Part 6

And for as much as the affections of men are naturally variable and different one from an other: vpon this occasion I may bee excused. For although that bread sometime denyed and kept backe from the hungrie body, may cause a hard conceit, yet when it is eftsoones offered vnto him, the mallice is forgotten, and the gift very gratefully receyued.

Nowe hauing in some sorte spoken of the right vse of architecturie, and the direct waye and meanes by order and rule, to finde out, the set downe deuise, and solyde bodye or grounde of the woorke, with facilitie that beeing found out, the architector may vse sundrye deuisions in diuerse perfections, not vnlike vnto a cunning Musition, who hauing deuised his plaine grounde in right measure, with full strokes, afterwarde wyll proportion the same into deuisions, by cromatycall and delyghtfull minims crotchets, and quauers, curiously reporting vpon his plaine song. Euen so after inuention, the principall and speciall rule, for an Architector is a quadrature, the same deuided into smales the harmonie and sweete consent of the building, setteth foorth it selfe, and the conuenient adiunctes, agreeable to theyr principall.

In all which this porche was most excellent, both for the rare inuention and woonderfull composition thereof, and the strange additions to beautifie the same, in such sorte so exquysite, so fitly placed, and so curiouslie cut and ingrauen, as the smallest part thereof could not bee accused of anye fault, but the woorkman commended for the perfection of his skill.

First vpon my right hande belowe, I beheld a stilypode or square stone, like an aulter vnder the bases of the columnes, which hauing vpon the vpper parte a conuenient and meet coronice, and accordingly imbowed, the bottome and lowest part in like manner was fashioned, so as the quadrate and aforesayd stilypode, was no broder then long, but a right quadrangule. Which aulter (as I may tearme it) sidelong about, wrought with leaues, hollowed vnder with a gulaterie, and wrapt ouer wirh the same foliature and leafe worke, hemming in the smooth face or table of the Stilypode of shining white alliblaster, polished and plaine, the outward part of the quadrangule, equilaterally compassing about the same, wherevpon with a woonderfull curiousnes was ingrauen a man neere his myddle-age, of a churlish and swarffie countenance, with an vnshaply beard, thick, and turning into his chyn, by the towghnesse of the hard skinne, and vneasie growing out of the hayre.

He sat vpon a stone with an aporne of a Goates skinne, the hinder parts compassing his waste, and tyed behynde with a knotte, and the neck part, with the hayrie side next him, hung downe betwixt his legges. Before him in the interstice of these grose and tumorus calfes, there was an anuill fastned vpon a knottie peece of a tree, wherevpon he was fashoning of a brigandine or habergion of burning mettall, houlding vp his Hammer, and as it were striking vpon his worke.

And there before him was a most noble woman, hauing two fethered wings set vpon hir delicate and tender shoulders, houlding hir sonne an infante naked, which sate with his little hyppes vpon the large and goodly proportioned thighes of the faire goddesse his mother, and playing with hir, as she held him vp, and putting his feete vpon a stone, as it had beene a little hill, with a fornace in a hollow hole, wherin was an extreame whote burning fire.

This Ladye had hir fayre tresses curiouslie dressed vpon hyr broad and highe forhead, and in like sorte compassing about with abundance, hir head in so rare and delicate a sort, that I marueyled why the Blacksmithes that were there busie at theyr worke, left not off to looke still vpon so beautifull an obiect. There was also fast by, of like excellent woorkemanship, a knight of fierce countenance, hauing vpon hym an armour of brasse, with the head of Medusa vpon the curate or brest plate, and all the rest exquisitely wrought and beautified, with a bandilier ouerthwart his broad and strong brest, houlding with hys brawny arme a halfe Pike, and raysing vp the poynte thereof, and bearing vpon his head a high crested helmet, the other arme shadowed and not seene by reason of the former figure: There was also a young man in silke clothing, behynde the Smith, whome I could not perceiue but from the brest vpwarde, ouer the declyning head of the forenamed Smith. Thys rehearsed hystorie, for the better and sweeter pleasing to the eye, the workeman had graced in this sort. The playne grounde that was hollowe and smoothe in euery cutting out of a limme or body, vpon the table of the stylipode, was like vnto red coroll and shyning, which made such a reflection vpon the naked bodyes, and theyr members betwixt them, and compassing them about, that they seemed lyke a Carnation Rose couler.

Vpon the left side of the doore in the like aulter or stylipode vpon the table thereof, there was ingrauen a yoong man of seemly countenance, wherein appeared great celerity: he sate vpon a square seate adorned with an ancient manner of caruing, hauing vpon his legge a paire of half buskens, open from the calfe of the legge to the ancle, from whence grew out on either ancle a wing, and to whome the aforesaide goddes with a heauenlye shape, her brests touching together and growne out round and firme without shaking, with her large flankes conformable to the rest of hir proportion before mentioned with a sweet countenance offered yoong and tender sonne ready to be taught: the yong man bowing himselfe curteously downe to the childe, who stoode before him vppon his pretty little feete, receiuing from his tutor three arrowes, which in such sort were deliuered as one might easelye coniecture and gather after what manner they were to be vsed: the goddesse his mother holding the empty quiuer and bowe vnbent, and at the feete of this instructor lay his vypered caduce.

There also I saw a squier or armour-bearer and a woman with a helmet vpon her head carying a troph or signe of victorie vpon a speare after this manner. An ancient coate-armor hung vp, and vpon the top thereof or creast, a spheare vpon two wings, and betwixt both wings this note or saying, Nihil firmum, Nothing permanent: she was apparelled in a thin garment carried abroad with the wind, and her breasts bare.

The two straight pillars of Porphyre of seuen diameters vpon either of the aforenamed stilipodes and square aultars did stretch vpward of a pumish or tawnie colour, the out sides shining cleere and smoothly pollished, chamfered, and chanelled with foure and twenty rebaternents or channels in euery collumne betwixt the nextruls or cordels.

Of these the third part was round, and the reason of their cutting in such sort (that is two parts chamfered, & the third round) as I thought was this: the frame or temple was dedicated to both sexes, that is, to a god and a goddesse, or to the mother and the son, or to the husband and the wife, or the father and the daughter, and such like. And therefore the expert and cunning workemen in elder time for the feminine sex, did vse more chamfering and channelling and double varietie then for the masculine, because of their slippery and vnconstant nature.

The cause of so much rebating was to shew that this was the temple of a goddesse, for chamfering dooth set foorth the plytes of feminine apparell, vpon the which they placed a chapter with prependent folding, like vnto plyted and curled haire, and feminine dressing, and sometimes in stead of a chapter a woman's head with crisped haire.

These notable and faire collumnes aforesaide did rise vp in length vpon their vnderset bases of brasse with their Thores and Cymbies wrought with a foliature of oke leaues and acornes winding about their chapters standing vpon their subiect Plynths.

The Chapters of the same substance of their bases, with requisite meete and conuenient proportion aunswerable to the harmonie of the whole worke. Such as Callimachus the chiefe caruer to Calathus the sonne of Iupiter did neuer performe or come neere in the erected sepulcher of the Corinthian Virgin, beautified with draperie of double Achanthis.

The Plynthes whereon the chapters did stand wrought with winding and turning workes, and in the middest, decorated with a Lillie, the bowle garnished with two rowes of viii. leaues of Achanthus, after the Romaine and Corinthian maner, out of which leaues came little small stalkes, closing together in the middest of the boule, shewing foorth a fayre and sweet composed Lyllie in the hollowing of the Abac or Plynth, from the which the tender stalkes did turne round together, vnder the compasse of the square Abac, much after the woorke that Agrippa caused to bee made, in the porche of his woonderfull Pantheon.

Let vs come now to the lymet and lowest parte of the doore, for entrance, which was of a great large and harde stone, powdered with sundry sorted spottes, white, black, and of a clay couler, and diuers other mixtures: vppon this stood the streight cheekes and sides of the doore, with an interstitious aspect, inwardly carued with as great cunning as the rest. Without any signe of eyther hookes or hinges, below or aboue.

The arche of which doore compassing like a halfe cyrcle, was wrought curiouslye and imbowed, and as it were bounde about with laces like beads of brasse, some round, and some like Eglantine berries of a reddish couler, hanging downe after an auncient manner, and foulded and turned in among the tender stalkes.

The closing together and bracing of which hemicycle or arch, worthie of admiration, of a rare and subtile deuise, and exquisite polyture, did thus obiect and present it selfe to my sight.

There I beheld in a hard and most black stone, an eagle displayed, and bearing out of the bignesse of a naturall eagle, which had louingly seazed and taken in hir foote a sweete babe in the swadling cloutes, nicely, carefully, and gently houlding the same, least that hir strong, sharpe, and hooking pounces, should by anye meanes pierce thorough the tender skynne of the young infant.

Hir feete were fixed about the rising vp chist of the childe, whome she had made bare from the nauell vpwarde and downeward so as the naked hippes might be seene betwixt the fethered thighes of the Eagle. This little infant and most beautifull babe (worthie and meete for him that he was seazed for) by his countenance shewed as if he had beene afraide of his fortune.

And thus lying in the foote of the Eagle, he stretched both his armes abroade, and with his little fat hands tooke fast hould vpon the remigiall bones of the Eagles pinions displayed, as aforesaid. And clasping his swelling prittie legges and feete, about hir suruaighing spreding traine, which laye behinde the rising vppe of the arche.

This little childe was cut of the white vayne of Achates or Onix, and the Eagle of the other vaine of the same stone called sardius which is of black couler of some called Cordeoll, ioyning both in one selfe same stone. Whereat I stood musing and commending to my selfe the ingenious and apt inuention of the Arthist, in the vse of such a stone, which of his owne nature to contrarie proportions affoorded contrarie coulers, and in such sort as by the raysing vp of hir small plummage aboue hir seare, hir beack halfe open, and hir toung appearing in the middest thereof, as if she had beene resolutely intended, and eagerly bent to haue gorged hir selfe vpon it.

The hemicicle or arche rising rownd from the vpper part of the streight cheeke of the entrance, according to the thicknes thereof was disposed into losenges or squares, wherein were carued Roses, theyr leaues and branches hanging in a curious and delightfull order to behoulde, ouer the entry of the Gate.

In the two Triangles occasioned by the bow of the arche there were two fayre Nymphes of excellent proportions and shapes, theyr clothes which couered theyr Virgins bodyes, giuing place for theyr legges, brests, and armes to be bare, theyr hayre loose and flying abroad, and towardes the brace, and knitting together of the arche aboue, they held a victorious troph.

The ground of which tryangle was of black stone, the better to shew the perfection and truthe of the mettals in the trophs, and the beautifull bodyes of the delycate virgins.

Aboue these mentioned partes, was the Zophor, in the myddest whereof, I beheld a table of goulde, wherein was this Epigram in Cappitall Greeke Letters of Syluer. In thys sorte reporting.

+THEOIS APHRODITIKAI TO: O: EROTI DIONISOS YKAI DE: ME:TRA EK TO:N IDIO:N MYTRI SUMPATHESTATE:+

Diis veneri filio amori, Bacchus, & Ceres de propriis, S. substantiis matri pientissim.