Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame
framed and illaqueated in manner of a flagon chayne, whereby they drewe
the Tryumph; such as _Ericthonius_ neuer inuented, for swiftnesse.
Vpon euery one of them did ride a goodly Nymph, with theyr shoulders one
towards an other: three, with their beautifull faces towards the right
side of the Tryumphes, and three to the left, with Instruments of
Musique, making together a heauenly harmonie and consort. Their hayres
yellowe, and falling ouer their fayre neckes, with Pancarpiall garlands
of all manner of flowers, vpon their heades. The two next the Tryumph,
were apparelled in blewe silke, like the collour of a Peacockes necke.
The middlemost in bright Crymosen: and the two formost in an Emerald
greene, not wanting any ornamentes to sette them foorth, singing so
sweetly with little rounde mouthes, and playing vppon their instruments,
within so celestiall a manner, as woulde keepe a man from euer dying.
The Centaures were crowned with yuie, that is called _Dendrocyssos_. The
two next the tryumph did beare in their handes, two vesselles of an olde
fashion, of the Topas of Arabia, of a bright golden collour, gratefull
to _Lucina_, and to the which, the waues will be calme: slender at the
bottom, bigge swelling in the belly, and lessening small vp towardes the
Orifice; In height two foote, without eares: out of the which, did
ascend a thicke smoake or fume, of an inestimable fragrancie. The
middlemost, did sounde Trumpets of golde, with banners of silke and
golde, fastned to the Trumpets in three places.
The other two formost, with olde fashioned Cornets, agreeing in consort
with the Instruments of the Nymph.
Vnder the which triumphant Chariot, were the Axeltrees conuently placed,
wherevppon the wheeles turned, and of a balustic lyneament, waxing small
towarde the ende and rounde: Which Axeltrees, were of fine pure golde
and massiue, neuer cankering or fretting; which is the deadly poyson and
destroyer of vertue and peaceable quyet.
This tryumph was solemnly celebrated, with moderate leaping and dauncing
about, and great applause: their habites were girded with skarfes, the
endes flying abroade.
And in like sort, those which did sit vpon the Centaures, commending in
their song, the occasion and mistery of the Tryumph, in voyces consonant
and cantionell verse; more pleasant than I am able to expresse, but let
this suffice.
_The second Tryumph._
The next Tryumph, was not lesse worthy to be beholden then the first.
The foure wheeles, the spokes, and naues, were all of Fulkish Agate, and
in dyuers places white veines: such as King _Pyrrhus_ could not shewe,
with the representation of the nine Muses, and _Apollo_ playing in the
middest of them vppon his Lute.
The Axeltrees and fashion of the same like the other: but the Tables
were of orient blewe Saphire, hauing in them, as small as motes in the
Sunne, certaine glinces of golde, gratefull to the Magicke Arte, and of
_Cupid_ beloued in the left hande.
Vpon the Table on the right side, I behelde engrauen, a goodly Matron
lying in a princely bed, beeing deliuered of two egges in a stately
Pallace: her Midwyues and other Matrons and yonge women, beeing greatly
astonished at the sight. Out of one of the which, spronge a flame of
fire: and out of the other egge two bright starres.
Vppon the other side were engrauen, the curious Parents, ignorant of
thys strange byrth, in the Temple of _Apollo_, before hys image, asking
by Oracle the cause and ende heereof, hauing this darke aunswere. _Vni
gratum Mare. Alterum gratum Mari._ And for thys ambiguous aunswere they
were reserued by their Parents.
Vppon the fore-ende of the Charyot, there was represented most liuely
the figure of _Cupid_, aloft in the skyes, with the sharpe heades of his
golden arrowes, wounding and making bleede the bodyes of dyuers foure
footed beastes, creeping Serpents, and flying Foules. And vppon the
earth, stoode dvuers persons, wondering at the force of such a little
slaue, and the effect of suche a vveake and slender Arrowe.
In the hynder ende, _Iupiter_ appoynting in hys steade, a prudent and
subtill Sheepehearde as a Iudge, awakened by hym, as hee lay sleeping
neere a most fayre Fountaine, whether of the three most fayre Goddesses,
hee esteemed best worthie. And hee beeing seduced by deuising _Cupid_,
gaue the Apple to the pleasant working _Venus_.
This tryumphant Charyot, was drawen by sixe white Elephants, coupled two
and two together, such as will hardly be found in Agesinua, nor among
the Gandars of India. _Pompei_ neuer had the like in his Tryumphes in
Affricke: neither were the like seene in the Tryumphes of the conquest
of India; their tronckes armed with deadly teeth of yuory, passing on
theyr way and drawing together, making a pleasant braying or noyse.
Their furniture & traces of pure blewe silke, twisted with threds of
golde and siluer: the fastnings in the furniture, all made vp with
square or true loue knots, lyke square eares of corne of the Mountaine
Garganus. Their Poyterelles of golde, set with Pearle and stone
different in collours; the beautie of the one striuing to excell the
beautie of the other. And thus was all their furniture or armings to the
traces, of silke as aforesayde.
Vppon them also, did ride (as before) sixe younge and tender Nymphes, in
like sort, but theyr Instruments different from the former, but agreeing
in consort: and what soeuer the first did, the same did these.
The first two were apparelled in Crymosen: the middle most two in fine
hayre collour: and the foremost in vyolet. The Caparisons of the
Eliphants were of cloth of golde, edged with great Pearles and precious
stones: And about their neckes were ornaments of great round iewelles,
and vpon their faces, great balles of Pearles, tasled with silke and
golde, vnstable and turning.
Ouer this stately Chariot tryumphant, I behelde a most white Swanne, in
the amorous imbracing of a noble Nymph, the daughter of _Theseus_, of an
incredible beautie: and vpon her lappe, sitting the same Swanne, ouer
her white thighes. She sate vppon two cushines of cloth of golde, finely
and softely wouen, with all the ornaments necessary for them.
Her selfe apparelled in a Nimphish sort, in cloth of siluer, heere and
there powdered with golde, ouer one and vnder three, without defect or
want of any thing, requisite to the adorning of so honorable a
representation, which to the beholder, may occasion a pleasurable
delight. In euery sort performed with as great applause as the first.
_The third Tryumph._
Then followed the thyrd Tryumph, with foure wheles of [Ae]thyopian
Chrysolite, sparkling out golde: that which hath beene helde in the
same, in olde time hath beene thought good to dryue away malignant
spirits. The wheeles vpwardly couered, as aforesaide, and the naues and
spokes of the same fashion, of greene Helitropia of Cyprus: whose vertue
is, to keepe secret in the day light, to diuine giftes, full of drops of
blood.
This Historie was engrauen vppon the right side of the Table thereof,
as followeth. _A man of great Maiestie, requesting to knowe what should
happen to his fayre daughter: her Father vnderstanding, that by her
meanes he should be dispossessed of his Crowne and dignitie; and to the
ende she shoulde not be carried away or stollen of any, he built a
mightie stronge Tower, and there, with a watchfull garde caused her to
bee kept: and shee remayning there in this sort with great content, had
falling into her virgineall lap, drops of Golde._
Vppon the other side was chased out a valiant youth, who with great
reuerence did receiue a protection of a Christall shielde, and with his
sworde afterward cutting off the heade of a terryble woman, and
afterwardes proudly bearing her heade in signe of victorie; Out of the
hotte blood of whome, did rise vp a flying horse: who striking vppon a
Mountaine with one of hys houes, made a strange springe of water to gush
out.
Vpon the fore ende I behelde the mightie _Cupid_, drawing hys golden
Arrowe, and shooting the same vp into the heauens, causing them to raine
bloode: whereat a number stoode wonderfully amazed, of all fortes of
people. Vpon the other ende, I did see _Venus_ in a wonderfull
displeasure, hauing taken her son by a Knight in a Net, and getting him
by the winges, she was about to plucke of his fethers: hauing plucked of
one handfull, that flewe about, the little elph crying out pitteously;
and an other sent from _Jupiter_, tooke him away and saued him from his
mother, and presented him to _Jupiter_: against whose diuine mouth, were
in Attic Letter these wordes written, +SUMOIPL UKUSTEKAIPKROS+ and hee
couered him in the lap of his celestiall gowne.
This tryumphant Charriot, was pompously drawne with sixe fierce
Vnicornes: their heades like Harts, reuerencing the chaste _Diana_. The
poyterelles and furniture about their stronge breasts, was of golde, set
with precious stone, and fringed with siluer and hayre colloured silke,
tyed into knots, in manner of a net worke, and tasseled at euery
prependent point, their caparisons like the other before spoken of.
Vpon these did sit, six fayre virgines, in such pompe and manner as
before, apparelled in cloth of golde, wouen with blewe silke into diuers
leaues & flowers; these had a consort of liuncyers winde Instruments,
full of spirite. And vppon the toppe of the Chariot, was placed a stoole
of green Iasper, set in siluer: needfull in byrth, and medicinable for
chastitie; at the foote it was sixe square, and growing smaller towarde
the seate, and from the middle to the foote, champhered and furrowed,
and vpward wrought with nextrulles: the seate whereof was somewhat
hallowed, for the more easily sitting vppon it. The Lyneaments thereof
most excellent.
A loft vppon the same did sit a most singuler fayre Nymph, richly
apparelled in cloth of golde and blewe silke, dressed lyke a virgine,
and adorned with innumerable sortes of Pearles and stone; she shewed an
affectious delight, to beholde droppes of golde fall from heauen into
her lappe. She sate in solemne pompe like the other, and with great
applause, with her fayre and plentifull haire spreading downe ouer her
backe, crowned with a Dyademe of golde, set with sundry precious stones.
_The fourth Tryumph._
The fourth Tryumph was borne vppon foure wheeles, with Iron strakes,
forcibly beaten out without fire; All the rest of the Charyot, in
fashion like the former, was of burning Carbuncle, shewing light in the
darkest places, of an expolite cutting: past any reason, to thinke howe
or where it was possible to be made, or by what workeman.
The right side whereof, helde this History. _An honourable woman with
childe, vnto whome Jupiter shewed himselfe (as he was wont With Iuno) in
thunder and lightning: insomuch, as shee fell all to ashes, out of the
which was taken vp a younge infant._
Vpon the other side, I behelde _Iupiter_, hauing the saide Infant in his
hands, & delyuering him to a yonge man, with winged buskyns, and a
staffe, with two serpents winding about it: who deliuered the Infant to
certaine Nymphes in a Caue, to be fostered.
In the fore-ende, I might see howe _Cupid_ hauing shot vp into heauen
with hys mischeeuous Arrowe, had caused _Iupiter_ to beholde a mortall
Nymph: and a great number of wounded people woondering at it.
In the hinder end was _Iupiter_ sitting in a tribunall seate as iudge,
and _Cupide_ appeering limping before him, and making grieuous
complaints against his louing mother, bicause that by hir means he had
wounded himselfe extreemly with the loue of a faire damsell, and that
his leg was burnt with a drop of a lampe, presenting also the yoong
Nymph and the lampe in hir hand. And _Iupiter_ with a smiling
countenance speaking to _Cupid_,