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Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [N7v p206]

Eloquentia fortitudine prae-
stantior.[1]

Eloquence superior to strength

XCIII.

Figure of Hercules with a chain attached to his tongue leading to men's ears.
[Click on image to enlarge]

Arcum laeva tenet, rigidam fert dextera clavam,
Contegit & Nemees corpora nuda leo.
Herculis haec igitur facies? non convenit illud
Quòd vetus & senio tempora cana gerit.
Quid quod lingua illi levibus traiecta cathenis,
Queis fissa facili allicit aure viros?
An ne quòd Alciden lingua, non robore Galli
Praestantem, populis iura dedisse ferunt?
Cedunt arma togae,[2] & quamvis durissima corda
Eloquio pollens ad sua vota trahit.

His left hand holds a bow, his right hand a stout club, the lion of Nemea clothes his bare body. So this is a figure of Hercules. But he is old and his temples grizzled with age - that does not fit. What of the fact that his tongue has light chains passing through it, by which he draws men along with ready ears pierced? The reason is surely that the Gauls say that Alceus’ descendant excelled in eloquence rather than might and gave laws to the nations. - Weapons yield to the arts of peace, and even the hardest of hearts the skilled speaker can lead where he will.

Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [N8r p207]

Wolredung get vor gewalt.

XCIII.

Hye stet Hercules, nach beschayd
Der pfeyl, kolben, und Lewen klayd:
Doch ist er graw, und gar zu alt,
Auch durch sein zung ein ketten gmalt,
Damit er zeuht ein hauffen leut,
Mich wundert was doch das bedeut:
Die Franzosen glauben gar vest,
Wie Hercules nit sey gewest
So gar starck, wie man ruembt sein macht,
Sonder hab undersich gebracht
All welt mit red, und zungen mild,
Malen im drumb ein soelich bild.
Hie bey siht man, das wort mit witz
Thuen mer, dan aller waffen spitz,
Und ist keins menschen gmuet so herdt,
Das lieblich reden nit bekert.

Notes:

1.  This epigram is closely based on Lucian’s essay, The Gallic Hercules.

2.  Cf. Cicero’s notorious line, Cedant arma togae, concedat laurea linguae, ‘Let weapons yield to the arts of peace, let laurels yield to eloquence’ (quoted in Quintilian, Institutio oratoria 11.1.24).

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  • Europeans (with NAME) [32B311(FRENCHMEN)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • 'litterae', symbolic representations, allegories and emblems ~ literature; 'Lettere' (Ripa) [48C90] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Power of Eloquence; 'Forza sottoposta all'Eloquenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52D31(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Strength, Power; 'Fortezza', 'Fortezza d'Animo e di corpo', 'Fortezza del corpo congiunta con la generosità dell'animo', 'Fortezza & valore del corpo congiunto con la prudenza & virtù del animo', 'Forza' (Ripa) [54A7] Search | Browse Iconclass

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Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [F2v]

CONSILIO ET VIRTUTE CHI-
meram superari id est fortiores
& deceptores.

Wisdom and courage defeat Chimaera (i.e. the powerful and deceivers).

Bellerophon ut fortis eques superare chimeram, [M]
Et licii potuit sternere monstra soli.[1]
Sic tu pegasei vectus petis aethera pennis,
Consilioque animi[2] monstra superba domas.

Bellerophon, that bold horseman, was able to overcome the Chimaera and lay low the monsters of the Lycian land. You likewise, borne on wings of Pegasus, seek the high heavens and, by the counsel of reason, tame proud monsters.

[Marginalia - link to text]Vide Fulgentium in Mithalogiis lib. 3. in principio.

Notes:

1.  The King of Lycia imposed on Bellerophon, among other tasks, that of killing the Chimaera, a fire-breathing monster with a lion’s head, serpent’s tail and goat’s body. He achieved this last with the aid of the winged horse Pegasus, which Athena, goddess of wisdom, helped him to catch.

2.  ‘by the counsel of reason’. The name Bellerophon was interpreted by some as ‘bringer of counsel’. The Chimaera symbolised various uncontrolled passions.

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    • mis-shapen animals; monsters [25F9] Search | Browse Iconclass
    • chimera (lion/goat/snake); 'Chimera' (Ripa) (+ fighting animals; aggressive relations) [25FF232(+751)] Search | Browse Iconclass
    • fabulous animals ~ hoofed animals (with NAME) [25FF24(WINGED HORSE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
    • Counsel; 'Consiglio' (Ripa) [52E3] Search | Browse Iconclass
    • Strength, Power; 'Fortezza', 'Fortezza d'Animo e di corpo', 'Fortezza del corpo congiunta con la generosità dell'animo', 'Fortezza & valore del corpo congiunto con la prudenza & virtù del animo', 'Forza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A7(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
    • Virtuousness; 'Amor di Virtù', 'Attione virtuosa', 'Guida sicura de' veri honori', 'Virtù', 'Virtù insuperabile' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57A6(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
    • Cheat, Deceit; 'Fraude', 'Inganno' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57AA621(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
    • historical person (with NAME) [61B2(FULGENTIUS, FABIUS PLANCIADES)] Search | Browse Iconclass
    • Pegasus, the winged horse [93D1] Search | Browse Iconclass
    • Bellerophon, flying on Pegasus' back, kills the Chimera, a fire-breathing monster, with arrows or a spear [94S32] Search | Browse Iconclass

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