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In Silentium.
Silence
Cùm tacet haud quicquam differt sapientibus amens,
Stultitiae est index linguaque voxque suae.
Ergo premat labias, digitoque silentia signet,
Et sese pharium vertat in Harpocratem[1].
When he is silent, the fool differs no whit from the wise. It is tongue and voice that betray his stupidity. Let him therefore put his finger to his lips and so mark silence, and turn himself into Egyptian Harpocrates.
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A Silence.
Quand ung ignorant ne dit mot
Il est bien pareil au scavant:
Et nest de sagesse remot,
Sinon quant il parle souvent:
Ta bouche ayt donc le doy devant,
Pour luy faire tenir silence:
Et soys en peu parler suyvant,
De Harpocras la grand sapience.
1. Harpocrates, also known as Horus, was the son of the Egyptian divinity Isis. He avenged the murder of his father Osiris by Set/Typhon. He is often represented as an infant with his finger held to his mouth as a sign of silence and economy of words. See Plutarch, De Iside et Osiride 68.
Related Emblems
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- book [49M32] Search | Browse Iconclass
- book - MM - book open [49MM32] Search | Browse Iconclass
- candle [41B31] Search | Browse Iconclass
- cover for table, etc. [41A713] Search | Browse Iconclass
- flame [41B121] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hand(s) towards the mouth [31A2536] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Harpocrates [96A33] Search | Browse Iconclass
- index finger forwards, pointing, indicating [31A25552] Search | Browse Iconclass
- lectern [11Q71455] Search | Browse Iconclass
- putting a finger to the lips, 'Silentium'; 'Silentio' (Ripa) [31B623591] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scholar in his study [49C32] Search | Browse Iconclass
- shelves, rack, sideboard [41A712] Search | Browse Iconclass
- study; 'studiolo'; library [41A251] Search | Browse Iconclass
- table [41A711] Search | Browse Iconclass
- window [41A33] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- Folly, Foolishness; 'Pazzia', 'Sciocchezza', 'Stoltitia' (Ripa) [52AA51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Ignorance; 'Ignoranza', 'Ignoranza di tutte le cose', 'Ignoranza in un ricco senza lettere' (Ripa) [52AA5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Taciturnity; 'Secretezza', 'Secretezza overo Taciturnità' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52DD3(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Wisdom; 'Sapienza', 'Sapienza humana', 'Sapienza vera' (Ripa) [52A51] Search | Browse Iconclass
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