Lastly, the redolent flowers beeing diligently taken away, and all thinges that had beene vsed borne from thence, the pauement remayned pure and shining as a most cleare steele glasse, and as it were emulating the pretious iewelles rownde about.
And euerie one beeing sette in his appoynted place, the high and mightie Princesse did commaund a company to come in, and stande vppon the diasper checkers, neuer the like before seene or imagined of anie mortall creature.
_Poliphilus followeth to shew besides this great banket of a most excellent daunce or game, and how the Queene did commit him to two of her Nymphes, the which did leade and conduct him to the sight of many wonderfull things, and as they talked, shewed vnto him the secrecies of such things as hee stood in doubt of. Finally, how they came to the three gates, in the middlemost whereof, hee remained amongst the amorous Nymphes._
Hauing spoken something of the exceeding & incomparable glorie, triumph, vnknowne treasure, plentiful delights, solemne banket, and the most honourable and sumptuous drinking of this most happie and rich Queene, if I haue not distinctly and perfectly expressed her chiefest dignitie, let not the curious company maruel thereat, for whatsoeuer rype, sharpe, and readie wit, with a franke, eloquent and plentiful toong adorned, is not able to performe the least part of his duetie.
And much lesse I, who continually suffer in euerie secret place of my burning heart, an vncessant strife notwithstanding the absence of _Polia_ my mistres, the owner of all my skil, and imprisoner of my perfections.
Besides that, in truth the many maruels in excellency, and varietie vnhard of, so vncoth, rare and straunge vnlikes inestimable, and not humane, haue so oppressed, laden & born down my sences, with the greedie and excessiue contemplation and beholding of their variable diuersities, as that from point to point I am no whit able to describe them, and much lesse worthie to publish them.
All and the most that I can do, is to thinke of the rich apparrel, exquisite prouision, curious dressings, perfect ambitious and wounding bewties without imperfections, their deepe iudgements, _Aemilian_ eloquence, & bountie more then princely, the notable disposition and order of Architecture, the durable Symmetrie and proportion of the building, perfect and absolute, the noblenes of the Art of Masonrie and Lapycidarie, the directions and placing of Columnes, the perfection of statues and representations, the adornment of the walles, the diuersitie of the stones, the stately entrance & princely porch, large Gallery, artificious pauements, no man will thinke with what cost and charge bewtified and hanged with precious Arras and Verdure. The spacious and loftie inner Court, goodly bedchambers, inner withdrawing chambers, parlours, bathes, librarie and pinacloth, where coat Armors escuchions, painted tables, and counterfeates of strangers were kept, & with a maiestical comelines and order placed and solemnely distributed.
In which conceiuing capacitie, maruellous performance, incredible charge and high commendation of the most excellent Artificer, woorthily allowed in euerie partition and elegant conuention of exquisite Lineaments. I also beheld a marueilous twisted conlignation or couering of gold-smiths work, ouer a foure square plaine Court, growing vp alike, without comparison like a heauen, with a disposite distance of many sorted proportions, with sundry lybellated Dimensions, shadowing ouer the Court, with an Arched Eminence, which was vnder, adorned with coronised Lyneaments and grauings, thereunto conuenient, as Fasheols, Gululles, and Oualling, and the leaues of _Achanthus_, licking vp as it were in the corners of the quadranguled Court. With Roses and the growing order of their leaues, the top leafe least, their iaggings about the leaues, and space betweene leafe and leafe. All thinges couered with pure fine gold and Azure colour, with diuers other proportions and counterfets of substance, equal with their workemanship. The roofing of _Salances_ King of _Colchis_, may not compare with this.
Then the delightful fruitfulnes of the set hedges, Orchards, watered Gardens, springing Fountaines, current streames in Marble Channelles, conteined, framed, and held in, with an incredible Art, greene Hearbes, still freshe and flowering, a sweete ayre, warme and spring windes, with a confused charme of singing and chirping birdes, a pure, faire and bright aire, and stil continuing temperate and healthfull, country free from danger and cleane, No craggy nor rockie places, nipt and blasted with sharpe windes, nor burnt with an vntemperate hotte Sunne, but vnder a sweet and pleasant temperature, in a moderate meane reioycing, betwixt two extreemes, the fields fruitful and without tillage and manuring, yeelding all commodities, warme hilles, greene woods and sweet coole shadowes.
Also the inestimable furniture, the attendant housholde and great number, their excellent seruice, the diuersitie of youthes, and all in the prime of their yeares. The delightfull presence of the Nymphes, both attending abroad in the presence and chambers, her baser sort, their honourable and gracious behauiours, their diuersitie of apparrel, attire and dressings set with Pearle and stone, in an allowed, pleasant & louely sort, as any can imagine or expresse. With these infinite riches, supreame delightes, and immeasurable treasure, neither _Darius_, _Cr[ae]sus_, or any other humane state, whatsoeuer might any way compare.
And thus to conclude, being ouercome with the glorie of them, I know not what more to say, but that I stood amazed, and as it were senceles, and yet in great delight and without wearines, beholding those present obiects, and casting with my selfe what fate and destinate should conduct and leade mee into such a place.
But afterwardes finding my selfe in such an accumulation of glorie, pleasant seate, happie Country, great contentment and tryumphant company, such as _Clodius_ the Player in Tragedies neuer had seene. I was but moderately conuerted, notwithstanding the promise of the Queene, to fauour my amorous desire, accounting all, but as eye pleasures that hitherto I had seene and had been presented vnto me, stil desiring a greater happines.
For which cause, and for the greater setting out of the excesse and abounding excellency, beyond all the rest of her royall magnificence, euery one sitting in their place after the miraculous, wonderful, and sumpteous banket, without any delaie, she commanded a game to be playd by parsonages, not onelie woorthie the beholding, but of eternall remembrance, which was a game at Chesse, in this sort as followeth.
By the entraunce of the curtaine there came in thirty two Nymphes, whereof sixteene were apparrelled in cloth of gold (eyght vniformally without difference of degrees) afterwards one of those sixteene was apparrelled in princely robes lyke a King, and the other lyke a Queene, with two tower-keepers or Rookes, as wee tearme them, two counsell-keepers or Secretaries, wee tearme them Bishoppes, and two Knights. In like sort were eight other in cloth of siluer, vnder the like gouernement and magistracie as aforesaid.
Euerie one of these according to their duties, tooke theyr places vppon the checkers of the pauement, that is, sixteene in golde of one side in two rowes, and sixteene in siluer of the contrarie side.
The Musicke beganne vppon a sodayne with a rare inuention to sound a charge with a pleasaunt concord, participating togeather a sweete and thundering melodie, hauing in it a deuine furie.
At the measured sounde and time of the Musicke vppon their checkers, as it pleased the King to commaund, the pawns turning themselues with a decent reuolution, honouring the King and the Queene, leapt vppon an other checker before them.
The King of the white men, his musicke sounding, commaunded her forward that stoode before the Queene, and the same with lyke reuerent behauiour marched forward her continent, and stoode still. And according to the mensuration of the musicall time in this order, so they chaunged their places, or continued vppon the checkers dauncing, vntill that they were eyther taken or commaunded forward by the King.
If the musicke kepte still one time, those eyght vnyforme pawnes did spende the time in marching forwardes into an other checker, neuer comming backe vntill that worthily without touch or appalement of courage, they had leapt vppon the line of that square where was the residence of the Queene, proceeding straight on, vnlesse she tooke a prisoner by a Diagonick line.
The Bishop went in a Diagonike line, still holding that coloured checker wherein he stood first.
The Knight ouer two checkers before him taketh the next of eyther handes, and of a contrary colour to that hee stood in immediately before.
The Castle-keepers or Rookes might passe ouer manie checkers streight on as they pleased at commaundement, so that they might goe one, two, three, foure, or fiue checkers, keeping a measure, and not staying in their march.