
Mutuum auxilium.
Mutual help
Emblema clx.
Loripedem sublatum humeris fert lumine captus:
Et socii haec oculis munera retribuit.
Quo caret alteruter, concors sic praestat uterque:
Mutuat hic oculos, mutuat ille pedes.[1]
A man deprived of sight carries on his shoulders one with deformed feet and offers this service in return for the use of his companion’s eyes. So each of them by mutual consent supplies what the other lacks. One borrows eyes, the other feet.
ID extulit ex Graecorum epigrammatis quibusdam:
quo admonemur, eum esse in rebus omnibus hu-
manae naturae consensum, ut nihil omnino sit quod
non egeat aliena opera & auxilio mutuo: cùm vi-
deamus id quasi de industria naturam voluisse, ut
singuli singulis dotibus, non autem omnibus dona-
tentur, quo singuli quicquid haberent, aliis commu-
nicarent.

Ayde ou confort mutuel.
UN aveugle portoit sur son dos un boiteux,
Luy sentant ce plaisir, luy aide en recompense:
Ainsi d’accord qu’ils sont: l’un & l’autre s’advance:
Car l’un preste ses pieds, l’autre preste ses yeux.
IL a prins cestuy-ci de certains Epigram-
mes grecs: dont sommes advertis, qu’il y a
tel consentement & accord en toutes choses
qui concernent la nature de l’homme, qu’il
n’y a rien en tout qui n’ait besoin de l’aide &
support d’aultruy: & voyons que nature sem-
ble avoir fait cela tout expres, qu’un cha-
cun homme en particulier n’eut toutes les
bonnes parties, & dons de grace, à ce que
les uns & autres vinssent à communiquer
ensemble ce qu’ils auroient de bon.
1. This is based on Anthologia graeca 9.12.
Related Emblems
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- 'en route', traveller under way [46C513] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (high) hill [25H113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man (+ two persons) [31D14(+72)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ holding something) [31A2512(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ indicating, pointing at) [31A2512(+931)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- bag [41D268] Search | Browse Iconclass
- being carried [31A2733] Search | Browse Iconclass
- blind, blindness [31A4111] Search | Browse Iconclass
- boulder, stone [25H1124] Search | Browse Iconclass
- carrying a person on one's back [46C1271] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- coast [25H13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- crippled [31A415] Search | Browse Iconclass
- gear for legs and feet (+ men's clothes) [41D233(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of plants (herbs) [25G13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head-gear (+ men's clothes) [41D221(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head-gear and clothing for the upper part of the body [41D22] Search | Browse Iconclass
- index finger forwards, pointing, indicating (+ indicating, pointing at) [31A25552(+931)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- leaning forward [31A2321] Search | Browse Iconclass
- looking downwards [31B6212] Search | Browse Iconclass
- prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city [25I12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sailing-ship, sailing-boat [46C24] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sea (seascape) [25H23] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (+ stem, trunk) [25G3(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trousers, breeches (+ men's clothes) [41D231(+81)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walking [31A2711] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walking-stick, staff [41D263] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- 'Ajuto', 'Soccorso' (Ripa) [33A610] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Necessity of Mutual Co-operation (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54E11(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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