(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.