putting his feete vpon a stone as it had beene a little hill with a fornace in a hollow hole wherin was an extreame whote burning fire This Ladye had hir fayre tresses curiouslie dressed vpon hyr broad and highe forhead and in like sorte compassing about with abundance hir head in so rare and delicate a sort that I marueyled why the Black smithes that were there busie at theyr worke left not all to looke still vpon so beautifull an obiect There was also fast by of like excellent woorkemanship a knight of fierce countenance hauing vpon hym an armour of brasse with the head of Medusa vpon the curate or brest plate and all the rest exquisitely wrought and beautified with a bandilier ouerthwart his broad and strong brest houlding with hys brawny arme a halfe Pike and raysing vp the poynte thereof and bearing vpon his head a high crested helmet the other arme shadowed and not seene by reason of the former figure There was also a young man in silke clothing behynde the Smith whome I could not perceiue but from the brest vpwarde ouer the declyning head of the forenamed Smith Thys rehearsed hystorie for the better and sweeter pleasing to the eye the workeman had graced in this sort The playne grounde that was hollowe and smoothe in euery cutting out of a limme or body vpon the table of the stylipode was like vnto red coroll and shyning which made such a reflection vpon the naked bodyes and theyr members betwixt them and compassing them about that they seemed lyke a Carnation Rose couler Vpon the left side of the doore in the like aulter or stylipode vpon the table thereof there was ingrauen a yoong man of seemly countenance wherein appeared great celerity he sate vpon a square seate adorned with an ancient manner of caruing hauing vpon his legge a paire of half buskens open from the calfe of the legge to the ancle from whence grew out on either ancle a wing and to whome the aforesaide goddes with a heauenlye shape her brests touching together and growne out round and firme without shaking with her large flankes conformable to the rest of hir proportion before mentioned with a sweet countenance offered yoong and tender sonne ready to be taught the yong man bowing himselfe curteously downe to the childe who stoode before him vppon his pretty little feete receiuing from his tutor three arrowes which in such sort were deliuered as one might easelye coniecture and gather after what manner they were to be vsed the goddesse his mother holding the empty quiuer and bowe vnbent and at the feete of this instructor lay his vypered caduce There also I saw a squier or armour-bearer and a woman with a helmet vpon her head carying a trophae or signe of victorie vpon a speare after this manner An ancient coate-armor hung vp and vpon the top thereof or creast a spheare vpon two wings and betwixt both wings this note or saying Nihil firmum Nothing permanent she was apparelled in a thin garment carried abroad with the wind and her breasts bare The two straight pillars of Porphyre of seuen diameters vpon either of the aforenamed stilipodes and square aultars did stretch vpward of a purnish or tawnie colour the out sides shining cleere and smoothly pollished chamfered and chanelled with foure and twenty rebatements or channels in euery collumne betwixt the nextruls or cordels Of these the third part was round and the reason of their cutting in such sort that is two parts chamfered the third round as I thought was this the frame or temple was dedicated to both sexes that is to a god and a goddesse or to the mother and the son or to the husband and the wife or the father and the daughter and such like And therefore the expert and cunning workemen in elder time for the feminine sex did vse more chamfering and channelling and double varietie then for the masculine because of their slippery and vnconstant nature The cause of so much rebating was to shew that this was the temple of a goddesse for chamfering dooth set foorth the plytes of feminine apparell vpon the which they placed a chapter with prependent folding like vnto plyted and curled haire and feminine dressing and sometimes in stead of a chapter a womans head with crisped haire These notable and faire collumnes aforesaide did rise vp in length vpon their vnderset bases of brasse with their Thores and Cymbies wrought with a foliature of oke leaues and acornes winding about their chapters standing vpon their subiect Plynths The Chapters of the same substance of their bases with requisite meete and conuenient proportion aunswerable to the harmonie of the whole worke Such as Callimachus the chiefe caruer to Calathus the sonne of Iupiter did neuer performe or come neere in the erected sepulcher of the Corinthian Virgin beautified with draperie of double Achauâ—his The Plynthes whereon the chapters did stand wrought with winding and turning workes and in the middest decoraled with a Lâ—llie the bowle garnished with two rowes of viii leaues of Achanthus after the Romaine and Corinthian maner out of which leaues came little small stalkes closing together in the middest of the boule shewing foorth a fayre and sweet composed Lyllie in the hollowing of the Abac or Plynth from the which the tender stalkes did turne round together vnder the compasse of the square Abac much after the woorke that Agrippa caused to bee made in the porche of his woonderfull Pantheon Let vs come now to the lymet and lowest parte of the doore for entrance which was of a great large and harde stone powdered with sundry sorted spottes white black and of a clay couler and diuers other mixtures vppon this stood the streight cheekes and sides of the doore with an interstitious aspect inwardly carued with as great cunning as the rest Without any signe of eyther hookes or hinges below or aboue The arche of which doore compassing like a halfe cyrcle was wrought curiouslye and imbowed and as it were bounde about with laces like beads of brasse some round and some like Eglantine berries of a reddish couler hanging downe after an auncient manner and foulded and turned in among the tender stalkes The closing together and bracing of which hemicycle or arch worthie of admiration of a rare and subtile deuise and exquisite polyture did thus obiect and present it selfe to my sight There I beheld in a hard and most black stone an eagle displayed and bearing out of the bignesse of a naturall eagle which had louingly seazed and taken in hir foote a sweete babe in the swadling cloutes nicely carefully and gently houlding the same least that hir strong sharpe and hooking pounces should by anye meanes pierce thorough the tender skynne of the young infant Hir feete were fixed about the rising vp chist of the childe whome she had made bare from the nauell vpwarde and downeward so as the naked hippes might be seene betwixt the
lightening he stoode vpon an aultar of Saphyre Before his fearefull maiestie were a beuie of Nymphs seauen in number apparrelled in white proffering with their sweete voices to sing and after transforming themselues into greene trees like emeralds full of azure flowers and bowing themselues downe with deuotion to his power Not that they were all transformed into leaues but the first into a tree hir feete to rootes their armes and heads into braunches some more then other but in a shewe that they must followe all alike as appeared by their heads Vpon the other Anaglyph I did behold a merrie and pleasant maiesticall personage like a yoong fat boye crowned with two folding serpents one white and the other blacke tied into a knot Hee rested delightfullie vnder a plentifull vine tree full of ripe grapes and vpon the top of the frame there were little naked boies climing vp and sitting aloft gathering the ripe clusters others offering them in a basket to the God who pleasantly receiued them other some lay fast a sleepe vpon the ground being drunke with the sweet iuice of the grape Others applying themselues to the worke of mustulent autumne others singing and piping all which expression was perfected by the workman in pretious stones of such colour as the naturall liuelinesse of euery vaine leafe flower berrie body proportion shape and representation required And in this imagerie although it was very small yet there was no defect to be found in the least part belonging thereunto but perfectly to be discerned Out of this former described vessell did spring vp a greene flourishing vine the twisting branches thereof full set with clusters of grapes the tawny berries of Indian Amethyst and the leaues of greene Silenitis of Persia Noâ— subiect to the change of the moone delighted of Cupid This tree shadowed the chariot At euery corner of this triumphant chariot vpon the plaine where the vessell stood was placed a candlesticke of excellent workmanship vpon three feet of red corrall well liked of the ruder sort resisting lightening and tempests fauourable and preseruatiue to the bearer The like were not found vnder the head of Gorgon of Persia nor in the Ocean Erythreum The steale of oâ—e of the candlesticks waâ— of white corrall beloued of Diana of a conuenient length with round knobs and ioints in height two foote Another was of most fine stone Dionisias hauing spots growing from a blackish to a pure red the same pounded smelleth sweetly The third was of perfect Medea of the colour of darke gold and hauing the smell of Nectar The fourth of pretious Nebritis from a blacke growing to a white and greene Out of the hollowed steales whereof there ascended vp a pyramidall flame of euerlasting fire continually burning The brightnes of the works expressed through the reflexion of the lights and the sparkling of the pretious stones were such as my eies dazeled to behold them About which heauenly triumph with a maruellous and solemne pompe infinite troups of Nymphs their faire and plentifull tresses falling loose ouer their shoulders some naked with aprons of goates skins and kids others with tymbrels and flutes making a most pleasaunt noise as in the daunce called Thiasus in the trieteâ—ie of Bacchus with green leaffie sprigs and vine branches instrophyated about their heads and wasts leaping and dauncing before the triumphs immediately after the triumphs followed an olde man vpon an asse and after him was led a goate adorned for a sacrifice And one that followed after carrieng vpon hir head a fanne making an vnmeasurable laughter and vsing furious and outragious gestures This was the order of these Mimalloâ—s Satirs and seruants to Bacchus bawds Tyades Naiades and such as followed after The Nymph doth shew to Poliphâ—lus the multitude of yoong Louers and their Loues what they were and â—n what sort beloued IT is verie hard for a man to accommodate his speech to apte termes whereby he may expreslie declare the great pompe indefiâ—ent triumph vncessaunt ioie and delightfull iettings aboute these rare and vnseene chariots and being once vndertaken it is as vneasie to leaue off besides the notable companie of yoong youths and the increasing troups of innumerable faire and pleasant Nymphs more sharpe witted wise modest and discreet then is ordinarily seene in so tender yeeres with their beardles Louers scarce hauing downy cheekes pleasantly deuising with them matters of Loue. Manie of them hauing their torches burning others pastophorall some with ancient spoiles vppon the endes of streight staues and others with diuers sorts of Trophes vpon launces curiouslie hanging caried before the mystical triumphs with shouting resounds aboue in the aire Some with winde-instruments of diuers fashions and maner of windings sagbuts and flutes Others with heauenly voices singing with ineffable delights and exceeding solace past mans reason to imagine within them passed about the glorious triumphs turning vpon the florulent ground and green swoord a place dedicated to the happie without anie stub or tree but the fielde was as a plaine coequate medowe of sweete hearbes and pleasaunt flowers of all sorts of colours and sundry varieng fashions yeelding so fragrant a smell as is possible to speake of not burnt with the extreeme heat of the sunne but moderate the ground moystened with sweete ryuers the aire pure and cleane the daies all alike the earth continually greene the spring neuer decaieng but renuing the coole grasse with variable flowers like a painting remaining alwaies vnhurt with their deawie freshnesse reseruing and holding their colours without interdict of time There grewe the fower sortes of Violets Cowslops Melilots Rose Parsley or Passeflower Blew bottles Gyth Ladies seale Vatrachium Aquilegia Lillie conually Amaranth Flower gentle Ideosmus all sorts of sweete pinks and small flowring hearbs of odoriferous fragrancie and smell Roses of Persia hauing the smel of muske and Amber and innumerable sorts of others without setting but naturally growing in a woonderfull distribution peeping out from their greene leaues and barbs very delightfull to behold In this place I might see goodly braue women as the Archadian Calisto the daughter of Lycaon with the vnknowen Diana The Lesbian Antiopa daughter to Nycteus and mother to Amphion and Zeteus that built Thebes with hir satyre Issa the daughter of Machareus with hir shepheard Antichia the daughter of Aecus and yoong Danaë Asterie the daughter to Caeus and Alchmena with hir fained husband Afterward I beheld the pleasant Aegina solacing hir selfe with the cleere flood and diuine fire The daughter of Fullus and that of Menemphus with hir counterfeit father and that other of Diodes with hir lap full of flowers and a writhing serpent and the faire yoong gyrle no more sorrowing for the growing of hir hornes Astiochia and Antigone the daughter of Laomedon solaciously delighting hir selfe in hir storkish plumes and Lurisile the first inuentrix of wheeles Garamantide the dauncing Nymph holding by hir little finger and washing hir delicate pretie feete from sweate in the riuer Bagrada
After that I beheld a quaile flying and a faulcon pursuing hir Erigone hauing hir faire shining brest stickt full of sweete grapes and the daughter of king Chollus with hir bull Eriphile and hir changed husband The daughter of Alpes and the virgin Melantho with hir dolphin Phyllira the daughter of old Oceanus with the father of Chiron Next hir Ceres with hir head instrophyated with ripe eares of corne imbracing the scalie Hydra And the faire Nymph Lara sorting with Argiphon and the sweete Futurna of the riuer Numicus And whilest I stood with excessiue delight beholding onely as an ignorant this rare companie and mysticall triumphes circumsept with these and such like sorts and so also the delicious fields but that me thought it was a louely sight to behold and so I should haue continued then the gratious Nymph associating and leading me seeing my simplicitie and carelesnes with a ready countenance and sweete and pleasant words without asking she said thus vnto me My Poliphilus doest thou see these shewing me those of the olde world these were beloued of Iupiter and this and this was such a one and these were in loue with him by this meanes shewing vnto me their high and mighty linage and not knowing their names she in great curtesie told me Afterward she shewed me a great number of little virgins vnder the gouernment of three sober and discreete matrones the leaders to so great delight Adding thereunto very pleasantly changing hir angellike countenance My Poliphilus thou shalt vnderstand that no earthly creature can enter in heere without a burning torch as thou seest me either with extreeme loue and great paines or for the fauour and company of those three matrones And from hir hart fetting a deepe sigh she said This torch haue I brought hither for thy sake minding to put it out in yonder temple These speeches pearced my hart they were so delightfull and desired and so much the more bicause she called me hir Poliphilus Whereupon I assured my selfe that she was Polia and from top to the toe I found an extreeme alteration into a supreame delight my hart flying onely to hir Which thoughts were bewraied by my countenance and whispering small sighes Which she cunningly perceiuing brake off this new accident with these words Oh how many be there which would most gladly behold these triumphes and therefore Poliphilus addresse thy thoughts to other matters and behold what noble and woorthy Nymphs shew themselues deseruedly consorted with their amorous louers curteous and affable who with sweete and pleasant notes in measured verse praise and commend one another without wearines incessantly celebrating their turnes with excessiue delight and extolling the triumphs the aire also full of the chirpings of diuers pretie birds yeelding a diffused charme About the first triumph among the reioising companie the nine Muses did sing with their leader the diuine Luter Apollo After the triumph followed the faire Parthenopeian Leria with a lawrell crowne accompanied with Melanthia whose habites and voices represented the pride of Greece whereupon the great Macedon rested his head She bare a splendent lampe communicating the light thereof with hir companion then the rest more excellent both in voice and song There the faire Nymph shewed me the auncient Iphianassa and after the old father Himerinus his daughters and their drinke and one betwixt the two Theban brothers These with pleasant noises sweete musicke and fine agilities paste on about the first triumph About the second triumph was the noble Nemesis with the Lesbian Câ—rina Delia and Neaera with diuers others amorous Nymphs making pleasaunt soundes vppon stringed instruments of yealow wood About the thirde triumph the glorious Nymphs shewed me Quintilia and Cynthea Nauta with others in great solace making sweete harmonies and singing pleasant verses there also I behelde the virgin Violantilla with hir Doue and the other sorrowing for hir Sparrow About the fourth triumph before it went the Lidian Cloe Lide Neobole sweete Phillis and the faire Lyce Tyburts Pyra with their harps singing and making a most pleasant noyse After this fourth triumph among the Maenades and sacrificers to Bacchus there folowed an amorous damosell singing in the commendation of the head of hir louer Plaon she desired homes And after them all she shewed me two women one of them apparelled in white and the other in greene which came hindermost singing togither And thus they marched about in a most pleasant and delightfull maner vpon the fresh greene and flourishing plaine Some instrophiated with laurel some with myrtle and others with other sorts of flowers and garlands incessantly without any wearines or intermission in a perfection of the felicitie of this world mutually enioying one anothers aspect and companie The Nymph hauing at large declared vnto Poliphilus the mysticall triumphs and extreeme loue afterwards she desired him to go on further where also with great delight he beheld innumerable other Nymphs with their desired louers a thousand sorts of pleasures solacing themselues vpon the grâ—â—ne grasse fresh shadowes and by the coole riuers and cleere fountaines And how Poliphilus there had with madnes almost forgotten himselfe in the passions of desire but hope did asswagâ— his furie quieting himselfe in the beholding of the sweete sauour of the faire Nymph NOt onely happie but aboue all other most happie were he to whom it should be granted continually by speciall fauour to beholde the glorious pompe high triumphs beautiful places sweet scituations togither with the goddesses halfe goddesses faire Nymphes of incredible delight and pleasure but especially to be seconded and accompanied with so honorable a Nymph of so rare and excellent beautie And this I thought not to be the least and smallest point of my felicitie Now hauing looked vpon these fights I remained a great space recording of the same being therewith beyonde measure abundantly contented Afterwards the faire and sweet damsell my guide said thus vnto me Poliphilus let vs now go on a little further And then immediately we tended our walke toward the fresh fountains and shady riuers compassing about the flourshing fields with chrystalline currents and gratious streames In which cleare water grew the purple flowering sonne of the Nymph Liriâ—pe looking vp from his tender stringes and leaues And al the faire riuers were ful of other flowers sweetlie growing among their greene and fresh leaues This delightfull place was of a spatious and large circuit compassed about and inuironed with wooddie mountaines of a moderate height of greene lawrell fruitefull memerels hearie high pine trees and within the cleere channels with graueled banks and in some places the bottom was faire soft yealow sande where the water ran swifte and the three leaued driope greâ— There were a great companie of delicate faire Nymphs of tender age with a redolent flower of bashfulnes and beyond all credite beautifull with their beardles louers continuallie accompanied Among which Nymphs some verie pleaâ—antly with wanton countenaunces in the
compasse of the visible heauen (f) Hyperion the Sunne (g) Halcyons are certaine byrds which building near the snore vpon the waues there will be no storme vntill the young be hatched (h) Leander a young man of Abydos who in swimming ouer Hellespont a narow sea by Byzantium which parteth Europ from Asia to Sestus was in the sight of hâ—s louer Ero of Sestus dâ—owned which she seeing threw hir self down into the sea and died with hâ—m Minotaurus a monster in Creete born of Pasiphae which being inclosed in the laborinth fed on mans flesh whome Theseus slew and got out of the laborinth by a clew of thred giuen by Ariadne king Minoes daughter after wife to Theseus who did forsake hir and left hir in a disinhabited I le notwithstanding that she had saued his life Moly an herb greatly commended of Homer and thought to be souereigne against inchauntments of moderne authors altogether vnknowne (a) Hypsipile was daughter to Thaos king of Lemnos who alone when all women of that Iland had slaine their husbands kinsmen saued hir father she also shewed the Grecians the fountaine Langia in the wood of Nemea in Achaia where Hercules slue a lion (b) Dipsa a kind of snakes that Lucan mentioneth whose byting procureth extreame drynes or thirste (a) Aesculus is a tree bearing both greater fruite and broder leaues then the Oke (b) Gemista beareth a cod and yellowe flower vines are bound therewith Elaphium is like to Angelica but not in smell the hart thereon rubbeth his head when it is veluet (a) Olimpus a hil in Greece between Macedonie and Thesalie so high that of the Poets it is sometime taken for heauen (b) Caucasus a mightie hill in Asia which parteth India from Scythia (c) Ci lenus a hill of Arcadia where Iupiter begat Mercurie vpon Maia (d) Paros is one of the 35. Isles called Cyclades and Sporades in the sea Aegeum which deuideth Europ from Asia Panglyphic be wholy carued from the head to the foote in all members Hemigliphie apeare but halfe A furlong is 16. pole euery pole being 16 foote A columne consisteth of his Capitell that is the head Astrâ—galus that is the subiect of the capitell next the columne Hypotrachelie the shaft of the columne And Hypothesis that is the foote whereon the Columne standeth exceeding the bignes of the columne None liue in in this world in that pleasure but they haue aâ—sâ— their sorowes in time Gift vainely bestowed in time wantonlie spent is a great losse breedeth repentance Mars Mercurie Amor mi troua di tuttâ— disaâ—mato Thores and Cymbies be the outward parts of a chapter or head of a pillar sticking out further than the pillar wrything and turning in wrought with leaues the worke is called of caruers painters draperie and celerie The Eagle of Iupiter that carryed Ganimed The bones next the qack in the wing whiche in a hawke excelleth all proportions of other birdes Achates is a pretious stone wherein aâ—e represented the figures of the nine Muses of Venus and such like beautiful personages Zophor is a border wherin diuers things are grauen Anagliph is smothly chased out with the hammer and not carued Clymene the mother of Phaeton A periment in corrupt Lâ—gluâ— Iupiter Iupiters nuâ—sse The daughter of Melissus and Iupiters nuâ—sse Anaglipts be cunning carues and Grauers A 〈◊〉 of slow flight long â—â—uing in old monuments by Anguâ—s dedicated to â—â—turne Ostracus be pounded shels mixed with lime whereof a plaister is made to floor withall The Dragon is that Aâ—addâ—â—and Apolion the enemy to mankinde The darke places is ignoranâ—e and the wâ—se 〈◊〉 oâ— this word which is nothing el◠〈…〉 Cosby for killing the L. Browgh Two blockish lafie lubbers one of Melite an other of Athens that thought it a great labour to eate their owne meate Capillata ministra These nimphs were his fiue sences Vnlawfull concupiscence blindeth a man and driueth his sences from him Topiaria the feate of making Images or Arbours in Trees Which did draw in the cupbord Arâ— toparia is the way of cutting of trees in gardens or other places to proportions or shapes The crown of thorne vpon Christes head This verse consisted of Strophe Aristophe and Epodus Homer Larix is a tree hauing leaues like a pine good for building it will neither rot woornieare nor burne to coales Taeda is a tree out of the which issueth a liquor more thinne than pitch Oreades be countrie Nymphs Lyndens or teile trees in Latin Tiliae they beare a fruit as big as a bean hauing within seedes like anyse seedes Dryades be Nymphs of the woods Feronia a goddesse of the woods Dabulam a fertile place in Arabia Scaeniâ—s be a people in Arabia that dwell altogither in tents Sauromatans be people of Saâ—matia which is a large cuntry reaching fâ—oÌ„ Germany the â—iuer Vistula to Hycaenia and is deuided into two parts Europea and Asiatica Lynx is a beast sported but in shape like a wolph being quicke of sight Hamadryades were nymphs of the wood and Symenides Vertumnus the God of fruits 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 Thessaâ—ie is a region of Greece hauing vpon the one side Macedonia and on the other Boeotia reaching betweene Thermopylae and the riuer Pineus euen to the sea side it is the gardeÌ„ of Grecia 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 Hesperides were the 3. daughters of Atlas Aegle Arctusa and Hesperetusa who had an orchard of goldeÌ„ apples kept by a dragon whoÌ„ Hercules slew tooke away the apples A sepulcher built by Artemisia in the honor of hir husbande Mausolus king of Cania