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Albutii ad D. Alciatum, suadentis, ut de
tumultibus Italicis se subducat, &
in Gallia profiteatur.[1]

Sent by Albutius to Alciato urging him to withdraw from the Italian troubles and take up a teaching post in France

Emblema cxlii.

Man carrying a bowl of fruit away from a laden tree.
[Click on image to enlarge]

Quae dedit hos fructus arbor,[2] coelo advena nostro,
Venit ab Eoo Persidis axe priùs.
Translatu facta est melior, quae noxia quondam
In patria: hîc nobis dulcia poma gerit.
Fert folium linguae, fert poma simillima cordi,
Alciate hinc vitam degere disce tuam.
Tu procul à patria[3] in pretio es maiore futurus,
Multum corde sapis, nec minus ore vales.

The tree that gave us these fruits, a stranger to our skies, came formerly from the eastern climes of Persia. By the transplanting it was made better. The tree that once bore harmful fruits in its native land, here bears sweet ones for us. It carries leaves like a tongue, fruits like a heart. Alciato, learn from it how to spend your life. Far from your own country, you will be held in greater esteem. You are wise in heart, and no less effective in speech.

Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [T6r f198r]

PErsici symbolum Alciato tributum memini ex
Iovio, cum hac inscriptione, Translata
Proficit Arbos. Persicum pomum in
Perside virulentum fuit, in Italia consitum, loci mu-
tatione noxium esse desiit. Sic Alciatus procul à pa
tria in pretio maiore habitus. Utque Persicum ha-
bet linguae simile folium, pomum verò cordi: sic idem
multùm eloquentiae laude praestat, prudentiaeque
dote insignitus est.

Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [T6v f198v]

Albuce à Alciat, luy suadant se retirer des
troubles d’Italie, & prendre party
de faire lecture en France.

L’Arbre qui a donné ce fruit, est estranger,
De Perse il est venu, on n’en pouvoit manger
Illec sans qu’il meffit, mais transplanté il porte
Des Pesches de bon goust, & de fort bonne sorte.
Sa fueile, à voir, nous est à la langue semblant,
Et son fruit est au coeur aussi bien ressemblant.
Suyvant quoy, Alciat, te faut apprendre à vivre,
Et de fait, constamment le point d’honneur ensuyvre,
Accroissant ton renom, tu accroistras ton heur
Et loing de ton pays auras bien plus d’honneur,
Que si tu n’en bougeois: tu as ce qu’on admire,
Le coeur plein de sçavoir, la langue pour bien dire.

J’Ay leu dans Paul Jove, que la devise du
pescher a esté donnee à Alciat, avec cest
escritteau Translata proficit
arabos: l’arbre transplantee profite. La pes-
che en son pays de Perse estoit poison à
ceux qui en mangeoient, mais plantee
qu’elle fut en Italie, changea de nature
ayant changé de lieu. Ainsi Alciat loing de
son pays, fut d’aultant plus cheri & honno-
té [=honnoré] . Et comme le pescher ha sa fueille ressem
blant une langue: la pesche au coeur: aussi luy
a eu une singuliere grace de bien dire: & a
esté quant & quant doué d’une grande prudence.

Notes:

1.  This person has been identified as Aurelius Albutius, lawyer, scholar and poet, like Alciato originally from Milan. On the question of the genuineness of this ascription and a suggested date for the epigram preceding Alciato’s first removal to France in 1518, see J. Köhler, Der ‘Emblematum liber’ von Andreas Alciatus (1492-1550) (Hildesheim: August Lax, 1986).

2.  ‘The tree that gave us these fruits’, i.e. the peach, with its heart-shaped fruit and tongue-shaped leaves.

3.  ‘Far from your own country’. Alciato had two periods in France. He was lecturing on Civil Law in Avignon from 1518-1522, then returned to Milan. He again took up his teaching post in Avignon in 1527, and then removed to Bourges, where he remained until his return to Italy (Pavia) in 1533. The ‘troubles’ mentioned could be political (there was much fighting and tumult in N. Italy), or could refer to the wrangling between rival schools of academic lawyers during Alciato’s youth.

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