
Vigilantia & custodia.
Vigilance and protection
Emblema xv.
Instantis quòd signa canens det gallus eoi,
Et revocet famulas ad nova pensa manus:
Turribus in sacris effingitur aerea pelvis
Ad superos mentem quòd revocet vigilem.
Est leo, sed custos oculis quia dormit apertis,[1]
Templorum idcircò ponitur ante fores.
Because the cock by its crowing gives the signal of approaching dawn and recalls working hands to fresh tasks, it is placed on top of church towers. A bronze bell (is hung there) because it recalls the waking mind to heaven. But a lion is on guard because it sleeps with its eyes open. For that reason it is placed before church doors.

DUobus symbolis, quibus ex vetere Christiano-
rum instituto, aedes sacrae insigniri solent, gal-
lo nempe in apice summo turris, & Leone pro tem-
pli foribus, representatur duplex boni pastoris &
Episcopi officium, vigilantia & custodia. Rectè
D. Gregorius: Quisquis populi speculator poni-
tur, debet in alto stare per vitam, ut prodesse pos-
sit per providentiam.

Vigilance & bonne garde.
DEssus les haults clochers la coustume est de mettre
Le Coq, pour un signal, qui nous faict à cognoistre
Le devoir du Pasteur, le Coq chante avant jour,
Sentant que le Soleil nous revient à son tour:
Advertit les dormeurs d’aller à la besongne,
Ce que la cloche aussi apertement tesmoigne.
Quant au Lyon, qui dort ayant ouvers les yeux
L’office pastoral il monstre encores mieux.
C’est pourquoy sont aussi leurs statues assises
Fort coustumierement au portail des Eglises.
LE devoir du bon Pasteur & Evesque
consistant en deux poincts, qui sont vi-
gilance & garde, est representé par deux
marques qui coustumierement sont mises
és temples sacrez, assavoir le Coq, au dessus
de la tour ou clocher: & le Lyon au portail
de l’Eglise. Surquoy a dict tresbien sainct-
Gregoire: Celuy qui est mis comme eschau-
guette du peuple, doit estre en hault debout
par bonne vie, à ce qu’il proffite par pour-
voyance.
1. oculis quia dormit apertis, ‘because it sleeps with its eyes open’. See Isidore, Etymologiae, 12.2.5: when lions are asleep, their eyes remain awake. See also Aelian, De natura animalium, 5.39.
Related Emblems

Hint: You can set whether related emblems are displayed by default on the preferences page
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- the Church symbolized [11P15] Search | Browse Iconclass
- church (exterior) [11Q712] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: lion (+ animals used symbolically) [25F23(LION)(+1)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: lion (+ sitting animal) [25F23(LION)(+535)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- square, place, circus, etc. [25I144] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- weathercock [26C41] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sitting on the ground [31A2351] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fowl (cock, hen, chicken, etc.) (+ male animal) [34B232(+51)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fowl (cock, hen, chicken, etc.) (+ animals used symbolically) [34B232(+91)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- guard duty, keeping sentry [45B310] Search | Browse Iconclass
- other ornament derived from animal forms [48A9845] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arch, archivolt ~ architecture [48C162] Search | Browse Iconclass
- piece of sculpture, reproduction of a piece of sculpture [48C24] Search | Browse Iconclass
- pedestal of a piece of sculpture (perhaps in the form of a herm) [48C244] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Deity, God (in general) ~ Christian religion [11A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dawn [24A11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- eyes [31A2212] Search | Browse Iconclass
- tower (of house or building) [41A361] Search | Browse Iconclass
- ruler, sovereign [44B1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Labour [46A170] Search | Browse Iconclass
- bell ~ musical instruments [48C73431] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Alertness, Vigilance; 'Guardia', 'Vigilanza', 'Vigilanza per difendersi & oppugnare altri' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A23(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Protection; 'Custodia', 'Difesa contra nimici, malefici & venefici', 'Difesa contra pericoli', 'Riparo da i tradimenti' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54E42(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.