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
cleere streams shewed themselues sportefull and gamesome hauing taken vppe finelie their thin garments of silke of diuers colours and holding them in the bouts of their white armes the forme of their rounde thighs were seene vnder the plytes and their faire legges were reuealed to the naked knees the current streames comming vp so high it was a fight which woulde haue prepared one to that which were vnfit and if himselfe had been vnable thereunto And there where the water was most still turning downe their faire faces of exceeding beautie and bending their bodies of rare proportion as in a large goodly glasse they might behould their heauenly shapes breaking off the same with the motion of their pretie feete making a noyse with the contrast of the circulating water Some solaciouslie striuing to go by the tame swimming swans and sportingly casting water one at another with the hollownes of their palms others standing without the water vpon the soft coole grasse making vp of nosegaies and garlands of sundrie sweete flowers giuing the same to their louers as tokens of their fauorable remembraunce not denieng their sweet kisses louing imbracings with the amorous regardes of their star-like eyes And some were set vpon the greene banks not ouergrown with reed and segs but finely beautified with sweete hearbs and flowers among the which the tender Nymphs comming wet out of the water more cleere then Axius in Mygdonia vnder the vmbragious trees did sit sporting and deuising one with another in delightfull imbracings with their reuerencing louers not cruelly scorning reiecting them but with a sociable loue and benigne affablenesse disposing themselues to the like shew of true affection their sweete gestures and pleasant behauiours far more gratious to the eie then flowing teares be to the frowarde and vnmercifull Cupid the sweete fountaines and moist dewes to the green fieldes and desired forme to vnfashioned matter Some did sing amorous sonnets and verses of loue breathing out in the same from their inflamed breasts scalding sighs ful of sweete accents able to enamorate harts of stone And to make smooth the ruggednesse of the vnpassageable mountaine Caucasus to staie whatsoeuer furie the harpe of Orpheus woulde prouoke and the fowle and euill fauoured face of Medusa to make any horrible monster tame and tractable and to stop the continuall prouocation of the deuouring Scylla Some rested their heads in the chaste laps of their faire loues recounting the pleasaunt deuises of Iupiter and they instrophyating their curled locks with sweete smelling flowers Others of them fained that they were forsaken and seemed to flie and go awaie from them whom dearely they did affect and then was there running one after another with loud laughters and effeminate criengs out their faire tresses spredding downe ouer their snowie shoulders like threeds of gold bound in laces of greene silke Some loose after a Nymphish maner others bounde vp in attyres of golde set with pearle Afterwards comming neere togither they would stowpe downe and twiching vp the sweete flowers with their faire and tender fingers fling the same in the faces of their pursuing louers with great pleasure and solace maintaining their fained disgracings Others with great curtesie were putting of Rose leaues one after another into their laced brests adding after them sweete kisses some giuing their louers if ouer-bold vpon the cheekes with their harmles palmes pretie ticks making them red like the wheeles of Phâ—ebus in a faire and cleere morning with other new and vnthought contentions such as loue could deuise They all being pleasant merrie and disposed to delight Their gestures and motions girlish and of a virgineall simplicitie putting on sincere loue without the offence of honorable vertue Free and exempt from the occursion of griefe or emulation of aduers fortune Sitting vnder the shade of the weeping sister of the whited Phaeton and of the immortall Daphne and hairie pineapple with small and sharpe leaues streight Cyprus greene Orenge trees and tall Cedars and others most excellent abounding with greene leaues sweete flowers and pleasant fruits still flourishing in such sort as is inestimable euenly disposed vpon the gratious banks orderly growing in a moderat distance vpon thee grassie ground inuested with green Vinca peruince or laurel What hart is so cold and chilling that would not be stirred vp to heate manifestly beholding the delightfull duties of reciprocall loue such as I was perswaded would haue kindled Diana hir selfe Whereupon I was bold to shew that folly which tormented my inward spirits enuying to see what others possessed that was a continuall delight in pleasure and solace without any wearines in full cloying and thus diuers times my hart being set on fire by my eies and extreemely burning my minde still fixed vpon delightfull pleasures and their smacking kisses and regarding with a curious eie the abounding guerdons of the fethered god me thought at that instant that I did behold the extreeme perfection of pleasure And by this meanes I stood wauering and out of measure amazed and as one which had droonke an amorous potion calling into remembrance the ointments of the mischeeuous Circes the forcible hearbs of Medea the hurtfull songs of Byrrena and the deadly verses of Pamphile I stood doubtfull that my eies had seene somthing more than humane and that a base dishonorable and fraile bodie should not be where immortall creatures did abide After that I was brought from these long and doubtfull thoughts and phantasticall imaginations and remembring all those maruellous diuine shapes and bodies which I had personally seene with mine eies I then knew that they were not deceitfull shadowes nor magicall illusions but that I had not rightly conceiued of them And now with earnest consideration among these beholding the most excellent Nymph fast by me my eies filled with amorous darts ceased not to wound my passionate hart by means wherof incontinently all my wandering thoughts were stirred vp compact and fixed vpon hir their desired obiect recalling my mortified soule afresh to be tormented in his first flames which most cruelly I suffered in that I durst not be bold to aske if she were my desired Polia for she had put me in some doubt thereof before and now fearing to offend hir with my being ouer bolde and ore troublesome with my rude and vntilled toong diuers times when my voice was breaking out betwixt my lips vpon that occasion I suppressed the same But what she should be it was beyond my compasse to imagine and I stood as suspicious thereof as the deceiued Socia with the fained Atlantiades Thus with diligent regards and cordiall searches examining hir heauenly features inuaded with a burning desire beyond measure I said to my self Oh that I might be if it were possible a freemaÌ„ in such a place for no sorrow shoulde greeue me nor imminent danger should make me afraid although that frowarde fortune shoulde oppose hir selfe against me I woulde spende my life without any regard therof not refusing to
strewed with Lilly Conually and Daffadil immediately this course was presented seuen morsels of the flesh of a Partridge in a sharpe broth and so many pieces of pure white Manchet The sauce Acceres minced and dissolued in Sugar thrice sodden Amylum Saunders Muske and Rose water The vessels and the rounde table of Chrysolite Lastly they offered a precious drinking cup and so obserued in the rest The fourth table beeing taken away the fift was reuested with a cloth of silke of a crimosen colour and in like sort the Nimphish apparrel The flowers of purple yealow white and tawny The Seruis eight morsels of the flesh of a Pheasant rosted lying in the grauie and withall so many pieces of fine white manchet The sauce was this water of Orenge flowers the iuice of Pomegranets Sugar Cloues and Cynamon The vesselles of Smaragde and the table of the Souereigne Queene This beeing taken away verie solemnely there was spred an other cloth of silke of a purple colour and so the apparrel of the wayters The flowers were of three sortes of Iessamine tawny yealow and white The Seruice was nine morsels of the flesh of a restoratiue Peacocke moystened in his grauie The sauce was most greene and tart with Pistacke Nuttes pownded Sugar Cypricum Amylum and Muske Time white Marioram and Pepper The vesselles of Saphyre and the Princely Table At the seuenth chaunge they brought in a sumpteous table of white Iuory bordered trayled and finely wrought with many small pieces vpon the precious wood of Aloes and ioyned glued togither and from one side to the other wrought with knottes and foliature flowers vesselles monsters little Birdes and the strikes and caruings filled vp with a black paste and mixture of Amber and Muske This mee thought was a most excellent thing and sumpteous breathing out a most delightful sweet smel The cloth white and subtily wrought with drawne worke with Satten silke the ground powdered and filled and the worke white and plaine with the representation of shapes byrdes beastes and flowers and in like sort the apparel of the wayters The flowers Lady steale Rape Violet and all sortes of sweete Gilliflowers And thus there varied euerie where such diuersitie of smelles seuerally brought in and so delighfull to the sences as I cannot sufficiently expresse Then there was giuen to euerie one a confection in three morsels of the shell fish Dactâ—lus with Pistacke Nut kernels pownded and put into Rose water and Sugar of the Ilandes and Muske and leafe Golde beaten and adulterated therwith that euerie piece taken vp seemed as if it had beene all Gold The vessels were of Iacynth and the table circulare An apt and conuenient stone to so excellent disposition and royall board and straunge banquets suche as before were neuer heard of After the taking away of these wonderfull Confections and the flowers cast downe vpon the pauement in a princely magnificence there was presently brought in a great vessell of Cold full of kindled coales into the which the table cloathes napkins and towelles of silke were throwne whiche presently burned light and after that beeing taken out and coolâ—d they were whole vnhurt and cleane as at the first And this yet was the wonderfull straungest of all the rest And then the tables and frames were taken downe and carried away Which most excellent order and sightes the more that I carefully indeuoured to consider of them the more ignorant and amazed I founde my selfe But in all thinges assuredly I did take great pleasure with my intended admiration in seeing of such so great plentifull and tryumphant sumpteousnes of so incredible costly a banket that it is better to holde my peace then not to speake sufficiently in the report thereof For that the bankets of Sicilia be in respect but beggerly and so were the stately Ornaments of Attalus The Corinthian vessels the dainties of Ciprus and Saâ—â—ariâ— suppers Yet notwithstanding so supreame and excessiue alacritie and cordiall delectation and that onely and extreeme pleasure occasioned by such and so vnexpected delightes by one of those three which in the last chaunge attended was quayled ouerthrowne interrupted lamed intercepted and made vaine For shee did represent in her behauiour the sweet iesture and resemblance of Polia stirring vp by them in me stealing regardes This was no small hinderance vnto mee in the takyng of those pleasant dainties and princely refection Yet notwithstanding my eyes would now and then with much adoo bee withdrawne to beholde the bewtie of the Iewels and precious stones sparkeling and glistering in euerie place in such diuersities of straunge and vnseene gloriousnes and conspicuous decoraments as if they had all ought a duetie to her which made mee with an immoderate desire to behold the correspondency of her excellent bewtie Lastly in suche order and sorte as aforesaide the tables beeing taken away I hung downe my heade because that I might not followe after the last iunckates which I had lost by minding of her that ministred Then first before the sacred Maiestie and royall person of the Queene and afterwards to vs fiue fayre Nymphes apparelled in blewe silke and golde curiously wouen togeather in workes did all together appresent themselues The middlemost of them did beare a braunch of coorrall lyke a tree such as is not founde amongst the Ilandes Orchades of one cubite high which stoode as vppon a little mountayne which was the couer of an old fashioned vessell of pure gold in forme of a Challyce as high agayne as the couer and the tree of coorrall full of curious workmanshippe and leafe worke neuer made in our age nor the like seene Betwixt the gracy lament of the foote and the cuppe it was knitte together with a handle of inestimable workemanship and in lyke manner the fooâ—e and the bowle were of an excellent anaglyphie of foliature monsters and byformed Scyllules so exquisitely expressed as could be imbossed chased or ingrauen by proportionate circulation And the mordy cant couer of the same was thicke set with incomparable iewelles and in lyke sorte all the base and handle whereas conueniencie requyred and glystering about Vppon the braunches of the coorrall there were artificially sette certayne open flowers with fiue leaues some of Saphyre some of Iacynth and Berill and in the ruiddest of them a little round seede of golde fastening the leaues to the stalke of corrall Which yoong woman reuerently bowing to the earth with her right knee reseruing the other still vp whereuppon shee helde this couer of coorrall which also besides the flowers had vppon the pointes and toppes of other twigges or sprouts curiously in fixed monstrous great pearle An other of them had a cuppe full of preâ—ious lyquor better then that which the prowde Cleopatra gaue vnto the Romane Captaine The reste did execute their offices â—o aforesaid and plucking off one after another with a little instrument with two teeth of golde they offering the same fruits vnto vs to me vnknowne for that
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
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