
Iusta ultio.
Just revenge
Emblema clxxii.
Raptabat volucres captum pede corvus in auras
Scorpion, audaci praemia parta gulae.
Ast ille infuso sensim per membra veneno,
aptorem in Stygias compulit ultor aquas.
O risu res digna! aliis qui fata parabat,
Ipse perit, propriis succubuítque dolis.[1]
A raven was carrying off into the flying winds a scorpion gripped in its talons, a prize won for its audacious gullet. But the scorpion, injecting its poison drop by drop through the raven’s limbs, despatched the predator to the waters of the Styx and so took its revenge. - What a laughable thing! The one who was preparing death for others himself perishes and has succumbed to his own wiles.
SImile apud Aesopum de corvo cibum quaeritáte,
convertitur in id quod vulgò dici solet, captores
capi, raptores etiam à raptoribus abripi & illaquea-
ri: ut cùm à veneficis falsarii, calumniatores, & id
genus alii tolluntur de medio, vel etiam latrones
à praedonibus spoliantur.

Vengeance à bon droit pratiquee.
LE corbeau ravisseur avoit prins pour sa proye
Un petit Scorpion: mais en n’y pensant point,
Il sent son ennemy qui l’attaque & le point.
Emprisonné qu’il est, si bien & beau essaye
L’oultrager dans le corps qu’il le rend roide mort.[2]
Cela n’est il pas bien digne de mocquerie?
“Celuy qui estoit plein de fraude & tromperie,
“Luy mesme s’est donné la cause de sa mort.
LE semblable est dans les fables d’Esope,
du corbeau cherchant sa pasture, ce que
se rapporte au dire commun, Les preneurs sont
prins: & les ravisseurs sont aussi arrestez aux
laqs d’aussi fins qu’eux: comme quand des
faulsaires sont happez & despechez par des
empoisonneurs, calomniateurs, & autres sem-
blables manieres de gens: ou quand les bri-
gans sont desvalisez par les volleurs.
Related Emblems

- Declaracion magistral sobre las Emblemas de Andres Alciato (1615), Najera: IUSTA ULTIO. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1621), Padua: Iusta ultio. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (28th February, 1531), Augsburg: IUSTA ULTIO. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (6th April, 1531), Augsburg: IUSTA ULTIO. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (1534), Augsburg: IUSTA ULTIO. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libellus (1534), Paris: Iusta ultio. | Open in other pane
- Les Emblemes (1539), Paris: Iusta ultio. Juste vengence. | Open in other pane
- Les Emblemes (1542), Paris: Iusta ultio. Juste vengence. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libellus (1542), Paris: Iusta ultio. Gerechte rhach. | Open in other pane
- Los Emblemas (1549), Lyon: Que el que en mal anda en tal acaba. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1550), Lyon: Iusta ultio. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1551), Lyon: Iusta ultio. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libri II (Stockhamer) (1556), Lyon: Iusta ultio. | Open in other pane
- Toutes les emblemes (1558), Lyon: Vengence Juste. | Open in other pane
- Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main: Iusta ultio. Billiche verdiente Rach. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1591), Leiden: Iusta ultio. | Open in other pane
- Diverse imprese (1551), Lyon: Vendetta giusta. | Open in other pane
- Livret des emblemes (1536), Paris: Iusta ultio. Juste vengence. | Open in other pane
- Emblemes (1549), Lyons: Vengence Juste. | Open in other pane
- Les emblemes (1615), Geneva/Cologny: Juste vengeance. | Open in other pane
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- song-birds: raven (+ animal with prey) [25F32(RAVEN)(+452)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- song-birds: raven (+ animal(s) being wounded) [25F32(RAVEN)(+62)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scorpions (+ animal(s) attacking) [25F715(+512)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scorpions (+ animal(s) being hit, shot, caught) [25F715(+621)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (+ stem, trunk) [25G3(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plants and herbs [25G4] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dale, valley [25H12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with tower or castle [25I5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- scorpions (+ poison ~ product of animal) [25F715(+92)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Cunning, Slyness; 'Astutia ingannevole' (Ripa) [57AA613] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Revenge, Requital, Retaliation; 'Vendetta' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57AA741(+4):52B5111(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Mockery, Derision, Irreverence; 'Derisione', 'Dispreggio della Virtù' (Ripa) [57BB2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Styx (river of Hades); 'Stige' (Ripa) [9.30E+22] Search | Browse Iconclass
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Section: VENGENCE. View all emblems in this section.

Vengence Juste.
Exclamation.
Le noir corbeau pour manger avoit pris
Ung Scorpion, de sa gueulle le pris.
Luy se vengeant, par venin espandu,
Son ravisseur soudain mort ha rendu.
Link to an image of this page [O5r p217]
O cas pour rire: A aultruy qui mort dresse
Luy mesme il meurt, & chet soubz sa finesse.[1]
Quand ung mauvais se prent
à ung aultre
plus mauvais, il se destruict
soy mesme, com
me un bateur, à ung meurtrier, ung larron,
à ung brigand, ung
joueur, à ung pipeur,
ung faulsaire
à ung empoisonneur, ung
usurier, à ung bancquerotier, ung fin, à
ung plus fin, ung trompeur,
à ung trompeur &
demy. Le corbeau est male beste, ung Scor
pion pire, qui tue de sa queuë veneneuse.
1. This is a fairly free translation of Anthologia graeca 9.339. See Erasmus, Adagia 58, Cornix scorpium, where the Greek epigram is again translated.
Related Emblems

- Declaracion magistral sobre las Emblemas de Andres Alciato (1615), Najera: IUSTA ULTIO. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1621), Padua: Iusta ultio. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (28th February, 1531), Augsburg: IUSTA ULTIO. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (6th April, 1531), Augsburg: IUSTA ULTIO. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum liber (1534), Augsburg: IUSTA ULTIO. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libellus (1534), Paris: Iusta ultio. | Open in other pane
- Les Emblemes (1539), Paris: Iusta ultio. Juste vengence. | Open in other pane
- Les Emblemes (1542), Paris: Iusta ultio. Juste vengence. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libellus (1542), Paris: Iusta ultio. Gerechte rhach. | Open in other pane
- Los Emblemas (1549), Lyon: Que el que en mal anda en tal acaba. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1550), Lyon: Iusta ultio. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1551), Lyon: Iusta ultio. | Open in other pane
- Emblematum libri II (Stockhamer) (1556), Lyon: Iusta ultio. | Open in other pane
- Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main: Iusta ultio. Billiche verdiente Rach. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata (1591), Leiden: Iusta ultio. | Open in other pane
- Diverse imprese (1551), Lyon: Vendetta giusta. | Open in other pane
- Livret des emblemes (1536), Paris: Iusta ultio. Juste vengence. | Open in other pane
- Emblemes (1549), Lyons: Vengence Juste. | Open in other pane
- Emblemata / Les emblemes (1584), Paris: Iusta ultio. Vengeance à bon droit pratiquee. | Open in other pane
- Les emblemes (1615), Geneva/Cologny: Juste vengeance. | Open in other pane
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- song-birds: raven (+ animal with prey) [25F32(RAVEN)(+452)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- song-birds: raven (+ animal(s) being wounded) [25F32(RAVEN)(+62)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scorpions (+ animal(s) attacking) [25F715(+512)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scorpions (+ animal(s) being hit, shot, caught) [25F715(+621)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (+ stem, trunk) [25G3(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (+ stump, stub) [25G3(+211)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plants and herbs [25G4] Search | Browse Iconclass
- mountains [25H11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dale, valley [25H12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city [25I12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- scorpions (+ poison ~ product of animal) [25F715(+92)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Revenge, Requital, Retaliation; 'Vendetta' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57AA741(+4):52B5111(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Styx (river of Hades); 'Stige' (Ripa) [9.30E+22] Search | Browse Iconclass
Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.