Hypnerotomachia

Part 1

Produced by Louise Hope, Robert Cicconetti and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)

This ASCII-7 file is meant for readers who cannot use the UTF-8 (best) or Latin-1 versions of the text.

As in the Latin-1 text, Greek has been transliterated and placed between +marks+. Hebrew text is similarly #marked#. E: and O: (always capitalized) represent Eta and Omega. e: at the end of some names represents dieresis (separate syllable). or represents the "ae" or "AE" ligature. a or o with tilde has been silently unpacked to am, an, on, om.

Typographical errors are listed at the end of the text. Side/footnote labels in lower-case ( ...) are original; labels supplied by the transcriber are capitalized ( ...).]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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.

Part 2

* * * * *

Anonymi elegia ad Lec- torem.

Candide Poliphilum narrantem somnia Lector auscultes, summo somnia missa polo, Non operam perdes, non hc 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, ingentesq; Colossi, ac Obeliscorum forma vetusta patet. Hic diuersa basis fulget, varique column illarumq; arcus, Zophora, epistilia, Et capita atq; trabes, et cum quadrante coron 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 maiestate tonantis dicat, & in portis egerit ipse tribus. Polia qua fuerit forma, quam culta, tryumphos inde Iouis specta quatuor thereos. Hc prter varios affectus narrat amoris, atque opera & quantum suiat 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. | +------+-------+-------+--------------------+---------------------+

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 issuing foorth, did bewtifie with brightnesse the forhead of Leucothea, 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, 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.

Continue reading Hypnerotomachia free in the Wunder reader →