Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame
abrode, and hanfasted man, with man and woman with woman. One arme of
the man vnder that of the woman, and the other aboue, and thus closing
together, and houlding by the hands, they floung about one after another,
that alwayes still in one place, a smyling countenance incountered a
foregoing sad. Their number was seauen and seauen, so perfectly and
sweetely counterfeited with liuelie motions, their vestures whisking
vp and flying abroad, that the workman could not be accused of any
imperfection, but that one had not a liuely voyce to expresse their
mirth, and the other brinish teares to manifest their sorrow: the said
daunce was in fashion of two Semicircles, with a seperating partition
put betwixt.
[Sidenote A: None liue in this world in that pleasure, but they haue
also their sorowes in time.]
Vnder which Hemiall figure, there was inscript this worde TEMPVS. On the
contrary side I beheld many of greene adolescency of like proportion to
the former, and in suchlike compasse or space, the grounds of both
beautified and set foorth with an exquisite foliature or woorke of
leaues and flowers, this companie was plucking and gathering of the
flowers of sundrye hearbes, and tender bushing stalkes and braunches;
and with them diuers faire Nimphes pleasantly deuising, and sportinglie
snatching away their gathered flowers,[A] and in such sort as abouesaid
vnder the figure were ingrauen certaine capitall letters, to shew this
one word AMISSIO, conteyning the ninth part to the Diameter or the
quadrature.
[Sidenote A: Gift vainely bestowed, in time wantonlie spent, is a
great losse, & breedeth repentance.]
At the first sight hereof I was amased and astonished, but with better
regard & great delight curiously reouerlooking the huge founded Machine
the shape and forme of a horse made by humane industry and skill most
commendable, for that euery member without defect had his perfect
harmonie, and euery limme his desired proportion, I straight called to
remembrance the vnfortunate horse of _Scian_.
And thus helde still to beholde the same artificiall mysterie, an other
spectacle and obiect no lesse worthy to be looked vpon than the former,
offered it selfe to my sight, which was a mighty Elephant, whereunto
with a desirous intent I speedely hyed me to approch and come neere.
In which meane while on an other side I heard a mournefull noise and
humane groaning, as proceeding from a sicke body euen vnto death:
whereat I stoode still at the first, my haires standing right vp, but
presently without further stay, I addressed my steppes towards the place
from whence I heard this wofull noyse and dolefull lament, forcing my
selfe vp vppon a heape of ruinated, broken and downe-fallen marbles.
Thus willingly going forward, I came to a vast and wonderfull large
Colose, the feete thereof bare, and their soles hollowe, and the legges
as if their flesh had beene wasted, consumed and fallen away. From
thence with horror I came to looke vpon the head, where _I_ did
coniecture and imagine, that the ayre and winde getting in and comming
foorth of his wide open mouth, and the hollow pipes of his throat, by a
diuine inuention did cause this moderated noise and timed groanes: it
lay with the face vpward all of molten mettal, like a man of middle age,
and his head lifted vp as with a pillowe, with a resemblance of one that
were sicke, breathing out at his mouth, sighes and groanes gaping, his
length was three score paces. By the haires of his beard you might mount
vp to his breast, and by the rent and torne peeces of the same to his
stil lamenting mouth, which groningly remained wide open and empty, by
the which, prouoked by the spurre of curious desire, I went downe by
diuers degrees into his throat, from thence to his stomacke, and so
foorth by secret wayes, and by little and little to all the seuerall
partes of his inward bowelles, Oh wonderfull conceit. And euery part of
mans body hauing vpon it written his proper appellation in three ideomes
Chaldee, Greeke and Latine, that you might know the intrailes, sinews,
bones, veines, muscles and the inclosed flesh, and what disease is bred
there: the cause thereof, the cure and remedy, Vnto which inglomerated
and winding heape of bowelles, there was a conuenient comming vnto and
entrance in: with small loope-holes and wickets in sundry places
diuersly disposed, yeelding thorough them a sufficient light to beholde
the seuerall partes of the artificiall anothomie, not wanting any member
that is found in a naturall body.
When I came to the heart, did see and reade how Loue at his first
entrance begetteth sorow, and in continuaunce sendeth out sighes, and
where Loue doth most greeuously offend: wherewithall _I_ was mooued to
renew my passion, sending out from the botome of my heart deepe set and
groaning sighs inuocating and calling out vpon _Polia_, in such sort as
that the whole Colose and Machine of brasse did resound, striking me
into a horrible feare: an exquisite Arte beyond all capacity, for a man
to frame his like not being an Anotomy indeede.
Oh the excellency of passed wittes, and perfect golden age when Vertue
did striue with Fortune, leauing onely behind him for an heritage to
this our world, blinde, ignorant, and grudging desire of worldly pelfe.
Vpon the other side I perceiued of like bignes to the former Colose, the
vpper part of a womans head some deale bare, and the rest buried with
the decayed ruines, as I thought, of such like workmanship as the other,
and being forbidden by incomposite and disordered heapes of decayed and
fallen downe stones, to view the same I returned to another former
obiect, which was (and not farre distant from the horse straight
forward) a huge Elephant of more blacke stone than the Obsidium,
powdered ouer with small spottes of golde and glimces of siluer, as
thicke as dust glistering in the sonne. The extreame hardnes whereof the
better did shew his cleere shining brightnes, so as euery proper obiect
therein did represent it selfe, excepte in that parte where the mettall
did beare a contrary colour. Vpon his large backe was set a saddle or
furniture of brasse, with two gyrthes going vnder his large belly,
betwixt the which two being streight buckled vp with buckles of the same
stone, there was inter-set a quadrangle correspondent to the breadth of
the Obeliske placed vpon the saddle, and so iustly set, as no
perpendicular line would fall on either side the diameter. Vpon three
parts or sides of the foure square Obelisk, were ingrauen Egiptian
caracters. The beast so exactly and cunningly proportioned, as inuention
could deuise, and art performe. The aforesaid saddle and furniture set
foorth and beautified with studdes hanging iewels, stories, and deuises,
and houlding vp as it were a mightie Obeliske of greene couloured stone
of Lacedemonia, vpon the euen square, two paces broad, and seauen in
height, to the sharpe pointe thereof, waxing smaller and smaller, vpon
which pointe there was fixte a Trigon or rounde Ball of a shinyng and
glystering substance.
This huge beast stood streight vpon all foure, of an exquisite
woorkmanship vpon the plaine leuell, and vpper part of the base, hewen
and cunningly fashioned, beeing of _Porphyr_ stone. With two large and
long teeth, of puer white stone, and cleare appact, and fastned. And to
the fore gyrth on eyther side was buckled a riche and gorgeous
poiterell, beautified with diuers ornaments and varietie of Iewels, the
subiect whereof was of the same substance of the saddle: vppon the
middest whereof was grauen in Latine _Cerebrum est in capite_. And in
like manner brought about the out sides of his neck to the foretop of
his large and big head, it was there fastned together with an
artificiall knot: from the which a curious ornament and verie notable,
of Gouldsmithes worke, hung downe, ouer spredding his spacious face: the
same ornament being twise so long as broade, bordered about, in the
table whereof I beheld certaine letters, _Ionic_ and _Arabic_, in this
sorte.
His deuouring trunke rested not vpon the leuel of the base, but some
deale hanging downe, turned vppe againe towardes his face. His rigged
large ears like a Fox-hounde flappingly pendent, whose vast stature was
little lesse, then a verye naturall Olyphant. And in the about compasse,
and long sides of the base, were ingrauen certaine _Hierogliphs_, or
Egiptian caracters. Being decently and orderlye pullished, with a
requisite rebatement, _Lataster gule thore orbicle, Astragals_ or
_Neptrules_, with a turned down _Syme_ at the foote of the base, and
turned vp aloft with writhin trachils and denticles, agreeable and fit
to the due proportion of so large a substance, in length 12. paces, in
breadth fiue, and in heigth three, the superficiall and outward part,
whereof was hewen in forme of a hemicycle.
In the hynder parte of which base and stone, wherevpon this mightie
beast did stande, I founde an assending place of seauen steps, to mount
vp to the plaine superficies of the base wherevpon the _O_lyphant did
stand. And in the reserued quadrangle perpendicularly streight vnder the
aforesaid brasen saddle, there was cut out and made a little doore and
hollowed entrance, a woonderfull woorke in so hard a substance, with
certaine steppes of brasse, in manner of stayres, by the which a
conuenient going vp into the body of the Olephant was offered me.
At the sight whereof I extreamely desired to see the whole deuise & so
going in, I assended vp to the heigth of the base wherevppon the
cauernate, hollow, vast, large and predigious monster did stand, except
that same part of the Obelisk, which was conteyned within the voyde body
of the beast, and so passing to the base. Leauing towards both sides of
the Olyphant so much space as might serue for any man to passe, eyther
towarde the head or hynder haunches.
And within from the bending downe of the chine or backe of the beast,
there hunge by chaynes of copper an euerlasting lampe and incalcerate
light, thorough the which in this hinder parte I sawe an auncient
sepulcher of the same stone, with the perfect shape of a man naked, of
all natural parts. Hauing vpon his head a crowne of black stone as iet:
his teeth eyes and nayles siluered and standing vpon a sepulcher couered
like an arke, of scale woorke, and other exquisite lyneaments, poynting
with a goulden scepter, and holding forward his arme to giue direction
to the former part.
On his left side he held a shield in fashion like to the keele of a
ship, or the bone of a horse head, wherevppon was inscript in Hebrew,
Attic, and Latine letters, this sentence that is placed on the other
side with the figure.
At which vncoth and straunge sight I stood not a little amased and
somewhat doubtfull what to imagine, turning my eyes to the contrarie
part, I sawe in like sorte an other, as before burning light, and
passing thorough betwixt the side of the beast, and the therein inclosed
part of the Obelisk, I came towards the forepart of the Olyphant, where
in like manner I found such an other fashioned sepulcher as the former,
with a stature or image standing therevpon as the other, sauing that it
was a Queene, who lyfting vp hir right arme with hir formost finger,
poynted towards that part behinde hir shoulders, and with the other shee
helde a little table fast in hir hand, in which was written in three