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Link to an image of this page [P4r p231]
Eloquence difficile.[1]
L’herbe bailla Mercure à Ulysses,
Contrepoison aulx breuvages Circes.[2]
Moly s’appelle, & ha noire racine,
Fleur blanche, & rouge, à trouver bien insigne.
Pure eloquence, est d’attraction pleine,
Mais à plusieurs est oeuvre de grand peine.
Par l’herbe Moly en Homere de noire
racine, fleur blanche,
& purpurine, tresdifficile
à trouver: est entendue eloquence, au
commencement obscure, puys florissante, claire, & honorée.
Mais difficile à acquerir, sinon aulx bons espritz laquelle sur-
monte toute malice, & obtient grand grace à celluy qui l’ha.
1. In the 1549 French edition, this emblem has no woodcut.
2. See Homer, Odyssey, 10.270ff. for the story of the encounter of Ulysses and his crew with the sorceress Circe on the island of Aeaea. The plant moly is described ibid, 302-6. See Emblem 70 ([A58a070]), for the effect of Circe’s poisoned cup. Cf. Erasmus, De Copia (Loeb edition, 1.91 D), where moly is interpreted as wisdom rather than eloquence. Cf. Coustau, ‘In herbam Moly, ex Homero’ ([FCPb073]).
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- animals (+ wings of an animal) [25F(+342):25F(+154)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of birds (+ flying animal(s)) [25F31(+5262)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snakes (+ symmetrically placed ornamental animals, divided by a (human) figure or an object) [25F42(+154)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fabulous plants and herbs (with NAME) (+ flowers, blossom, blossoming) [25GG4(MOLY)(+32)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- boulder, stone [25H1124] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ holding something) [31A2512(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ reaching for somebody or something, seizing something, touching) [31A2512(+934)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched sidewards (+ holding something) [31A2513(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm held downwards (+ holding something) [31A2515(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- one leg in front of the other (+ standing) [31A2621(+51)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beard [31A534] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man (+ two persons) [31D14(+72)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head-gear (with NAME) (+ men's clothes) [41D221(HAT)(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- shoes, sandals (+ men's clothes) [41D2332(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sceptre, staff (symbol of sovereignty) [44B192] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hacking and thrusting weapons: sword [45C13(SWORD)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- armour [45C22] Search | Browse Iconclass
- helmet [45C221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- caduceus (staff with two snakes, attribute of Mercury) [92B58(CADUCEUS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- attributes of Mercury: moly [92B58(MOLY)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- attributes of Mercury: petasus [92B58(PETASUS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- attributes of Mercury (with NAME) [92B58(TALARIA)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Mercury gives Ulysses the magic herb 'moly', a countercharm [94I162] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- 'Rhetorica', 'Eloquentia' (~ trivium); 'Rettorica' (Ripa) [49C113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Eloquence; 'Eloquenza', 'Fermezza & Gravità ¤ell'Oratione' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52D3(+4):54DD4(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Industriousness, Assiduity; 'Assiduità ', 'Industria', 'Zelo' (Ripa) [54A11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Ulysses on the island of Circe (Homer, Odyssey X) [94I16] Search | Browse Iconclass
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