d a most fayre porche, past all sence to describe (for the
incredible curiousnes thereof, as euer was built or deuised) and the
rather for that our mother toung and vulgar speeche, may not afford apt
and peculiar words, for such a piece of artificall worke.

Before this gorgeous and glorious porche, you shall vnderstand that in
the open ayre there was a fowre square court of thirtie paces by his
Diameter, paued with pure fine marble, poynted fowre square, wrought
checkerwise of diuers fashions, and sundrie best fitting coulours: but
in many places, by meanes of the ruine of the auncient walke, and olde
pillers, broken in peeces and ouergrowne.

And in the vtmost partes of the aforesaide court, to the right hand, and
the left, towards the mountaines, there was two straight rowes of
pillars, with a space betwixt for the interiect _Areostile_,[A] as the
quantities of both columnes required, the first course or order of
setting the pyllars, beginning on both sides equall to the Lymbus or
extreame part of the fronte of the porche, the space betwixt pyllars
and pillars XV. paces. Of which collumnes or great pillars, some
and the greatest parte or number were whole. With their capitels or
heads, wrought with a waued shell worke, and cyllerie or draperie, their
corners bearing out and inanulated or turned in like a curled locke of
hayre, or the vpper head of a base Viall aboue the pinnes, which straine
the stringes of the instrument to a musicall concord; with their subiect
Astragals, writhing and hanging heere and there, making the capitall
thrise so big as the bottom thereof of the columne, wherevpon was placed
the Epistile or streight beame, the greatest part decayed, and many
columnes widowed and depriued of their Capitels, buryed in ruine both
Astragals and shafts of the columnes and their bases or feete.

[Sidenote A: A columne consisteth of his Capitell that is the head.
Astragalus that is the subiect of the capitell next the columne.
Hypotrachelie the shaft of the columne. And Hypothesis, that is the
foote whereon the Columne standeth, exceeding the bignes of the
columne.]

Fast ioyning to which order or set rowes of pillars, there grew ould
plaine trees, wylde Oliues, Pine apple, and pricking brambles. I
coniectured that it was made for to ride horses in, to trot and gallop,
the ring, to manage, carrier, and coruet in, or els some open gallerie,
couered close ouer head, vnder propt with pillers,