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Maturandum.
All in good time
EMBLEMA XX.
Maturare iubent properè, & cunctarier omnes,
Ne nimium praeceps, neu mora longa nimis.
Hoc tibi declaret connexum echeneide[1] telum:
Haec tarda est, volitant spicula missa manu.
Everyone tells us to deal with things quickly, but they also tell us to hold back - not to be impetuous, nor yet to wait too long. A missile linked with a sucking-fish can demonstrate this for you: the fish is slow, but arrows fly fast when they leave the shooter’s hand.
1. ‘linked with a sucking fish’. The sucking-fish (echeneis or remora) was a creature believed by the ancients to have the power of slowing the course of ships to which it attached itself. See Pliny, Natural History 32.1.2-6. He describes it as about six inches long and like a slug. See also [A91a082].
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- 'remore', 'echeneis remora' (fabulous fish) (+ animal rotating, twisting) [25FF64(+75253)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of plants (herbs) [25G13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- boulder, stone [25H1124] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (high) hill [25H113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city [25I12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- archer's weapons: arrow [45C15(ARROW)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Maturity (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51FF511(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Swiftness, Speed; 'Agilità', 'Celerità', 'Velocità' (Ripa) (+ symbolical representation of concept) [51M11(+3)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Swiftness, Speed; 'Agilità', 'Celerità', 'Velocità' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51M11(+4):51MM11(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Slowness, Tardiness; 'Tardità' (Ripa) (+ symbolical representation of concept) [51MM11(+3)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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Section: PRUDENCE. View all emblems in this section.
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Sobrement vivre: & non follement croire.
Apostrophe.
Ne voy, ne croy, (ha Epicharme escrit)[1]
Ce sont les nerfz, & membres de l’esprit
L’oeil en main,[2] croit la chose qu’il voit sienne,
Poulieu, herbe est de Sobresse ancienne:
Lequel monstré (Quand la force exposa)
Sedition Heraclit appaisa.[3]
Ne trop boire, ne trop croire font l’homme sage,
l’oei [=oeil]
en la main est certitude des choses veues, & touchées
Poulieu, est herbe gardant de soif, &
d’yvrongnerie
1. The saying is quoted in Polybius, The Histories, 18.40.
2. See Plautus, Asinaria, 202: ‘our hands always have eyes - seeing is believing for them’; Erasmus, Adagia, 73 (Oculatae manus).
3. For this incident concerning the sixth-century BC philosopher Heraclitus, see Plutarch, De garrulitate, 511C: when faced with a discordant mob, Heraclitus said nothing but took a cup of cold water, sprinkled on barley-meal and stirred it with a sprig of pennyroyal. Pennyroyal represents modest fare, contentment and control. Cf. Emblem 175 (CHECK), line 8. Heraclitus lived on a diet of herbs. For his pessimistic view of life see Emblem 142 (CHECK).
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- rocks [25H112] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (high) hill [25H113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with ruins [25I9] Search | Browse Iconclass
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- Folly, Foolishness; 'Pazzia', 'Sciocchezza', 'Stoltitia' (Ripa) [52AA51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Carefulness, Diligence; 'Diligenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A2(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Temperance, Moderation; 'Misura' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A43(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- male persons from classical history (with NAME) representations to which the NAME of a person from classical history may be attached [98B(EPICHARMUS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
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