Link to an image of this page [B1v p18]
Nunquam procrastinandum.
Never procrastinate.
EMBLEMA III.
Alciatae gentis insignia sustinet Alce,[1]
Unguibus & μηδὲν fert ἀναβαλλόμενος.
Constat Alexandrum sic respondisse roganti,
Quî tot obivisset tempore gesta brevi?
Nunquam, inquit, differre volens,[2] quod & indicat Alce:
Fortior haec, dubites,[3] ocyor ánne siet.[4]
An elk bears the insignia of the family Alciato - between its hooves it carries (the motto) “Postponing nothing”. Alexander, as is well known, thus answered one who asked him how he had performed so many exploits in a short time: “By never wanting”, he said, “to postpone”. ‘Elk’ in fact indicates this - you may well ask whether it is strong or fast.
1. An elk, representing the family name, is carved on Alciato’s tomb in Pavia.
2. numquam...differre volens, ‘By never wanting...to postpone’. The Latin words translate Alexander’s Greek motto, quoted in line 2. See Erasmus, Adagia, 3400 (Nunc tuum ferrum in igne est, ‘Strike while the iron is hot’), where Alexander’s saying is quoted.
3. Corrected on the basis of Betty Knott’s edition.
4. Alce, ‘Elk’. The Greek word ἀλκή means not only ‘elk’ but ‘strength’. The animal ‘elk’ was famed for its speed: see Pliny, Natural History, 8.16.39.
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- (high) hill [25H113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- armorial bearing, heraldry (with NAME of family) device, motto [46A122(ALCIATUS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of birds (+ flying animal(s)) [25F31(+5262)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of plants (herbs) [25G13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hoofed animals: elk (+ animal with forelegs stretched foreward) [25F24(ELK)(+552)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hoofed animals: elk (+ animal(s) holding something) [25F24(ELK)(+5245)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with ruins [25I9] Search | Browse Iconclass
- obelisk, needle [25I153] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city [25I12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT) [86(MHDEN ANABALLOMENOS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scroll [49L71] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- (story of) Alexander the Great [98B(ALEXANDER THE GREAT)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Delay [51FF521] Search | Browse Iconclass
- historical person (with NAME) other representations to which the NAME of a historical person may be attached (with NAME of person) [61B2(ALCIATUS, ANDREAS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Swiftness, Speed; 'Agilità §¬ 'Celerità §¬ 'Velocità § (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51M11(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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