Hypnerotomachia | Page 5

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].
[Sidenote f: Hyperion the Sunne.]
[Sidenote g: Halcyons are certaine byrds which building near the shore vpon the waues there will be no storme vntill the young be hatched.]
[Sidenote h: Leander a young man of Abydos, who in swimming ouer Hellespont (a narow sea) by Byzantium, which parteth Europ from Asia) to Sestus, was in the sight of his louer Ero of Sestus drowned, which she seeing, threw hir self down into the sea, and died with him.]
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.
Then I being left alone to the high cogitations of loue, hauing passed ouer a long and tedious night without sleepe, through my barren fortune, and aduerse constellation, altogether vncomforted and sorrowfull, by means of my vntimely and not prosperous loue, weeping, I recounted from point to point, what a thing vnequall loue is: and how fitly one may loue that dooth not loue: and what defence there may bee made against the vnaccustomed, yet dayly assaults of loue: for a naked soule altogether vnarmed, the seditious strife, especially being intestine: a fresh still setting vpon with vnstable and new thoughts.
In this sort brought to so miserable an estate, and for a long while plunged in a deepe poole of bitter sorrowes, at length my wandring sences being wearie to feede still vpon vnsauorie and fayned pleasure, but directly and without deceit, vppon the rare diuine obiect: whose reuerende _Idea_ is deeply imprinted within me, and liueth ingrauen in the secret of my heart, from which proceedeth this so great and vncessant a strife, continually renuing my cruell torments without intermission. I began the conditions of those miserable louers, who for their mistresses pleasures desire their owne deaths, and in their best delights do think themselues most vnhappie, feeding their framed passions not otherwise then with fithfull imaginations. And then as a weary bodye after a sore labour, so I, somewhat in outward shew qualified, in the payne of my sorrowfull thoughts, and hauing incloystered and shut vp the course of my distilling teares: whose drops had watered my pale cheekes, thorow amorous griefe, desired some needfull rest.
At length my moyst eyes being closed within their bloudshotten and reddish liddes, presently betwixt a bitter life and a sweet death, I was in them inuaded and ouercome, with a heauie sleepe, who with my minde and watchfull spirits, were no pertakers of so high an operation.
Me thought that I was in a large, plaine, and champion place, all greene and diuersly spotted with many sorted flowerrs, wherby it seemed passingly adorned. In which by reason of the milde and gentle ayre, there was a still quyet whisht: Inso much that my attentiue eares did heare no noyse, neither did any framed speech peirce into them, but with the gratious beames of the sunne, the sliding time passed.
In which place with a fearefull admiration, looking about me, I sayd thus to my selfe. Heere appeareth no humaine creature to my sight, nor sylu? beast, flying bird, countrey house, field tent, or shepheards cote: neyther vpon the gras could I perceiue feeding eyther flock of sheep, or heard of cattell, or rustike herdman with Oten pipe making pastorall melodie, but onely taking the benefit of the place, and quietnesse of the plaine, which assured mee to be without feare, I directed my course still forward, regarding on eyther side the tender leaues and thick grasse, which rested vnstirred, without the beholding of any motion.
At length my ignorant