Hypnerotomachia | Page 8

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, Tetrifolie, Sheere grasse, hunnisuckle, the musked Angelica, Crowfoot Elapium and Rugwoort, with other profitable and vnknowne hearbes and flowers heare and there diuerslie disposed. A little beyond in the same valley, I founde a sandie or grauelly plaine, yet bespotted with greene tuffes, in which place grew a faire Palme tree with his leaues like the Culter of a plowe, and abounding with sweet and pleasant fruite, some set high, some lowe, some in a meane, some in the very top, an elect and chosen signe of victorie. Neither in this place was there any habitation or creature whatsoeuer. Thus walking solitarily betwixt the trees, growing distantly one from another, I perswaded my selfe, that to this no earthly situation was comparable: in which thought I soddainely espied vpon my left hand, an hungrie and carniuorous Woolfe, gaping vpon me with open mouthe.
[Sidenote a: Aesculus is a tree bearing both greater fruite and broder leaues then the Oke.]
[Sidenote b: Gemista beareth a cod and yellowe flower, vines are bound therewith.