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Silentium.

Silence

EMBLEMA XI.

Man in robes with a cap sitting at a desk with an open book, holding a finger to his lips
[Click on image to enlarge]

Cum tacet, haud quicquam differt sapientibus amens:
Stultitiae est index linguaque voxque suae.
Ergo premat labias, digitoque silentia signet:
Et sese Pharium vertat in Harpocratem[1].

When he is silent, the fool differs no whit from the wise. It is tongue and voice that betray his stupidity. Let him therefore put his finger to his lips and so mark silence, and turn himself into Egyptian Harpocrates.

Notes:

1.  Harpocrates, also known as Horus, was the son of the Egyptian divinity Isis. He avenged the murder of his father Osiris by Set/Typhon. He is often represented as an infant with his finger held to his mouth as a sign of silence and economy of words. See Plutarch, De Iside et Osiride 68.

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  • Wisdom; 'Sapienza', 'Sapienza humana', 'Sapienza vera' (Ripa) [52A51] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Ignorance; 'Ignoranza', 'Ignoranza di tutte le cose', 'Ignoranza in un ricco senza lettere' (Ripa) [52AA5] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Folly, Foolishness; 'Pazzia', 'Sciocchezza', 'Stoltitia' (Ripa) [52AA51] Search | Browse Iconclass
  • Taciturnity; 'Secretezza', 'Secretezza overo Taciturnità' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52DD3(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass

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Page icon  Link to an image of this page  [A1r]
VIRI CLA
RISSIMI D. AN-
DREAE ALCIATI IURIS-
consultissimi Mediolanensis ad D. Chonradum Peu-
tingerum Augustanum, Iurisconsul-
tum Emblematum liber, iam
denuo emendatus &
recognitus.
M.D. XXXIIII. Page icon  Link to an image of this page  [A1v]
CANDIDO LECTORI SALUTEM PLURIMAM

HAud immerito candide lector, no-
stram desyderabis diligentiam, in
hiis tabellis quae huic operi adiectae
sunt, elegantiores nanque picturas,
& authoris gravissimi authoritas,
& libelli dignitas merebantur, quod quidem nos fa-
temur, cupiebamusque inventiones has illustriores ti
bi tradere ita, si eas quàm artificiosissime depictas ante
oculos poneremus, nihilque (quod sciam) ad eam rem no-
bis defuit. Verum cum hoc non tantum magni labo-
ris fuerit, (quem certe non subterfugimus) sed &
maximi sumptus, intelligis quicquid huiuscemodi e-
rat, id omne tibi denuo persolvendum fuisse. Utilis-
simum itaque nobis visum est, si notulis quibusdam o-
biter, rudioribus, gravissimi authoris intentionem si-
gnificaremus, quod docti haec per se colligent,
hocque ipso tibi gratificari voluimus, si ma-
gnas delitias parvo tibi comparare
mus. Bene vale, nostramque
operam boni con-
sule.

Page icon  Link to an image of this page  [A2r]
CLARISSIMI VIRI D. ANDREAE
Alciati, in libellum Emblematum praefatio,
ad D. Chonradum Peutingerum
Angustanum [=Augustanum] .

DUm pueros iuglans, iuvenes dum tessera fallit,
Detinet & segnes chartula picta viros,
Haec nos festivis emblemata cudimus horis,
Artificum illustri signaque facta manu.
Vestibus ut torulos, petasis ut figere parmas,
Et valeat tacitis scribere quisque notis.
At tibi supremus pretiosa nomismata Caesar,
Et veterum eximias donet habere manus.
Ipse dabo vati, chartacea munera vates,
Quae Chonrade mei pignus amoris habe.

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