Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame
the tender sprigs to disquiet the moouing reedes, the fenny Bulrush, and
weake Cyprus, to torment the foulding Vines, to trouble the bending
Willowe, and to breake downe the brittle Firre bowghes, vnder the hornes
of the lasciuious Bull, as they do in winter.
At that very houre, as the diuers coulered flowers and greene meades, at
the comming of the sunne of _Hypperion_[f] feare not his burning heate,
being bedued and sprinkled with the Christalline teares of the sweete
morning, when as the _Halcyons_[g] vpon the leuell waues of the stil,
calme, and quiet flowing seas, do build their nests in sight of the
sandie shore, whereas the sorrowfull _Ero_, with scalding sighes did
behold the dolorous and vngrate departure of hir swimming _Leander_[h].
[Sidenote f: Hyperion the Sunne.]
[Sidenote g: Halcyons are certaine byrds which building near the
shore vpon the waues there will be no storme vntill the young be
hatched.]
[Sidenote h: Leander a young man of Abydos, who in swimming ouer
Hellespont (a narow sea) by Byzantium, which parteth Europ from
Asia) to Sestus, was in the sight of his louer Ero of Sestus
drowned, which she seeing, threw hir self down into the sea, and
died with him.]
I lying vpon my bed, an oportune and meet freend to a wearie body, no
creature accompaning me in my chamber, besides the attender vppon my
body, and vsuall night lights, who after that she had vsed diuers
speeches, to the end shee might comfort me, hauing vnderstood before of
me, the originall cause of my hollow and deepe sighes, she indeuored hir
best to moderate, if at least she might, that, my perturbed and
pittifull estate. But when she sawe that I was desirous of sleepe, she
tooke leaue to depart.
Then I being left alone to the high cogitations of loue, hauing passed
ouer a long and tedious night without sleepe, through my barren fortune,
and aduerse constellation, altogether vncomforted and sorrowfull, by
means of my vntimely and not prosperous loue, weeping, I recounted from
point to point, what a thing vnequall loue is: and how fitly one may
loue that dooth not loue: and what defence there may bee made against
the vnaccustomed, yet dayly assaults of loue: for a naked soule
altogether vnarmed, the seditious strife, especially being intestine:
a fresh still setting vpon with vnstable and new thoughts.
In this sort brought to so miserable an estate, and for a long while
plunged in a deepe poole of bitter sorrowes, at length my wandring
sences being wearie to feede still vpon vnsauorie and fayned pleasure,
but directly and without deceit, vppon the rare diuine obiect: whose
reuerende _Idea_ is deeply imprinted within me, and liueth ingrauen in
the secret of my heart, from which proceedeth this so great and
vncessant a strife, continually renuing my cruell torments without
intermission. I began the conditions of those miserable louers, who for
their mistresses pleasures desire their owne deaths, and in their best
delights do think themselues most vnhappie, feeding their framed
passions not otherwise then with fithfull imaginations. And then as a
weary bodye after a sore labour, so I, somewhat in outward shew
qualified, in the payne of my sorrowfull thoughts, and hauing
incloystered and shut vp the course of my distilling teares: whose drops
had watered my pale cheekes, thorow amorous griefe, desired some
needfull rest.
At length my moyst eyes being closed within their bloudshotten and
reddish liddes, presently betwixt a bitter life and a sweet death, I was
in them inuaded and ouercome, with a heauie sleepe, who with my minde
and watchfull spirits, were no pertakers of so high an operation.
Me thought that I was in a large, plaine, and champion place, all greene
and diuersly spotted with many sorted flowerrs, wherby it seemed
passingly adorned. In which by reason of the milde and gentle ayre,
there was a still quyet whisht: Inso much that my attentiue eares did
heare no noyse, neither did any framed speech peirce into them, but with
the gratious beames of the sunne, the sliding time passed.
In which place with a fearefull admiration, looking about me, I sayd
thus to my selfe. Heere appeareth no humaine creature to my sight, nor
syluan beast, flying bird, countrey house, field tent, or shepheards
cote: neyther vpon the gras could I perceiue feeding eyther flock of
sheep, or heard of cattell, or rustike herdman with Oten pipe making
pastorall melodie, but onely taking the benefit of the place, and
quietnesse of the plaine, which assured mee to be without feare,
I directed my course still forward, regarding on eyther side the tender
leaues and thick grasse, which rested vnstirred, without the beholding
of any motion.
At length my ignorant sleepes, brought me into a thick wood, whereinto
being a pritty way entred, I could not tell how to get out of it.
Wherevpon, a soddaine feare inuaded my hart, and diffused it selfe into
euery ioynt, so that my couler began to waxe pale, and the rather by
reason that I was alone, and vnarmed, and could not finde any track or
path, eyther to direct me forward, or lead me back againe. But a darke
wood of thicke bushes, sharpe thornes, tall ashes haled of the Viper,
towgh Elmes beloued of the fruitfull vines, harde Ebony, strong Okes,
soft Beeche, and browne Hasils, who intertaining one anothers branches,
with a naturall goodwill opposed themselues, to resist the entrance of
the gratious sunne shine, with the greene couerture of their innumerable
leaues. And in this sort I found my selfe in a fresh shadowe, a coole
ayre, and a solytarie thicket.
VVherevpon my reason perswaded me to beleeue, that this vast wood, was
onely a receptacle for sauage and hurtfull beasts, as the tusked
Bore, the furious and bloudthirstie Beare, the hissing serpent, and
inuading VVoolfe, against which I was vnprouided to make resistance, but
rayther as a praye sent amongst them, miserablie to haue my flesh and
bones rent and gnawne in peeces.
And thus forecasting the woorst that might follow, I was resolued not to
abide there, but to seeke to get out, that I might the better eschew
such suspected occurrents, and taking my selfe to my feete, I wandred
now this way, now that way, sometime to the right hand, sometime to the
left: nowe forwarde, then backe againe, not knowing how to goe among the
thicke bowghes and tearing thornes, bearing vpon my face: rending my
clothes, and houlding me sometimes hanging in them, whereby my hast in
getting foorth was much hyndered. In this vnaccustomed labour: and
without any helpe but onely the keeping of the sunne still vpon one
side, to direct mee streight forwarde: I grewe extreamely hoate and
faynte, not knowing what to doe, but onely in a wearye body, to conteine
a minde distraught through troublesome thoughts, breathing out hollow
and deepe sighes, desiring helpe of the pittifull _Cretensian Ariadne_,
who for the destroying of hir monstrous brother the _Mynotaur_[A] gaue
vnto the deceitfull _Theseus_ a clew of thred, to conduct him foorth of
the intricate laborinth, that I also by some such meanes might be
deliuered out of this obscure wood.
[Sidenote A: Minotaurus a monster in Creete, born of Pasiphae which
being inclosed in the laborinth fed on mans flesh, whome Theseus
slew and got out of the laborinth by a clew of thred giuen by
Ariadne king Minoes daughter, after wife to Theseus, who did forsake
hir, and left hir in a disinhabited Ile, notwithstanding that she
had saued his life.]
[Decoration]
_Poliphilus being thus distempered in this daungerous and obscure wood,
at length getteth foorth, and being come to a faire Riuer, indeuoring
to rest himselfe and coole his heate, he heard a most delightful
harmonie, which made him forget to drinke, and followe after the
voice, which brought him to a woorse perplexitie._
Feare and desire of freedome thus occupying my sences, my vnderstanding
was blinded, neyther did I knowe whether it were better for mee eyther
to wishe for hated death, or in so dreadfull a place to hope for desired
life. Thus euery way discontent, I did indeuour, with all force and
diligence to get foorth, wherin the more I did striue the more I found
my selfe intangled, and so infeebled with wearinesse, that on euery side
I feared, when some cruell beast should come and deuoure me, or els
vnawares to tumble downe into some deepe pit or hollow place.
Wherefore more trembling then in mustulent _Autume_ be the yealow
coulored leaue, hauing left their moisture, being thorowlye searched
with the furious north winde, I lifted vp my hart to God, desiring as
_Achemenides_ being afraide of the horrible _Cyclops_ rather to be
slaine by the hands of _Aeneas_ his enemie, rather then to suffer so
odious a death.
And my deuoute prayer, sincerely vnited to a contrite heart, powring out
a fountaine of teares with a stedfast beliefe to be deliuered. I found
my selfe in a short space gotten at libertie, like a new day crept out
of a darke and tempestuous night. My eyes before vsed to such obumbrated
darkenes, could scarse abide to behould the light, thorow watery sadnes.
Neuerthelesse glad I was to see the light: as one set at libertie, that
had beene chayned vp in a deepe dungeon and obscure darkenesse. Verye
thirstie I was, my clothes torne, my face and hands scratched and
netteled, and withall so extreamely set on heate, as the fresh ayre
seemed to doe me more hurt then good, neither did it any waye ease my
body, desirous to keepe his new recouered scope and libertie.
And after that I had a little rowsed vp my mynde, and sommoned together
my sences in some better sort: I sought a meanes to quench my inordinate
thyrst, procured and increased through innumerable sighes, and extreame
labour of body. Thus casting my eyes with a diligent regarde about the
plaine, to finde some Fountaine whereat I might refresh my selfe: a
pleasant spring or head of water, did offer it selfe vnto me, with a
great vayne boyling vp, about the which did growe diuers sweet hearbes
and water flowers, and from the same did flowe a cleare and chrystalline
current streame, which deuided into diuers branches, ran thorow the
desart wood, with a turning and winding body, receyuing into it other
little channels, vnlading themselues.
In whose courses the stones lift vp by nature, and trunkes of trees
denyed any longer by their roots to be vpholden, did cause a stopping
hinderance to their current and whuzing fall, which still augmented by
other vndissonant torrents, from high and fertlesse mountaines in the
plaine, shewed a beautifull brightnes and soft passing course, to the
which short windedly comming, by meanes of my fearefull flight. I did
see a little obscure light, thorow the tops of the high trees, somewhat
deuiding themselues ouer the water, and with the rest of their bodyes
and branches, as it were seperating the heauens from my lifted vp eyes.
A horrible place to be in, vnaccompanyed of any creature.
And suddainly hearing the fall of trees, through the force of a
whyrlewinde, & noise of the broken bowghes, with a redoubled and hoarse
sound a farre of, and yet brought to the eccho of the water thorow the
thick wood, I grew into a new astonishment.
And at this instant thus terrified and afflycted, and yet without any
receiued hurt, being vpon my knees bowed downe, and inclosing the
hollownesse of my hand, therewith determined to make me a necessary
drinking vessel: I had no sooner put the same into the water, offring to
my mouth the long desired moysture, thereby to refrygerate and coole the
extreame heate of my burning heart, which at that time would haue beene
more acceptable vnto me, then eyther _Hypanis_ and _Ganges_ be to the