to be resisted For I felt the same leaping and beating against my breast without ceasing like as one that striketh vpon a hoarse Taber And still me thought by her louely and delightfull countenance by her fayre tresses and the curling and wauing haire playing vp and downe vppon her forheade that it should be Polia whome so greatly I had loued and desired and for whom I had sustained so many sundry griefes without intermission sending out scalding sighes the outward reporters of my inwarde flames But her rich and Nymphish habite vnaccustomed and the place vnknowne and strange made mee still doubtfull and suspicious Shee as beforesaide carried in her snowe white left arme close to her body a kindled and burning Torch somewhat higher then her heade a good deale and the lower ende growing smaller and smaller shee helde in her hande and stretching foorth that which was at libertie more white then euer had Pelopea wherein appeared the thinne smoothnes of the skynne and the blewnesse of the veynes lyke Azure streames vppon the faire and whitest paper Shee toooke me by the left hande with a sweete and louing countenance and smiling grace and with an eloquent speech shee pleasantly saide in this manner Poliphilus I thinke my selfe to come in saftie but it seemeth that you stand doubtfull Heereat I was more amazed and my sences in a manner gone to imagine howe she should knowe my name and al my inward parts vanquished and hemmed in with burning amorous flames my speech was taken from mee with feare and reuerent bashfulnesse In this sort remayning I knewe not vppon the suddaine what good aunswere I might make or otherwise doe her reuerence but to offer her my vnworthy and vnfit hande Which when it was streined in hers me thought that it was in hot snowe and curded milke and me thought indeede that I touched and handled something which was more then humaine which when I had so done I remained moued in minde troubled and doubtfull vnaccustomed to such a companion not knowing what to say or whether to followe her in my simple apparell and homely bringing vp not agreeable with hers and as a foole vnworthy and vnfit for her fellowship perswading my selfe that it was not lawfull for a mortall and earthly creature to enioy such pleasures For which cause my collour red and blushing with reuerent admiration being grieued at my basenesse I setled my selfe to followe her At length and yet not with a perfect recalled minde I beganne to reduce and sommon together my fearefull and distempered spirites perswading my selfe that I must needes haue good successe being neere so faire and diuine an obiect and in such a place And so followed her on with a panting heart more shaking than the birde Sisura or a Lambe carryed in the mouth of a Wolfe And thus touched most feruently with pleasant heates growing encreasing more more they began to boyle kindle my colde feare and dispositiuely to adopt my altered heate to sincere loue Which being thus brought to thys passe by a prouoked inward desire yet inwardly as I reasoned with my selfe it was wonderfully variable and doubtfull Oh most happye Louer of all Louers that in requitall of hys might bee sure to participate of hers On the other side I perswaded my selfe that if I shoulde offer vnto her my amorous heart and loue hauing no better thing to bestow vpon her or present vnto her it might be that she would not refuse it like Artaxerxes the King of the Percians who hauing water presented to hys handes accepted of it bowing downe himselfe Heerewithall me thought yet that a fearefull and chill trembling inuaded mee infusing it selfe ouer all my body and breast renewing the force of the extreame fire euen like dry reede which being once kindled is enflamed and nourished with the fresh ayre vntill at length it is increased so mightily that it consumeth all to ashes And in like sorte I fully founde in my selfe an increase and flashing abroade of my inwarde flames in their prepared subiect so effectually that her amorous regardes gaue me mortall and deadly woundes euen as lightning and thunder among the stronge and mightie oakes suddainely with a great force scorching tearing them And therefore I durst not looke vpon her bright eyes because that dooing so being ouercome with the incredible beauty of her gracious aspect if peraduenture her radious beames did reincounter mutually with myne for a little while euery thinge seemed two vnto mee vntill I had closed the lyddes together and restored them to theyr former light Wherevpon and by reason of these thinges captiuated spoyled and ouercome I determined at that instant to plucke vp some fresh flowers and in all humble sort to offer them vnto her and it came to passe that whilst my secret thoughts consented thervnto consygning a free meane and large entrance for the discouery of my desire But my burning heart humbly hauing opened the same euen as a rype Apple being eyther bytten or shaken so it fell and fayled me And receiuing into his wounded and familiar estuation in some interposition of time immediatly his accustomed heat and feruor increased piercing the inward parts with her virgineall aspects exceedingly beautified with a comely grace and vnexcogitable elegancie Because that into this sweete introduction into my minde of these first amorous flames lyke the Troian horse full of weapons and deceite the enterance was made for an euerlasting vnknown and vncessant plague deeply festering in my tender and poore heart perpetually remayning which easily ouercome with one sweete looke inconsiderately without delay hasteneth his owne hurt and wholly layeth it selfe open to amorous incursions and burneth it selfe with sweet conceits going into the flames of his owne accord To all which burning desires her present company did greatly inforce mee which I esteemed to yeelde mee more comfort then the North starre in a tempestuous night to the troubled Marriner more acceptable then that of Melicta to Adonis or to Phrodites the obsequious Nymph Peristera and more delightfull then Dittander to the daughter of Dydo with the Purple flowre for the wounde of Pius Aeneas And finding my heart strooken and inwardly pricking secretly filled and compressiuely stuft recording and gathering together into it varyable thoughts and working of Loue my immedicable wounde grewe greater and greater But gathering vp the remaynder of my sences as one that durst I assured my selfe to manifest and lay open before her my intended desires and amorous conceites And thus loosing my selfe in a blinde folly I could not choose but giue place to my inuading desires feruently boyling and inforcing me to say thus Oh delycate and heauenly Damosell whatsoeuer thou art thy forcyble loue hath set me on fire and consumeth my grieued heart I finde my selfe all ouer burning in an vncessant flame and a sharpe daâ—t cast into the middest of my breast where it sticketh fast hauing made a mortall wounde vncurable And hauing spoken thus to the
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 that 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 Aâ—hes Palme trees broad leaued Aesculies 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 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 be spotted 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 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 awaye 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 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 side-lying mountaynes although I thought that they had beene the renowmed Olympus the famous Caucasus and not inferior to Cyllenus 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 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 vermillion 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 troake 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 such like 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 say fallen downe smoothe round pieces of serpent spotted Marble purple and red diuerse couloured Fragments of strange histories Panglyphic and Hemygliphic 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 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 assured 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
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 â—are sandals where vnder was written Hiemi Aeoliae 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 freâ—â— and coole hearbs vnder sweete shadie trees we sate downe and rested our selues 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 must giue place to this 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 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 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 I then being content with a wounded hart full well vnderstanding that mine eies had drawen it dying into all these elegant parts Yet neuertheles I could not so bridle and suppresse my amorous inflamed sighes or so closely couer them but that they would needs expresse my inward desire By means whereof she was changed from contagious loue and striking with hir stolen regards enuying the same she turned it vpon me so as I perceiued an incensing fire pruriently diffusing it selfe through my inward parts and hollow veines and during the contemplate beholding of hir most rare and excellent beautie a mellifluous delight and sweete solace constrained me thereunto Thus disordinately beaten with the importune spur of vnsatiable desire I found my selfe to be set vpon with the mother of loue inuironed round about wiâ—h hir flamigerous sonne and inuaded with so faire a shape that I was with these and others so excellent circumstances brought into such an agonie of minde and sicknes of bodie and in such sort infeebled that the least haire of hir head was a band forcible ynough to hold me fast and euery rowled tramell a chaine and shackle to fetter me being fed with the sweetnes of hir beautie and hooked with the pleasant baits of hir amorous delights that I was not able with whatsoeuer cunning deuise to resist the inuading heates and prouoking desires still comming vpon me that I determined rather to die than longer to endure the same or in this solitarie place to offer hir any dishonor Then againe I was determined with humble requests and submissiue intreaties to say thus Alas most delighted Polia at this present to die by thee is a thing that I desire and my death if it were effected by these thy small slender and faire hands the ende thereof should be more tolerable sweete and glorious vnto me bicause my hart is compassed about with such tormenting flames still more and more cruelly increasing and burning the same without pitie or intermission so as by meanes thereof I am bereft of all rest And heerewithall intending to put in execution another determinate purpose behold my hart was tormented with more sharpe flames that me thought I was all of a light fire· Ah wo is me what wert thou aduised to do Poliphilus Remember the violence done to Deianira and the chaste Roman lady Consider what followed them for a reward and diuers others Call to minde that mighty princes haue beene reiected of their inferiors how much more then a base and abiect person but tract of time giueth place to them which expect the bountie thereof Time causeth the fierce lions to be tame and whatsoeuer furious beast the small ant by long trauell laieth vp hir winter foode in the hard tree and shall not a diuine shape lying hid in a humane bodie take the impression of feruent loue and then holding the same shake off all annoyous and vexing passions hoping to enioy amorous fruits desired effects and triumphing agonismes The Nymph Polia perceiuing well the change of my colour and blood comming in more stranger sort than Tripolion or Teucrion thrise a day changing the colour of his flowers and my indeuoring to sende out scalding sighes deeply set from the bottome of my hart she did temper and mitigate the same with hir sweete and friendly regards pacifieng the rage of my oppressing passions so as notwithstanding my burning minde in these continuall flames and sharpe prouocations of loue I was aduised patiently to hope euen with the bird of Arabia in hir sweet nest of small sprigs kindled by the heate of the sunne to be renewed FINIS (a) Phaebus the Sunne b) Leucothea the morning (c) Pyr Eo the horses of the Sunne (d) Horison a circle deuiding the halfe speare of the firmament from the other halfe which we doe not see (e) Hemispere is halfe the