Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame

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Number 87

THE ENGLISH EXPERIENCE

Its Record in Early Printed Books Published in Facsimile

(FRANCESCO COLONNA)

HYPNEROTOMACHIA

London 1592

Da Capo Press Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Ltd. Amsterdam 1969 New York

The publishers acknowledge their gratitude to the Curators of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, for their permission to reproduce the Library's copy.

S.T.C. No.5577 Collation: A-Z (4o.), Aa-Cc (4o.)

Published in 1969 by Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Ltd., O. Z. Voorburgwal 85, Amsterdam & Da Capo Press: a division of Plenum Publishing Corporation:

227 West 17th Street, New York. 10011 Printed in The Netherlands

HYPNEROTOMA- CHIA.

The Strife of Loue in a Dreame.

At London, Printed for Simon Waterson, and are to be sold at his shop, in S. Paules Church- yard, at Cheape-gate.

1592.

TO THE THRISE HO- NOVRABLE AND EVER LY- VING VERTVES OF SYR PHILLIP SYDNEY KNIGHT; AND TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND OTHERS WHAT- SOEVER, WHO LIVING LOVED HIM, AND BEING DEAD GIVE HIM HIS DVE.

To the Right Honourable Robert Deuorax, Earle of Essex and Ewe, Viscount Hereford, and Bourghchier, Lorde Ferrers of Chartley, Bourghchier and Louaine, Maister of the Queenes Maie- sties Horse, and Knight of the most noble order of the Garter: Is wished, the perfection of all happinesse, and tryumphant felicitie in this life, and in the worlde to come.

When I had determined (Right honorable) to dedicate this Booke, to the euerlyuing vertues of that matchlesse Knight Syr Phillip Sydney; me thought that I could not finde out a more Noble personage then your selfe, and more fit, to patronize, shield, and defende my dutie to the deade, then your Honour, whose greatnes is such, and vertues of that power, as who so commendeth them, deserueth not to be accounted a flatterer, but he that doth not the same, may be thought an euill willer. Hovv your Honor vvill accept hereof, I make no doubt, because that curtesie attendeth vpon true nobilitie; but my humble request is, that your Honor may not thinke of me (by the tytle of the Booke, and some part of the discourse) as if I vvere amorous, and did speake according to my ovvne passions, for I beeing restrained of my liberty, and helde in the graue of obliuion, where I still as yet remaine, oppressed with Melancholie, and wearied vvith deeper studies, I vvas glad to beguile the time with these conceits, anothomising in them, the vanitie of this life, and vncertaintie of the delights therof, in the Dreame of Poliphilus; Which if it shall please your Honor at conuenient leysure to looke ouer, pardoning what you finde amisse, and weighing my good will, I shall thinke my selfe most happy.

And thus I humbly take my leaue, vntill that I may present your Honour, with a matter more fitting the same.

Your Honors deuoted,

R. D.

Anonymi elegia ad Lec- torem.

Candide Poliphilum narrantem somnia Lector auscultes, summo somnia missa polo, Non operam perdes, non h[ae]c audisse pigebit, tam varijs mirum rebus abundat opus. Si grauis & tetricus contemnis erotica, rerum nosce precor seriem tam bene dispositam. Abnuis? ac saltem stylus & noua lingua novusq; sermo grauis, sophia, se rogat aspicias. Id quoq; sirenuis, geometrica cerne vetusta plurima milliacis disce referta notis. Hic sunt Pyramides, therm[ae], ingentesq; Colossi, ac Obeliscorum forma vetusta patet. Hic diuersa basis fulget, vari[ae]que column[ae] illarumq; arcus, Zophora, epistilia, Et capita atq; trabes, et cum quadrante coron[ae] symmetria, & quicquid tecta superba facit. Hic regum cernes exculta palatia, cultus Nympharum, fontes, egregiasque epulas. Hinc bicolor chorea est latronum, expressaque tota in Laberintheis vita hominum tenebris. Hinc lege de triplici qu[ae] maiestate tonantis dicat, & in portis egerit ipse tribus._ Polia qua fuerit forma, quam culta, tryumphos inde Iouis specta quatuor [ae]thereos. H[ae]c pr[ae]ter varios affectus narrat amoris, atque opera & quantum s[ae]uiat ille Deus.

Faultes escaped in the printing.

+------+-------+-------+--------------------+---------------------+ | Fol. | page. | line. | faults. | correction. | | | | | | | | 1. | 2 | 38 | I begin of the | I began the | | 4. | 2 | 8 | member. | members. | | 6. | 1 | 12 | troake, | trunke, | | 6. | 2 | 3 | assured, | azur'd. | | 7. | 1 | 33 | fiing, [fying] | flying. | | 10 | 1 | 23 | Laborinth, | Laborinths. | | | | | [laborinth] | | | 10 | 2 | 20 | Palia. | Polia. | | 11 | 1 | 2 | foote, | fowre. | | 11 | 1 | 29 | cariec, [carreic] | carrier. | | | | | [carreic] | | | 11 | 2 | 3 | backs, [backes] | backe. | | 12 | 1 | 11 | pecee, [peeee] | peece. | | 13 | 1 | 3 | adolestency, | adolescency. | | | | | [adolestencie] | | | 13 | 1 | 5 | soliature. | foliature. | | 14 | 1 | 29 | stone, | sonne. | | 19 | 2 | 12 | soliature, | foliature. | | 19 | 2 | 25 | briganine, | brigandine. | | | | | [bryganine] | | | 19 | 2 | 39 | all. | off. | +------+-------+-------+--------------------+---------------------+

+------+-------+-------+--------------------+---------------------+ | Fol. | page. | line. | faultes. | correction. | | | | | | | | 21 | 1 | 38 | subuaging, | suruaighing | | | | | [sub-/vaging | | | | | | at line break] | | | 21 | 2 | 2 | sardins, [Sardins] | sardius. | | 22 | 1 | 7 | vanubraces, | vaumbraces. | | | | | [Vanubraces] | | | 22 | 1 | 12 | coronie, [Coromie] | coronice. | | 22 | 2 | 18 | Daphus, | Daphne. | | 22 | 1 | 28 | chanifered, | chamfered. | | 22 | 1 | 30 | contract, | contrast. | | 22 | 2 | 29 | Aehanthis. | Achanthis. | | | | | [Aehanthus] | | | 23 | 1 | 12 | hapies, [Hapies] | Harpies. | | 23 | 1 | 15 | fishen, | fishie. | | 23 | 2 | 4 | did Anaglipts, | did y^e Anaglipts | | 23 | 2 | 5 | Briapis, | Briaxes. | | 24 | 2 | 22 | Andraene, | Andracine. | | | | | [Andraeme] | | | 24 | 2 | 32 | bel flowred | bell flowre. | | | | | fox gloue, | | | | | | [bell flowered | | | | | | Foxgloue] | | | 26 | 2 | 2 | menifis, | memphis. | | | | | [Meniphis] | | | 26 | 2 | 34 | which my, | which with my | | 28 | 2 | 8 | vastus, [vastues] | vastnes. | +------+-------+-------+--------------------+---------------------+

[Decoration]

Poliphili hypnerotomachia, Wherein he sheweth, that all humaine and worldlie things are but a dreame, and but as vanitie it selfe. In the setting foorth whereof many things are figured worthie of remembrance.

_The Author beginneth his Hypnerotomachia, to set downe the hower and time when in his sleepe it seemed to him that hee was in a quiet solitarie desart, and vninhabited plaine, and from thence afterward how he entered vnaduisedly before he was aware, with great feare, into a darke obscure and vnfrequented wood._

The discription of the morning.

What houre as Phoebus[a] issuing foorth, did bewtifie with brightnesse the forhead of Leucothea[b], and appearing out of the Occean waues, not fully shewing his turning wheeles, that had beene hung vp, but speedily with his swift horses Pyrous & Eous[c], hastning his course, and giuing a tincture to the Spiders webbes, among the greene leaues and tender prickles of the Vermilion Roses, in the pursuite whereof he shewed himselfe most swift & glistering, now vpon the neuer resting and still moouing waues, he crysped vp his irradient heyres.

bus the Sunne.]

Vppon whose vprising, euen at that instant, the vnhorned Moone dismounted hir selfe, losing from hir Chariot hir two horses, the one white and the other browne, and drewe to the Horrison[d] different from the Hemisphere[e] from whence she came.

And when as the mountaines and hilles were beautifull, and the northeast winds had left of to make barraine with the sharpnesse of their blasts, the tender sprigs to disquiet the moouing reedes, the fenny Bulrush, and weake Cyprus, to torment the foulding Vines, to trouble the bending Willowe, and to breake downe the brittle Firre bowghes, vnder the hornes of the lasciuious Bull, as they do in winter.

At that very houre, as the diuers coulered flowers and greene meades, at the comming of the sunne of Hypperion[f] feare not his burning heate, being bedued and sprinkled with the Christalline teares of the sweete morning, when as the Halcyons[g] vpon the leuell waues of the stil, calme, and quiet flowing seas, do build their nests in sight of the sandie shore, whereas the sorrowfull Ero, with scalding sighes did behold the dolorous and vngrate departure of hir swimming Leander[h].

I lying vpon my bed, an oportune and meet freend to a wearie body, no creature accompaning me in my chamber, besides the attender vppon my body, and vsuall night lights, who after that she had vsed diuers speeches, to the end shee might comfort me, hauing vnderstood before of me, the originall cause of my hollow and deepe sighes, she indeuored hir best to moderate, if at least she might, that, my perturbed and pittifull estate. But when she sawe that I was desirous of sleepe, she tooke leaue to depart.