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How Poliphilo saw the four triumphal chariots, accompanied by a great multitude of young men and maidens. 53.

How Polia, as yet unknown to Poliphilo, shows him the young men and the maidens who loved in the times of old, and in like manner were loved by the Gods: then she makes him see the poets singing their immortal verses. 63.

How after the young lady had declared to Poliphilo the mystery of the triumphs, and the sweet loves of the Gods, she admonished him to go further forward: which he did not refuse: and there he saw several young Nymphs passing the time all along a stream with their faithful lovers: then how he found himself smitten with love for the young lady who was his guide. 64.

How the Nymph conducts Poliphilo to several other places, and makes him see the triumph of Vertumnus and Pomona Vertumnus and Pomona are Roman deities of the seasons, gardens, and fruit trees; their "triumph" is a symbolic procession of natural abundance.: then leads him into a sumptuous temple, which he describes at great length: and how, by the exhortation of the Prioress, the Nymph extinguished her torch there with great ceremony, making herself known to Poliphilo, and declaring that she was his Polia: and of the sacrifices that were performed there. 66.

How Polia offered the two turtledoves, and of a little angel who arrived there: whereby the prioress made her prayer to the goddess Venus: then the roses were scattered, and two swans sacrificed: upon the ashes of which grew miraculously a Rosebush full of flowers and fruit, of which Poliphilo and Polia ate. And how after the sacrifice they took leave of the prioress, then came to another ruined temple: the custom of which Polia explains to Poliphilo, and persuades him to go see several epitaphs and tombs that were there: which he did, and returned quite terrified. 79.

How Polia persuades Poliphilo to go to the destroyed temple to see the ancient epitaphs, where among other things he found in a painting the abduction of Proserpine Proserpine (Persephone) was abducted by Pluto to the underworld; Poliphilo fears a similar "misfortune" or "mischief" (meschef) has taken his beloved.: and how, while looking at it, he was afraid of having by a similar misfortune lost his lady-love: wherefore he returned quite terrified. Afterward the god of love original: "le dieu d'amours," referring to Cupid. came toward them, who made them enter into his skiff: and of the honor that the sea gods did him for as long as his voyage lasted. 84.

How the Nymphs rowing in Cupid's boat began to sing, and Polia along with them. 104.

How they arrived at the island of Cythera Cythera is the legendary island home of the goddess Venus.: the beauty of which is described here, together with the form of their boat: and how, upon descending, several Nymphs came before them to do honor to Cupid their master. 105.

How Cupid descended from the boat: and how the Nymphs of the island came before him richly attired in triumphal finery: the gifts they offered him: then how he mounted into his triumphal chariot, to go to the theater, and had Poliphilo and Polia led after him, bound and tied with several others: and here is described the form of the theater, both from the outside and the inside. 115.

Poliphilo describes in this chapter the great and marvelous craftsmanship of the fountain of Venus, which was in the middle of the amphitheater. And how the curtain by which it was enclosed was broken: whereby he saw in majesty the goddess, who consigned Polia to three of her Nymphs, and Poliphilo to three others. Then how they were wounded by Cupid, and sprinkled by his mother with the water of the fountain. At the end, because of the arrival of the god Mars, how they took their leave and departed from the amphitheater. 125.

Poliphilo recounts how, at the arrival of the great god Mars, he and Polia, departing from the theater, came to another fountain, where the Nymphs declared to them the customs and institu-