ce betwixt. No other building maye goe beyonde this whatsoeuer, but
may giue place verye well, of what kinde of Marble, and what manner of
engrauing.

There I beheld the laboures of Hercules grauen in stone with halfe the
representation standing out or bearing foorth, in a woonderfull sort,
the skinnes, statues, tytles, and trophes, What an entry, what a stately
porche, what that of Titus Cesar with his stone of Phenicea with all the
tinkering and pullishing about it, there is none whose wit is so grosse
to commend it, in respect of this, but will rather scorne to speake of
it. As for the woorthie and excellent manner of glasing the gallerie
without the pallace, the conspitious porche, the manner of building, the
arched seeling aboue head, beautified and adorned with foliature and
other lineaments of pure gould and asuer couler and excellent painting
that whatsoeuer I had seene before I made finall acount of, as not
worthie of remembrance. And beeing now come to the doore within the
porche, the going in was closed vp wth a hanging, drawne ouer before it
of gould and silke, wrought together, and in the same two images. One of
them hauing all kinde of instruments about hir, fitte and readie to goe
to worke, and the other with a maidenly countenance, looking vp with hyr
eyes into heauen.

The beautye of which two were such, and so fresh, as I looked about mee,
whether _Apelles_ had painted them with his Pensill.

And there my sportfull, faire, and pleasant companions, euerie one
putting their right handes to mine, willing to haue me in, sayde,
_Poliphilus_ this is the vsuall waye, by the which you must come into
the presence of our Gracious and moste excellent Queene.

But you cannot haue leaue to enter in here through this Curtain, before
you bee receiued of a vigilant and innocent Damosel that is the keeper
of this doore, and she is called _Cinosia_. Who hearing vs comming, did
forthwith present her selfe, and fauourably held vp the cloth, and wee
entered in.

There was a roome hung about and diuided by an other Curtaine of
excellent Arras full of Imagerie, as signes, shapes, plants, and
beastes, singularly well done.

In this place at our comming, an other curious woman came towardes vs,
called _Indalomena_, and she putting by the Curtaine, wee entered in.
And there was an other suche like roome, from the second for quantitie,
with discourses and reason marueilously wouen, with infinite knottes,
bucklinges, tying