Montemayor's Diana

Page 103

Home  /  Facsimile  /  Page 103

Previous Page Next Page

Allabluster fountaines in the garden, some of Iaspar marble, & some of other mettall seated under vines, which with artificiall arches and wreathes aloft did spred foorth their branches depressed with clusters of coloured grapes. The Mytrhe trees grew in manner of fower walles, with embattlements and pinnacles on the tops of them, and on the sides aboue them were certaine Terrasses and walkes, reared vp, where∣on (as ouer all the garden besides) did growe many sweete flowers of sundry colours, as white Iesmins, Woodbyne, and many more delightfull to the insatiable eie. In the hiddes of the garden stoode a Ieat-stone vpon fower brazen pillers, and in the thids of it a tombe framed out of Iaspar, which fower Nymphes that were wrought out of white Allablaster did hold vp with their handes, and about it stoode manie Tapers of Virgine waxe burning in massie candlestickes of bright siluer, that were made in artificiall manner. About this tombe stoode certaine Lordes and Knights, some fashioned out of stone, and mettall, other som out of Iaspar marble, and other matter. Which figures shewed such great sorrow by their countenances, that they filled Felismenas hart, and all theirs that were looking on the tombe, with no lesse greefe, then admiration. But viewing it narrowly, they sawe in a table of shining golde, which at the foote of the sepulchre, a dead and pale mattone held betweene her hands, this Epitaphe subscribed.

HEere Lady Katherine entombed lies,
Of Aragon and Sarmient, whose fame
Doth mount with praise vnto the loftie skies:
And sounds from North to South, her woorthy name.
Death kil’d her, to reuenge the sacrifice
Of those she killed, when she was a dame:
Her body’s heere, her soule in heauen with pleasure:
The world vnwoorthy to possesse such treasure.

After they had read this Epitaphe, they sawe an Eagle of blacke marble, with di∣splaied wings on the top of the tombe, with a golden table betweene her tallons, with those verses in it.

EVen as (O death) the Planets should remaine
Without Apollo and Diana bright,
The ground without mankinde, and beasts againe,
The Marriner without the North-starre light;
The fielde without faire flowers, grasse, or graine,
The mornings showe without the dewe of night:
Vertue and beautie so remaine and die
Without the dame that in this tombe doth lie.

When they had read both these Epitaphs, and Belisa had vnderstoode by them what the Nymph was, that was buried therein, and how much Spaine lost by lee∣sing her, calling therewithall to minde the vntimely death of her deere Arsileus, she could not, but with teares breath out these sorrowfull wordes. O death, how far am I from thinking that thou maiest comfort me with other womens harmes? The small time, that the world enioyed the great beautie and wisedome, wherewith they tell me this Nymph was endowed, doth not a little greeue me, bicause as she was

Previous Page Next Page