Hypnerotomachia | Page 8

heauenly consent. Thus vainly running vp and downe, I knew not after
what, I grew more wearie, faint, and drye, and so feeble, that my legges
could but with great paine, vphould my distempered body. And my
grieued spirits vnabled long to support the same, what with the feare
that I had bin in, what with extreame thirst, what with long and
wilesome trauell, and what with doubting the worst that might insue.
Thus hote, faint, and drye: I knew not what to do but euen to procure
rest for my weary members. I marueled first at this straunge accedent,
and was amazed at this inhumane harmonye, but most of all in that I
was in a straunge contry, and vninhabited, being onelye fertill and
beawtyfull to behould, besydes that I greatly sorrowed for the losse of
the fayer ryuer which I had so greatly labored to finde out, and now so
lightly and carelesly to haue lost the benefit thereof. In this sort I was
houlden in an intrycate minde of doubts, at length ouercome withall
kinde of greefes, my whole bodye trembling and languishinge vnder a
broade and mightye Oke full of Acornes, standing in the middest of a

spatious and large green meade, extending forth his thicke and leauie
armes to make a coole shadowe, vnder whose bodye breathing I rested
my selfe vppon the deawye hearbes, and lying vppon my left syde I
drewe my breath in the freshe ayre more shortly betwixt my drye and
wrinckled lips, then the weary running heart, pinched in the haunche
and struck in the brest, not able any longer to beare vp his weighty head,
or sustaine his body vpon his bowing knees, but dying prostrates
himselfe. And lying thus in such an agonie, I thought vpon the strifes of
weake fortune, and the inchauntments of the malicious _Cyrces_, as if I
had by hir charmes and quadranguled plaints, been bereaued of my
sences. In these such so great & exceeding doubts: O _hi me_ where
might I there among so many dyuerse and sundry sorts of hearbes,
finde the _Mercurial Moli_[A] with his blacke roote, for my helpe and
remedie. Againe me thought that it was not so with me. What then?
euen a hard appoyntment to delay my desired death. And thus
remayning in these pernitious thoughts, my strength debylitated: I
looked for no other helpe, but to drawe and receiue fresh ayre into that
brest, which panted with a small remainder of vytall warmnesse, taking
into my hands halfe aliue, as my last refuge, the moyst and bedewed
leaues, preserued in the coole shadow of the greene Oke: putting the
same to my pale and drye lippes, with a greedy desire in licking of
them to satisfie my distempred mouth with theyr moisture, wishing for
such a wel as _Hypsipyle_[a] shewed the Grecians: Fearing least that
vnawares as I had russled in the wood I were bitten with the serpent
_Dipsa_[b] my thirst was so vnsupportable. Then renuing my oulde
cogitations: as _I_ lay vnder this mightie Oke: I was oppressed with
emynent sleepe ouer all my members: where againe I dreamed in this
sorte.
[Sidenote A: Moly an herb greatly commended of Homer, and thought
to be souereigne against inchauntments of moderne authors altogether
vnknowne.]
[Sidenote a: Hypsipile was daughter to Thaos king of Lemnos, who
alone when all women of that Iland had slaine their husbands &
kinsmen, saued hir father: she also shewed the Grecians the fountaine
Langia in the wood of Nemea in Achaia where Hercules slue a lion.]

[Sidenote b: Dipsa a kind of snakes that Lucan mentioneth, whose
byting procureth extreame drynes or thirste.]
_Poliphilus sheweth, that he thought he did sleep againe, and in his
dreame thas he was in a Vallie, inuironed with mountaines and hilles,
the end whereof was shut vp in a maruellous sort, with a mightie
pyramides worthie of admiration: vpon the top whereof was a high
obeliske, which with great pleasure hee beheld, and diligently
discribeth_.
Gotten foorth of this fearefull and thick wood, and forgetting the
forementioned places by this sweete sleepe, occasioned by my wearie
members nowe layde along: mee thought that I was in a new more
delectable place, far excelling the former, which consisted not of fertles
mountaines and craggie winding rockes, contayning wide caues, but
being a delicate valley, in the which did rise a small mounting of no
great height, sprinkled heare and there with young Okes, Ashes, Palme
trees broadleaued, _Aesculies_,[a] 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,