
Maturandum.
All in good time
EMBLEMA XX.
Maturare iubent properè, & cunctarier omnes,
Ne nimium praeceps, neu mora longa nimis.
Hoc tibi declaret connexum echeneide[1] telum:
Haec tarda est, volitant spicula missa manu.
Everyone tells us to deal with things quickly, but they also tell us to hold back - not to be impetuous, nor yet to wait too long. A missile linked with a sucking-fish can demonstrate this for you: the fish is slow, but arrows fly fast when they leave the shooter’s hand.
1. ‘linked with a sucking fish’. The sucking-fish (echeneis or remora) was a creature believed by the ancients to have the power of slowing the course of ships to which it attached itself. See Pliny, Natural History 32.1.2-6. He describes it as about six inches long and like a slug. See also [A91a082].
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Related Emblems

- Emblematum liber (28th February, 1531), Augsburg: MATURANDUM.
- Emblematum liber (6th April, 1531), Augsburg: MATURANDUM.
- Emblematum liber (1534), Augsburg: MATURANDUM.
- Emblematum libellus (1534), Paris: Maturandum.
- Livret des emblemes (1536), Paris: Maturandum. Tost bellement.
- Les Emblemes (1539), Paris: Maturandum. Tost bellement.
- Les Emblemes (1542), Paris: Maturandum. Tost, bellement.
- Emblematum libellus (1542), Paris: Maturandum. Eyl mit weyl.
- Los Emblemas (1549), Lyon: Que todo se deve hazer con sazon.
- Emblemes (1549), Lyons: Il fault estre moeur.
- Emblemata (1550), Lyon: Maturandum.
- Emblemata (1551), Lyon: Maturandum.
- Diverse imprese (1551), Lyon: Che le buone deliberationi si debbono mettere in opera à tempo.
- Emblematum libri II (Stockhamer) (1556), Lyon: Maturandum.
- Toutes les emblemes (1558), Lyon: Il fault estre maeur.
- Liber emblematum ... Kunstbuch (1567), Franckfurt am Main: Maturandum. Eil mit weil.
- Emblemata / Les emblemes (1584), Paris: Maturandum. Qu'il fault meurement entreprendre.
- Declaracion magistral sobre las Emblemas de Andres Alciato (1615), Najera: MATURANDUM.
- Les emblemes (1615), Geneva/Cologny: Se haster bellement.
- Emblemata (1621), Padua: Maturandum.
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- 'remore', 'echeneis remora' (fabulous fish) (+ animal rotating, twisting) [25FF64(+75253)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (high) hill [25H113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- archer's weapons: arrow [45C15(ARROW)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- boulder, stone [25H1124] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of plants (herbs) [25G13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city [25I12] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Maturity (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51FF511(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Slowness, Tardiness; 'Tardità ' (Ripa) (+ symbolical representation of concept) [51MM11(+3)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Swiftness, Speed; 'Agilità ', 'Celerità ', 'Velocità ' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51M11(+4):51MM11(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Swiftness, Speed; 'Agilità ', 'Celerità ', 'Velocità ' (Ripa) (+ symbolical representation of concept) [51M11(+3)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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