Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame
taste and full of health; with a perpetuall greenesse, disposed and set
by a regular order, both beautifull, pleasant, and conuenient; with the
perfect labour and indeuour of Nature to bring it to that passe, and
beautified with precious gold.
And _Logistica_ holding her peace, they tooke mee both by the hands, and
we went out at the mouth of one of the Arches from the precyncts of the
Iuied inclosure. And beeing gone from thence, very contentedly passing
on betwixt them both, saith _Thelemia_, let vs now hasten on to our
three Gates whether we are sent.
Where-vpon, we passing through a plentiful seate and pleasant Countrey,
with a reasonable conuenient pace, I beheld the heauens very cleere &
bright, & beguiled the tyme with merry, sweet, and delightfull
discourses. And I desirous to vnderstand euery particular of the
inestimable riches, vnspeakeable delights and incomparable treasure of
the sacred Queene, (to the which _Osyris_ the builder of the two Temples
of Golde, one to _Iupiter_, and the other to the kingdome, must giue
place,) I mooued this question.
Tell me I beseech you fayre Nymphes, (if my curiosity bee not to your
discontentment) amongst all the precious stones that I could perfectly
behold of great estimation and pryce, one I deemed inestimable, and
without comparison most precious; The Iasper which had the effigies of
_Nero_ cut, it was not much bigger. Neither was the Coruscant to passe
in the statue of _Arsinoe_ the _Arabian_ Queene equall with it. Next
her, of such value was the Iewell, wherein was the representation of
_Nonius_ the Senator, as this sparkling and shyning Dyamond, of a rare
and vnseene beautie and bignes, which did hang vpon a rich Carkenet
about the snowie necke of the sacred Queene, what cutting was in the
same, which I could not perceiue by meanes of the brightnesse and my
beeing some-what farre of. And therefore I beeing therein ignoraunt,
desyre to knowe the same.
_Logistica_ considering of my honest demaund, aunswered me
incontinently. Know this _Poliphilus_, in the Iewell was ingrauen an
imperiall throne, and in the throne the mighty name of _Iehouah_ in
Hebrew Letters, and before that throne, are cast downe and troden vnder
foote, the Gyants which proudly haue lift vp themselues against his
worde, and resisted hys will: vppon the left side of the throne is a
flame of fire, vppon the right hande a horne of saluation, or Copie full
of all good blessednes, and this is all that is contained in the Iewell.
Then I presumed further to knowe, what should these two things vpon
eyther sides of the throne signifie, that were holden out in two handes.
_Thelemia_ quickly aunswered me, God of his infinite goodnesse,
proposeth to mankind his mercie and his iudgement, chuse which they
will.
For thys beeing satis-fied, I sayd moreouer. Seeing that most gracious
Nymphs, my speeches be not displeasant vnto you, and that I am not yet
satis-fied in all that I haue seene, I pray you let me vnderstand this.
Before the horrible feare that I was driuen into by the Dragon, I beheld
a mighty huge Elephant of stone, with an entrance into his bellie, where
were two Sepulchres, with a wryting, the meaning wherof is too mysticall
for me, that was, that I shoulde not touch the bodie, but take away the
head.
_Logistica_ forthwith made me aunswer. _Poliphilus_, I doe vnderstande
very well your doubt, and therefore you shall vnderstande, that this
monstrous shape and machine was not made without great and wonderfull
humane wisedome, much labour, and incredible diligence, with a
perplexibility of vnderstanding to knowe the mysticall conceite. Thou
remembrest that vpon the face there hung an ornament, with certaine
_Ideonix ionic_ and _Arabic_, which in our Mother-tongue, is as much to
say, as labour, and industrie. Signifying thereby, that in thys world,
whosoeuer will haue any blessing that shall do him good, he must leaue
the body, which is ease and idlenes, and betake himselfe to trauaile and
industry, which is the head.
Shee had no sooner ended her words both pleasant & piercing, but I
vnderstoode it very well and gaue her great thankes. And yet desirous to
be resolued in whatsoeuer I stood in doubt, and seeing that I might
speake boldly, I made this third question. Most wise Nymph, in my
comming out of the subterraneall vast darksome place, as I passed on,
I came to a goodlie bridge, and vppon the same, in a Porphyrite stone
vppon the one side, and an Ophite vpon the other, I beheld engrauen
certaine Hieragliphs, both which I did interprete, but I stoode
doubtfull of certaine branches, that were tyed to the hornes of the
scalpe of the Oxe, and the rather because they were in the Porphyrite
stone, and not in the Ophit vpon the other side.
She aunswered me straight way. The braunches, one is of the Thistle or
thorne of Iudea[A], and the other of the Turbentine. The nature of which
Woodes bee, that the one will not easily take fire, and the other will
neither bend, rotte, consume, nor be eaten with wormes. And so that
patience is commended, which with anger is not kindled, nor by aduersity
will bee subdued.
[Sidenote A: The crown of thorne vpon Christes head.]
The nature of the Porphyrit stone is of this secrecie, that in the
fornace it will neither burne it selfe, but also causeth other stones
neere adioyning that they shall not burne. And of that nature is
patience, that it will neither be altered itselfe, nor suffer any other
wherein it beareth rule to fall into a furie. And the Ophite stone is of
such nature also.
Nowe _Poliphilus_, I doe greatly commende you, in that you are desirous
to vnderstand such secrets: for to behold, consider, and measure the
same, is a commendable vertue, and the way to knowledge: whereuppon I
had occasion giuen to render innumerable thanks, for her great and
fauourable curtesies.
And thus with allowed and delightfull discoursing speeches, we came to a
fayre Riuer, vpon the banck whereof, besides other fayre greene and
florishing Trees, and water hearbes, I beheld a fine Groue of Plane
Trees, in the which was an excellent fayre bridge ouer the Riuer made of
stone, with three Arches, with pyles bearing foorth against the two
fronts, to preserue the worke of the bridge, the sides thereof beeing of
excellent workmanship.
And in the middle bending of the same, vpon eyther sides, there was a
square stone of Porphyrite set, hauing in it a Catagliphic, engrauing of
Hieragliphies.
Vpon the right hand as I went ouer, I beheld a woman, casting abroade
her armes, sitting onely vppon one buttocke, putting foorth one of her
legges as if shee woulde rise; In her right hand, vpon that side which
shee did sitte, shee helde a payre of winges, and in the other hand,
vppon that side whereon she was arysing, a Tortice.
Right against her, there was a Circle, the center wherof two little
Spyrits did hold, with their backs turned towards the circumference of
the Circle.
And then _Logistica_ saide vnto me, _Poliphilus_, I am sure that thou
doost not vnderstand these Hieragliphs, but they make much for thy
purpose: and therfore they are placed for a Monument and thing to be
considered, of such as passe by.
The Circle _Medium tenuere beati_.
The other, temper thy hast by staying, and thy slownesse by rysing,
consider heereof as thou seest cause.
This bridge was built with a moderate bending, shewing the cunning
disquisition, tryall, examination, arte, and discretion of the excellent
workman and inuenter, commended in the continuaunce and durablenesse
thereof, which manie of our Bayard-like moderne Idiots, without
knowledge, measure and arte buzzing on, neither obserue proportion nor
lyneaments, but all out of order.
This bridge was all of pure Marble.
When wee had passed ouer the bridge, wee walked in the coole shadow,
delighted with the variable notes and chirpings of small byrds, to a
rocky and stony place, where high & craggie Mountaines lifted vp
themselues, afterwarde continuing to abrupt and wilesome hilly places,
full of broken and nybled stones, mounting vppe into the ayre, as high
as a man might looke to, and without any greene grasse or hearbe, and
there were hewen out the three gates, in the verie rocke it selfe, euen
as plaine as might be. A worke verie auncient and past record, in a very
displeasant seate.
Ouer euery one of the which, I beheld in Letters Ionic, Romaine, Hebrew
and Arabic, the tytle that the sacred Queene _Eleutherillida_ fore-told
me that I should find. The Gate vppon my right hand, had vpon it this
word, _Theodoxia_. That vppon my left hand, _Cosmodoxia_. And the
thirde, _Erototrophos_. Vnto the which as soone as we were come, the
Damosels beganne to instruct me in the tytles, and knocking in the
resounding leaues of the Gates, vppon the right hande couered ouer with
greene mosse, they were presently opened.
And ther dyd an olde woman present herselfe vnto vs, of an honourable
countenaunce, out of an olde dawbed and smoakie house, hauing a poore
base little doore, ouer the which was painted _Pilurania_. Shee came
with a modest and honest shamefastnesse, and her dwelling place was in a
solitarie site and shadie Rocke, decayed and crumbly, her clothes were
tattered, her face leane, pale & poore. Her eyes looking towards the
ground, her name was _Thende_. Shee had attending vpon her sixe
Handmaydes, basely and slenderly apparrelled. One was named _Parthenia_,
the second _Edosia_, an other _Hypocolinia_, the fourth _Pinotidia_, the
next _Tapinosa_, the last _Prochina_. Which reuerent Matron, with her
right arme naked poynted to the heauens.
She dwelt in a place very hard to come vnto, and ful of troubles to
passe on the way, beeing hyndered with thorne and bryers, very rough and
displeasant, a mistie clowde cast ouer it, and very hard to clymbe vp
into.
_Logistica_ perceiuing by my looke that I had no great lyking in this
place, some-what greeued therewith, said, this Rocke is knowne neuer but
at the end. And then _Thelemia_ sayde, _Poliphilus_, I see you make
small regarde of such a painefull woman. Whereat I assenting to her with
my countenaunce, wee departed, and the gate being shut we came to the
next.
Where knocking, it was presently opened, and wee entering in, there met
vs a browne woman, with fierce eyes rowling, and of a quicke
countenaunce, lyfting vp a naked glittering sworde, vpon the middle
wherof was a Crowne of golde, and a branche of Palme tree intrauersed.
Her armes brawnie like _Hercules_, in labour and acts magnanimious and
nobly minded. Her belly small. A little mouth, strong and stooping
shoulders, by her countenaunce seeming to bee of an vndaunted minde, not
fearing to vndertake any enterprise how hard soeuer.
Her name was _Euclelia_, verie honourablie attended vppon with sixe
young Women. The first was called _Merimnasia_, the second, _Epitide_,
another, _Ergasilea_, the fourth, _Anectea_, the fift was named
_Statia_, the last was called _Olistea_.
The situation and place me thought was painefull, and _Logistica_
perceiuing my inclynation, presentlie tooke into her hand _Thelemias_
Lute, and beganne to strike a doricall tune, and sung to the same verie
sweetly, saying. O _Poliphilus_ be not wearie to take paynes in thys
place, for when labour and trauell is ouer-come, there will be a tyme of
rest. And her songe was of such force, that I was euen consenting to
remaine there, notwithstanding that, the habitation seemed laboursome.
Wherevppon, _Thelemia_ inticingly said vnto me, I think that it standeth