A decorative woodcut header featuring a repeating pattern of symmetrical floral scrolls and fleur-de-lis-like motifs arranged in two horizontal registers.

THE STAIRCASE OF DESTINY

OF AUGUSTUS,

Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg.

It was night, and sleep, pitying the hard labors of men,
poured calm rest through weary limbs;
and now it gradually gave way to the whitening East,
at that time when true dreams are said to come to sleepers,
In classical literature, dreams occurring at dawn were believed to be prophetic or "true."
a time you could call neither quite morning, nor yet night;
I seemed, carried away in sleep, to see the Court of Lüneburg.
There, the Welf heights original: Guelphyta; referring to the Welf/Guelph dynasty and their residence in Wolfenbüttel. rise with their lofty roofs;
the bright palace shines, a seat most worthy of the gods;
it is enclosed by walls and solid structures on every side,
while moats with standing waters surround it.
Within, everything glitters with royal luxury.
The great gate of the house, columns of solid rock,
bronze beams, and posts with iron hinges,
stand above the bridge held up by strong chains.
The roof shines on both sides, raised high with many chambers
and dense halls beneath the gables.
Here the Duke’s Archive and the records of Clio original: Clejus; likely referring to Clio, the Muse of history, signifying the palace's role as a center of learning and record-keeping. shine.
The Court stands nearby, opposite the royal roof,
inhabited by the talents of the Fathers and the Holy Senate,
where nourishing Themis The Greek goddess of divine law and order. claims her seat, and
the Virgin Astraea The goddess of Justice, who was the last of the immortals to leave the earth at the end of the Golden Age. keeps her tribunal; they stand facing the long
porticos of the hall, furnished with firm columns.
Attached nearby is the Church, hallowed by piety,
above which the halls and many dining rooms shine,
looking down from above into the clear moats.
Near these appear the inner sanctuaries of the Great Gods,