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قراءة كتاب Hypnerotomachia The Strife of Loue in a Dreame

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‏اللغة: English
Hypnerotomachia
The Strife of Loue in a Dreame

Hypnerotomachia The Strife of Loue in a Dreame

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دار النشر: Project Gutenberg
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hir fayre face and sweete regarding countenance towardes hir wings. The tresses of hir haire flying abroade the vpper part or crowne naked and bare. In hir right hand she held from hir sight a copie or horne stuft full of many good things, stopped vp, and the mouth downewarde, hir left hand fastned and harde holden to hir naked brest. This Image and stature was with euery blast of wind turned, and mooued about with such a noyse and tinkling in the hollownes of the metaline deuise: as if the mynte of the Queene of England had

[v] being going there. And when the foote of the phane or Image in turning about, did rub and grinde vpon the copper base, fixed vpon the pointe of the Obeliske, it gaue such a sound, as if the tower bell of Saint Iohns Colledge in the famous Vniuersitie of Cambridge had beene rung: or that in the pompeous Batches of the mightie Hadrian: or that in the fift Pyramides standing vpon foure. This Obeliske in my iudgement was such, as neyther that in the Vaticane in Alexandria or Babilon, may bee equally compared vnto it, but rather esteemed far inferiour. It conteined in it such a heape of woonders, as I could not without great astonishment looke vpon it. As also consider the hugenesse of the worke, the excessiue sumptuousnesse, the straunge inuention, the rare performance, and exquisite diligence of the woorkeman. With what art inuented? with what power, humaine force, and incredible meanes, enuying (if I may speake it) the workmanship of the heauens, such and so mightie weights should be transported and carryed into the skyes? with what Cranes, winding beames, Trocles, round pullies, Capres bearing out deuices, and Poliplasies, and drawing frames, and roped tryces, therein being vnskilfull, I slip it ouer with silence.

And heere on the other side followeth the figure.

pyramidal building

[v] Let vs returne then to the huge Pyramides, standing vpon a strong and sound plynth or foure square foote, fourteene paces in heigth, and in length sixe furlongs, which was the foundation and bottom of the weightie pyramides, which I perswaded my selfe was not brought from any other place, but euen with plaine labour and workemanship hewen out of the selfe same mountaines, and reduced to this figure and proportion in his owne proper place.

Which great quadrant and square woorke, ioyned not fast to the collaterate and sidelying rockes, but was betwixt spaced and seperated on eyther sides tenne paces. Vpon the right hand as I went of the aforesaid plynth or square sheame, there was most perfectly carued the vyperous head of the fearefull Medusa, in a most furious and rigorous forme to looke vpon, and as it were yelling out: with terrible eyes cauernate, and hollow skowling vnder ther ouerhanging browes with a wrympled and forrowed forehead and gaping wide open mouth, which being hollowed with a dyrect waye from the Catill, and vppon stone by a mediane lyne perpendicular to the center of the far shewing Pyramides, made a large enterance and cõming vnto it, at which opening mouth, compassed with fowlded haires of vnrepartable curiousnes artificiall cunning and costly woorkmanshyppe the assending the turning stayers shewed them selues, and instead of tresses of haire platted with laces, I saw fearefull vypers and winding serpents growing out from the scalpe of the monstrous head confusedly twysting together and hissing, so liuely portrayed and set foorth, that they made me afrayde to behould them. In their eyes were placed most shining stones, in such sort, as if I had not beene perswaded and knowne that they were stones indeed, I durst not haue drawne neere them.

And the aforesayde entrie cut out of the firme stone, led to the scale and compassing passage in the center, with winding steps tending to the highest parte of the stately Pyramides, and opening vpon the outside of the catill or cube: vpon the which the shining obeliske was founded. And among the rest of such notable partes that I beheld, me thought that this deuise was woorth the noting, because the artifitious and most cunning architect with an exquisite and perspicuous inuention, had made to the stayres certaine loopes or small windowes, imbracing the bountifull

beames of the sunne correspondently on three parts, the lower, the middle, and supreame: The lower taking light from the higher, and the higher from the catabasse or lower with their opposite reflexions shewing a maruellous faire light, they were so fitly disposed by the calculate rule of the artificious Mathematrician, to the Orientall Meridionall and Occidentall partes of the ayre, that euery houre of the day the sunne shined in, and gaue light to the whole scale, the same loopes or windolets in diuerse places symmetrially and definitely dispersed and set.

To the aforesaid entrance thorow the open mouth of Medusa, I came by a long gallorie to a salying scale or downe going staire opening at the foot and pauement of the building vpon my right hand against one of the collaterall and side-lying mountaines, betwixt which there was out of the stone and open space cut out of tenne paces vp, into the which I ascended boldely without resistance, and being come to the beginning of the staire in the aforesaid mouth by innumerable steppes and degrees, not without great wearines and disinesse of head, by often turning about, I came to so incredible a height, that my eies would not suffer me to looke downe to the ground insomuch, that me thought that euery thing below vpon the plaine had lost his shape, and seemed vnperfect. In the opening and comming out of this circulate and turning assence many pillars of fused and molten mettall were aptly disposed and surely fixed: the inter-space betwixt euery one and other one foote, and in height halfe a pase, railed and ioyned togither aboue with a battelled coronet al along the said pillar, and of the same metall compassing about the opening of the staire, lest that any comming foorth vnawares should fall downe headlong, For the immesurable height thereof woulde cause a giddines in the head, and bring a staggering to the feete: vpon the plaine of the obeliske there was infixed a table of brasse fastened and soldered in about the height of a man, with an ancient inscription in Latine, Greeke, and Arabike, by the which I plainely vnderstoode that the same was dedicated to the Sunne, and the measure of the work wholy set downe and described, the name of the Architector noted on the obeliske in Greek letters.

ΛΙΧΑ ΣΟΛΙΒΙΚΟΣ ΛΙΟΟΔΟΜΟΣ ΩΡΘΟΣΕΝ ΜΕ.1
Lichas Libiicus architectus me erexit.
Lichas a Libian architector set me vp.

[v] Let vs returne and come backe to the consideration of the But and tessell or square, subiect and vphoulder of the Pyramides in the fronte and foreside whereof I beheld ingrauen a Gigantomachie and combate betwixt Giauntes, the onely enemie to vitall breath, surpassinglie well cut, with the quick motions and liuelie agilities of their large and tall bodyes, vnpossible to be rightlye described, the artificiall handling thereof, as it were enuying

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