Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame
the cleere thinnesse of the Lawne, the winges about the size of her
garment where her armes came out, were of golde, in an excellent sort
and fashion welted, and set with Pearle and stone: and in like sort, all
the hemming about of her vesture, with golde ooes, and Pearle, and
spangles of golde in diuers places, distantly disposed in a curious and
pleasant sort to beholde.
Vppon either side, vnder the armes to her waste, her vpper garment was
vnsowed and open, but fastened with three buttons of great Orient Pearle
(such as _Cleopatra_ neuer had to dissolue in a Potion) in loopes of
blewe silke, so that you might see her smocke betweene the distance of
one Pearle from an other, couering her daintie soft snowye thinne
skinne: except her small necke and the vpper halfe of her spatious and
delitious breast, more desired and contenting mine eyes, then the water
brookes and coole Ryuers to the emboste and chased Hart, more pleasing
then the fisher boate of _Endimion_ to _Cynthia_, and more pleasant then
_Cithera_ to _Orpheus_.
The sleeues of her smocke of a conuenient largenesse, and about her
wristes plighted and tyed with Bracelets of Golde, double and vnited
with Orient Pearle. And besides all her ornaments and gracious gestures,
she indeuoured nowe and then with stolen and affected regards, in a
sweet & pleasant sort, to cast down her eyes vpon her little round
swelling breastes, impatient at the suppressing of her soft and fine
apparell: so as I iudged vppon good consideration, and thought that in
the dignitie and honourable frame of her personage, the Creator had
framed and vnited together, all the violence of Loue. The foure Nourses
of the royall Kingdome of Babilon, called _The tongue of the Gods_, had
not that powre to winne fauour and loue of the King, which this most
sweet Nymph had.
About her fayre Necke, more white then the Scithian snowe, shee wore a
Carkenet of Oryent Pearle: _Cerna_ the wife of _C[ae]sar_ neuer had the
like, and I doubt me that that of _Eriphile_, which she tooke to
_Amphiaraus_, was nothing comparable vnto it. And in the bending downe
ouer the deuision of her breastes, betwixt two great Pearles, there was
laced a corruscant rounde Rubie, and vppon the collaterate sides of the
sayde Pearles, two glistering Saphires, and two Pearles, next them two
Emeraldes, & two Pearles, and after them two fayre Iacinthes: all these
Pearles and Stones were laced in a worke in losenges, in a rare and
beautifull manner.
Her fayre heade, sending downe and vnfolding a loose spreading abroade
of plentifull hayre, like the smallest threds of golde, wauing with the
winde, and vpon her crowne, a garland of tawny vyolets sweetly smelling,
and couering the same almost to her forheade: from the middle vpper
point whereof, in forme of two Hemycycles to the halfe of her eares, it
mounted vppe in curled trammelles, falling downe againe vppon her fayre
Temples, moueably wauing and shaddowing the same, and hyding the vpper
halfe of her small eares, more fayre then euer was reported of
_Mimoria_.
The rest of her yellowe haire, descended downe ouer her fayre necke,
well disposed shoulders, and straight backe, to the calues of her
slender legges, moderatly wauing and blowne abroad, in greater beautie
than the proude eyed feathers of _Iunoes_ Birde. Such hayre as
_Berenice_ did neuer vow in the venereous Temple for her _Tholomaus_,
nor _Conus_ the Mathematrician did euer beholde the like placed in the
Triangule.
In her forehead, vnder two subtile blacke Hemycicles and distinct eye
brees, such as _Abacsine_ in [Ae]thiopia had not to boast of, or compare
with, nor _Juno_ her selfe, did looke out and present themselues two
pleasant radious and glistering eyes, which would enforce _Jupiter_ to
rayne golde, of a cleere sight, quicke and pearcing, with a browne
circle betwixt the Apple and the milchie white: neere to the which, were
her purple and Cherry cheekes, beautified with two round smyling
dimples, gracing the pleasure of her countenaunce, of the collour of the
fresh Roses gathered at the rysing of the Sunne, and layde in a vessell
of the Christall of Cyprus, and shewing through the same, as me thought.
Vnder her nose to her lyppes, passed a little valley to her small mouth
of a most sweete forme, her lyppes not blabbered or swelling, but
indifferent, & of a rubye collour, couering two vniforme sets of teeth,
like yuory, and small, not one longer and sharper than an other, but in
order euenly disposed and set: from betwixt the which, Loue had composed
an euerlasting sweet breathing, so as I presumed to thinke, that the
snow white teeth betwixt her gracious lyppes, were no other but Oryent
Pearles, & her sweet breath hot Muske, and by her delightfull voyce that
she was _Thespis_ with her nine daughters.
By all which sight I was greatly mooued and my sences rauished with a
kindled appetite, causing among them great strife and bitter contention,
such as I neuer felt before, by any other presence or excellent sightes
whatsoeuer. My searching eyes commended one part aboue another, to bee
more beautifull: but my appetite rapt into an other part of her heauenly
body, esteeming that aboue the other. And thus my insatiable and wanton
eyes, were the euill beginning of all thys perturbing and contentious
commotion, whome I founde the seminaries and moouers of all so great
strife and trouble, in my wounded and festering heart. Through theyr
contumacy, I was now brought from my selfe, and neuerthelesse, I could
not be satisfied by them. My greedy appetyte extolled her delicate
breast aboue any comparison, my eyes delightfully consenting thervnto,
sayd, at least by that we may discouer what y^e rest is; And they,
glauncing from that to the regarde of her grace and gesture, set all
their delight therein: and my appetite strengthened and not easilie
remooued from thence, I perswaded my selfe, that the plentie and
fayrenesse of her head and hayre, and the dressing thereof, and the
beautie of her forheade, coulde neuer bee compared with of any one or
other, like the scrapings of golde alwaies turning into little roundels.
With two eyes lyke morning starres in a cleere heauen, more beautifully
adorning her heade, than any that euer the warlike _Neco_ behelde among
the _Acitanians_, wounding my heart like one of the arrowes of the
angrie _Cupid_. And thus to conclude, I dare be bolde to say, that no
mortall man hath seene, so gracious, so shyning, so cleere and pleasant
lightes as these were placed in the forhead of this heauenly creature;
so that by them my hart was taken prisoner, & was filled with such
continuall controuersies of desire, as if a leafe of the Laurell of the
Tombe of the king of _Bibria_ had bin placed betwixt, & that strife
should neuer cease whilst it was there: so as I thought that this strife
would neuer cease, vntill the pleasure were taken away, by reason
wherof, I could not perceiue howe I shoulde obtaine the fulnes of my
desire, or howe it coulde agree with either one or other. Like one
extreamely hungry among a number of prepared meates being desirous of
all, feedes of none, his burning appetite remayning satisfied with none,
but still hungry.
_The most fayre Nymph beeing come to Poliphilus, bearing a Torch in her
left hand, with the other tooke him and inuited him to walke with her,
and there Poliphilus by her loue was more inflamed._
Thus seing before me, a reall and visible obiect of a most excellent
representation, louely presence and heauenly aspect, of a plentifull
store and vniuersall gathering of vnseene beautie, and inhumaine
comelinesse, I made light and slender account, in respect heereof, of
all the inestimable delights, riches, and great pompe which before I had
behelde and seene, thinking their worthinesse nothing to speake of, in
comparison of this. Oh happie hee that may enioy such and so great a
treasure of loue; and not onely a happie possessor I account him, but
most happie that shall possesse and obtaine her obedience, to hys desire
and rule. But if _Zenes_ had behelde this substance, hee would haue
commended the same aboue all the _Agrigentine_ maides, euery proprotion
would haue made vnto him an oportune shewe of the absolutest perfection
in the whole world.
Which fayre and heauenly Nymph nowe comming neere vnto me, with a
cheerefull countenance, incontinently her most rare beautie, before
somewhat a farre of looked vppon with mine eyes, but nowe, by them more
neere and narrowly behelde, I was rauished and amased.
And her amorous aspect and louely presence, was no sooner brought by the
message of mine eyes to my inward partes, but my recording and watchfull
remembrance, stirring and waking vppe my heart, presenting and offering
her vnto the same: it is become her shoppe; the quiuer for her piercing
arrowes and wounding regardes, and the dwelling place and conseruable
mansion house, of her sweete picture. Knowing that this was shee which
had t[ae]diously consumed my tender yeeres, in her hotte and prime loue,
not to be resisted. For I felt the same leaping and beating against my
breast, without ceasing, like as one that striketh vpon a hoarse Taber.
And still me thought by her louely and delightfull countenance, by her
fayre tresses, and the curling and wauing haire, playing vp and downe
vppon her forheade, that it should be _Polia_, whome so greatly I had
loued and desired, and for whom I had sustained so many & sundry
griefes, without intermission, sending out scalding sighes, the outward
reporters of my inwarde flames. But her rich and Nymphish habite,
vnaccustomed, and the place vnknowne and strange, made mee still
doubtfull and suspicious.
Shee (as beforesaide) carried in her snowe white left arme, close to her
body, a kindled and burning Torch, somewhat higher then her heade a good
deale, and the lower ende growing smaller and smaller, shee helde in her
hande: and stretching foorth that which was at libertie, more white then
euer had _Pelopea_, wherein appeared the thinne smoothnes of the skynne,
and the blewnesse of the veynes lyke Azure streames, vppon the faire and
whitest paper. Shee tooke me by the left hande with a sweete and louing
countenance and smiling grace, and with an eloquent speech, shee
pleasantly saide in this manner.
_Poliphilus_, I thinke my selfe to come in saftie, but it seemeth that
you stand doubtfull. Heereat I was more amazed, and my sences in a
manner gone to imagine howe she should knowe my name; and al my inward
parts vanquished, and hemmed in with burning amorous flames, my speech
was taken from mee with feare and reuerent bashfulnesse.
In this sort remayning, I knewe not vppon the suddaine what good
aunswere I might make, or otherwise doe her reuerence, but to offer her
my vnworthy and vnfit hande; Which when it was streined in hers, me
thought that it was in hot snowe and curded milke, and me thought
indeede, that I touched and handled something which was more then
humaine; which when I had so done, I remained moued in minde, troubled
and doubtfull, vnaccustomed to such a companion, not knowing what to
say, or whether to followe her, in my simple apparell and homely
bringing vp, not agreeable with hers: and as a foole, vnworthy and vnfit
for her fellowship, perswading my selfe, that it was not lawfull for a
mortall and earthly creature to enioy such pleasures. For which cause,
my collour red and blushing, with reuerent admiration, being grieued at
my basenesse, I setled my selfe to followe her.
At length, and yet not with a perfect recalled minde, I beganne to
reduce and sommon together, my fearefull and distempered spirites:
perswading my selfe, that I must needes haue good successe, being neere
so faire and diuine an obiect, and in such a place; And so followed her