Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame
conspicuous thicknes & distance, as if they had been set by hand, as Yew
trees, wild Pynes, vnfruitfull but dropping Resin, tall pineapple,
straight Firre, burning Pitch trees, the spungie Larix[A], the aierie
Teda[B] beloued of the mountains, celebrated and preserued for the
festiuall Oreades[C]. There both of vs walked in the greene and
flowering plaine, shee being my guide through the high cypres trees, the
broad leaued beech, coole shadie okes full of maste, and other
hornebeames, pricking iuniper, weake hasell, spalt ash, greene lawrell,
and humbryferous esculies, knottie plane trees & lyndens[D] moouing by
the sweet breath of the pleasant Zephirus, whistling through their
tender branches, with a benigne and fauorable impulsion.
[Sidenote A: _Larix_, is a tree hauing leaues like a pine, & good
for building, it will neither rot, woormeate, nor burne to coales.]
[Sidenote B: _Teda_, is a tree out of the which issueth a liquor
more thinne than pitch.]
[Sidenote C: _Oreades_, be countrie Nymphs.]
[Sidenote D: _Lyndens_ or teile trees, in Latin _Tili[ae]_, they
beare a fruit as big as a bean, hauing within seedes like anyse
seeds.]
All which greene trees were not thickly twisted togither, but of a
conuenient distaunce one from another, and all of them so aptly
distributed as to the eie the sight thereof bred great delight.
This place was frequented with countrie Nymphs and _Dryades_[A], their
small and slender wastes being girded with a brayding of tender corules
of sprigs, leaues, and flowers and vpon their heads their rising vp
haires, were compassed about as with garlands. Amongst them were the
horned faunes, and lasciuious satyres, solemnising their faunall feasts,
being assembled togither out of diuers places, within this fertile &
pleasant cuntrie: bearing in their hands so tender green and strange
boughs, as are not to be found in the wood of the goddes _Feronia_,[B]
when the inhabitants carrie hir image to the fire.
[Sidenote A: _Dryades_, be Nymphs of the woods.]
[Sidenote B: _Feronia_ a goddesse of the woods.]
From thence we entered into a large square inclosure compassed about
with broade walkes, straight from one corner to another, with a quick-set
vpon either sides, in height one pace, of pricking iuniper thicke set
togither, and mixt with box, compassing about the square greene mead.
In the rowes of which quick-set there were symmetrially planted the
victorious palme trees, whose branches were laden with fruite, appearing
out of their husks, some blacke, some crymosen, and many yealow, the
like are not to be found in the land of [Ae]gypt, nor in Dabulam[A]
among the Arabian Sc[ae]nits,[B] or in Hieraconta beyond the
Sauromatans.[C] All which were intermedled with greene Cytrons, Orenges,
Hippomelides, Pistack trees, Pomegranats, Meligotons, Dendromirts,
Mespils, and Sorbis, with diuers other fruitfull trees.
[Sidenote A: _Dabulam_, a fertile place in Arabia.]
[Sidenote B: _Sc[ae]nits_, be a people in Arabia, that dwell
altogither in tents.]
[Sidenote C: _Sauromatans_, be people of Sarmatia, which is a large
cuntry, reaching from Germany & the riuer Vistula to Hyc[ae]nia, and
is deuided into two parts Europea and Asiatica.]
In this place vppon the greene swoord of the flowering mead, and vnder
the fresh and coole shadowes, I might behold a great assemblie met
togither of strange people, & such as I had neuer before seene, full of
ioyes and pastimes, but basely apparrelled, some in fauns skins, painted
with white spots, some in lynx[A] skins, others in leopards: and manie
had fastened togither diuers broad leaues, instrophiating them with
sundrie flowers, therewithall couering their nakednes, singing, leaping,
and dauncing with great applause.
[Sidenote A: _Lynx_ is a beast spotted, but in shape like a wolph,
being quicke of sight.]
These were the Nymphs Hamadryades,[A] pleasantly compassing vppon either
sides the flowered _Vertumnus_,[B] hauing vppon his heade a garlande of
roses, and his gowne lap full of faire flowers, louing the station of
the woollie ramme. He sate in an ancient fashioned carre, drawne by
fower horned fauns or satyrs, with his louing and faire wife _Pomona_,
crowned with delicate fruits, hir haire hanging downe ouer hir
shoulders, of a flaxen colour, and thus she sate participating of hir
husbands pleasure and quiet, and at hir feete laie a vessell called
Clepsydra[C]. In hir right hand she held a copie full of flowers,
fruits, and greene leaues, and in hir left hande a branch of flowers,
fruits and leaues.
[Sidenote A: _Hamadryades_ were nymphs of the wood and _Symenides_]
[Sidenote B: _Vertumnus_ the God of fruits.]
[Sidenote C: _Clepsydra_ is sometime taken for a diall measuring
time by the running of water, but here for a pot to water a garden
and yoong sectlings in a nourcery for an orchyard.]
Before the carre and the fower drawing satyrs, there marched two faire
Nymphs, the one of them bare a troph[ae] with a pr[ae]pendant table,
whereupon was written this title,
_Integerrimam corporis valetudinem & stabile robur castasque
mensarum delitias, & beatam animi securitatem cultoribus
me offero._
And the other bare a troph[ae] of certaine greene sprigges bound
togither, and among them diuers rurall instruments fastened. These
passed on thus after the ancient maner, with great ceremonies, and much
solemnitie, compassing about a great square stone like an aulter,
standing in the middest of this faire mead, sufficiently moystened with
current streames from beautifull fountaines.
This square stone or aulter was of pure white marble, curiouslie cut by
a cunning lapicidarie, vpon euery front wherof was a woonderfull goodly
expression, of an elegant image, so exact, as the like else-where is
hardly to be found.
The first was a faire goddesse, hir treces flieng abroad, girded with
roses and other flowers, vpon a thin vpper garment couering hir
beautifull and pleasant proportion. She helde hir right hand ouer an
ancient vessell, in maner of a chafing-dish, called Chytropodus, sending
foorth a flame of fire, into the which shee did cast roses and flowers,
and in the other hand she held a branch of sweete myrtle, full of
berries. By hir side stoode a little winged boy smiling, with his bowe
and arrowes. Ouer hir head were two pigeons. And vnder the foote of this
figure was written
_Florido veri S._
Vpon the other side I beheld in an excellent caruing, the representation
of a damosell of a maidenly countenaunce, whose stately maiestie gaue
great commendation to the curious deuise of the workeman. She was
crowned with a garland of wheat eares, hir haire flingering abroade, and
hir habyte Nymphish. In hir right hand she held a copie full of rype
graine, and in the other hand three eares of corne, vpon their strawie
stalks. At hir feete lay a wheat sheaue bound vp, and a little boy with
gleanings of corne in either hands. The subscription was this.
_Flau[ae] Messi S._
Vpon the third side was the likenes in a deuine aspect naked of a yoong
boy, crowned with vine leaues, and of a wanton countenance, holding in
his left hand certaine clusters of ripe grapes, and in the other, a
copie full of grapes which did hang ouer the mouth thereof. At his feete
laie a hayrie goate and this writing vnder.
_Mustulento Autumno S._
The last square did beare vpon it a kingly image passing well cut, his
countenance displeasant and austere, in his left hand he held a scepter
vp into the heauens, the aire cloudie, troublesome and stormie, and with
the other hand reaching into the clouds full of haile. Behinde him also
the aire was rainie and tempestuous. He was couered with beasts skins,
and vpon his feete he ware sandals, where vnder was written,
_Hiemi [Ae]oli[ae] S._
From thence the most faire and pleasant Nymph brought me towards the sea
side and sandie shore, where we came to an olde decaied temple, before
the which vpon the fresh and coole hearbs, vnder sweete shadie trees we
sate downe and rested ourselues, my eies very narrowly beholding, with
an vnsatiable desire, in one sole perfection and virgineall bodie, the
accumulation and assembly of all beauties; an obiect interdicting my
eies to behold any gracious, that except, or of so great content.
Where refreshing in a secret ioy with new budding conceits my burning
hart, and leauing off vulgar and common follies, I began to consider of
the intelligible effect of honest loue, and withall of the cleerenes of
the skies, the sweete and milde aire, the delightfull site, the pleasant
countrie, the green grasse decked with diuersity of flowers, the faire
hils adorned with thicke woods, the quiet time, fresh windes, and
fruitfull place, beautifully enriched with diffluent streames, sliding
downe the moist vallies betwixt the crooked hils in their grauelled
channels, and into the next seas with a continued course softly vnlading
themselues.
A ground most healthfull, the grasse coole and sweet: and from the trees
resounded the sweete consents of small chirping birds. The flouds and
fields of Thessalie[A] must giue place to this.
[Sidenote A: _Thessalie_ is a region of Greece, hauing vpon the
one side Macedonia, and on the other Boeotia, reaching betweene
Thermopyl[ae], and the riuer Pineus, euen to the sea side, it is the
garden of Grecia.]
And there sitting thus togither among the sweete flowers and redolent
roses, I fastened mine eies vpon this heauenly shape of so faire and
rare a proportion, whereunto my sences were so applied, drawen and
addicted, that my hart was ouerwhelmed with extreeme delights, so as I
remained senceles, and yet cast into a curious desire to vnderstand and
knowe what should be the reason and cause that the purple humiditie in
the touch of hir bodie, in the smoothnes of hir hand should be as white
as pure milke: and by what meanes that nature had bestowed in hir faire
bodie the fragrant sweetnes of Arabia. And by what industrie in hir
starrie forehead pampynulated with threds of gold aptly disposed, she
had infixed the fairest part of the heauens, or the splendycant
Heraclea[A].
[Sidenote A: _Heraclea_, is the name of diuers faire cities, one in
the confines of Europe, another in Italie & in Pontus by the riuer
Licus, also in Narbon by Rodanus, also in Caria, Crete & Lydia,
whereof the Lodestone taketh his name.]
Afterward letting fall mine eies towards hir prety feete, I beheld them
inclosed in red leather cut vpon white, fastened vpon the instep with
buttons of gold in loopes of blew silke. And from thence I returned
vpward my wanton regard to hir straight necke compassed about with a
carkenet of orient pearle, striuing but not able to match with the
whitenes of the sweet skin. From thence descending down to hir shining
breast and delitious bosome, from whence grew two round apples, such as
_Hercules_ neuer stole out of the garden of _Hesperides_[A]. Neither did
euer _Pomona_ behold the like to these two standing vnmooueable in hir
roseall breast, more white than hils of snowe in the going downe of the
sunne. Betwixt the which there passed downe a delicious vallie, wherein
was the delicate sepulcher of my wounded hart exceeding the famous
_Mausolea_[B].
[Sidenote A: _Hesperides_, were the 3. daughters of Atlas, [Ae]gle,
Aretusa and Hesperetusa, who had an orchard of golden apples, kept
by a dragon whom Hercules slew & tooke away the apples.]
[Sidenote B: A sepulcher built by Artemisia in the honor of hir
husbande Mausolus king of Cania.]
I then being content with a wounded hart full well vnderstanding that
mine eies had drawen it dying into all these elegant parts. Yet