Hypnerotomachia. = The strife of loue in a dreame

The fourth Tryumph.

The fourth Tryumph was borne vppon foure wheeles, with I∣ron strakes, forcibly beaten out without fire; All the rest of the Charyot, in fashion like the former, was of burning Carbuncle, shewing light in the darkest places, of an expolite cutting: past any reason, to thinke howe or where it was possible to be made, or by what workeman.

The right side whereof, helde this History. An honourable wo∣man with childe, vnto whome Jupiter shewed himselfe (as he was wont with Iuno) in thunder and lightning: insomuch, as shee fell all to ashes, out of the which was taken vp a younge infant.

Vpon the other side, I behelde Iupiter, hauing the saide Infant in his hands, & delyuering him to a yonge man, with winged bus∣kyns, and a staffe, with two serpents winding about it: who deli∣uered the Infant to certaine Nymphes in a Caue, to be fostered.

In the fore-ende, I might see howe Cupid hauing shot vp into heauen with hys mischeeuous Arrowe, had caused Iupiter to beholde a mortall Nymph: and a great number of wounded people woondering at it.

In the hinder end was Iupiter sitting in a tribunall seate as iudge, and Cupide appeering limping before him, and ma∣king grieuous complaints against his louing mother, bicause that by hir means he had wounded himselfe extreemly with the loue of a faire damsell, and that his leg was burnt with a drop of a lampe, presenting also the yoong Nymph and the lampe in hir hand. And Iupiter with a smiling countenance speaking to Cupid,

Perfer scintillam qui coelum accendis & omnes.

This Monostic••n was grauen in Latine letters in a square ta∣ble before the faces of their supreame maiesties, the rest as is described.

This mysticall triumph was drawen by sixe spotted beasts of yealow shining colour, and swift as the tygers of Hyrcani•• called Leopards, coupled togither with withes of twined vines, full of tender greene leaues, and stalkes full of greene clusters. This chariot was drawen very leisurely.

Vpon the middle of which plaine there was placed a base of golde by the lowest diameter, one foote and three hand∣fuls high, the lataster or lowest verdge round and hollowed, in the middle vnder the vpper sime or brimme in forme of a pullie with nextrubs, rules and cordicels: the vpper plaine of this base was euacuated, wherein rested the traines of the fower eagles standing vpon the plaine, smooth superficies of the base, which were of pretious Ae••ite of Persia, of the colour of a sakers plume. And these stood with their shoulders one opposite against another, and their pounces of gold fastened and sticking in the said base, euery one sur∣ueying with their wings, and the flowering tips of their sar∣cellets touching one another. Ouer these as vpon a nest, was placed this maruellous vessell of Aethiopian Hyacints cleere and bright, C••lso ini••ic••••, Comiti gratiosus. This vessell was crusted with emeralds and vaines of diuers other preti∣ous stones, a worke incredible. The height thereof two foote and a halfe, the fashion in maner round, the breadth by dia∣meter one foote and a halfe, and the circumference consisted of three diameters. From the heads of the eagles the bot∣tome or foote of the vessell did ascend vp one triens, and a border going about the thicknes of a hand, from which bor∣der

to the beginning of the belly of the vessel, and to the bot∣tome of the foote with this hand breadth, was a foote and a halfe. Vpon this stood the forme of the vessell aforesaid one handfull and a halfe broader, which halfe handfull was distri∣buted to the border, about the brimme of foulding leaues and flowers standing out from the hyacinth. The diameter two quarters & a halfe. Vnder this border there did stick out round about certaine proportions like walnut shels, or the keele of a ship, somwhat thicke and broade at the vpper end, and lessing themselues to nothing belowe. From thence to the orifice it did rise vp two quarters and a halfe, furrowed with turning champhers, and an excellent sime: and in steed of eares to take vp the vessell by, it had two lips standing out and turning in round like the head of a base viall.

Vnder and aboue the borders, the vessel was wrought with turned gululs, vnduls, and imbossings, and with such linea∣ments were the borders wrought, both vnder and aboue. Vppon the border in the necke of the couer, were two halfe rings, suppressed in the border by transuersion, one of them iust against another, which were holden in the biting teeth of two Lysarts, or byting Dragons of greene emerauld, bea∣ring out from the couer. They stoode with their serpent like feete vpon the lower part of the couer vnder the necke, be∣twixt the which and the lower vessell, was one quantitie, and from his vpper gracilament descending, he ioyned with the turned in sime of the circumferent lymbus or verdge, where they did closely byte togither. This couer to the necke was made in skalie worke of Hyacinth, except the vaynes of sma∣ragd, for the little dragons, their bellies and feetes faste∣ning to the skalie couer. These little dragons one against an other, their brests and throtes hollowing out from the bor∣der and the couer, and their tayles turning vpwards againe, did serue for the eares of the couer, iust ouer them of the lo∣wer vessell.

The lower turning about, where the couer did close with the vessell being of two parts, ioyned togither with an ex∣cellent foliature, halfe a foote broad, as if they had bin in∣separable.

The bodie of this vessell was all run ouer with a Vine, the

stringes and vaines whereof, and small curling twists, were of Topas, farre better then is founde in the Ilande Ophia∣dis, the leaues of fine smaragd, and the braunches of Ame∣thist, to the sight most beautifull, and to the vnderstan∣ding woonderfull contemplable. The subiect vessell appea∣ring thorough the same of Hiacinth so round and polished, as any wheele can send foorth: except, vnder the leaues there was a substaunce left, which helde the foliature to the vessell of Hiacinth, passing ouer and separated from the sub∣iect. The hollowed and bending leaues with all the other la∣picidariall lineaments, were performed with such an emula∣tion of nature as was woonderfull.

Let vs nowe returne to the circumferent brim of the pre∣tious vessell. In the smooth partes whereof, vppon eyther sides of the tayles of the Lysarts, I behelde two hystorials woorthy of regard, ingrauen in this sort. Vpon the fore∣side of the vessell, the representation of Iupiter, holding in his right hande a glistering sword, of the vayne of the Aethiopian Chrysolits: and in the other hande a thunder bolt of shi∣ning Rubie. His countenance sauour of the vaine of Gallatits, and crowned with stars like 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 them∣selues 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 plea∣sant 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 ga∣thering 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 ex∣pression 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 belong∣ing 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: No•• subiect to the change of the moone, delighted of Cupid. This tree shadowed the chariot: At euery corner of this triumphant chariot vp∣on the plaine where the vessell stood, was placed a candle∣sticke, of excellent workmanship, vpon three feet of red cor∣rall, well liked of the ruder sort, resisting lightening and tem∣pests, 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 o••e of the candlesticks wa•• 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 Nebri∣tis 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 so∣lemne pompe, infinite troups of Nymphs, their faire and plentifull tresses falling loose ouer their shoulders, some na∣ked with aprons of goates skins and kids, others with tym∣brels and flutes, making a most pleasaunt noise, as in the daunce called Thiasus, in the triete••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 Mimallo••s, Satirs, and seruants to Bacchus, bawds, Tyades, Naiades and such as followed after.