The Strife of Love in a Dream

BOOK ONE OF

(Image of a forest scene with figures)

But at last I journeyed so far that I found myself in a forest, great and dark; nor can I remember in what manner I could have gone so astray. Nevertheless, however it happened, I was assailed by a grievous and sudden terror, so much so that my pulse began to beat beyond its usual rate, and my face grew pale. The rays of the sun could not penetrate through the foliage, which made me fear I had arrived in the Black Forest original: "forest noire," likely referring to the Hercynian Forest, in which none dwell except wild and dangerous beasts. For fear of these, I strove with all my might to find a quick exit, and I set myself to running without keeping to any way or path, nor knowing toward what part I should direct myself, often stumbling among the trunks and stumps of trees that were there at ground level. I went forward at times, then suddenly turned back, now to one side, now to the other, my hands and face torn by brambles, thistles, and thorns. And what made it worse for me than all else was that at every step I was held back by my robe, which caught on the bushes and thickets. The labor I had from this was so great and so excessive that there was no more counsel left in me; and I knew not what to do, except to complain in a loud voice. But all that was in vain, for I was heard by no one, except by the beautiful Echo, who answered me from the hollow of the forest; which made me reclaim the help of the piteous Ariadne The Cretan princess who helped Theseus escape the Labyrinth, and desire the thread she gave to the disloyal Theseus to guide him through the Labyrinth.
Poliphilus

OF POLIPHILUS. VI.

Poliphilus, fearing the peril of the forest, made his

the exit, all parched with thirst. And just as he wished to refresh himself at a fountain, and had abandoned the water ready at hand, he heard a melodious song, by following which he found himself afterward in greater anguish than before.

Befogged in my understanding, without being able to know what part I should take—whether to die in that strayed forest or to hope for my uncertain salvation—I made every effort to get out. But the more I entered into great darkness, very weak and trembling for the fear I had; for I expected nothing but that some beast would come to confront me to devour me, or that striking my foot against a trunk or root, I would fall into some abyss and be swallowed by the earth, as was Amphiaraus A hero of Greek myth who was swallowed by the earth while fleeing battle. In this manner was my understanding troubled, without hope and without reason, wandering without way or path. Wherefore, seeing that in my case there was no other remedy, I betook myself to recommend my soul to the divine mercy, saying: "O Diespiter An archaic Latin name for Jupiter, meaning 'Sky Father', most great, most good, most powerful, and most helpful, if by humble and devout prayers humanity can merit the help of divine aid and ought to be heard by you, I, at present repentant and sorrowful for all my past frailties and offenses, beseech and invoke you, sovereign eternal father, ruler of heaven and earth, that it please your incomprehensible deity to deliver me from these perils, so that I may finish the course of my life by some other happy end." Hardly had I finished my prayer, made from the depths of my quite humbled heart, my eyes full of tears—firmly believing that the gods help and save those who invoke them with pure will—than I found myself out of the forest. Whereupon, just as if from a cold and humid night I had arrived into a clear and serene day, my eyes emerging from such darkness could not well (for some time) endure the brightness of the sun. I was tanned or "weather-beaten", sad, and anxious, so much so that it truly seemed I was stifling from a foolish faintness, almost entirely broken and slowed of heart; in short, I esteemed nothing of all that was present to me. Furthermore, I had such a great thirst that the fresh and delicate air could in no way refresh me, nor satisfy the dryness of my mouth. But after having regained a little courage, I deliberated by all means to appease this thirst; wherefore I went searching through that country, until I found a great vein of fresh water, gushing and bubbling in a beautiful fountain, which flowed by a small brook, which became a noisy river across the stones and trunks of trees fallen and overturned in its channel, and against which the water surged back as if angry and vexed that they thought to delay it—it which was augmented by several other rivulets, along with some torrents engendered from the snows.