The mouth of the arches were stopped with rombyes of cleare glasse in forme of a tryangle, and the pypes beautified all ouer with an Encaustick painting, verie gratious to the sight of the beholder.
The ground was here and there couered with great round balles of glasselyke gunne stones, and other fine proportions much pleasing, with a mutuall consent vnmooueable lyke pearles shining without any adulteration by folyature. From the flowers did breath a sweet fragrancie by some cleare washing with oyle for that purpose.
There most cunningly did Logistica lyke an Orator make a discourse in commendation physically of that excellent confection of the noblenes of the substaunce, secrecie of the art, and straungenes of the inuention. The like is not to bee found.
And after shee sayde, Poliphilus lette vs goe and ascende vp this mount nexte the Garden, and Thelemia remayning at the stayre foote, wee ascended vp to the playne toppe. Where shee shewed vnto mee, with a heauenly eloquence, a Garden of a large compasse, made in the forme of an intricate Laborynth allyes and wayes, not to bee troden, but sayled about, for insteade of allyes to treade vppon, there were ryuers of water.
The which mysticall place was of a verie lustie mould and fruitfull, replenished with all sorts of fruits, beautified with faire springs, and greene hearbes and flowers, full of all solace and delight. Whereupon she spake thus.
I doe imagine (Poliphilus) that you doe not vnderstande the conditionate state of this maruellous seate, and therefore giue attendance to my wordes.
Whosoeuer entereth in cannot come backe, but as you see yonder mountaines heere and there distributed, seuen circuits and the about goings distant one from another.
And the extreeme molestation and sorrowe of the enterers in, is this: In the myddle mountayne within the center thereof, and open mouth of the same, there lurketh inuisibly a deadly deuouring olde Dragon, hee is vtter destruction to some, and others are not hurte to death by him. Hee cannot bee seene nor shunned, neyther doth hee leaue any vnassaulted, but eyther in the entrie, or in their iourney, hee destroyeth or woundeth. And if hee killeth them not betwixt one mountayne and another, they passe the seuen circuites to the next mount.
And they that enter in by the first tower or mount (wherevppon is this tytle inscript ΔΟΞΑ ΚΟΣΜΙΚΗΩΣ ΠΟΜΦΟΛΥΣ) They sayle in a little shippe with a prosperous winde, and securely at pleasure: the fruites and flowers fall downe vppon theyr hatches, and with great solace and pleasure they cut through by the seauen reuolutions with a merry winde, vntill the second mount bee discouered and come vnto. And marke and beholde (Poliphilus) howe cleare and bright the ayre is in the entrance, ouer that it is in the center, about the which is thicke darknesse.
In the first mount or tower there is alwayes resident a pittifull matron and bountifull, before whome standeth an auncient appoynted vessell called Vrna, in a readinesse, hauing vppon it seauen Greeke letters as thus ΘΕΣΠΙΟΝ, full of appoynted honie, and to euerie one that entereth in, verie curteously and with a good will shee giueth one of them without respecte of state and condition, but according to theyr enterance.