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Oblivio paupertatis parens.
Heedlessness is the mother of poverty.
EMBLEMA LXVI.
Cum lupus esuriens mandit cervarius escam,
Praeque fame captum devorat hinnuleum,
Respiciat si fortè aliò, vel lumina vertat,
Praesentem oblitus quem tenet ore cibum,
Quaeritat incertam (tanta est oblivio) praedam.
Qui sua neglexit, stultè aliena petit.[1]
When a starving lynx is eating its meal and in its hunger gnawing a fawn that it has caught, if it happens to look in another direction or turns its eyes aside, it forgets the food it actually has in its jaws. So far does its attention wander that it starts hunting a prey that it may not succeed in catching. Foolishly setting no store by what it has, it pursues things that have nothing to do with it.
1. See Pliny, as given in some commentaries. Cf. also Aesop Fables, 204; and Erasmus, Parabolae, pp.234, 250.
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Relating to the image:
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: lynx (+ relationship between animals) [25F23(LYNX)(+44)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: lynx (+ animal with prey) [25F23(LYNX)(+452)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hoofed animals: deer (+ male animal) [25F24(DEER)(+22)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hoofed animals: deer (+ dying animal; death of animal; dead animal) [25F24(DEER)(+63)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees [25G3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plain [25H16] Search | Browse Iconclass
- farm or solitary house in landscape [25I3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with tower or castle [25I5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- leaning forward [31A2321] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm or hand held in front of the body - AA - both arms or hands (+ holding something) [31AA2516(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rural housing, e.g. country-house, villa, cottage [41A16] Search | Browse Iconclass
- farm (building) [41A17] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fence, wall, paling [41A54] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dress, gown (+ men's clothes) [41D211(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head-gear (+ men's clothes) [41D221(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sheep (+ herd, group of animals) [47I213(+9441)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- ram (+ relationship between animals) [47I2131(+944)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- ram (+ dying animal; death of animal; dead animal) [47I2131(+963)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- herding, herdsman, herdswoman, shepherd, shepherdess, cowherd, etc. [47I221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- shepherd's crook [47I2213] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Oblivion; 'Oblivione' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52AA31(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Folly, Foolishness; 'Pazzia', 'Sciocchezza', 'Stoltitia' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52AA51(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Poverty; 'Povertà', 'Povertà del doni', 'Povertà in uno ch'habbia bell'ingegno' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [55BB1(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Greed, Covetousness, Cupidity; 'Cupidità' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [55CC11(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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