The Dream of Poliphilus

[Poliphilo] describes and distinguishes the island into small thickets, meadows, gardens, rivers, and fountains, in such a way that he has made it more beautiful than the Elysian Fields The paradise of the afterlife in Greek mythology. of which the Greek and Latin poets have made such great mention. There, the amorous Nymphs make several beautiful presents to Cupid, which he receives and accepts: then he proceeds upon a triumphal Chariot to a marvelous Theater situated in the middle of the island, at the center of which is the fountain of Venus, surrounded by seven columns of precious stones. There the author recounts all the mysteries that were performed nearby, then how, for the coming of the god Mars, he and his lady-love were constrained to retire with the Nymphs, who led them to another fountain, near which was the tomb of Adonis, in commemoration of whom the goddess Venus every year has a funeral procession made, and she herself assists, performing the office of Prioress original: "Prieuſe". Martin uses a contemporary religious title for the goddess's role in the pagan rite.. The Nymphs being seated around the foot of this fountain, they request Polia that it be her pleasure to tell them of what race she is descended, and how she became amorous, together with the discourse of her loves, and there ends the first book. In the second, this same Polia, to satisfy the request of the Nymphs, details her kinship entirely to them, and does not fail to say how the city of Treviso original: "Treuiz" was first built. Then she pursues the difficulty there was before she could condescend to become amorous, and then the happy success she has of her loves. Upon which the history finishes with several notable accessories, and Poliphilo awakens at the song of the Nightingale.

You may believe, My Lords, that beneath this fiction there are many good things hidden, which it is not lawful to reveal, and also you would have no pleasure if they were specified to you particularly: for you would never taste the favor of the fruit which can be gathered in this reading: wherefore I will say no other thing to you, but will refer everything to the exercise of your studies. Nonetheless, to make known to you the name of the author, I will indeed say this word in passing, that one must follow from the beginning until the end the capital letters enriched with Arabesque leaves, and those will instruct you of what you desire Martin is referring to the book’s famous acrostic: the first letter of each chapter spells out POLIAM FRATER FRANCISCVS COLVMNA PERAMAVIT (Brother Francesco Colonna loved Polia intensely).. Regarding the name of Polia, she herself explains it at the beginning of the second book, where she says she bears the name of the Roman lady who killed herself for having been violated by the son of a proud King A reference to Lucretia, whose suicide after being raped by Sextus Tarquinius led to the founding of the Roman Republic.: and in order to give an understanding of her surname with the ancient nobility of her race, she details the history of one Lelius who was the founder of Treviso in the domain of the Venetians: wishing thereby to infer that she is descended from him. There, My Lords, is all I wish to say of it, except that this book has not had as good a destiny as its subject deserved, because it did not fall at the first stroke into the hands of the true French Cicero, who is Nicolas de Herberay, Lord of Les Essarts, who has made an Amadis of Castile Herberay des Essarts was famous for his translation of the chivalric romance Amadis de Gaule. recently come into our hands speak so properly, that I do not know if those of our posterity will be able to follow him, much less surpass him. Truly, if this book had at first sight fallen into his hands, and he had wished to employ his style to make it speak our natural tongue, I am of the opinion that it would now be the pearl of all those which for twenty years have been communicated to us in this language: for as for those from before, I do not think one should make much account of them. Nevertheless, I still wish to testify that whoever the gentleman might be who first translated it into our common speech, he is wor[thy]...