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Link to an image of this page [C3r p37]
Sobrement vivre: & non follement croire.
Apostrophe.
Ne voy, ne croy, (ha Epicharme escrit)[1]
Ce sont les nerfz, & membres de l’esprit
L’oeil en main,[2] croit la chose qu’il voit sienne,
Poulieu, herbe est de Sobresse ancienne:
Lequel monstré (Quand la force exposa)
Sedition Heraclit appaisa.[3]
Ne trop boire, ne trop croire font l’homme sage,
l’oei [=oeil]
en la main est certitude des choses veues, & touchées
Poulieu, est herbe gardant de soif, &
d’yvrongnerie
1. The saying is quoted in Polybius, The Histories, 18.40.
2. See Plautus, Asinaria, 202: ‘our hands always have eyes - seeing is believing for them’; Erasmus, Adagia, 73 (Oculatae manus).
3. For this incident concerning the sixth-century BC philosopher Heraclitus, see Plutarch, De garrulitate, 511C: when faced with a discordant mob, Heraclitus said nothing but took a cup of cold water, sprinkled on barley-meal and stirred it with a sprig of pennyroyal. Pennyroyal represents modest fare, contentment and control. Cf. Emblem 175 (CHECK), line 8. Heraclitus lived on a diet of herbs. For his pessimistic view of life see Emblem 142 (CHECK).
Related Emblems
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Relating to the image:
- (high) hill [25H113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- eyes [31A2212] Search | Browse Iconclass
- floating in the air (+ variant) [31A2763(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hand [31A2245] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with ruins [25I9] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plants and herbs: pennyroyal (+ leaves, putting forth leaves) [25G4(PENNYROYAL)(+33)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plants and herbs: pennyroyal (+ plants used symbolically) [25G4(PENNYROYAL)(+1)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rocks [25H112] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- (story of) Heraclitus, the philosopher representations to which the NAME of a person from classical history may be attached [98B(HERACLITUS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Carefulness, Diligence; 'Diligenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A2(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Folly, Foolishness; 'Pazzia', 'Sciocchezza', 'Stoltitia' (Ripa) [52AA51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- male persons from classical history (with NAME) representations to which the NAME of a person from classical history may be attached [98B(EPICHARMUS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Precaution (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A24(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Temperance, Moderation; 'Misura' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54A43(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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