Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame
And when the auncient Gates shall be opened vnto thee, in euerie one
shall bee written what shall befall thee, but thou shalt not perceiue
the same, vnless that in some part thy vnderstandyng and wisedome
enigmatically and with a right and sincere iudgement looke vnto it, and
quickly consider of it, for because that shee ambyguously chaungeth her
selfe in habite and countenance, and through this doubtfull
anymaduersion, a man remaineth deceiued of his expectation without
remedie.
And therefore _Polphilus_, that which these my consigned trustie and
appoynted handmaydes by suggestion shall perswade thee vnto, and at what
Gate thou oughtest to enter in and remayne, euen which of those two it
shall best please thee to giue eare vnto, doo: for they haue some
vnderstanding of her.
And hauyng thus spoken, shee made a signe or becke with her head to the
two Nymphes _Logistica_ and _Thelemia_, who presently without delaie,
were obedient to her commaund. And I beeing readie to speake, neyther
knew what to say, or yet durst to so high a maiestie, and for so great
bounties giue a word.
The two appoynted companyons of my iourney, verie fauourablye, and with
a familiar readines and virginlike iestures, tooke holde of mee, one by
the right hande, and the other by the left, and reuerently obteyning
licence, first of the Queene, and takyng theyr leaue of the rest, went
out the same way that I came in.
And I beeyng desirous and not satisfied, turned mee about towardes the
conspicuous Poarch, to beholde diligently the artificious Pallaice,
wonderfull and perfinite of the Art of building.
The subtiltie of which, no humane excogitation is able to imitate.
And therefore I thought that nature had made that for a maruell of all
her woorkes for commoditie, vse, grace, bewtie, ayre, and continuall
durablenes.
For which cause, I was excessiuely desirous to staie and looke vppon it,
but my leaders and guides would not suffer mee, and yet by the theft of
my eye in the Zopher, ouer the gate I noted this inscription, +HO TE:S
PHUSEO:S OLBOS+.
And as muche as with my quicke sences I could carrie, I tooke in my
going foorth, with as greate pleasure and delight as is possible to
expresse. O happie were hee that myght bee but a drudge or kitchin slaue
in suche a Paradice.
Nowe beeing come into the base Court, compassed and sette about with
Orenge trees, _Thelemia_ in great curtesie saide thus vnto mee, besides
and aboue all the maruellous and woonderfull thinges which thou hast yet
seene and behelde, there bee fower yet remayning behynde whiche thou
shalt see.
And vppon the lefte side of the incomparable pallace, they brought mee
into a fayre Orchyard of excogitable expence, tyme, and subtletie of
woorke-manshippe, the contynent and cyrcuite whereof was as muche as the
plot of the Pallace, wherein was the resydence and abiding of the
Queene.
Round about fast by the walles of the Orchyard there were set conuenyent
garden pots in the which in stead of growing plantes, euerie one was of
pure glasse, exceeding a mans imagination or beleefe, intorpiaried[A]
boxe the rootes and stalkes of golde, whereout the other proceeded.
[Sidenote A: Ars toparia is the way of cutting of trees in gardens
or other places to proportions or shapes.]
Betwixt one and other of the which was placed a Cyprusse tree, not aboue
two paces high, and the boxe one pace full of manyfolde maruellous
symples, with a moste excellent imitation of nature, and pleasaunt
diuersitie in the fashions of flowers in distinct colours verie
delyghtfull.
The playne labiall compassing about the quadrant Orchyard comming out
from the walles as a seate for these aforesayde garden pottes and trees
to stande vppon, was subcoronized with golde by excellent lyneamentes
wrought and adorned. The vpper face whereof, and whereuppon those pottes
and trees did stande, was couered with a playster of glasse gilte, and a
curious historographie to be seene in the same, and compassed about and
holden in with wyering and netting of golde.
The wall that compassed about the Orchyard with a conuenient distance,
was bellyed out with columnes of the same matter, and inuested with
flowring bindings naturally proportioned, and heere and there were
quadrangulate columnes of golde chamfered, arching from one to an other,
with a requisite beame Zophor and coronice, with a meete and conuenient
proiecture ouer the chapter of glasse vppon the round.
The substance of which subiect proiecture of the bryttle matter, was of
counterfayte diasper diuersly coloured and shining. Which bryttle
substance had some void space betwixt that and the other.
The mouth of the arches were stopped with rombyes of cleare glasse in
forme of a tryangle, and the pypes beautified all ouer with an
Encaustick painting, verie gratious to the sight of the beholder.
The ground was here and there couered with great round balles of
glasselyke gunne stones, and other fine proportions much pleasing, with
a mutuall consent vnmooueable lyke pearles shining without any
adulteration by folyature. From the flowers did breath a sweet
fragrancie by some cleare washing with oyle for that purpose.
There most cunningly did _Logistica_ lyke an Orator make a discourse in
commendation physically of that excellent confection of the noblenes of
the substaunce, secrecie of the art, and straungenes of the inuention.
The like is not to bee found.
And after shee sayde, _Poliphilus_ lette vs goe and ascende vp this
mount nexte the Garden, and _Thelemia_ remayning at the stayre foote,
wee ascended vp to the playne toppe. Where shee shewed vnto mee, with a
heauenly eloquence, a Garden of a large compasse, made in the forme of
an intricate Laborynth allyes and wayes, not to bee troden, but sayled
about, for insteade of allyes to treade vppon, there were ryuers of
water.
The which mysticall place was of a verie lustie mould and fruitfull,
replenished with all sorts of fruits, beautified with faire springs, and
greene hearbes and flowers, full of all solace and delight. Whereupon
she spake thus.
I doe imagine (_Poliphilus_) that you doe not vnderstande the
conditionate state of this maruellous feate, and therefore giue
attendance to my wordes.
Whosoeuer entereth in cannot come backe, but as you see yonder
mountaines heere and there distributed, seuen circuits and the about
goings distant one from another.
And the extreeme molestation and sorrowe of the enterers in, is this:
In the myddle mountayne within the center thereof, and open mouth of the
same, there lurketh inuisibly a deadly deuouring olde Dragon, hee is
vtter destruction to some, and others are not hurte to death by him. Hee
cannot bee seene nor shunned, neyther doth hee leaue any vnassaulted,
but eyther in the entrie, or in their iourney, hee destroyeth or
woundeth. And if hee killeth them not betwixt one mountayne and another,
they passe the seuen circuites to the next mount.
And they that enter in by the first tower or mount (wherevppon is this
tytle inscript +DOXA KOSMIKE:O:S POMPHOLYS+.) They sayle in a little
shippe with a prosperous winde, and securely at pleasure: the fruites
and flowers fall downe vppon theyr hatches, and with great solace and
pleasure they cut through by the seauen reuolutions with a merry winde,
vntill the second mount bee discouered and come vnto. And marke and
beholde (_Poliphilus_) howe cleare and bright the ayre is in the
entrance, ouer that it is in the center, about the which is thicke
darknesse.
In the first mount or tower there is alwayes resident a pittifull matron
and bountifull, before whome standeth an auncient appoynted vessell
called _Vrna_, in a readinesse, hauing vppon it seauen Greeke letters
as thus +THESPION+, full of appoynted honie, and to euerie one that
entereth in, verie curteously and with a good will shee giueth one of
them without respecte of state and condition, but according to theyr
enterance.
These beeing receyued, they came foorth, and begin to sayle in the
Laborynth, the water beeing enuyroned vpon either sides, with roses,
trees, and fruits.
And hauing sayled the first seuen reuolutions of _Aries_, and being come
to the second mount, there they meet with innumerable troopes of yong
women of diuerse conditions, which demaund of euerie one the sight of
theyr honye, which beeing shewed vnto them, they straightwayes knowe the
propertie of the hony, and the goodnesse thereof, and embracing him as
theyr guest, they inuyte him with them to passe through the next seuen
reuolutions, and with diuerse exercises according to her inclyned
promptnes, they accompany them to the third mount.
In this place hee that will goe on forwards with his companion, shee
will neuer abandon or leaue him: for there bee farre more pleasaunt
voluptuous women. And many refuse the first and make choyse of them.
In the putting off from the second mount, to come to the third, they
finde the current of the water somewhat agaynst them, and stand in neede
of oares, but beeing fallen off from the thirde mount, making theyr
course towardes the fourth, they finde the tide and streame more against
them, and in these seauen oblique courses their pleasure is variable and
vnconstant.
Beeing come to the fourth mount, they finde other yoong women combatting
and fighting, and those examining theyr pottes of honie, they intice
them to theyr exercise, but those that refuse to leaue theyr first
companions, they let passe together, and in this cyrcuite the water is
yet more contrary and troublesome, where there is neede of great studie
and labour to passe on.
And beeing come to the fift mount, they finde it speculable, lyke a
mirrour wherein they see theyr representations, and in that they take
great delyght, and with a feruent desire they passe on their laboursome
course. In that mount they see this sentence and golden saying
manyfested, _Medium tenuere beati_: not lyneall, nor locall, but
temporall, where by a sincere and perfect examination hee discerneth
that meane wherewith he hath ioyned his felicitie, wisdome and riches:
which if not well, in the rest of his course he faynteth the more.
And losing off from thence, the Waters by reason of the broken circles,
beginne to be verie slyding towards the Center, so that with small or no
rowing they are brought to the sixt Mount. And there they finde elegant
Women, with a shew of heauenly modestie and diuine worship, with whose
amiable aspects and countenaunces, the Trauailers are taken in their
loue, condemning their former with despite and hatefull abhorrence. And
with these they fall acquainted, and passe the seauen reuolucions.
These beeing come ouer with an obscure and foggy close ayre, with many
losses and a grieuous voyage, they beginne to remember what they haue
past and lost: for the more that the compasse of the reuolucion, draweth
neere to the discouerie of the Figure of the Center, the sooner they are
passed ouer, styll shorter and shorter, and the more swyfter the course
of the streame is into the deuouring swallow of the Center.
And then with extreame affliction and bitter anguish remembring the
abuse of their pleasures, and companions that they haue forsaken, and
sweete places, which so much the more augmenteth their sorrowes, for
that they can not returne or goe backe with theyr Shyppe, such a
companie still follow them vppon the stearne with their fore-castles.
And most of all dysmayeth them the heauie sentence ouer the median
Center, _Theonlykos Dys Algetos_.
And there, considering the displeasant tytle, they curse the time of
their entrance into the Labirinth, which hath in it so manie sundry
delights, and the end of them subiect to such myserable and ineuitable
necessity.