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EMBLEMA XIX.
Facundia difficilis.
Eloquence is hard
Antidotum Aeaeae medicata in pocula Circes,
Mercurium hoc Ithaco fama dedisse fuit.[1]
Moly vocant, id vix radice evellitur atra,
Purpureus sed flos, lactis & instar habet.
Eloquii candor facundiaque allicit omnes:
Sed multi res est tanta laboris opus.
According to the story, Mercury gave to the man from Ithaca this antidote to the poisoned cup of Aeaean Circe. They call it moly. It is hard to pull up by its black root. The plant is dark, but its flower is white as milk. The brilliance of eloquence and readiness of speech attracts all men, but this mighty thing is a work of much labour.
Das XIX.
Wolberedt ist schwer.
Ulyssi als
die sage was
Soll Mercurius geben das
Wider der Circe buler trenck
Diß gegen Artzney zu eim gschenck
Ein kraut so wirt Moly genannt
Mit einr schwartzen Wurtzel bekannt
Die man schwerlich auß dem grundt reist
Darauff ein purpurfarb Blumb gleist
Ist innwendig wie die Milch weiß
Also wol reden behelt den preiß
Und reitzet jederman zu ir
Aber es braucht vil müh und gir.
1. See Homer, Odyssey, 10.270ff. for the story of the encounter of Ulysses (the man from Ithaca) and his crew with the sorceress Circe on the island of Aeaea. The plant moly is described ibid, 302-6. See Emblem 85 ([A67a085]), 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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- fabulous plants and herbs (with NAME) (+ flowers, blossom, blossoming) [25GG4(MOLY)(+32)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- 'Rhetorica', 'Eloquentia' (~ trivium); 'Rettorica' (Ripa) [49C113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Eloquence; 'Eloquenza', 'Fermezza & Gravità dell'Oratione' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52D3(+4):54DD4(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Industriousness, Assiduity; 'Assiduità', 'Industria', 'Zelo' (Ripa) [54A11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- attributes of Mercury: moly [92B58(MOLY)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Ulysses on the island of Circe (Homer, Odyssey X) [94I16] Search | Browse Iconclass
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ELOQUENTIA FORTITU-
dine praestantior.[1]
Eloquence superior to strength
Arcum leva tenet, rigidam fert dextera clavam,
Contegit & Nemees corpora nuda leo.
Herculis haec igitur facies? non convenit illud,
Quòd vetus & senio tempora cana gerit.
Quid quod lingua illi levibus traiecta cathenis,
Quîs fissa facili allicit aure viros.
Link to an image of this page [E6v]An ne quod Alcyden lingua non robore Galli,
Praestantem populis iura dedisse ferunt.
Cedunt arma togae,[2] & quamvis durissima corda,
Eloquio pollens ad sua vota trahit.
His left hand holds a bow, his right hand a stout club, the lion of Nemea clothes his bare body. So this is a figure of Hercules. But he is old and his temples grizzled with age - that does not fit. What of the fact that his tongue has light chains passing through it, by which he draws men along with ready ears pierced? The reason is surely that the Gauls say that Alceus’ descendant excelled in eloquence rather than might and gave laws to the nations. - Weapons yield to the arts of peace, and even the hardest of hearts the skilled speaker can lead where he will.
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- four persons ®® KEY (79) TO 31A the (nude) human figure; 'Corpo humano' (Ripa) [31A(+74)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- tongue [31A22141] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm held downwards (+ holding something) [31A2515(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm or hand held in front of the body (+ holding something) [31A2516(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walking [31A2711] Search | Browse Iconclass
- mutilated person [31A419:31A22141] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beard [31A534] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man (+ four persons) [31D14(+74)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- old man [31D16] Search | Browse Iconclass
- barefoot [41D2339] Search | Browse Iconclass
- man (showing himself) undressed, quasi-nude [41D91] Search | Browse Iconclass
- weapons for striking a blow: club [45C12(CLUB)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- archer's weapons: bow [45C15(BOW)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prisoners chained to the victor's chariot (+ variant) [45I612(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- tools, aids, implements ~ crafts and industries (with NAME) [47D8(CHAIN)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Hercules Gallicus: he captivates his audience with a golden chain going from his mouth to their ears (+ variant) [94L73(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- attributes of Hercules (with NAME) [94L8(CLUB)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- attributes of Hercules (with NAME) [94L8(LION'S SKIN)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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- ears [31A2213] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Europeans (with NAME) [32B311(FRENCHMEN)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- 'litterae', symbolic representations, allegories and emblems ~ literature; 'Lettere' (Ripa) [48C90] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Power of Eloquence; 'Forza sottoposta all'Eloquenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52D31(+4)] 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) [54A7] Search | Browse Iconclass
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