
Mentem, non formam plus pollere
Intelligence matters, not beauty
Ingressa vulpes in Choragi pergulam,
Fabrč expolitum invenit humanum caput,
Sic eleganter fabricatum, ut spiritus
Solům deesset, caeteris vivisceret:
Id illa cům sumpsisset in manus, ait:
Hoc[1] quale caput est, sed cerebrum non habet.[2]
A fox, entering the store-room of a theatrical producer, found an actor’s mask, skilfully shaped, so finely fashioned that the spirit alone was missing, in all else it seemed alive. Taking it up, the fox addressed it - What a head is this, but it has no brain!

Le Sens plus requis que Beaulte.
Une teste faicte de marbre
Fut ung jour de Regnard trouvee:
En passant par dessoubz ung arbre,
Laquelle il eust tantost levee.
Voicy teste bien achevee
Dist il, & dung art moult nouveau:
Mais elle est en ung poinct grevee,
Car elle na poinct de cerveau.
Related Emblems

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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: fox (+ animal(s) holding something) [25F23(FOX)(+5245)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: fox (+ sitting animal) [25F23(FOX)(+535)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fence, wall, paling [41A54] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head (human) [31A221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- loggia, verandah, porch [41A381] Search | Browse Iconclass
- piece of sculpture, reproduction of a piece of sculpture [48C24] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plants and herbs [25G4] Search | Browse Iconclass
- stage costume [48C853] Search | Browse Iconclass
- table [41A711] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- actor, actress (non-work situations) [48C8322] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Beauty; 'Bellezza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51D4(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Intellect, Intelligence; 'Intelletto', 'Intelligenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A1(+4):54B6(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- mask [41D283] Search | Browse Iconclass
- workbench [47A211] Search | Browse Iconclass
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