Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame

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  [Transcriber’s Note:

  Typographical errors are listed at the end of the text. Side/footnote
  labels in lower-case ([a] [b]...) are original; labels supplied by
  the transcriber are capitalized ([A] [B]...).]

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                   Number 87

                  THE ENGLISH
                  EXPERIENCE

       Its Record in Early Printed Books
             Published in Facsimile


                 [Illustration]




              (FRANCESCO COLONNA)

                HYPNEROTOMACHIA

                  London 1592




                 Da Capo Press
          Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Ltd.
            Amsterdam 1969 New York


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   The publishers acknowledge their gratitude
to the Curators of the Bodleian Library, Oxford,
       for their permission to reproduce
              the Library’s copy.


                 S.T.C. No.5577
        Collation: A-Z (4º), Aa-Cc (4º)


             Published in 1969 by
         Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Ltd.,
        O. Z. Voorburgwal 85, Amsterdam
                       &
                 Da Capo Press
 · a division of Plenum Publishing Corporation ·

     227 West 17th Street, New York. 10011
           Printed in The Netherlands


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                  HYPNEROTOMA-
                    _CHIA_.

                      The
              Strife of Loue in a
                   _Dreame_.


                [Illustration]


                   At London,
      Printed for Simon Waterson, and are
  to be sold at his shop, in S. Paules Church-
            _yard, at Cheape-gate_.

                    _1592._




               TO THE THRISE HO-
             NOVRABLE AND EVER LY-
         VING VERTVES OF SYR _PHILLIP_
          _SYDNEY_ KNIGHT; AND TO THE
        RIGHT HONORABLE AND OTHERS WHAT-
         SOEVER, WHO LIVING LOVED HIM,
           _AND BEING DEAD GIVE HIM_
                   _HIS DVE_.




  To the Right Honourable Robert
  Deuorax, Earle of Essex and Ewe, Viscount
  Hereford, and Bourghchier, Lorde Ferrers of Chartley,
  Bourghchier and Louaine, Maister of the Queenes Maiesties
  _Horse, and Knight of the most noble order of the Garter:_
  Is wished, the perfection of all happinesse, and tryumphant
  felicitie in this life, and in the worlde
  to come.

When I had determined (Right honorable) to dedicate this Booke, to the
euerlyuing vertues of that matchlesse Knight Syr _Phillip Sydney_; me
thought that I could not finde out a more Noble personage then your
selfe, and more fit, to patronize, shield, and defende my dutie to the
deade, then your Honour, whose greatnes is such, and vertues of that
power, as who so commendeth them, deserueth not to be accounted a
flatterer, but he that doth not the same, may be thought an euill
willer. Hovv your Honor vvill accept hereof, I make no doubt, because
that curtesie attendeth vpon true nobilitie; but my humble request is,
that your Honor may not thinke of me (by the tytle of the Booke, and
some part of the discourse) as if I vvere amorous, and did speake
according to my ovvne passions, for I beeing restrained of my liberty,
and helde in the graue of obliuion, where I still as yet remaine,
oppressed with Melancholie, and wearied vvith deeper studies, I vvas
glad to beguile the time with these conceits, anothomising in them,
the vanitie of this life, and vncertaintie of the delights therof,
in the Dreame of _Poliphilus_; Which if it shall please your Honor at
conuenient leysure to looke ouer, pardoning what you finde amisse,
and weighing my good will, I shall thinke my selfe most happy.

And thus I humbly take my leaue, vntill that I may present your Honour,
with a matter more fitting the same.

    _Your Honors deuoted,_

                     R. D.


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             Anonymi elegia ad Lec-
                    _torem_.

Candide _Poliphilum_ narrantem somnia Lector
    auscultes, summo somnia missa polo,
Non operam perdes, non hæc audisse pigebit,
    tam varijs mirum rebus abundat opus.
Si grauis & tetricus contemnis erotica, rerum
    nosce precor seriem tam bene dispositam.
Abnuis? ac saltem stylus & noua lingua novusq;
    sermo grauis, sophia, se rogat aspicias.
Id quoq; sirenuis, geometrica cerne vetusta
    plurima milliacis disce referta notis.
Hic sunt Pyramides, thermæ, ingentesq; Colossi,
    ac Obeliscorum forma vetusta patet.
Hic diuersa basis fulget, variæque columnæ
    illarumq; arcus, Zophora, epistilia,
Et capi