
Impossibile.
The impossible
Abluis Aethiopem quid frustrà? ah desine, noctis
Illustrare nigrae nemo potest tenebras.[1]
Why are you washing an Ethiopian in vain? Oh, do stop. No one can turn the shades of black night into light.

Impossible.
Il est ung milier de negoces,
Ou lon ne peult remede mettre.
Et quoy que ardemment ten courrouces,
Si nen seras tu ja le maistre.
Parquoy si tu quiers hors blasme estre,
Ne prans peine a blanchir ung More.
En la nuict, ne peult clarte naistre.
Ung vice invetere demoure.
1. This is a translation of Anthologia graeca 11.428. See also Aesop, Fables 11; Erasmus, Adagia 350, Aethiopen lavas.
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EMBLEMA CLXV [=164] .
Dives indoctus.
The stupid rich man
Tranat aquas residens precioso in vellere Phrixus,
Et flavam impavidus per mare scandit ovem.
Ecquid id est? vir sensu hebeti, sed divite gaza,
Coniugis aut servi quem regit arbitrium.[1]
Phrixus traverses the waters astride the precious fleece and fearlessly rides the golden sheep across the sea. - Whatever can this be? - A man dull of sense, but with rich coffers, whom the whim of wife or servant rules.
Das CLXV [=164] .
Reich und ungelehrt.
Auß Thebe Phrixus sitzen thut
Auff der köstlichen Wollen gut
Link to an image of this page [P8r f107r]
Deß güldin Widers unverzagt
Er durch den wilden See hinjagt
Was thut aber das zeichen an?
Ein thollen und doch reichen Mann
Der von seim Weib oder Knecht wirt
Gemeistert, gregiert und geführt.
1. For the story of Phrixus and the Golden Fleece see Ovid, Fastii 3.851ff.
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