Single Emblem View

« Previous EmblemNext Emblem »
Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [O12v f144v]

Qui alta contemplantur, cadere.

Those who contemplate the heights come to grief

Emblema ciiii.

Man shooting an arrow at a bird while being bitten by a snake.
[Click on image to enlarge]

Dum turdos visco, pedica dum fallit alaudas,
Et iacta altivolam figit arundo gruem,
Dipsada non prudens auceps pede perculit. ultrix
Illa mali, emissum virus ab ore iacit.
Sic obit, extento qui sidera respicit arcu.
Securus fati, quod iacet ante pedes.[1]

While he tricks thrushes with bird-lime, larks with snares, while his speeding shaft pierces the high-flying crane, the careless bird-hunter steps on a snake; avenging the injury, it spits the darting venom from its jaws. So he dies, a man who gazes at the stars with bow at the ready, oblivious of the mishap lying before his feet.

Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [P1r f145r]

ID ex apologo Aesopi de aucupe & vipera. Di-
citur de Astrologis, qui occupati circa inspectio-
nem rerum coelestium, ut inde aliquid se praesagi-
re posse putent, non provideant quod in terris sibi
periculum impendeat.

Link to an image of this page  Link to an image of this page  [P1v f145v]

Ceux qui visent hault, souvent tombent
bien bas.

Quand l’oiselleur au gluc, au trait, à la pipee
La grive, aussi la grue, & l’allouette prent,
Peu advisé qu’il est, marchant sur terre il sent
Une Dipsade, estant par luy du pied frappée,
Qui le mord asprement & luy donne la mort.
Ce qui nous monstre au doigt, que celuy qui trop fort
Jusques à s’oublier, vise, & ses traicts descoche,
Se perd, & ne prevoit son mal qui luy est proche.

C’Est icy une fable d’Esope, de l’oiselleur
& de la vipere. Il s’entend des Astrolo-
gues, qui occupez à contempler les choses
celestes, pour en tirer quelque prediction,
ne prevoyent ce-pendant le danger, qui
leur est preparé en terre.

Notes:

1.  See Anthologia graeca 7.172 and Aesop, Fables 137.

« Previous EmblemNext Emblem »

Related Emblems

Show related emblems Show related emblems

Hint: You can set whether related emblems are displayed by default on the preferences page

Iconclass Keywords

Relating to the image:

Relating to the text:

Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.

Single Facsimile View | View Transcribed Page

« Previous FacsimileNext Facsimile »
« Previous FacsimileNext Facsimile »

 

Back to top