Section: ARBORES (Trees). View all emblems in this section.
Link to an image of this page [P1v p226]
Populus alba.
The white poplar
Herculeos crines bicolor quòd populus ornet,[1]
Temporis alternat noxque, diesque vices.[2]
The two-coloured poplar wreathes the locks of Hercules - and so its dark and light show time’s alternating changes.
1. The white poplar was dedicated to Hercules. According to Pausanias, Periegesis, 5.14.2, Hercules introduced it to Greece. According to another story, Hercules on his way back from the Underworld garlanded his head with stems from a white poplar growing beside the Acheron, a memorial of the nymph Leuke (White) carried off by Pluto.
2. noxque diesque, ‘its dark and light’ (lit. night and day), a reference to the dark green surface and white underside of the white poplar leaf. According to Pliny, Natural History, 16.36.87, the leaves of the white poplar turn over at the summer solstice. Hercules was equated with the sun: Macrobius, Saturnalia, 1.20.6 and 10.
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Relating to the image:
- trees (with NAME) (+ plants used symbolically) [25G3(WHITE-POPLAR)(+1)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- colours, pigments, and paints (with NAME) [22C4(BROWN)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- colours, pigments, and paints (with NAME) [22C4(WHITE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- day and night [23R] Search | Browse Iconclass
- 'Giorno naturale', 'Carro del giorno naturale' (Ripa) [23R10] Search | Browse Iconclass
- wreath, garland ~ festive activities [43A(+12)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (story of) Hercules (Heracles) [94L] Search | Browse Iconclass
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Link to an image of this page [N6v p204]
La lettre occit, mais l’esprit vivifie.[1]
XLV.
Lors qu’au champ Boeotic
Cadme eut les dents semé
De son hideux serpent, une trouppe guerriere
Soudain de terre issit, qui d’une main meurtriere
S’entretuerent tous d’un courage animé:[2]
Link to an image of this page [N7r p205]
Fors ceux qui par l’advis de Pallas s’appaiserent,
Mirent les armes bas, & en main se toucherent.
Cadme fut le premier qui inventa les lettres,[3]
Les maria ensemble, & incita les maistres
A les enseigner puis à disciples divers:
Qui furent la plus part bigearres & pervers,
Semans tousjours entreux contredits infinis,
Qui jamais ne seront que par Pallas finis.
Commentaires.
La fable de Cadmus se trouve au long dans Ovi-
de. Voyons en le sens moral. Cadme, fils d’Agenor,
fit un ingenieux & industrieux ouvrier, qui pre-
mier bailla les lettres aux Grecs. Ce qui se doit en-
tendre, ou des paroles & de l’oraison, qui nous sont
Link to an image of this page [N7v p206]
representees par les lettres, ou bien des disputes &
contentions, qui sont ordinairement entre les hommes
lettrés. Par le dragon ou serpent est entendue la sa-
pience, & ceste encyclopedie, ou amas de toutes scien-
ces, que les lettres nous produisent. Les dents du dra-
gon furent semés. Le sermon (que nous pouvons ap-
peller discours) est ainsi nommé, à cause de plusieurs
mots semés & joincts ensemble. Les naturalistes di-
sent que le dragon a seize dents. Il y a aussi seize
consonantes, qui se perdent & se chassent l’une l’au-
tre, si elles ne sont aidees d’ailleurs. Mais si on leur
joint les voyelles, qui leur sont comme l’esprit est au
corps, alors les mots se forment, lesquels joincts en-
semble font le parler & l’oraison. Ces voyelles, ce
sont ces soldats qui demeurerent en vie par l’exhor-
tation de Pallas. Ceste bande de gents armés, issus des
dents du dragon, nous remarque aussi les disputes,
contentions, & altercations de certains escholiers,
qui portans envie aux labeurs d’autruy, se ruïnent
les uns les autres M. Barthelemi Aneau, jadis Prin-
cipal du college de la Trinité à
Lyon, a appliqué ceste
fable aux libraires & imprimeurs.
1. II Corinthians 3:6.
2. For the story of Cadmus, founder of Thebes (in Aonia, or less correctly in the French, in Thessaly), and the dragon’s teeth, see Ovid, Metamorphoses, 3.99ff. Athena, goddess of wisdom - here called Tritonia, from the place of her birth in North Africa - brought the internecine struggle between the earth-born warriors to an end.
3. Cadmus supposedly introduced writing to Greece. The scattering of the dragon’s teeth was interpreted as the invention of the alphabet.
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- representations ~ gods, demi-gods, heroes, etc. (non-Christian religions) [12B13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- cultivated land [25H18] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- looking over the shoulder [31A247] Search | Browse Iconclass
- postures and gestures of the index finger [31A2555] Search | Browse Iconclass
- one leg in front of the other (+ standing) [31A2621(+51)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walking [31A2711] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man more than eight persons [31D14(+79)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hacking and thrusting weapons: sword [45C13(SWORD)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- protective weapons: shield [45C19(SHIELD)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- armour [45C22] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sheep [47I213] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (story of) Minerva (Pallas, Athena) [92C2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- on Minerva's advice, Cadmus sows the dragon's teeth; a host of armed men springs up [95A(CADMUS)35] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- dragon (large fabulous serpent, sometimes with wings and legs) (+ dying animal; death of animal; dead animal) [25FF422(+763)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- killing ~ aggressive relationships [33B6] Search | Browse Iconclass
- 'litterae', symbolic representations, allegories and emblems ~ literature; 'Lettere' (Ripa) [48C90] Search | Browse Iconclass
- professor [49B43] Search | Browse Iconclass
- symbolic representations, allegories and emblems ~ science, 'Scientia'; 'Scienza', 'Studio' (Ripa) [49C0] Search | Browse Iconclass
- discussion, dialogue, dispute ~ scholar, philosopher [49C40] Search | Browse Iconclass
- invention of letters [49L10] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Wisdom; 'Sapienza', 'Sapienza humana', 'Sapienza vera' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A51(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Accord, Accordance (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54E3(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT) [86(LA LETTRE OCCIT: L'ESPRIT VIVIFIE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Cadmus slays the dragon [95A(CADMUS)34] Search | Browse Iconclass
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