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Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [D4v f15v]

EMBLEMA XXII.

Musicam Diis curae esse.

The gods care for music

Locrensis posuit, tibi Delphice Phoebe cicadam
Eunomus hanc, palmae signa decora suae.
Certabat plectro Sparthyn commissus in hostem,
Et percussa sonum pollice fila dabant.
Trita fides rauco coepit cum stridere bombo,
Legitimum Harmonias & vitiare Melos
Tum citharae argutans suavis sese intulit ales
Quae fractam impleret voce cicada fidem
Quaeque allecta, soni ad legem descendit ab altis
Saltibus, ut nobis garrula ferret opem:
Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [D5r f16r]Ergò tuae ut firmus stet honos, ô sancte, Cicadae,
Pro Cithara hic fidicen aeneus ipsa sedet.[1]

Phoebus, god of Delphi, Locrian Eunomus set up this cicada in your honour, an appropriate symbol of his victory. He was competing in the lyre contest against his rival Sparthys and the strings resounded as he plucked them with the plectrum. A worn string began to buzz with a hoarse rattle and spoil the true melody of the music. Then a sweet-voiced creature, a cicada, flew chirping onto the lyre to supply with its song the broken string. Recruited to follow the rules of musical sound, it flew down from the high glades to bring us aid with its chirping song. Accordingly, so that the honour due to your cicada, o holy god, may last undiminished, on top of the lyre she sits here herself, a minstrel in bronze.

Das XXII.

Die Musica gefellt Gott.

Lute with a cicada on it lying on a table.
[Click on image to enlarge]

Eunomus von Locra hat dir
Phoebe von Delph zu einer zir
Dise Ehrin Cicad geweicht
Daß sie sey seines Sigs ein zeichn
Da er sich zu kempffen einließ
Mit der Harpffn wider sein verdrieß
Gegen seim widersacher gschwindt
Rürt die Seitn mit dem Finger lindt
Ohn als gferd im ein Seit absprang
Davon wurd ein unlieblich klang
Und die süß lieblich Melodey
Verendert sich in ein miß gschrey
Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [D5v f16v] Allda ließ zur Harpffen sich nein
Cicad das schreyend Vögelein
Erstattet mit irem gschrey und gsang
Den abgesprungnen Seitenklang
Die hat gereitzt dMelodey süß
Das sie die hohn Berg und Wäld ließ
Und flog hernider zu uns dar
Das sie uns helff mit irem gschnar
Derhalben lieber Gott und HERR
Das deinr Cicad bleib ewig ehr
So thut sie hie als ein Spilmann
Auß Ertz gmacht auff der Harpffen stan.

Notes:

1.  This is a translation of Anthologia graeca 6.54. See Strabo, Geography 6.1.9 for the story of Eunomus and the statue he set up at his home town of Locri commemorating this incident in the song contest at the Pythian Games (celebrated near Delphi, in honour of Apollo, Artemis and their mother Leto); also Erasmus, Adagia 414, Acanthia Cicada.

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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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