Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame
And then she smyling, said: _Poliphilus_, ouer the deuouring throat of
thys Center, there sitteth a seuere Iudge, balancing euery ones actions,
and helping whom hee will helpe. And because that it will be tedious to
tell thee all, let thus much heereof suffise. Let vs goe downe to our
companion _Thelemia_, who demanding the cause why they staid so long
aboue, _Logistica_ made aunswer, it doth not content our _Poliphilus_,
onely to behold, but also to vnderstand by me the secrecie of those
things, which he could not goe to knowe, wherein I haue satis-fied him.
And when she had ended, _Thelemia_ said.
Let vs goe a little while to an other garden no lesse pleasant ioyning
to the glasse garden, vppon the right side of the Pallas: and when wee
were come in thither, I was amazed with excessiue wondering, to see the
curiousnesse of the worke; as vneasie to report as vncredible to
beleeue: [ae]quiuolent with that of glasse, wyth lyke disposition of
benches or bankes; theyr lyppes set out with coronising and golden
ground worke, and such trees, but that the boxes and Cyprus trees, were
all silke, sauing the bodies and greater branches, or the strength of
the armes: the rest, as the leaues, flowers, and outermost rynde, was of
fine silke, wanting no store of Pearles to beautifie the same: and the
perfect fine collour, smelling as the glasse flowers beforementioned,
and alike, but that they about compassing walles, of meruailous and
incredible sumpteousnesse, were all couered ouer with a crusting of
Pearle, close ioyned and set together: and towardes the toppe, there
sprouted out greene yuie, the leaues thickning and bushing out from the
Pearles, vvith the stringes and veines of golde, running vppe in diuers
places betwixt the Pearles, in a most rare and curious sort, as if it
had beene very growing yuie, with berries of precious stones sette in
the stalkes in little bunches: and in the bushes were Ringe-doues of
silke, as if they had beene feeding of the berries, all along the sides
of the square plotted garden walles: ouer the which, in master-like and
requisite order, stretched out the beame and Zophor of golde.
The plaine smoth of the settles, where-vpon the boxe trees stoode,
couered ouer with Histories of loue and venerie, in a worke of silke and
threddes of golde and siluer, in suche a perfect proportioned ymaginarie
and counterfaiting as none may goe beyonde. The ground of the leuell
garden, was of leaues, grasse, and flowers of silke, like a faire sweete
meddowe: in the midst whereof, there was a large and goodly round
Arbour, made with golde wyer, and ouerspread with roses of the lyke
worke, more beautifull to the eye, then if they had been growing roses,
vnder which couering, and within which Arbour about the sides, were
seates of red Diaspre, & all the round pauement of a yellow Diaspre,
according to the largenes of the place, with dyuers colloured spottings,
confusedly agreeing together in pleasant adulterated vniting, and so
cleere and shining, that to euery obiect was it selfe gaine represented.
Vnder the which Arbour, the fayre and pleasant _Thelemia_, solaciously
sitting downe, tooke her Lute which she carryed with her, and with a
heauenly melodie and vn-hearde sweetenesse, she began to sing in the
commendation and delightes of her Queene. And seeing what a grace vnto
her, the company of her fellowe _Logistica_ was, I maruailed why
_Apollo_ came not to harken the Harmonie made by them: it was so
melodious, that for the present tyme a man woulde haue thought that
there had beene no greater f[ae]licitie. And after that shee ended her
diuine Poems, _Logistica_ tooke me by the hande and led me foorth of the
Arbour, saying vnto me.
_Poliphilus_, thou shalt vnderstande that the deuise of these obiects,
are more pleasant to bee vnderstoode then behelde, and therefore lette
vs enter in heere, to bee satisfied in both.
And from thence, shee and her companion brought mee from thys garden to
an other, where I behelde an arching _Areostile_, from the ground bent
to the toppe, fyue paces in height and three ouer, and thus continued
rounde about the compasse of the garden, in an orderly and requisite
proportioning, all inuested and couered ouer with greene yuie, so that
no part of the wall was to be seene. And there were a hundred Arches to
the compassing of this garden.
By euery of the Arches, was an Aulter of red Porphirite, curiously
proportioned with exquisite lyneaments; and vppon euery one of them was
placed, an image of golde, like a Nymph, of rare and beautifull
semblances, diuersly apparelled, and varying in theyr attyre and heade
dressing, euery one bending their eyes towards the Center of the garden.
In which middle Centricke place, there was founded a Base, of a cleere
Christal-like Calcedonie stone, in a Cubic forme: that is, euery way a
like square. And vppon that was set a round stone, but flatte vppon both
sides, two foote high, and by the Diameter, one pace and a halfe ouer,
of most pure red Diaspre. Vppon the which, stoode a most blacke stone,
in forme three square, and in quantitie for breadth, fitting the rounde,
and in height one pace and a halfe. The corners of which triangle did
iumpe with the sides, and lymbus of the subiacent plynth or round stone.
In the smooth polished fronts of which triangle, there was appact a
beautifull Image, of a heauenly aspect, graue and modest, with their
feete not touching the stone, but standing out from the same iust ouer
the suppressed and vnder put rounde stone. Theyr statures as tall as the
trygonall would beare, vnto the which they did stick fast by their backe
parts. Theyr armes were stretched abroade, both the right and left to
the corners of the triangle, where they held a Coppy, filled and fastned
to the corners of the Trigonall, the length of euery one of which
Coppies of fine gold, was seauen foote.
And the Images, the Coppyes, and their bandes wherewith they were tyed
in the midst and held by, were all shyning, and their hands inuiluped
with the sundry stringes, flynging about the plaine smothe of the black
stone.
Their habits were Nymphish, of most rare and most excellent working. The
Sepulchre of _Tarnia_ the Queene of the _Scythians_ in _Asia_, was
nothing comparable.
In the lowest Cubicall Figure, vpon the smoth plaine of euery square,
were ingrauen Greeke Letters, three, one, two and three on thys sort.
+DYS A LO: TOS+.
In the circular there were three Characters Hieragliphicall,
perpendicularly vnder the feet of euerie Image. For the first, was
impressed the forme of the Sonne. Next vnder another, the figure of an
olde fashioned Ower.
Thirdly, a dyshe with a burning flame in it.
Vpon the heade of the trygonall blacke stone, towarde euerie corner,
I did behold an Egiptian Monster of Gold, fower footed couchant. One of
then hauing a face lyke man altogether. The other like half a man, &
halfe a beast. And the third like a beast. VVith a linnen vaile ouer
euery of their heades, with two Labels hanging ouer theyr eares, & the
rest descending downe and couering their necks & backes, with the bodies
of Lyons. Theyr lookes directly forward.
Vppon the backs of these three, dyd stande rysing vp a massiue Spyre of
Gold, three square, sharpning vp to the toppe, fiue tymes as high as
broade below. And vpon euery front or foreside, was grauen a circle, and
ouer one circle a Greeke Letter, +O+. ouer another, a Letter +O:+. and
ouer the third, a Greeke +N+.
There _Logistica_ beganne to speake vnto me, saying, by these Figures
are discribed, so farre as mans reason can shewe, the celestiall
harmony. And vnderstand _Poliphilus_, that these Figures, with a
perpetuall affynitie and coniunction, are auncient Monuments, and
Egiptian Hieragliphs, signifying this, _Diuin[ae] infinit[ae]que
trinitati vnius essenti[ae]_. Which is now by his holy word, in a most
louing sort manifested to the whole world, according to his will: and
yet it shall not be a misse to see antiquities, and consider what
greater benefite is had by the precious Gospel.
The lower Figure was consecrated to the Deitie, because it is euerie way
alike, and all one: and vpon euery side, and turned euery way, of like
stablenes, vpon euery base, constant and permanent.
The round Circular standing vppon that, is without beginning or ende.
Vppon the circumferent sides whereof, these three lyneaments are
contained, directly vnder euerie Image, according to the property
attributed.
The Sunne with his comfortable light, giueth life to euerie thing, and
his nature is attributed to GOD.
The second is the Ower, which is prouident direction, and gouernment of
all with an infinite wisedome.
The third is a Fyerie Vessell, whereby is vnderstoode a partycipation of
Loue.
And although that they be three distinct things, yet they are contained
& vnited in one sempeternallie, with great loue communicating their
blessings, as you may see by the coppies at euery corner of the
trygonall stone.
And continuing her delectable speech, shee sayd, vnder the forme of the
Sunne, note this Greeke worde, _Adiegetos_. By the Ower looke vpon this,
_Adiachoristos_. And by the Vessel of fier, was engrauen, _Adiereynes_.
And to this ende are the three Monsters placed vnder the golden
Obelisque, because that there be three great opinions like those
Monsters: & as that with the humane countenaunce is best, so the other
be beastly and monstrous.
In the Spyre there be three plaine sides, lyneated with three circles,
signifying one for euery time. The past, the present, and to come; and
no other figure can holde these three circles, but in that inuariable.
And no mortall man can at one instant perfectlie discerne and see
together two sides of the same figure, sauing one integrally, which is
the Present: and therefore vppon great knowledge were these three
Characters engrauen, +O. O:. N+.
For which cause _Poliphilus_, not that I excuse my selfe for beeing ouer
prolix and tedious, but briefely to teach thee, and sette thee right vp.
In the knowledge heereof, thou shalt vnderstand, that the first basiall
Figure is onely knowne to hymselfe, and to one Sonne of man, which hath
a humane bodie glorifyed and without sinne: and the brightnes thereof
wee see but as in a glasse, and not cleerely as it is, for that it is
incomprehensible for a fynite substance.
But he that is indued with wisedome, let him consider of the glorious
brightnes thereof. But to the thirde Figure, which is of a darke and
blacke collour, wherein be the three golden Images: _The Blacke stone is
the Lawe: the Coppies foode: the three Women the preseruation of
Man-kind._
Nowe they which will looke higher, they see a Figure in a tryne aspect,
and the higher that they goe towardes the toppe, where the vnion of the
three is, be they neuer so wise, their vnderstanding is vnperfect: and
although that they see it, yet they knowe not what they see, but that
there is such a thing, in comparison whereof, they are fooles, theyr
power weake, and themselues nothing.
And there _Logistica_ hauing ended her allowed talke, proceeding from an
absolute knowledge, deepe iudgement, and sharpnesse of wit in Diuine
matters, and vnknowne to weake capacities, I began heereat to take
greater delight, then in any other meruailous worke what soeuer, that I
had graciously beholden with my greedy eyes. Considering with my selfe
of the mysticall Obelisque, the ineffable equality statarie, for
durablenesse and perpetuitie vnmoueable, and enduring vncorruptible.
Where there breathed a sweet ayre from heauen, with vnuariable windes,
in this Garden round about full of flowers, of a large and circular
permanent plot: compassed about with all sorts of fruites, pleasant in