Vnder and aboue the borders, the vessel was wrought with turned gululs, vnduls, and imbossings, and with such lineaments were the borders wrought, both vnder and aboue. Vppon the border in the necke of the couer, were two halfe rings, suppressed in the border by transuersion, one of them iust against another, which were holden in the biting teeth of two Lysarts, or byting Dragons of greene emerauld, bearing out from the couer. They stoode with their serpentlike feete vpon the lower part of the couer vnder the necke, betwixt the which and the lower vessell, was one quantitie, and from his vpper gracilament descending, he ioyned with the turned in sime of the circumferent lymbus or verdge, where they did closely byte togither. This couer to the necke was made in skalie work of _Hyacinth_, except the vaynes of smaragd, for the little dragons, their bellies and feetes fastening to the skalie couer. These little dragons one against an other, their brests and throtes hollowing out from the border and the couer, and their tayles turning vpwards againe, did serue for the eares of the couer, iust ouer them of the lower vessell.
The lower turning about, where the couer did close with the vessell being of two parts, ioyned togither with an excellent foliature, halfe a foote broad, as if they had bin inseparable.
The bodie of this vessell was all run ouer with a Vine, the stringes and vaines whereof, and small curling twists, were of Topas, farre better then is founde in the Ilande Ophiadis, the leaues of fine smaragd, and the braunches of Amethist, to the sight most beautifull, and to the vnderstanding woonderfull contemplable. The subiect vessell appearing thorough the same of Hiacinth so round and polished, as any wheele can send foorth: except, vnder the leaues there was a substaunce left, which helde the foliature to the vessell of Hiacinth, passing ouer and separated from the subiect. The hollowed and bending leaues with all the other lapicidariall lineaments, were performed with such an emulation of nature as was woonderfull.
Let vs nowe returne to the circumferent brim of the pretious vessell. In the smooth partes whereof, vppon eyther sides of the tayles of the Lysarts, I behelde two hystorials woorthy of regard, ingrauen in this sort. Vpon the foreside of the vessell, the representation of _Iupiter_, holding in his right hande a glistering sword, of the vayne of the [Ae]thiopian Chrysolits: and in the other hande a thunder bolt of shining Rubie. His countenance sauour of the vaine of Gallatits, and crowned with stars like lightening, he stoode vpon an aultar of Saphyre. Before his fearefull maiestie, were a beuie of Nymphs, seauen in number, apparrelled in white, proffering with their sweete voices to sing, and after transforming themselues into greene trees like emeralds full of azure flowers, and bowing themselues downe with deuotion to his power: Not that they were all transformed into leaues, but the first into a tree, hir feete to rootes, their armes and heads into braunches, some more then other, but in a shewe that they must followe all alike, as appeared by their heads.
Vpon the other Anaglyph, I did behold a merrie and pleasant maiesticall personage, like a yoong fat boye, crowned with two folding serpents, one white, and the other blacke, tied into a knot. Hee rested delightfullie vnder a plentifull vine tree full of ripe grapes, and vpon the top of the frame there were little naked boies, climing vp and sitting aloft gathering the ripe clusters: others offering them in a basket to the God, who pleasantly receiued them: other some lay fast a sleepe vpon the ground, being drunke with the sweet iuice of the grape. Others applying themselues to the worke of mustulent autumne: others singing and piping: all which expression was perfected by the workman in pretious stones, of such colour as the naturall liuelinesse of euery vaine, leafe, flower, berrie, body, proportion, shape, and representation required. And in this imagerie, although it was very small, yet there was no defect to be found in the least part belonging thereunto, but perfectly to be discerned.
Out of this former described vessell did spring vp a greene flourishing vine, the twisting branches thereof full set with clusters of grapes, the tawny berries of Indian Amethyst, and the leaues of greene Silenitis of Persia: Not subiect to the change of the moone, delighted of _Cupid_. This tree shadowed the chariot: At euery corner of this triumphant chariot vpon the plaine where the vessell stood, was placed a candlesticke, of excellent workmanship, vpon three feet of red corrall, well liked of the ruder sort, resisting lightening and tempests, fauourable and preseruatiue to the bearer: The like were not found vnder the head of _Gorgon_ of Persia, nor in the Ocean _Erythreum_. The steale of one of the candlesticks was of white corrall, beloued of _Diana_, of a conuenient length, with round knobs and ioints, in height two foote. Another was of most fine stone _Dionisias_, hauing spots growing from a blackish to a pure red, the same pounded smelleth sweetly. The third was of perfect _Medea_ of the colour of darke gold, and hauing the smell of Nectar. The fourth of pretious _Nebritis_ from a blacke growing to a white and greene. Out of the hollowed steales whereof, there ascended vp a pyramidall flame of euerlasting fire, continually burning. The brightnes of the works expressed through the reflexion of the lights, and the sparkling of the pretious stones were such, as my eies dazeled to behold them.
About which heauenly triumph, with a maruellous and solemne pompe, infinite troups of Nymphs, their faire and plentifull tresses falling loose ouer their shoulders, some naked with aprons of goates skins and kids, others with tymbrels and flutes, making a most pleasaunt noise, as in the daunce called Thiasus, in the trieterie of _Bacchus_, with green leaffie sprigs and vine branches, instrophyated about their heads and wasts, leaping and dauncing before the triumphs: immediately after the triumphs followed an olde man vpon an asse, and after him was led a goate adorned for a sacrifice: And one that followed after carrieng vpon hir head a fanne, making an vnmeasurable laughter, and vsing furious and outragious gestures. This was the order of these _Mimallons_, _Satirs_, and seruants to Bacchus, bawds, _Tyades_, _Naiades_ and such as followed after.
_The Nymph doth shew to Poliphilus the multitude of yoong Louers, and their Loues, what they were, and in what sort beloued_
It is verie hard for a man to accommodate his speech to apte termes, whereby he may expreslie declare the great pompe, indesinent triumph, vncessaunt ioie and delightful iettings aboute these rare and vnseene chariots, and being once vndertaken, it is as vneasie to leaue off: besides the notable companie of yoong youths, and the increasing troups of innumerable faire and pleasant Nymphs, more sharpe witted, wise, modest, and discreet, then is ordinarily seene in so tender yeeres, with their beardles Louers, scarce hauing downy cheekes, pleasantly deuising with them matters of Loue. Manie of them hauing their torches burning, others pastophorall, some with ancient spoiles vppon the endes of streight staues, and others with diuers sorts of Trophes vpon launces, curiouslie hanging, caried before the mystical triumphs, with shouting resounds aboue in the aire. Some with winde-instruments of diuers fashions and maner of windings, sagbuts and flutes. Others with heauenly voices singing with ineffable delights, and exceeding solace, past mans reason to imagine: within them passed about the glorious triumphs, turning vpon the florulent ground, and green swoord, a place dedicated to the happie, without anie stub or tree, but the fielde was as a plaine coequate medowe of sweete hearbes and pleasaunt flowers, of all sorts of colours, and sundry varieng fashions, yeelding so fragrant a smell as is possible to speake of, not burnt with the extreeme heat of the sunne, but moderate, the ground moystened with sweete ryuers, the aire pure and cleane, the daies all alike, the earth continually greene, the spring neuer decaieng but renuing, the coole grasse with variable flowers like a painting, remaining alwaies vnhurt, with their deawie freshnesse, reseruing and holding their colours without interdict of time. There grewe the fower sortes of Violets, Cowslops, Melilots, Rose Parsley or Passeflower, Blew bottles, Gyth, Ladies seale, Vatrachium, Aquilegia, Lillie conually, Amaranth, Flower gentle, Ideosmus, all sorts of sweete pinks, and small flowring hearbs of odoriferous fragrancie and smell, Roses of Persia, hauing the smel of muske and Amber, and innumerable sorts of others without setting, but naturally growing in a woonderfull distribution, peeping out from their greene leaues, and barbs very delightfull to behold.
In this place I might see goodly braue women as the Archadian _Calisto_ the daughter of _Lycaon_, with the vnknowen _Diana_. The Lesbian _Antiopa_ daughter to _Nycteus_, and mother to _Amphion_ and _Zeteus_ that built Thebes, with hir satyre. _Issa_ the daughter of _Machareus_ with hir shepheard. _Antichia_ the daughter of _Aecus_ and yoong _Danae:_. _Asterie_ the daughter to _C[ae]us_, and _Alchmena_ with hir fained husband. Afterward I beheld the pleasant _[Ae]gina_ solacing hir selfe with the cleere flood and diuine fire. The daughter of _Fullus_ and that of _Menemphus_, with hir counterfeit father, and that other of _Diodes_ with hir lap full of flowers and a writhing serpent, and the faire yoong gyrle no more sorrowing for the growing of hir hornes. _Astiochia_ and _Antigone_ the daughter of _Laomedon_ solaciously delighting hir selfe in hir storkish plumes, and _Lurisile_ the first inuentrix of wheeles. _Garamantide_ the dauncing Nymph holding by hir little finger, and washing hir delicate pretie feete from sweate in the riuer Bagrada. After that I beheld a quaile flying, and a faulcon pursuing hir: _Erigone_ hauing hir faire shining brest stickt full of sweete grapes, and the daughter of king _Chollus_ with hir bull, _Eriphile_ and hir changed husband: The daughter of _Alpes_ and the virgin _Melantho_ with hir dolphin, _Phyllira_ the daughter of old _Oceanus_ with the father of _Chiron_. Next hir _Ceres_ with hir head instrophyated with ripe eares of corne imbracing the scalie _Hydra_: And the faire Nymph _Lara_ sorting with _Argiphon_: and the sweete _Futurna_ of the riuer _Numicus_.