
Quà Dii vocant eundum.
Go where Heaven calls.
Emblema viii.
In trivio mons est lapidum: supereminet illi
Trunca Dei effigies, pectore facta tenus.
Mercurii est igitur tumulus.[1] Suspende viator
Serta Deo, rectum qui tibi monstret iter.[2]
Omnes in trivio sumus, atque hoc tramite vitae
Fallimur, ostendat ni Deus ipse viam.
At a parting of the ways, there is a hillock of stones. Rising above it is a half-statue of a god, fashioned as far down as the chest. So the hill is Mercury’s. Traveller, hang wreaths in honour of the god who will point out the road to you. We are all at the crossroads, and on this track of life we go wrong, unless God himself shows us the way.
Sequendum id vitae genus est, ad quod nos Deus &
natura vocat. Quod olim apud paganos signifi-
cavit Mercurius viae ductor, qui in triviis positus
viam cuique monstrabat. Docemur etiam hoc Emble-
mate, quodcunque vite genus eligamus, nihil nos
posse proficere, nisi doctorem aliquem probum do-
ctúmque nobis proponamus, qui sit instar cuiusdam
Ἐρμοῦ ἐνοδίου καὶ ἡγημονίου.

Fault marcher par où Dieu nous appelle.
En un chemin couppé, mont-joye de pierre dure,
Où l’effigie sied representant Mercure,
Se monstre à tous passans. Sus donques viateur,
Pry’ de Dieu, qui t’enseigne un chemin qui soit seur
Car nous nous forvoyons perdans la cognoissance,
Si de Dieu nous n’avons la guide & assistance.
Il nous fault suivre la maniere de vivre,
à laquelle Dieu & nature nous appelle.
Ce que les Payens signifierent par leur Mer-
cure, duquel l’effigie sise aux grands che-
mins addressoit les passans. Par cest Emble-
me aussi nous sommes advertis, que quelque
genre & condition de vie que nous choisis-
sions, jamais nous ne pourrons en rien nous
advancer, si nous n’avons un maistre & do-
cteur, qui nous serve comme d’un Mercure
montre-chemin & conducteur.
Related Emblems
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- 'en route', traveller under way [46C513] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- animals (+ wings of an animal) [25F(+342):25F(+154)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm held downwards - AA - both arms or hands (+ indicating, pointing at) [31AA2515(+931)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm or hand held in front of the body (+ holding something) [31A2516(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ holding something) [31A2512(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ indicating, pointing at) [31A2512(+931)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- attributes of Mercury: petasus [92B58(PETASUS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- boulder, stone [25H1124] Search | Browse Iconclass
- caduceus (staff with two snakes, attribute of Mercury) [92B58(CADUCEUS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- carrying something on the head or on the shoulders [46C1215] Search | Browse Iconclass
- container of textile material: bag, sack [41A777] Search | Browse Iconclass
- cross-roads, bifurcation [46C116] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dress, gown (+ men's clothes) [41D211(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of plants (herbs) [25G13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of trees [25G11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head-gear (with NAME) (+ men's clothes) [41D221(HAT)(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Herm: pillar with the head of Mercury, patron of travellers [92B572] Search | Browse Iconclass
- index finger forwards, pointing, indicating [31A25552] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with tower or castle [25I5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- looking downwards [31B6212] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- piece of sculpture, reproduction of a piece of sculpture [48C24] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rotating, twisting (movement of the human body) [31A2753] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sceptre, staff (symbol of sovereignty) [44B192] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snakes (+ symmetrically placed ornamental animals, divided by a (human) figure or an object) [25F42(+154)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the course of life symbolized [11R3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walking [31A2711] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walking-stick, staff [41D263] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- anthropomorphic beings with parts missing [31A441] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Calling, Vocation, Mission (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57A23(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- God's perfections [11A23] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Guidance (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54E2(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- wreath, garland ~ festive activities [43A(+12)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.