Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame
By this motion hauing called backe againe my forgotten and lost sences,
comforted with their faire, pleasant, and fauourable aspects, and
recouering my selfe with their sweet speeches, with a very good will I
made this aunswer vnto them.
I am the most disgraced and vnhappiest louer that the whole world can
aforde. I loue, and she whom so greatly I esteeme, and so earnestly I
desire, I neyther know where eyther she or my selfe is.
And by the greatest and most daungerous hap that can be imagined I am
come hither. And now with prouoked teares downe falling from my waterie
eyes along my pale cheekes, and bowed downe to the earth prostrating my
selfe to your virginall feete I humblie craue and sue for your
fauourable graces: whereat theyr soft and tender heartes mooued with
pittie towardes mee, and halfe weeping with mee for companie, and as it
were dutifullye striuing with theyr armes to lift mee vp from the
grounde, with sweete and comfortable speeches, they courteouslye spake
vnto me.
Wee are certainly perswaded and know full well (poore wretch) that few
or none can escape by that way which thou art come, and therefore bee
not vnthankfull to that diuine power, which hath thus preserued thee.
And now be not doubtfull or afrayde of any aduers accident or greefe to
assaile thee. Therefore quyet, comfort, and settle thy heart to rest.
For nowe thou art come as thou mayest euidently perceiue, and plainely
see, into a place of pleasure and delight, abandoning strife and
discontent. For our vniformed ages: the seate vnchaungeable, the time
not stealing away, the good oportunitie, the gratious and sotiable
familiaritie, inticingly dooth allure vs therevnto, and graunteth vnto
vs a continuall leysure. And this also thou must vnderstand, that if one
of vs be merrie and delightsome, the other sheweth her selfe the more
glad and pleasaunt, and our delectable and perticipated friendship, is
with an attentiue consideration perpetually vnyted and knitte together.
One of vs increasing an others content, to the highest degree of
delight, and moste conuenyent solace.
Thou seest also that the ayre is healthfull, the lymittes and bounds of
this place verie large: of hearbes full of varietie. Of plants diuerslie
abounding, and with fruites plentifully laden, inuironed and defended
with huge mountaines and rockes, well stored with harmelesse beasts, and
fitte for all pastimes and pleasures, replenished with all kinde of
fruites and graynes, vniuersally growing, and full of goodly fountaines.
An other said: vnderstand, vnknowne, (and yet assured guest,) good
friend, that this territorie is more fruitfull then the fertill
mountaine _Taurus_ in the aquilonall asspect, whose frame dooth swell so
much, that their clusters of grapes bee two cubits long, and that one
Figtree will beare seauentie bushels.
The third: this famous and spatious countrey, exceedeth the fertilitie
of the Hyperborean Island in the West India, or the portugalles of
_Lucitania_, nowe vsurped and tyrannized by the insolent Spanyard.
Nor _Talga_ in the _Caspian_ mountaine. The fourth affirmed in hir
commendation of that countrie, that the plentifulnesse of Egypt was but
to be accounted scarsitie, in respect of that although that it were
thought to be the garden of the world.
And the last, of a choyse countenance and sweete pronuntiation aboue the
rest, added thus much, saying.
In this fayre countrie you shall not finde any large fennie groundes, or
offensiue and sicklye ayres, or craggie and fertlesse mosses, but faire
and pleasaunt hilles, inuironed and walled about with steip and
vnpassageable rockes, and by meanes thereof, secure and free from all
daungers and feare, we want not any thing which may breed delight, and
cause a sweete content. Besides all this wee are attendant vppon a
renowned and most excellent Queene of large bountie and exceeding
liberalitie: called _Euterilyda_ of great pittie and meruelous
clemencie, ruling with great wisdome, and with a kingly gouernement,
with great pompe, in an accumolated heape of all felicitie, and shee
wyll bee greatly delighted, when we shall present thee vnto hir sacred
presence, and maiesticall sight. And therefore cast away, shake of, and
forget all afflicting sorrowe, and frame thy selfe and thy affrighted
spyrits to intertaine of our comforts solace and pleasure.
_Poliphilus feeling himselfe vnder the assurance of the five Nymphes,
went with them to the bathes where they had great laughter in the
deuise of the fountaine, and also by his vnction. Afterward being
brought to the Queene Eutherillida, he did see many thinges worthie
of regard, but chiefly the worke of a fountaine._
I Being thus curteously intreated of these gracious and pitiful Nymphes,
and hauing my safetie by them sufficiently warranted with sweet
comforts, reuiuing my decaied spirites. To whatsoeuer might seeme
grateful and pleasing vnto them, so much as was conuenient for mee,
I framed my selfe to offer my seruice. And because that they had boxes
of sweete perfumes, and casting bottels of golde and precious stone,
looking Glasses in their delicate and faire handes, and pure white
Vailes of silke plited and folded vp, and other necessaries to bee vsed
in bathing, which I offering to helpe them to beare, they refusing say
thus vnto mee: that their comming into this place was to bathe, and
therewith shewed mee that it was their pleasure that I should goe with
them, for (saide they) the fountaine is here hard by, haue you not seene
it. And I reuerently made them this answere.
Most faire Nimphes, if I had a thousande tongues and knew how to vse
them al, yet could I not render sufficient thankes for your gracious
desertes, and make requital of your great fauours, because you haue
restored vnto mee my life. And therefore if I should not consent and
yeeld vnto you my seruice and company, I might wel bee accounted of a
churlish disposition. For which cause, amongst you I had rather be a
seruant, then in an other place a Lord and commander, for that (so farre
as I can coniecture) you are the tenantes and chamberfellowes of al
delight and true felicitie.
You shal vnderstand that I did see a maruerlous fountaine of a rare and
wonderful workemanship, as neuer before my eyes did beholde, and so much
my minde was occupied in the regard of the straungenes thereof, and to
quench my great thirst, that I did looke for no further benefit.
One pleasant Nymphe spake thus merrily vnto mee saying, giue mee thy
hand, thou art verie welcome. Thou seest at this present here, that we
are fiue companions,[A] and I am called _Aphea_, and she that carrieth
the boxes and white cloathes _Offressia_. This other with the shining
Glasse (our delightes) her name is _Orassia_. Shee that carrieth the
sounding Harpe is called _Achol_, and shee that beareth the casting
bottle of precious Lyquor, is called _Genshra_. And we are al now going
togither to these temperate bathes, to refresh and delight our selues.
Therefore you also (seeing that it is your good hap to bee amongst vs)
shal bee willing to doo the like, and afterwardes with a verie good wil
wee wil make our repaire to the great Pallais of our soueraigne.
[Sidenote A: These nimphs were his fiue sences.]
Who is most merciful, bountiful, and liberal, and willing to helpe and
further you, in your intended loues, burning desires, and high
conceites. Plucke vp a good heart, man, come let vs goe on.
With pleasurable actions, maydenly iestures, swasiuious behauiours,
girlish sportes, wanton regardes, and with sweet vvords they ledde mee
on thither, beeing vvel content vvith euerie present action, but that my
_Polia_ vvas not there to the suppliment of my felicitie, and to haue
been the sixt person in the making vp of a perfect number.
Further, I found my selfe agrieued, that my apparel vvas not conformable
to this delicious confort, but grovving into some houshold familiaritie,
I disposed my self to be affable vvith them, and they with mee, til at
last wee came to the place.
There I behelde a marueilous buildyng of a bathe eight square, and at
euerye Exterior corner, there were doubled together twoo Pyles, in
fashion of a Pyke, from the leuell of the foundation, the subiect
Areobates Circumcinct and ribbed about. And after them followed the
vtmost of like bignes from the ground of the other, with their chapters
set vnder the streight beame, with a border aboue, vnder a Coronice
going round about. Which border was beautified with excellent carued
worke, of litle naked children passing wel set forth, and equally
distant one from an other, with their handes intricately tyed and
wrapped about, and in them holding little bundels of smal greene boughes
instrophiated togither. And aboue the said Coronice, did mount vp (by an
elegant arching) an eight square Spyer, imitating the subiect. Which
from corner to corner was cut through with a marueilous workemanship of
a thousand sundrie fashions, and closed againe with quarrels of
Christal, which a farre of I did take to bee _L_eade. Vpon the top of
which arched Spyer was placed a Trygon, and from the vpper center
thereof, did ascend vp a strong steale, wherinto was ioyned an other
steale whiche was turned about, and to the same was fastened a wyng,
which with euerie blast of winde tarried about, the piping steale which
had vpon the top thereof a ball, whereupon stood a naked Boy, streight
vpon his right foote, and the left holden out. His head was hollow to
his mouth like a Tunnel, with the Orifice euacuated to his mouth, to the
which was sowdered a Trompet, with his left hand holding the _L_anquet
to his mouth, & his right hand extending towardes the middle ioynt, iust
ouer the pinyon of it the wing or fane. Al which was of thinne brasse,
excellently wel cast and guilt. Which wing, ball, and boye, with his
cheekes and countenance as if hee were sounding, with the hinder part of
his head euacunated towardes the blustring winde, as that blew, so he
sounded, and as the winde caused a strange noyse among the rods of
_Siliques_ of _Egypt_, euen so did it heare in the Trumpet. Vppon which
cause I merily thought to my selfe, that a man being alone in an
vnknowne place and out of quiet, may easilie bee afrighted with such
like strange noyses.
In that part of the building that was on the other side of the Nimph was
the enteraunce into the bathe perfourmed as mee thought by the same
Lithoglyphe, that couered the sleepyng Nimphe, vppon the phrise whereof,
were certaine Greeke Caracters, signifying +ASAMINTHOS+.
Within there were foure seates whiche went rounde about, and one vnder
an other, and close knitte togither, wroght with Iasper and Calcedony
stone, in all kinde of colours. Two of the compassing about seates were
couered ouer with water, and to the vpper margine of the third. In the
corners, & in euerry corner stoode a Chorinthian Collumne of diuers
colours, waued with so pure & beautiful Iacintes as nature could
affoord, with conuenient bases and their chapters curiously made vnder
the beame, ouer the which was a _Zophor_, wherein were carued little
naked Boyes playing in the water, with water monsters, with wrastling
and childish strifes, with cunning flights and agilities fit for their
yeares, in liuely motions and sportes. Al which was beautiful ouer
compassed about with a Coronice. Ouer the which, according to the order
of the little Collumies, from the perpendicular poynt in the toppe of
the Cupul or Suffite and couer of the Bathe, there went a Tore
moderator, increasing bigger and bigger of Oke leaues, one folding and
lying ouer an other of greene Diasper hanging vppon their braunshing
stalkes gilt, which ascending vp met togither, and ioyned rounde in the