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Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [E4v]

DULCIA QUANDO-
que amara fieri.

Sweetness turns at times to bitterness

Young child (Cupid?) being stung by bees, running to his mother.
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Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [E5r]

Matre procul licta paulum secesserat infans,
Lydius[1], hunc dirae sed rapuistis apes.
Venerat hic ad vos placidas ratus esse volucres,
Cum nec ita immitis vipera saeva foret.
Que [=Quae] datis ah dulci stimulos pro munere mellis,
Proh dolor, heu sine te gratia nulla datur.[2]

A Lydian babe had strayed some way off, leaving his mother at a distance, but you made away with him, you dreadful bees. He had come to you, thinking you harmless winged creatures, yet a merciless viper would not be as savage as you. Instead of the sweet gift of honey, ah me, you give stings. Ah pain, without you, alas, no delight is granted.

Notes:

1.  This is based on Anthologia graeca 9.548 , where a baby, called Hermonax, is stung to death. See also Anthologia graeca 9.302 for another epigram treating the same incident.

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Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [X3r f163r]

IN RECEPTATORES SI-
cariorum.

Those who harbour cut-throats

Emblema. 52.

Actaeon changing into a stag and being attacked by his hounds
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Latronum, furumque manus tibi saeva[1] per urbem
It comes, & diris cuncta [=cincta] cohors gladiis:
Atque ita te mentis generosum prodige censes,
Quod tua complures alicit olla malos.
En novus Actaeon, qui postquam cornua sumpsit,
In praedam canibus se dedit ipse suis.[2]

A fierce band of ruffians and thieves accompanies you about the city, a gang of supporters armed with lethal swords. And so, you wastrel, you consider yourself a fine lordly fellow because your cooking pot draws in crowds of scoundrels. - Here’s a fresh Actaeon - he, after he grew his horns, became the prey of his own hunting dogs.

Notes:

1.  Other editions read scaeva, ‘evil-minded’. The capital letter in some editions suggests that the Latin word could be taken as a proper name in the vocative case, i.e addressing one Scaeva.

2.  For the story of Actaeon turned into a stag and killed by his own hounds, see Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.138ff. Similarly, the hangers-on will destroy the one who has fed them.

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