with this inscription Equus infaelicitatis And vpon the right side there was ingrauen certaine figures shapes and representments of men and women dauncing together byformed or faced the formost smiling the hynmost weeping and dauncing in a ring with theyr armes spred 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 Vnder which Hemiall figure there was inscript this worde TEMPVS On the contrary side I beheld many of greene adolestencie of like proportion to the former and in such like 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 and in such sort as abouesaid vnder the figure were ingrauen certaine capitall letters to shew this one worde AMISSIO conteyning the ninth part to the Diameter of the quadrature 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 â—inews bones veines muscles and the inclosed flesh and what disease is bred there â— 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 I 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 fet 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 incompolite 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 stone 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 oâ— a
HYPNEROTOMACHIA THE Strife of Loue in a Dreame At London Printed for Simon Waterson and are to be sold at his shop in S. Paules Church-yard at Cheape-gate 1592. TO THE THRISE HONOVRABLE AND EVER LYVING VERTVES OF SYR PHILLIP SYDNEY KNIGHT AND TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND OTHERS WHATSOEVER WHO LIVING LOVED HIM AND BEING DEAD GIVE HIM HIS DVE To the Right Honourable Robert Deuorax Earle of Essex and Ewe Viscount Hereford and Bourghchier Lorde Ferrers of Chartley Bourghchier and Louaine Maister of the Queenes Maiesties Horse and Knight of the most noble order of the Garter Is wished the perfection of all happinesse and tryumphant felicitie in this life and in the worlde to come WHen I had determined Right honorable to dedicate this Booke to the euerlyuing vertues of that matchlesse Knight Syr Phillip Sydney me thought that I could not finde out a more Noble personage then your selfe and more fit to patronize shield and defende my dutie to the deade then your Honour whose greatnes is such and vertues of that power as who so commendeth them deserueth not to be accounted a flatterer but he that doth not the same may be thought an euill willer Hovv your Honor vvill accept hereof I make no doubt because that curtesie attendeth vpon true nobilitie but my humble request is that your Honor may not thinke of me by the tytle of the Booke and some part of the discourse as if I vvere amorous and did speake according to my ovvne passions for I beeing restrained of my liberty and helde in the graue of obliuion where I still as yet remaine oppressed with Melancholie and wearied vvith deeper studies I vvas glad to beguile the time with these conceits anothomising in them the vanitie of this life and vncertaintie of the delights therof in the Dreame of Poliphilus Which if it shall please your Honor at conuenient leysure to looke ouer pardoning what you finde amisse and weighing my good will I shall thinke my selfe most happy And thus I humbly take my leaue vntill that I may present your Honour with a matter more fitting the same Your Honors deuoted R. D. ⧠A nonymi elegia ad Lectorem CAndide Poliphilum narrantem somnia Lector auscultes summo somnia missa polo Non operam perdes non haec audisse pigebit tam varijs mirum rebus abundat opus Si grauis tetricus contemnis erotica rerum nosce precor seriem tam bene dispositam Abnuis ac saltem stylus noua lingua novusque sermo grauis sophia se rogat aspicias Id quoque si renuis geometrica cerne vetusta plurima milliacis disce referta notis Hic sunt Pyramides thermae ingentesque Colâ—ssi ac Obeliscorum forma vetusta patet Hic diuersa basis fulget variaeque columnae illarumque arcus Zophora epistilia Et capita atque trabes et cum quadrante coronae symmetria quicquid tecta superba facit Hic regum cernes exculta palatia cultus Nympharum fontes egregiasque epulas Hinc bicolor chorea est latronum expressaque tota in Laberintheis vita hominum tenebris Hinc lege de triplici quae maiestate tonantis dicat in portis egerit ipse tribus Polia qua fuerit forma quam culta tryumphos inde Iouis specta quatuor aethereos Haec praeter varios affectus narrat amoris atque opera quantum saeuiat ille Deus ⧠Faultes escaped in the printing Fol. page line faults correction Fol. page line faultes correction 1. 2 38 I begin of the I began the. 21 1 38 subuaging suruaighing 4. 2 8 member members 21 2 2 sardins sardius 6. 1 12 troake trunke 22 1 7 vanubraces vaumbraces 6. 2 3 assured azur'd 22 1 12 coronie coronice 7. 1 33 fâ—ing flying 22 2 18 Daphus Daphne 10 1 23 Laborinth Laborinths 22 1 28 chanifered chamfered 10 2 20 Palia Polia 22 1 30 contract contrast 11 1 2 foote fowre 22 2 29 Achanthis Achanthis 11 1 29 cariec carrier 23 1 12 hapies Harpies 11 2 3 backs backe 23 1 15 fishen fishie 12 1 11 peeee peece 23 2 4 did Anaglipts did y e Anaglipts 13 1 3 adolestency adolescency 23 2 5 Briapis Briaxes 13 1 5 soliature foliature 24 2 22 Andraene Andracine 14 1 29 stone sonne 24 2 32 bel flowred fox bell-flowre 19 2 12 soliature foliature 26 2 2 menifis gloue memphis 19 2 25 briganine brigandine 26 2 34 which my which with my 19 2 39 all off 28 2 8 vastus vastnes Poliphili hypnerotomachia Wherein he sheweth that all humaine and worldlie things are but a dreame and but as vanitie it selfe In the setting foorth whereof many things are figured worthie of remembrance The Author beginneth his Hypnerotomachia to set downe the hower and time when in his sleepe it seemed to him that hee was in a quiet solitarie desart and vninhabited plaine and from thence afterward how he entered vnaduisedly before he was aware with great feare into a darke obscure and vnfrequented wood The discription of the morning WHat houre as Phoebus issuing foorth did bewtifie with brightnesse the forhead of Leucothea and appearing out of the Occean waues not fully shewing his turning wheeles that had beene hung vp but speedily with his swift horses Pyrous Eous hastning his course and giuing a tincture to the Spiders webbes among the greene leaues and tender prickles of the Vermilion Roses in the pursuite whereof he shewed himselfe most swift glistering now vpon the neuer resting and still moouing waues he crysped vp his irradient heyres Vppon whose vprising euen at that instant the vnhorned Moone dismounted hir selfe losing from hir Chariot hir two horses the one white and the other browne and drewe to the Horrison different from the Hemisphere from whence she came And when as the mountaines and hilles were beautifull and the northeast winds had left of to make barraine with the sharpnesse of their blasts the tender sprigs to disquiet the moouing reedes the fenny Bulrush and weake Cyprus to torment the foulding Vines to trouble the bending Willowe and to breake downe the brittle Firre bowghes vnder the hornes of the lasciuious Bull as they do in winter At that very houre as the diuers coulered flowers and greene meades at the comming of the sunne of Hypperion feare not his burning heate being bedued and sprinkled with the Christalline teares of the sweete morning when as the Halcyons vpon the leuell waues of the stil calme and quiet flowing seas do build their nests in sight of the sandie shore whereas the sorrowfull Ero with scalding sighes did behold the dolorous and vngrate departure of hir swimming Leander I lying vpon my bed an oportune and meet freend to a wearie body no creature accompaning me in my chamber besides the attender vppon my body and vsuall night lights who after that she had vsed diuers speeches to the end shee might comfort me hauing vnderstood before of me the
originall cause of my hollow and deepe sighes she indeuored hir best to moderate if at least she might that my perturbed and pittifull estate But when she sawe that I was desirous of sleepe she tooke leaue to depart Then I being left alone to the high cogitations of loue hauing passed ouer a long and tedious night without sleepe through my barren fortune and aduerse constellation altogether vncomforted and sorrowfull by means of my vntimely and not prosperous loue weeping I recounted from point to point what a thing vnequall loue is and how fitly one may loue that dooth not loue and what defence there may bee made against the vnaccustomed yet dayly assaults of loue for a naked soule altogether vnarmed the seditious strife especially being intestine a fresh still letting vpon with vnstable and new thoughts In this sort brought to so miserable an estate and for a long while plunged in a deepe poole of bitter sorrowes at length my wandring sences being wearie to feede still vpon vnsauorie and fayned pleasure but directly and without deceit vppon the rare diuine obiect whose reuerende Idea is deeply imprinted within me and liueth ingrauen in the secret of my heart from which proceedeth this so great and vncesâ—ant a strife continually renuing my cruell torments without intermission I begin of the conditions of those miserable louers who for their mistresses pleasures desire their owne deaths and in their best delights do think themselues most vnhappie feeding their framed passions not otherwise then with sithfull imaginations And then as a weary bodye after a sore labour so I somewhat in outward shew qualified in the payne of my sorrowfull thoughts and hauing incloystered and shut vp the course of my distilling teares whose drops had watered my pale cheekes thorow amorous griefe desired some needfull rest At length my moyst eyes being closed within their bloud-shotten and reddish liddes presently betwixt a bitter life and a sweet death I was in them inuaded and ouercome with a heauie sleepe who with my minde and watchfull spirits were no pertakers of so high an operation Me thought that I was in a large plaine and champion place all greene and diuersly spotted with many sorted flowerrs wherby it seemed passingly adorned In which by reason of the milde and gentle ayre there was a still quyet whisht In so much that my attentiue eares did heare no noyse neither did any framed speech peirce into them but with the gratious beames of the sunne the sliding time passed In which place with a fearefull admiration looking about me I sayd thus to my selfe Heere appeareth no humaine creature to my sight nor syluaÌ„ beast flying bird couÌ„trey house field tent or shepheards cote neyther vpon the gras could I perceiue feeding eyther flock of sheep or heard of cattell or rustike herdman with Oten pipe making pastorall melodie but onely taking the benefit of the place and quietnesse of the plaine which assured mee to be without feare I directed my course still forward regarding on eyther side the tender leaues and thick grasse which rested vnstirred without the beholding of any motion At length my ignorant sleepes brought me into a thick wood whereinto being a pritty way entred I could not tell how to get out of it Wherevpon a soddaine feare inuaded my hart and diffused it selfe into euery ioynt so that my couler began to waxe pale and the rather by reason that I was alone and vnarmed and could not finde any track or path eyther to direct me forward or lead me back againe But a darke wood of thicke bushes sharpe thornes tall ashes haled of the Viper towgh Elmes beloued of the fruitfull vines harde Ebony strong Okes soft Beeche and browne Hasils who intertaining one anothers branches with a naturall good will opposed themselues to resist the entrance of the gratious sunne shine with the greene couerture of their innumerable leaues And in this sort I found my selfe in a fresh shadowe a coole ayre and a solytarie thicket VVherevpon my reason perswaded me to beleeue that this vastwood was onely a receptacle for sauage and hurtfull beasts as the tusked Bore the furious and bloud thirstie Beare the hissing serpent and inuading VVoolfe against which I was vnprouided to make resistance but rayther as a praye sent amongst them miserablie to haue my flesh and bones rent and gnawne in peeces And thus forecasting the woorst that might follow I was resolued not to abide there but to seeke to get out that I might the better eschew such suspected occurrents and taking my selfe to my feete I wandred now this way now that way sometime to the right hand sometime to the left nowe forwarde then backe againe not knowing how to goe among the thicke bowghes and tearing thornes bearing vpon my face rending my clothes and houlding me sometimes hanging in them whereby my hast in getting foorth was much hyndered In this vnaccustomed labour and without any helpe but onely the keeping of the sunne still vpon one side to direct mee streight forwarde I grewe extreamely hoate and faynte not knowing what to doe but onely in a wearye body to conteine a minde distraught through troublesome thoughts breathing out hollow and deepe sighes desiring helpe of the pittifull Cretensian Ariadne who for the destroying of hir monstrous brother the Mynotaur gaue vnto the deceitfull Theseus a clew of thred to conduct him foorth of the intricate laborinth that I also by some such meanes might be deliuered out of this obscure wood Poliphilus being thus distempered in this daungerous and obscure wood at length getteth foorth and being come to a faire Riuer indeuoring to rest himselfe and coole his heate he heard a most delightful harmonie which made him forget to drinke and followe after the voice which brought him to a woorse perplexitie FEare and desire of freedome thus occupying my sences my vnderstanding was blinded neyther did I knowe whether it were better for mee eyther to wishe for hated death or in so dreadfull a place to hope for desired life Thus euery way discontent I did indeuour with all force and diligence to get foorth wherin the more I did striue the more I found my selfe intangled and so infeebled with wearinesse that on euery side I feared when some cruell beast should come and deuoure me or els vnawares to tumble downe into some deepe pit or hollow place Wherefore more trembling then in mustulent Autume be the yealow coulored leaue hauing left their moisture being thorowlye searched with the furious north winde I lifted vp my hart to God desiring as Achemenides being afraide of the horrible Cyclops rather to be slaine by the hands of Aeneas his enemie rather then to suffer so odious a death And my deuoute prayer sincerely vnited to a contrite heart powring out a fountaine of teares with a stedfast beliefe to be deliuered I found my selfe in a short space gotten at libertie like a new day crept out of a darke and tempestuous night My eyes before