
EMBLEMA CXXXII.
In detrectatores.[1]
Against his detractors
Audent flagriferi matulae, stupidique magistri
Bilem in me impuri pectoris evomere:
Quid faciam? reddamne vices? sed nonne cicadam
Ala una obstreperam corripuisse[2] ferar?
Quid prodest muscas operosis pellere[3] flabris?
Negligere est satius, perdere quod nequeas.
Those cane-wielding, empty-headed, thick-skulled teachers dare to spew out on me the bile of their foul minds. What am I to do? Return like for like? But surely I would then be said to have seized the dinning cicada by the wing. What is the good of driving flies away with tiresome swipes? It is better to ignore what you cannot get rid of.

Das CXXXII.
Wider die Verleumbder.[4]
Die Kerffenfeger, drutten Köng
Die tollen losen Meister ring
Understehn in mich zgiessen auß all
Ir unreins Hertzens bitter Gall
Was sol ich machen oder thon?
Sol ichs in gleich vergelten schon?
Würd ich nicht leiden daß mich rürt
Mit eimFlügel die Cicad und irt?
Was hilffts das mit grosser mühe doch
Man dMucken vertreiben thut noch?
Es ist weger du lassest ston
Das du nicht kanst außreuten thon.
1. Other versions read ‘Detractores’.
2. cicadam / Ala una...corripuisse, ‘to have seized the...cicada by the wing’. See Erasmus, Adagia, 828 (Cicadam ala corripuisti): if you hold a cicada by the wing, it will only chirp more loudly.
3. muscas...pellere, ‘driving flies away’. See Erasmus, Adagia, 2660 (Muscas depellere): driving flies away is a waste of effort as they simply return.
4. The German in certain parts of this emblem is particularly puzzling.
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- Emblemata (1591), Leiden: In detractores. | Open in other pane
- Emblemes (1549), Lyons: Contre les Detracteurs. | Open in other pane
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
Relating to the text:
- (GNAT) insects: gnat [25F711] Search | Browse Iconclass
- insects: cicada (+ animal(s) being hit, shot, caught) [25F711(CICADA)(+621)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- insects: fly [25F711(FLY)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- catching animals [43C1151] Search | Browse Iconclass
- teacher and pupil [49B240] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Tolerance, Long-suffering; 'Longanimità ', 'Toleranza' (Ripa) [57A72] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Contempt (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57BB21(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Calumny, Detraction; 'Biasimo vitioso', 'Calunnia', 'Detrattione', 'Maledicenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57BB25(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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