Hypnerotomachia - The Strife of Loue in a Dreame by Francesco Colonna
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page 23 of 242 (09%)
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sundrie wall weeds and hearbes, especially the vnshaking Anagyre, the
Lentise of both kindes, beares foote, dogges head, Gladen greene, spotted Iuie, Centarie, and diuers suchlike. And in the myldered places of broken walles grew Howslike, and the hanging Cymbalaria bryers, and pricking brambles, among the which crept Swifts and Lyzarts which I sawe crawling among the ouergrowne stones, which at the first sight in this silent and solitarie place, made me to be warily afraid of them. On euery side there lay fallen downe smoothe round pieces of serpent spotted Marble, purple and red diuerse couloured. Fragments of strange histories, _Panglyphic_ and _Hemygliphic_[E] compendiously caracterized, shewing the excellencie thereof, vndoubtedly accusing our age, that the perfection of such an art is forgotten. [Sidenote d: Paros is one of the 35. Isles called Cyclades and Sporades, in the sea Aegeum which deuideth Europ from Asia.] [Sidenote E: Panglyphic be wholy carued from the head to the foote in all members. Hemigliphic apeare but halfe.] Then comming to the myddle fronture of the great and excellent woorke, I sawe one sole large and marueylous porche worthy of great estimation, proportioned according to the huge quantitie of the rest of the whole work, which was placed betwixt and continued in building from the one and the other of the mountaines hare lipped, and aboue arched, whose space betwixt as I doe coniecture was in measure sixe furlongs, and twelue paces. The top of which mountaines were perpendicularly equall eyther of them touching the azurâd skey. At the sight whereof I imagined with my selfe and deuised to thinke with what yron instruments, with what labour of mens hands, and number of workmen, such a piece of woorke could bee by great strength framed, with much paine layde together, and |
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