The Strife of Love in a Dream

FIRST BOOK OF

except a wicked delay of the death I so greatly desired? I was (believe me) so diminished in strength that I could hardly draw breath to warm it within my stomach, where a tiny bit of heat remained, ready to expire and depart, leaving me entirely insensible. For I felt myself, without any doubt, possessed by a vehement and unbearable thirst; I found no other remedy than to take the lowest leaves, still moist with dew, and suck them very gently, wishing for the beautiful Hypsipyle In Greek mythology, Hypsipyle saved the Greeks from thirst by leading them to a spring. to show me a fountain just as she once did for the Greeks. Sometimes the fantasy came to me that I had been in the forest killed or bitten by the serpent named Dipsas A legendary snake whose bite caused intense thirst; original: "Diplas".: whereby I finally renounced my life and all that might happen to it. And I was so strongly alienated and began to waver like a troubled man, dreaming among these branches, where I found myself so overcome by sleep that it seemed to me that I slept.

OF POLIPHILO. BOOK IV.

running with its mouth full, at the sight of which my hair stood up on my head. I wanted to cry out, but I found I had no voice. As soon as it perceived me, it fled into the woods; seeing this, I returned somewhat to myself, and raising my eyes toward the part where the mountains met, I saw a little to the side a great height in the form of a tower, and nearby a building that seemed imperfect; however, from what I could judge, it was of ancient structure.

Poliphilo recounts how it seemed to him

in a dream that he slept, and while sleeping found himself in a valley enclosed by a
great wall in the shape of a pyramid, upon which sat an
obelisk of marvelous height, which he looked upon carefully and with great admiration.

L Having passed through the terrifying forest, and after having left that first region through the sweet sleep that had then overtaken me, I found myself all anew in a place much more delectable than the first. For it was bordered and surrounded by pleasant green hillsides, populated with diverse kinds of trees, such as oaks, beeches, planes, elms, ashes, hornbeams, limes, and others, planted according to the aspect of the place. And down across the plain, there were small bushes of wild shrubs, such as broom, juniper, heather, and tamarisk, laden with flowers, among the medicinal meadows—namely, the three comfreys, elecampane, chervil, lovage, Macedonian parsley, peony, marshmallows, plantain, betony, and other simples Medicinal herbs of all sorts and species, many of which were unknown to me. A little further than the middle of this plain, there was a sandy area mixed with small green mounds and full of fine grass, and a small wood of palm trees, from which the Egyptians gather bread, wine, oil, clothing, and timber for building. Their leaves seemed like sword blades and were laden with fruit. There were large, medium, and small ones, and the ancients gave them the title of signifying victory, because they resist every charge and heavy weight without being able to be cast down. In this place there was no habitation; however, while walking among these trees on the left hand, a wolf appeared to me

On the side where this edifice was, the hills rose a little higher and seemed to join the building which was situated between two mountains, serving as an enclosure to a valley. Therefore, estimating it to be a thing worthy of seeing, I directed my path that way; but the more I approached it, the more the desire grew to look at it. This edifice was a magnificent work, and a marvelous obelisk, founded upon a great heap of stones, the height of which exceeded without comparison the mountains that were on both sides. When I had approached quite near, I stopped to contemplate at more leisure such a great insolence In the sense of "extraordinary boldness" or "grandeur" of architecture which was half demolished, composed of blocks of white marble joined without cement, and so well fitted together that where it was still entire, the point of a needle could not have entered between two stones. There were all sorts of columns, partly fallen and broken, partly whole; and in their places, with their capitals, architraves, friezes, cornices, and bases, of singular invention and workmanship, with several other pieces of noble sculpture, totally beyond recognition of what their carving had been, and almost reduced to their first form, tumbled and scattered here and there across the countryside.