from Spenser's The Visions of Bellay

2 On high hills top I saw a stately frame, An hundred cubits high by iust assize, With hundreth pillours fronting faire the same, All wrought with Diamond after Dorick wize: Nor brick, nor marble was the wall in view,5 But shining Christall Christall Christall crystall , which from top to base Out of her womb a thousand rayons threw, One hundred steps of Afrike golds golds gold gold's enchase: Golde was the parget and the seeling bright Did shine all scaly with great plates of golde;10 The floore of Jasp and Emeraude was dight. O worlds vainesse. vainesse. vainnesse. vainenesse! Whiles thus I did behold, An earthquake shooke the hill from lowest seat, And ouerthrew this frame with ruine great.

Commentary (show)

2 cubits a unit of measurement corresponding to a forearm-length. Spenser employs the term on only one other occasion, to measure the depth of the fountain in the Bowre of Blisse (FQ, II.xii.62); see comments on l. 11 below.
assize measure
4 Dorick wize Doric manner; Vitruvius associates the Doric order in architecture with masculine valour (De Architectura, I.ii.5).
6 Christall crystal
7 her womb Translating Du Bellay's son ventre profond; cf. "deepe vaute", the rendering in TVW.
rayons beams

from A Theatre for Voluptuous Worldlings (show)

B8v On hill, a frame an hundred cubites hie I sawe, an hundred pillers eke about, All of fine Diamant decking the front, And fashiond were they all in Dorike wise. Of bricke, ne yet of marble was the wall, But shining Christall, which from top to base Out of deepe vaute threw forth a thousand rayes Upon an hundred steps of purest golde. Golde was the parget: and the sielyng eke Did shine all scaly with fine golden plates. The floore was Jaspis, and of Emeraude. O worldes vainenesse. A sodein earthquake loe, Shaking the hill even from the bottome deepe, Threwe downe this building to the lowest stone.