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Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [B5v p26]

Non vulganda consilia.

Keep counsels secret.

VIII.

Roman army banner with letters SPQR showing a satyr (bearded man with goats legs)
[Click on image to enlarge]

Limine quod caeco, obscura & caligine monstrum[1]
Gnosiacis clausit Daedalus in latebris:
Depictum Romana phalanx in praelia gestat,
Semiviroque nitent signa superba[2] bove.
Nosque monent, debere ducum secreta[3] latere
Consilia, authori cognita techna nocet.

The monster that Daedalus imprisoned in its Cretan lair, with hidden entrance and obscuring darkness, the Roman phalanx carries painted into battle; the proud standards flash with the half-man bull. These remind us that the secret plans of leaders must stay hid. A ruse once known brings harm to its author.

Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [B6r p27]

Tenir encloz secret.

VIII.

Jadiz Romains firent portraire
Minotaurus en leur enseigne:
Dire en ce voulans, qu’on doibt taire
Secret de quelque part qu’il viegne:
Et affin que surce on compreigne
De telle paincture la raison,
Nul n’est vivant qui entrepreigne,
Tirer tel monstre hors sa maison.

Notes:

1.  ‘The monster that Daedalus imprisoned’, i.e. the Minotaur, the half-man, half-bull monster kept in the famous Labyrinth at Knossos, which Daedalus, the Athenian master-craftsman, constructed for King Minos.

2.  According to Pliny, Natural History 10.5.16, before the second consulship of Marius (104 BC) Roman standards bore variously eagles, wolves, minotaurs, horses and boars. Marius made the eagle universal.

3.  Cf. Festus, De verborum significatu (135 Lindsay): the Minotaur appears among the military standards, because the plans of leaders should be no less concealed than was the Minotaur’s lair, the Labyrinth.

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Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [A8r p15]

Tenir caché le secret.

VIII.

Romains jadis firent pourtraire
Le Minotaure en leur enseigne:[1]
Dire en ce voulans, qu’on doit taire
Secret de quelque part qu’il vienne:[2]
Et à fin que sur ce on comprenne
De tell’ peinture la raison,
Nul n’est vivant qui entreprenne.
Tirer tel monstre hors sa maison.

Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [A8v p16]

A flag portraying a minotaur holding a club. Across the flag is a banner which reads ’SPQR’.
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commentaires.

Pasiphaë, fille du Soleil, & femme de Minos Roy
de Crete, se laissa emporter à l’abominable amour
d’un taureau, & en fut tellement embrasee, qu’elle se
fit enfermer dans une vache de bois, à fin que ce tau-
reau la congnust. De ce detestable accouplement nasquit
un horrible monstre, qui estoit demi homme, & demi
taureau, dont il fut appellé Minotaure. Le Roy Mi-
nos, voulant oster ce monstre hors de la veuë des
hommes, commanda à Dedale, (ingenieux ouvrier
Athenien, qui mesmes avoit fabriqué la vache de bois)
de luy bastir un labyrinthe, enveloppé & construit
avec tant de difficiles destours, que qui y entroit une
fois, à grand’ peine en pouvoit-il jamais sortir: & là
dedans enferma il le Minotaure. Les Romains por-
toyent autresfois ceste peincture en leurs enseignes de
guerre, donnans à entendre, que les conseils secrets des
Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [B1r p17] Princes, doyvent estre merveilleusement couverts &
cachés: car estant descouverts, ils sont cause de beau-
coup de maux. Partant ceux qui president aux repu-
bliques & aux estats, se doyvent bien garder de des-
couvrir leurs conseils, quand bien ce seroit à leurs plus
grands amis. C’est pourquoy un grand Capitaine
Romain respondit à un de ses plus familiers, qui de-
siroit sçavoir de luy ses desseings, Si je sçavois que ma
chemise les sceust, je la bruslerois tout maintenant.

Notes:

1.  According to Pliny, Natural History 10.5.16, before the second consulship of Marius (104 BC) Roman standards bore variously eagles, wolves, minotaurs, horses and boars. Marius made the eagle universal.

2.  Cf. Festus, De verborum significatu (135 Lindsay): the Minotaur appears among the military standards, because the plans of leaders should be no less concealed than was the Minotaur’s lair, the Labyrinth.

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