
Levitas secura.
Untroubled lightness
Fluctibus immensis parva est iactata tabella,
Sed levitas tuto littore sistit onus.
Altera difficili premitur dum pondere, cedens
Nil undis, fundum mox subitura petit.
Vanus, adulator, mendax, variusque per orbem,
Noxia declinat, dum levis aura[1]
agitat.
Sed quos relligio constans, moresque probati
Invidiae obiiciunt, prompta pericla vorant.
In the boundless waves of the sea a small piece of wood is tossed, but the lightness puts the burden on the safe coast. Another, while pressed by a difficult weight, yielding nothing to the waves, will soon go under and reach the bottom. The unreliable man, the flatterer, the liar, the waverer diverts his harmful business around the world, so long as the light breeze keeps him in motion. However, those whose stable religion and esteemed character cause envy, are devoured by rapid dangers.
1. aura has connotations of fickleness, and is for instance also used in aura popularis for ‘the breath of favour’.
Related Emblems
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- adult man (+ two persons) [31D14(+72)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm raised upward [31A2511] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward - AA - both arms or hands [31AA2512] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beard [31A534] Search | Browse Iconclass
- helmet [45C221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- looking upwards [31B6211] Search | Browse Iconclass
- mountains [25H11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plank, board ~ building material [47G5432] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city [25I12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- remaining suspended (movement in water) [31A2777] Search | Browse Iconclass
- river [25H213] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sinking (movement in water) [31A2776] Search | Browse Iconclass
- table (+ variant) [41A711(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- coast [25H13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Constancy, Tenacity; 'Costanza', 'Tenacità' (Ripa) [53A21] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Damage, Disservice; 'Danno' (Ripa) [54BB31] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Danger; 'Pericolo' (Ripa) [54DD51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- devotion, piety; 'Divotione' (Ripa) [11Q0] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Dishonesty, Falsety (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57AA61(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Flattery; 'Adulatione' (Ripa) [57AA6121] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Folly, Foolishness; 'Pazzia', 'Sciocchezza', 'Stoltitia' (Ripa) [52AA51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Good Behaviour [57A1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Heaviness [51G2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Heaviness (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51G2(+4):54DD5(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Jealousy; 'Gelosia', 'Rammarico del ben'altrui' (Ripa) [57AA76] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Lie; 'Bugia' (Ripa) [57AA6221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Lightness; 'Leggierezza' (Ripa) [51GG2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Protection; 'Custodia', 'Difesa contra nimici, malefici & venefici', 'Difesa contra pericoli', 'Riparo da i tradimenti' (Ripa) [54E42] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Some Characteristics of Matter (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51GG2(+4):54D5(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- winds [26C] Search | Browse Iconclass
Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.