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: Not 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 one of the candlesticks was 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 trieterie 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 Mimallons, Satirs, and seruants to Bacchus, bawds, Tyades, Naiades and such as followed after.
The Nymph doth shew to Poliphilus the multitude of yoong Louers, and their Loues, what they were, and in 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, indesinent triumph, vncessaunt ioie and delightful 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
[v] 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 Cæus, and Alchmena with hir fained husband. Afterward I beheld the pleasant Ægina 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. After that I beheld a quaile flying, and a faulcon pursuing hir: Erigone hauing hir faire shining brest stickt full of sweete
grapes, and the daughter of king Chollus with hir bull, Eriphile and hir changed husband: The daughter of Alpes and the virgin Melantho with hir dolphin, Phyllira the daughter of old Oceanus with the father of Chiron. Next hir Ceres with hir head instrophyated with ripe eares of corne imbracing the scalie Hydra: And the faire Nymph Lara sorting with Argiphon: and the sweete Futurna of the riuer Numicus.
And whilest I stood with excessiue delight beholding onely as an ignorant this rare companie and mysticall triumphes, circumsept with these and such like sorts, and so also the delicious fields, but that me thought it was a louely sight to behold, and so I should haue continued: then the gratious Nymph associating and leading me, seeing my simplicitie and carelesnes, with a ready countenance and sweete and pleasant words, without asking, she said thus vnto me: My Poliphilus, doest thou see these? (shewing me those of the olde world) these were beloued of Iupiter, and this, and this was such a one, and these were in loue with him, by this meanes shewing vnto me their high and mighty linage, and not knowing their names, she in great curtesie told me. Afterward she shewed me a great number of little virgins, vnder the gouernment of three sober and discreete matrones the leaders to so great delight: Adding thereunto very pleasantly (changing hir angellike countenance) My Poliphilus, thou shalt vnderstand, that no earthly creature can enter in heere without a burning torch as thou seest me, either with extreeme loue and great paines, or for the fauour and company of those three matrones. And from hir hart setting a deepe sigh, she said: This torch haue I brought hither for thy sake, minding to put it out in yonder temple.