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Dulcia quandoque amara fieri.

Sweetness turns at times to bitterness

Emblem cxi.

Cupid flying back to his mother having been stung by bees.
[Click on image to enlarge]

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

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.

HOc figmento, amoris naturam intelligere licet,
qui, ut rectissimè Plautus ait, & melle & felle est
foecundissimus: nam gustu dat dulce, amarum ad
satietatem usque aggerit. Quid enim voluptate
blandius? Sed eadem tandem quid tristius?

Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [P10r f154r]

Ce que semble bien doux, est quel-
quefois amer.

L’Enfant Amour ayant laissé sa mere
Un peu bien loing, des Avettes trouvé,
D’elles il fut fort grievement navré:
Et se pleignoit de douleur si amere.
Il pensoit bien qu’il n’y eust que douceur,
Que tout plaisir, qu’il n’y eust à redire:
Mais il sentit que le serpent n’est pire,
Et qu’approcher d’icelles n’estoit seur.
En lieu de miel nous avons des pointures,
Tout autrement que n’eussions pensé:
Avec le doux l’amer souvent mussé:
Nul bien n’estant sans quelques peines dures.

PAr ceste fiction nous pouvons compren-
dre quelle est la nature d’amour, lequel,
comme dit tresbien Plaute, est plein de miel
& fiel: car au goust il donne du doux, mais
apres il fourre de l’amer abondamment. Mais
qui a il qui plus flatte que la volupté? & en
fin y a il chose plus pleine d’amertume?

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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DULCIA QUANDO-
que amara fieri.

Sweetness turns at times to bitterness

Young child (Cupid?) being stung by bees, running to his mother.
[Click on image to enlarge]

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 imitis 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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