But yet forthwith returning to the inward impression of my sweetest obiect, stil dwelling in the secret of my heart, I fell into blobering teares, for the losse of two so worthie iewels. That was _Polia_ and my precious life. Continually calling vpon her with deepe sighes and singultiue sobbings, sounding in the thicke ayre, incloystered vnder the huge arches and secret darke couering, saying thus to my selfe.
If I die heere thus miserably, sorrowfully, and vncomfortably, all alone, who shal bee a woorthie successour of so precious a gemme? And who shal be the possor of such a treasure of so inestimable valure? And what faire heauen shal shew so cleare a light? Oh most wretched _Poliphilus_, whether dost thou go vnfortunate? whether dost thou hasten thy steppes? hopest thou euer to behold againe any desired good? Behould all thy gratious conceits and pleasant highe delyghtes builded in thy apprehensiue thoughtes, through the sweetenes of loue, are deadly shaken, and abruptlie precipitated and cast downe? Looke how thy loftie _Amorous_ cogitations are shaken in peeces and auchilated. Ah me what iniurious lot & maleuolent constellations, haue so perniciously driuen, and deceitfully allured thee into this miserable obscure darknes? and now haue despitefully ledde thee in a heape of mortal feares, and drowning in a deepe sea of vnspeakeable sorrowes. To the vnmercifull deuouring and sodaine gobbling vp of so filthie a monster, and to bee rotted and disgested in the stinking intrailes of so fowle a beast, and to bee cast out in so vile a place. Oh lamentable and vnaccustomed death. O miserable end of my desired life. Where are my eyes? what be they barreine? Is their humor gone? Are there no more teares left to fall trickeling downe my blubbered cheekes? Well then I perceiue that death is at my backe, who did euer see such a change of fortune? Behold vnhappie and wayward death, and the last houre, and accursed minute thereof at hande, in this darkesome shade, where my bodie and flesh is appointed to bee a foode for so fowle a beast. What furie? what crueltie? what miserie more monstrous can a mortall creature suffer. That sweete and pleasant light should bee rest from them that bee aliue, and the earth denied to them that are dead. What hoggish calamitie, and deformed mishap, so greeuously and vntimely shall abandon from mee my most desired and florishing _Polia_, Farewell the merror of all vertue, and true perfection of beautie, farewell.
And thus beyond all measure tost and tumbled in such and so great afflictions, my verie soule was vexed within me, striuing to be set at libertie from my vnfortunate and feeble bodie, passing vp and downe I knew not where. My legges weake, feeble, and fowltering vnder mee, my spirites languishing, and my sences in a maner gone from mee. Sauing that I called deuoutly vppon the omnipotent God to haue pittie vppon mee, and that some good Angell might bee appointed to conduct mee out. And with that beholde I discouered a little light. To the which, how gladly I hasted, let euerie one iudge what hee would doo in such a perplexitie.
I saw an euerlasting Lampe, burning before an Aultar that was fiue foote high, and tenne foote broad, with the images of golde standing thereupon, which I could not verie perfectly behold, notwithstanding the burning Lampe, the grossenes of the ayre was such and so great an enemy to the light.
And alwayes with attentiue eares I diligently harkened, as not yet ridde of feare, and somewhat I saw, the dimme images and the large foundations, and feareful vaultes, and subterraneal buttresses or vpholders and strengthes, heare and there in infinite places distributed, and many huge and mightie pillers, some fouresquare, some sixe square, some eight square, aptly set vnder and approportioned to sustaine the vast bignes of the waightie _Pyramides_.
There I hauing small delight to make anie long staie, I intended to take an vnknowne way further in, which my vndertaken course, I espied a light whiche so long I had wished for, comming in at a litle wicket as small as I could see.
Oh with what ioy, and with what a glad heart, I beheld it, and with what cheare did I hasten my steppes towards it. Perchance faster then _Canistius_ or _Philonides_[A] my vnbrideled gladnesse and extreame desire to come neere therevnto was such, that I reuoked and haled backe againe the diuorse of my discontented and irkesome life, successiuely comforting my perturbed minde and quailed hart. Somewhat refreshing and reassuring my selfe: filling vp againe my euacuated and emptie heart, and replenishing the same with his ould cogitations.
[Sidenote A: Two blockish lasie lubbers, one of Melite an other of Athens, that thought it a great labour to eate their owne meate.]
Nowe I settled my selfe more towardes my louely _Polia_, and bound my affections more surely to hir. Being perswaded and firmely opinionated, that this sight was a traunce in loue, for shewing that I should dye and lose my loue. Oh how extreamely did it vexe mee. Neyther did it refuse or make resistance to anye sharpe and newe assaulte of loue, which in my stroken and sore wounded heart woulde lye festering and feeding of himselfe.
And by this time, all lets and hynderances past ouer, a spatious and large going out was offered vnto me. Then by meanes of the cleere light I was somwhat comforted, and reassuming and gathering together againe my wandering thoughts, and restoring my prostrate force, my suspected and vnknowne voyage, made me to set out in running: so as the nearer I came to the doore, the bigger mee thought it grewe. To the which at last by Gods wyll, _Polia_ in my amorous brest bearing a predominante vigor, I came, not ceasing to continue forward my fast course: my hands which before I groping helde foorth, to keepe me from running against pyllers, I nowe vsed like a payre of Ores to hasten mee awaye.
Thus traueling on safely, I came into a verie pleasaunt sighte and counttie, in the which I was not yet without feare, and not daring to rest me downe, the impression of the horrible monster was so fresh in my minde, that mee thought I still heard him behinde me, and therefore I could not so easily forget him. But was rayther perswaded to goe on further: first because the countrie was so fertile, pleasaunt and beautifull. Secondly, that I might get farre enough off from the place wherein I was so lately affrighted. That then I sitting downe, might rest my selfe, and set my minde together againe, and forget this conceiued dread, at my entrance in of the gate, the apparation of the white Sorix gratiously comming againe into my reteyning memorie, an exhortatorie prouacation, and good occasion to animate and comforte me, because that to _Augures_ it was a gratefull and propitious signe of good luck.
[Sidenote A: Capillata ministra.]
At last I was resolutely perswaded to commit my selfe to the benignitie of my good fortune, which some time might bee vnto me an officious and bountifull handmaide, of prosperous euents.[A] And therewithall pricked forward and prouoked to continue on my walke, whether my wearie and feeble legges would conduct and bring mee. And yet I was (as in good sorte became mee) somewhat doubtfull to enter into such a place, (beeing vnknowne vnto mee) where perchaunce it was not lawfull for me to come. Albeit that I was heerin more audacious and bould a great deale, then in the enteraunce of the gorgeous Porche. And thus my brest fast beating, and my minde perplexed, I saide to my selfe.
There is no cause that should lead mee to turne back againe, all things considered: is not this a safer place, and more fit to flie from daunger? Is it not better to hassard a mans lyfe in the light and cleere Sunne, then to dye and sterue in a blinde darkenesse? and so resolued not to turne backe anye more: with a deepe set sighe, I called into memorie, the pleasure and delight that my sences had well neere lost: for the woorke which I had seene was full of maruelous woonders, and thinking by what meane I was depriued of them, I called to remembrance the brasen Lyons, in Salomons Temple, which were of such fierce countenances, as that they would bring men to forgetfulnes.
And into such an estate I was afrayde that the dragon had brought me, that so excellent and maruellous woorkes, and rare inuentions, in a manner vnpossible for any humaine creature to performe, worthie to be manifested, and by my selfe diligentlye perused, should now be fled out of my sucking remembrance, so as I should not bee able to make a true reporte of them: but therein I contraried my selfe: neither did I finde that I was in a Lithargie passion: But that I verrie well remembred and helde without any defaulte in order and proportion whatsoeuer I had seene and beheld. And that the monstrous and cruell beast was a verrie liuelye substance, and no fiction, the like of any mortall man sildome seene, no not of _Regulus_. The verie remembrance whereof, made my hayre stand right vp, and foorthwith mooued me to mend my pace.