Then I presumed further to knowe, what should these two things vpon eyther sides of the throne signifie, that were holden out in two handes. _Thelemia_ quickly aunswered me, God of his infinite goodnesse, proposeth to mankind his mercie and his iudgement, chuse which they will.
For thys beeing satis-fied, I sayd moreouer. Seeing that most gracious Nymphs, my speeches be not displeasant vnto you, and that I am not yet satis-fied in all that I haue seene, I pray you let me vnderstand this.
Before the horrible feare that I was driuen into by the Dragon, I beheld a mighty huge Elephant of stone, with an entrance into his bellie, where were two Sepulchres, with a wryting, the meaning wherof is too mysticall for me, that was, that I shoulde not touch the bodie, but take away the head.
_Logistica_ forthwith made me aunswer. _Poliphilus_, I doe vnderstande very well your doubt, and therefore you shall vnderstande, that this monstrous shape and machine was not made without great and wonderfull humane wisedome, much labour, and incredible diligence, with a perplexibility of vnderstanding to knowe the mysticall conceite. Thou remembrest that vpon the face there hung an ornament, with certaine _Ideonix ionic_ and _Arabic_, which in our Mother-tongue, is as much to say, as labour, and industrie. Signifying thereby, that in thys world, whosoeuer will haue any blessing that shall do him good, he must leaue the body, which is ease and idlenes, and betake himselfe to trauaile and industry, which is the head.
Shee had no sooner ended her words both pleasant & piercing, but I vnderstoode it very well and gaue her great thankes. And yet desirous to be resolued in whatsoeuer I stood in doubt, and seeing that I might speake boldly, I made this third question. Most wise Nymph, in my comming out of the subterraneall vast darksome place, as I passed on, I came to a goodlie bridge, and vppon the same, in a Porphyrite stone vppon the one side, and an Ophite vpon the other, I beheld engrauen certaine Hieragliphs, both which I did interprete, but I stoode doubtfull of certaine branches, that were tyed to the hornes of the scalpe of the Oxe, and the rather because they were in the Porphyrite stone, and not in the Ophit vpon the other side.