Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame. Francesco Colonna

of them to satisfie my distempred mouth with theyr moisture, wishing for such a wel as Hypsipyle(a) shewed the Grecians: Fearing least that vnawares as I had russled in the wood I were bitten with the serpent Dipsa(b) my thirst was so vnsupportable. Then renuing my oulde cogitations: as I lay vnder this mightie Oke: I was oppressed with emynent sleepe ouer all my members: where againe I dreamed in this sorte.

      Poliphilus sheweth, that he thought he did sleep againe, and in his dreame thas he was in a Vallie, inuironed with mountaines and hilles, the end whereof was shut vp in a maruellous sort, with a mightie pyramides worthie of admiration: vpon the top whereof was a high obeliske, which with great pleasure hee beheld, and diligently discribeth.

      

Gotten foorth of this fearefull and thick wood, and forgetting the forementioned places by this sweete sleepe, occasioned by my wearie members nowe layde along: mee thought that I was in a new more delectable place, far excelling the former, which consisted not of fertles mountaines and craggie winding rockes, contayning wide caues, but being a delicate valley, in the which did rise a small mounting of no great height, sprinkled heare and there with young Okes, Ashes, Palme trees broadleaued, Aesculies,(a) (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. Holme, Chestnut, Sugerchist, Poplars, wilde Oliue, and Oppies disposed some hyer then other, according to the mounting or fall of the place, in the plaine whereof was an other kinde of thicket of medicinable simples like little young trees, as the flowering Genista(b) enuironed with diuers green hearbs, Tetrifolie, Sheere grasse, hunnisuckle, the musked Angelica, Crowfoot Elapium and Rugwoort, with other profitable and vnknowne hearbes and flowers heare and there diuerslie disposed. A little beyond in the same valley, I founde a sandie or grauelly plaine, yet bespotted with greene tuffes, in which place grew a faire Palme tree with his leaues like the Culter of a plowe, and abounding with sweet and pleasant fruite, some set high, some lowe, some in a meane, some [v] in the very top, an elect and chosen signe of victorie. Neither in this place was there any habitation or creature whatsoeuer. Thus walking solitarily betwixt the trees, growing distantly one from another, I perswaded my selfe, that to this no earthly situation was comparable: in which thought I soddainely espied vpon my left hand, an hungrie and carniuorous Woolfe, gaping vpon me with open mouthe.

      At the sight whereof immediatly, my hayre stood right vp, and I would haue cryed out, but could not: and presently the Woolfe ranne away: wherevpon returning to my selfe, and casting my eyes towards the wooddie mountaines, which seemed to ioyne themselues together, beeing looked vnto a farre off, I sawe the forme of a tower of an incredible heygth, with a spyre vnperfectlie appearing, all being of very auncient forme and workemanship.

      (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) Cillenus a hill of Arcadia, where Iupiter begat Mercurie vpon Maia. And drawing neare vnto this building, I beheld the gratious mountaines before a farre of seeming small, by comming neerer and neerer, by little and little, to lift vp themselues more and more, at the first seeming to mee that they had ioyned together with the building which was an inclosure or end of the valley betwixt mountaine and mountaine: which thing I thought worthy the noting, and without further delay I addressed my selfe more neerer therevnto. And by how much the more I approximated the same, by so much the more the excellencie of the woorke shewed it selfe, increasing my desire to behould the same. For there appeared no longer a substance of vnknowne forme, but a rare Obelisk vpon a vast frame and stonie foundation, the heigth whereof without comparison did exceed the toppes of the sidelying mountaynes, although I thought that they had beene the renowmed Olympus(a), the famous Caucasus(b), and not inferior to Cyllenus(c).

      To this sollitarie place thus desiredlye comming, with vnspeakeable delight, at pleasure I behelde the straunge manner of the arte, the hugenesse of the frame, and the woonderfull excellencie of the woorkmanship. Maruelling and considering the compasse and largenesse of this broken and decayed obiect, made of the pure glistering marble of Paros(d). (d) Paros is one of the 35. Isles called Cyclades and Sporades, in the sea Aegeum which deuideth Europ from Asia. The squared stones ioyned togither without anye cement, and the pointed quadrangulate corner stones streightlye fitted and smoothlye pullished, the edges whereof were of an exquisite vermellion coulour, as is possible to bee deuised: and so iust set, as betwixt the ioynts, euen the enemie to the woorke (if euer there were anye) could not deuise to hide the point of the smallest spanish needle vsed of the best workewomen. And there in this so noble a piece of worke, I found a proportioned substance to euery shape and likenesse that can be thought vpon and called to remembrance, partly decayed, and some still whole remaining, with pillers small vpon great, with their excellent heads of an exact and most perfect closing, crowned battelments, embost caruings, bearing forth like embroderie, arched beames, mightie mettaline images, ouerthrowne and broken in sunder, the trunke of their exact and perfect members, appearing hollow of brasse. Skyffes, small boates and vessels of Numidian stone and Porphyr, and diuers couloured marble. Great lauers condites, and other infinite fragments of notable woorkmanship, far different and inferiour from that they were, in their perfection, but now brought back as it were to their first vnshapelines, being fallen and cast downe, some heere, some there, vpon the earth from the which they were taken. Among the broken and decayed places, wherof great sundrie wall weeds and hearbes, especially the vnshaking Anagyre, the Lentise of both kindes, beares foote, dogges head, Gladen greene, spotted Iuie, Centarie, and diuers suchlike. And in the myldered places of broken walles grew Howslike, and the hanging Cymbalaria bryers, and pricking brambles, among the which crept Swifts and Lyzarts which I sawe crawling among the ouergrowne stones, which at the first sight in this silent and solitarie place, made me to be warily afraid of them. On euery side there lay fallen downe smoothe round pieces of serpent spotted Marble, purple and red diuerse couloured. Fragments of strange histories, Panglyphic and Hemygliphic Panglyphic be wholy carued from the head to the foote in all members. Hemigliphic apeare but halfe. compendiously caracterized, shewing the excellencie thereof, vndoubtedly accusing our age, that the perfection of such an art is forgotten.

      Then comming to the myddle fronture of the great and excellent woorke, I sawe one sole large and marueylous porche worthy of great estimation, proportioned according to the huge quantitie of the rest of the whole work, which was placed betwixt and continued in building from the one and the other of the mountaines hare lipped, and aboue arched, whose space betwixt [v] as I doe coniecture was in measure sixe furlongs, and twelue paces. The top of which mountaines were perpendicularly equall eyther of them touching the azur’d skey. At the sight whereof I imagined with my selfe and deuised to thinke with what yron instruments, with what labour of mens hands, and number of workmen, such a piece of woorke could bee by great strength framed, with much paine layde together, and a long time in finishing. There then this woonderfull frame willingly as it were ioyned hands and vnited it selfe with the one and the other mightie mountaines, by meanes whereof, the foresaid valley there had an end, that no man could go further forward or backe againe, but to enter in by this broade, large, and wide open porche.

      Vpon this massie frame and mightie woorkmanship, which I take to be in heigth from the roofe or top to the foote, fiue parts of a furlong, was placed a high and woonderfull Pyramides, after the fashion of a square poynted Diamond, and such incredible workemanship that could neuer be deuised and erected, without inestimable charge, great helpe, and long time. So that I thought the excellencie thereof vnthought vpon, to bee a myrrour, the sight whereof was able to dasell any humaine eyes, and quaile the rest of the spirituall sences. VVhat shall I say more? for so far as the reache of my capacitie will afoorde me leaue, in this sort I briefely describe the same.

      Euery side or quarter of this foure squared frame, wherevpon the foote of the Pyramides did stand, did extend themselues in length six furlongs, A furlong is 16. pole euery pole being 16 foote. which in compasse about euery side æquilatered of like bredth, dooth multiplie to 24 furlongs. Then lifting vp the lynes on high