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In nothos.

Bastards

XXVI.

Herculeos spurii semper celebretis honores:
Nam vestri princeps ordinis ille fuit.[1]
Nec prius esse deus potuit,[2] quàm sugeret infans
Lac, sibi quod fraudis nescia Iuno dabat.[3]

Bastards, you should always celebrate the honours of Hercules, for he was the chief of your line. He could not become a god until as a babe he sucked the milk which Juno was giving him, unaware that she was being tricked.

Notes:

1.  Hercules was fathered by Jupiter on Alcmene, wife of Amphitryon of Thebes, and became his father’s favourite. Juno, wife of Jupiter, in jealousy pursued Hercules with implacable hatred.

2.  After all his Labours (see previous emblem) and other exploits, Hercules, by the will of Jupiter, was received among the gods. See e.g. Ovid, Metamorphoses, 9.156ff; Cicero, De officiis, 3.25.

3.  For the story of Juno tricked by Jupiter into suckling the loathed Hercules see Pausanias, 9.25.2. This divine milk apparently counteracted Hercules’ illegitimate birth which otherwise disqualified him for heaven. See Erasmus, Adagia, 2070 (Ad Cynosarges).

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    Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [S11v f191v]

    In nothos.

    Bastards

    Emblema cxxxviii.

    Hercules as an infant being put to Juno's breast by Juppiter.
    [Click on image to enlarge]

    Herculeos spurii semper celebretis honores:
    Nam vestri Princeps ordinis ille fuit.[1]
    Nec prius esse Deus potuit,[2] quàm sugeret infans
    Lac, sibi quod fraudis nescia Iuno dabat.[3]

    Bastards, you should always celebrate the honours of Hercules, for he was the chief of your line. He could not become a god until as a babe he sucked the milk which Juno was giving him, unaware that she was being tricked.

    Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [S12r f192r]

    CErtissimum est multos iam olim fuisse spurios &
    nothos, qui virtute & animi dexteritate legiti-
    mis ipsis liberis antecelluerunt, quique ea perfece-
    runt audenti fortique animo, quae legitimi nunquam
    exsequi, nedum attingcre potuere. Eo de numero
    fuere Aeneas, Hercules, Theseus, Romulus, Alexan-
    der Magnus    , alii certè multi: qui tamen ad eos rerum
    successus vix pervenissent, nisi aliqua portione he-
    reditaria donati: ut Hercules nunquam Deus fieri
    potuisset, nisi Iunonis nesciae mammam suxisset, ut
    retulit Isacius Ttzetzes in Lycophronis Cassan-
    dram    .

    Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [S12v f192v]

    Sur les bastards.

    BAstars, souvenez vous d’honnorer la memoire
    Du vaillant Hercules, & son nom & sa gloire,
    Car il est le premier sur tous de vostre ranc.
    Mais il ne pust dieu estre[4] en condition telle,
    Si Jupiter n’eust fait luy prendre la mammelle
    De Juno qui dormoit[5], & mis dessus son flanc.

    IL est tout certain que de tout temps il y
    a eu des bastars & enfans illegitimes, qui
    par leur vertu & gentillesse d’esprit ont de
    beaucoup devancé les legitimes & procreez
    en mariage: & qui par grandeur de courage
    ont mis à heureuse fin ce que les legitimes
    n’eussent peu jamais atteindre, voire n’eus-
    sent oser entreprendre. De ce ranc sont E-
    nee    , Hercule, Thesee, Romule, Alexandre le
    Grand    , & plusieurs autres, lesquels nonob-
    stant à grand’ difficulté fussent parvenus à si
    grans heurs, s’ils n’eussent esté gratifiez de
    quelque portion des biens paternels: com-
    me Hercule jamais n’eust esté fait Dieu, s’il
    n’eust succé de la mammelle de Junon, pen-
    dant qu’elle dormoit, ainsi que le rapporte
    Isaac Tzezes, sur la Cassandre de Lyco-
    phron    .

    Notes:

    1.  Hercules was fathered by Jupiter on Alcmene, wife of Amphitryon of Thebes, and became his father’s favourite. Juno, wife of Jupiter, in jealousy pursued Hercules with implacable hatred.

    2.  After all his Labours (see previous emblem) and other exploits, Hercules, by the will of Jupiter, was received among the gods. See e.g. Ovid, Metamorphoses, 9.156ff; Cicero, De officiis, 3.25.

    3.  For the story of Juno tricked by Jupiter into suckling the loathed Hercules see Pausanias, 9.25.2. This divine milk apparently counteracted Hercules’ illegitimate birth which otherwise disqualified him for heaven. See Erasmus, Adagia, 2070 (Ad Cynosarges).

    4.  Corrected from the Errata.

    5.  Corrected from the Errata.

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