Aboue in this great Court paued as aforesayd, in the passage towardes the Porche, some tenne paces, I beheld a prodigious winged vaughting horse, of moulten brasse, of an exceeding bignesse, his wings fanning out. His hooues standing vpon a smooth plaine base or frame, fiue foote brode, and nine feete in length, in heigth proportionable to the bredth and length: with his head at libertie and vnbrideled: hauing his two small eares, the one standing forward, and the other drawne back, with a long waued maine, falling from his crest on the contrarye side: vpon whose backe diuers young youthes assayed to ride, but not one was able to sit stedfast, by reason of his swiftnesse and high bounding, from whom some were fallen downe, lying wide open to the ayre, some groueling, other falling headlong, betwixt the horsse and the earth, the rest in vaine houlding by the hayre of his maine, some forceing to get vp vpon him, and others indeuoring to recouer themselues from vnder his feete.
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Vpon the vpper part of the frame and base, there was infixed and fastned with lead, a footing or thick crust, of the same mettall that the horse was, and vpon the which he stoode, and those that were ouerthrowne did lye, somewhat shorter and narrower then the base or subiect frame, the whole masse or composition cast of a peece and of the same mettall, maruelouslie founded. Lastlye you could not perceiue that any were contented with his rowghnes, as appeared by their framed countenances, shewing a discontent which they could not vtter being sencelesse images, not differing otherwayes thorough the excellent conning of the craftisman from liuing creatures, and by his surpassing imitation of nature.
_Peryllus_ there might go put vp his pypes, and blush with his deuised Bull, and _Hiram_ the Iewe must heere giue place, or what founders els soeuer.
The _P[ae]gma_ base or subiect for this metaline machine to stand vpon, was of one solyde peece of marble (of fit and conuenient breadth, heighth, and length, for that purpose accordinglye proportioned) full of streaming vaines, sondry coulered, and diuerslye spotted, maruelous pleasant to the eye, in infinite commixtures, confusedly disposed.
Vpon the brest or formost part, and end of the marble base, that was opposite against the porch, there was a garland of greene marble, like the leaues of bitter _Alisander_, commixt with dead leaues of Maydenweede, of a hayre coulour, within the which there was a smoothe round, pure, white stone, wherein was ingrauen these capitall Romaine letters.
[Illustration: : D : AMBIG : D : D : EQVVS INFOELI/CI/TATIS]
At the hinder end in like sort was a garland of deadly Woolfwoort, with this inscription, _Equus inf[ae]licitatis_. And vpon the right side there was ingrauen certaine figures, shapes, and representments of men and women dauncing together, byformed or faced, the formost smiling, the hynmost weeping:[A] and dauncing in a ring, with theyr armes spred abrode, and hanfasted man, with man and woman with woman. One arme of the man vnder that of the woman, and the other aboue, and thus closing together, and houlding by the hands, they floung about one after another, that alwayes still in one place, a smyling countenance incountered a foregoing sad. Their number was seauen and seauen, so perfectly and sweetely counterfeited with liuelie motions, their vestures whisking vp and flying abroad, that the workman could not be accused of any imperfection, but that one had not a liuely voyce to expresse their mirth, and the other brinish teares to manifest their sorrow: the said daunce was in fashion of two Semicircles, with a seperating partition put betwixt.
[Sidenote A: None liue in this world in that pleasure, but they haue also their sorowes in time.]
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Vnder which Hemiall figure, there was inscript this worde TEMPVS. On the contrary side I beheld many of greene adolescency of like proportion to the former, and in suchlike compasse or space, the grounds of both beautified and set foorth with an exquisite foliature or woorke of leaues and flowers, this companie was plucking and gathering of the flowers of sundrye hearbes, and tender bushing stalkes and braunches; and with them diuers faire Nimphes pleasantly deuising, and sportinglie snatching away their gathered flowers,[A] and in such sort as abouesaid vnder the figure were ingrauen certaine capitall letters, to shew this one word AMISSIO, conteyning the ninth part to the Diameter or the quadrature.
[Sidenote A: Gift vainely bestowed, in time wantonlie spent, is a great losse, & breedeth repentance.]
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At the first sight hereof I was amased and astonished, but with better regard & great delight curiously reouerlooking the huge founded Machine the shape and forme of a horse made by humane industry and skill most commendable, for that euery member without defect had his perfect harmonie, and euery limme his desired proportion, I straight called to remembrance the vnfortunate horse of _Scian_.
And thus helde still to beholde the same artificiall mysterie, an other spectacle and obiect no lesse worthy to be looked vpon than the former, offered it selfe to my sight, which was a mighty Elephant, whereunto with a desirous intent I speedely hyed me to approch and come neere.
In which meane while on an other side I heard a mournefull noise and humane groaning, as proceeding from a sicke body euen vnto death: whereat I stoode still at the first, my haires standing right vp, but presently without further stay, I addressed my steppes towards the place from whence I heard this wofull noyse and dolefull lament, forcing my selfe vp vppon a heape of ruinated, broken and downe-fallen marbles. Thus willingly going forward, I came to a vast and wonderfull large Colose, the feete thereof bare, and their soles hollowe, and the legges as if their flesh had beene wasted, consumed and fallen away. From thence with horror I came to looke vpon the head, where _I_ did coniecture and imagine, that the ayre and winde getting in and comming foorth of his wide open mouth, and the hollow pipes of his throat, by a diuine inuention did cause this moderated noise and timed groanes: it lay with the face vpward all of molten mettal, like a man of middle age, and his head lifted vp as with a pillowe, with a resemblance of one that were sicke, breathing out at his mouth, sighes and groanes gaping, his length was three score paces. By the haires of his beard you might mount vp to his breast, and by the rent and torne peeces of the same to his stil lamenting mouth, which groningly remained wide open and empty, by the which, prouoked by the spurre of curious desire, I went downe by diuers degrees into his throat, from thence to his stomacke, and so foorth by secret wayes, and by little and little to all the seuerall partes of his inward bowelles, Oh wonderfull conceit. And euery part of mans body hauing vpon it written his proper appellation in three ideomes Chaldee, Greeke and Latine, that you might know the intrailes, sinews, bones, veines, muscles and the inclosed flesh, and what disease is bred there: the cause thereof, the cure and remedy, Vnto which inglomerated and winding heape of bowelles, there was a conuenient comming vnto and entrance in: with small loope-holes and wickets in sundry places diuersly disposed, yeelding thorough them a sufficient light to beholde the seuerall partes of the artificiall anothomie, not wanting any member that is found in a naturall body.
When I came to the heart, did see and reade how Loue at his first entrance begetteth sorow, and in continuaunce sendeth out sighes, and where Loue doth most greeuously offend: wherewithall _I_ was mooued to renew my passion, sending out from the botome of my heart deepe set and groaning sighs inuocating and calling out vpon _Polia_, in such sort as that the whole Colose and Machine of brasse did resound, striking me into a horrible feare: an exquisite Arte beyond all capacity, for a man to frame his like not being an Anotomy indeede.
Oh the excellency of passed wittes, and perfect golden age when Vertue did striue with Fortune, leauing onely behind him for an heritage to this our world, blinde, ignorant, and grudging desire of worldly pelfe.
Vpon the other side I perceiued of like bignes to the former Colose, the vpper part of a womans head some deale bare, and the rest buried with the decayed ruines, as I thought, of such like workmanship as the other, and being forbidden by incomposite and disordered heapes of decayed and fallen downe stones, to view the same I returned to another former obiect, which was (and not farre distant from the horse straight forward) a huge Elephant of more blacke stone than the Obsidium, powdered ouer with small spottes of golde and glimces of siluer, as thicke as dust glistering in the sonne. The extreame hardnes whereof the better did shew his cleere shining brightnes, so as euery proper obiect therein did represent it selfe, excepte in that parte where the mettall did beare a contrary colour. Vpon his large backe was set a saddle or furniture of brasse, with two gyrthes going vnder his large belly, betwixt the which two being streight buckled vp with buckles of the same stone, there was inter-set a quadrangle correspondent to the breadth of the Obeliske placed vpon the saddle, and so iustly set, as no perpendicular line would fall on either side the diameter. Vpon three parts or sides of the foure square Obelisk, were ingrauen Egiptian caracters. The beast so exactly and cunningly proportioned, as inuention could deuise, and art performe. The aforesaid saddle and furniture set foorth and beautified with studdes hanging iewels, stories, and deuises, and houlding vp as it were a mightie Obeliske of greene couloured stone of Lacedemonia, vpon the euen square, two paces broad, and seauen in height, to the sharpe pointe thereof, waxing smaller and smaller, vpon which pointe there was fixte a Trigon or rounde Ball of a shinyng and glystering substance.