[v] all ouergrone with trees.
And as I could coniecture it was iust against the afore spoken of frame, and in my iudgement it had been some rare peice of woork, more auncient then the other, and by time wasted and consumed, now bearing Iuie and other wall trees, and so was become an ouer growne wood, that I could scarce perceiue any comming out, or mouth for easie passage but euen for a necessitie, for it was rownd about compassed and enuironed with bushie and spreeding trees, so as I was neuer determined to enter in there againe.
In the streight passage of the valie betwixt the extensed and highe mounting rockes, the ayre was dim by reason of the retained vapores, and yet I was as well pleased therewith as Apollo at his deuine birth.
But letting passe this hole, from the which I gat out by stooping, let vs come on forward to the sweet liberties which I next beheld and that was a thicke wood of Chestnuts at the foote of the hill, which I supposed to be a soile for Pan or some Siluane God with their feeding heards and flockes, with a pleasant shade, vnder the which as I passed on, I came to an auncient bridge of marble with a very great and highe arche, vppon the which along winning to eyther sides of the walls, there were conuenient seats to rest vppon, which although they were welcome to my wearye bodie, yet I had more desire to go on forwarde, vppon which sides of the bridge, iust ouer the top of the arche, there was placed a porphirit table with a gorgeous border of curious workmanship, one table on the one side and an other on the other side, but that one the left side was of Ophite.
Vppon the table on my right hand as I went I beheld Egiplie hierogliphies on this sorte, An auncient Helmet crested with a Doggeshead.
The bony scalpe of an oxe with two green braunches of trees bound fast to the hornes. And an ould lampe. Which hierogliphis the braunches excepted because I know not whether they were of Firre tree, Pineapple, Larix or Iuniper, or such like: I thus interpret.
PATIENTIA EST ORNAMENTVM, CVSTODIA ET PROTECTIO VITAE.
On the other side there was ingrauen a cyrcle, then an Anchor with a Dolphin winding about the strangule thereof, which I coniectured should signifie this, ΑΕΙ ΣΠΕΥ ΔΕ ΒΡΑΔΕΟΣ,[14] Semper festina tarde.
Vnder which auncient, sure, and faire bridge, did runne a most cleare swift water, deuiding it selfe into two seuerall currents, the one one way and the other an other, which ranne most colde, making a soft continuall still noyse, in their freesed, broken and nibbled Channels, by their eaten in and furrowed bancke, full of stones, couered ouer and shadowed with trees, their spredding rootes appearing in the same bare, and about them hanging Tricomanes, Adiantus and Cimbalaria, and bearded also with diuers small hayres as vse to growe about the banckes of Ryuers.