trigonall conteined,
in the fourth part of the stone smooth and plaine without any
workemanship in the table thereof sauing a litle garland, within the
which were two Doues drinking in a smal vessel.
Al the space vnspoken of inclusiue was cut in and euacuated, betwixt the
Pillers the Gulature and ouerthwart Trabet, did containe an elegant
Cigrued Nimph. And vnder the Syme was another quarter wrought with
Thors, Torques, Ballons and a Plinth.
Which faire Nymph laye sleeping vppon a folded cloth, lap, and wounde vp
vnder her head. An other part conuenientlie brought ouer her, to hide
that bare which was womanly & meete to be kept secret. Lying vpon her
right side with that subiected arme retract, and her open palme vnder
her faire cheeke, wherevpon she rested her head.
The other arme at libertie, lying all along ouer her left loyne,
stretching to the middle of her goodly thigh. By her smal teates (like a
yong maids) in her round brests did sprowt out smal streamings of pure
and cleare fresh water from the right brest as it had been a threed, but
from the left brest most vehemently. The fall of both of them, receiued
in a vessel of _Porphyrit_ stone, with two Receptories ioyning togither
in the same vessel, seperated and distinct from the Nimph sixe foote,
standing vppon a conuenient frame of flint stone. Betwixt either of the
receptories, there was an other vessel placed, in the which the waters
did striue togither and meete, running out at the cut and appointed
places, in the middle lymbus of their Receptories, which waters comixt
out of that vessel, vnladed themselues into a little channel sliding
away, and what with one and what with the other, al the hearbes and
flowres adioyning, and about were bountifullye benifited.
That of the left brest did spin vp so high, that it did not weat or
hinder any that would sucke or drinke of the water that streamed and
sprung out of the right brest.
And this excellent Image was so difinitelye expressed, that I feare mee
_Prapitiles_ neuer perfourmed the lyke for _Venus_, to _Nichomides_ the
King of _Caria_ which Idoll he appointed to be adored of his subiects,
although the beauty therof were such that it moued that filthie people
to fleshly concupiscence.
But I was perswaded that the perfection of the image of _Venus_ was
nothing to this, for it looked as if a most bewtifull Ladye in hir sleep