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THE VISIONS OF BELLAY
The Visions of 'Bellay.
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I
I
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T was the time, when rest soft sliding downe I saw raysde vp on yuone pilloures tall,
From heauens hight into mens heauy eyes, Whose bases were of richest mettalls warke,
In the forgetfulnes of sleepe doth drowne The chapters Alablaster, the fryses chnstall,
The cartfull thoughts of mortall miseries The double front of a triumphall Arke
Then did a Ghost before mine eyes appeare, On each side purtraid was a Victone,
On that great nuers banck, that runnes by Clad like a Nimph, that wings of siluer weares,
Rome,
And in triumphant chayre was set on hie,
Which calling me by name, bad me to reare The auncient glory of the Romaine Peares 50
My lookes to heauen whence all good gifts do No worke it seem'd of earthly craf tsmans wit,
come,
But rather wrought by his owne industry,
And crying lowd, loe now beholde (quoth hee) That thunder dartes for hue his syre doth fit
What vndcr this great temple placed is 10 Let me no more see faire thing vnder sky,
Lo all is nought but flying vanitee
bith that mine eyes haue seene so faire a sight
So I that know this worlds inconstancies, With sodain fall to dust consumed quight
Sith onely God surmounts all times decay,
In God alone my confidence do stay
5
Then was the faire Dodonian tree far seene,
2
Vpon seauen hills to spread his gladsome
On high hills top I saw a stately frame, gleame,
An hundred cubits high by lust assize, And conquerours bedecked with his greene,
With hundreth pillours fronting faire the Along the bancks of the Ausonian streame
same,
There many an auncient Trophee was
All wrought with Diamond after Donck wize addrest, 61
Nor brick, nor marble was the wall m view, And many a spoyle, and many a goodly show,
But shining Christall, which from top to base Which that braue races greatnes did attest,
Out of her womb a thousand rayons threw, That whilome from the Iroyan blood did flow
On hundred steps of Afrike golds enchase Rauisht I wis so rare a thing to vew,
Golde was the parget, and the seeling bright When lo a barbarous troupe of clownish fone
Did shine all scaly with great plates of golde, The honour of these noble boughs down threw,
The floore of Iasp and Einerande was dight Vnder the wedge I heard the tronck to grone,
0 worlds vainesse Whiles thus I did behold, And since I saw the roote m great disdame
An earthquake shooke the hill from lowest A twmne of forked trees send forth againe
seat,
6
And ouerthrew this frame with mine great I saw a Wolfe vnder a rockie caue 71
3
Noursing two whelpes, I saw her litle ones
Then did a sharped spyre of Diamond In wanton dalliance the teate to craue,
bnght,
While she her neck wreath'd from them for the
Ten feete each way in squire, appeare to mee, nones
Iustly proportion'd vp vnto his hight, 31 I saw her raunge abroad to seeke her food,
So far as Archer might his leuel see
And rommg through the field with greedie rage
I he top thereof a pot did seeme to beare, I 'embrcw her teeth and clawes with lukewarm
Made of the mettall, which we most do honour, blood
And in tins golden vessell couched weare Of the small heards, her thirst for to asswage
The ashes of a mightie Lmperour
I saw a thousand huntsmen, which descended
Vpon foure corners of the base were pight, Downe from the mountames bordrmg Lorn-
To beare the frame, foure great Lyons of gold, bardie, 80
A worthy tombe for such a worthy wight That with an hundred speares her flank wide
Alas this world doth nought but gneuance rended
hold 40 I saw her on the plaine outstretched lie,
I saw a tempest from the heauen descend, Throwing out thousand throbs in her owne
Which this braue monument with flash did soyle
rend
Soone on a tree vphang'd I saw her spoyle