
PERVERTIZ JUGEMENS.
Soubz
timol Juge, un debat fut prins, entre
Pan le Pasteur, & phebus le bon chantre:[1]
Lequel diroit meilleur chants, & plus beaux:
Phebus au Luc, &
Pan aux Chalemeaux.
Chascun des deux sonna son instrument.
Phebus bien doux, & Pan bien haultement.
Le Roy midas estant à l’audience:
En Juge fol donna brieve sentence.
Et prefera la Musete hault quinant
De Pan, au Luc de Phebus doux sonnant.
Pour tel arrest, Phebus si luy feit naistre
Oreilles d’Asne: affin de le cognoistre.
Oreilles d’Asne, & dignes de la
teste,
Qui jugement avoit donné si beste.
Ainsi, Aucuns sont tant Asnes, tant lourdz,
De Jugement tourné tant à rebours:
Que plus leur plaict la crierie vaine:
Que de prudente Eloquence la vene.
Link to an image of this page []
Et la mensonge, ou fabulosité,
Plus que ne faict la simple verité.
Or pleust à Dieu que tous Asnes masquez
D’oreilles d’Asne ainsi fussent
marquez!
Affin que par telz signes
survenuz,
Fussent de tous telz sotz
Midas cogneuz.
Lesquelz à droict, proprement, sans scrupules
On peut nommer les renversez Apules.[2]
Car par dehors figure d’hommes ont:
Mais par dedans Asnes & bestes sont.
1. Tmolus, the god of a mountain of the same name in Lydia (Asia Minor), decided a musical contest between Apollo and Pan. Midas (who had retired from his spoiled life as king) was a follower of Pan, and attended the contest. Tmolus awarded the victory to Apollo, and all but Midas agreed with the judgment. He dissented, and questioned the justice of the award - and was rewarded with the donkey’s ears, as in the poem. (Ovid, Metamorphoses, 11.168)
2. Apuleius, a 2nd-century writer, was the author of The Golden Ass, in which the main character (Lucius) is partly changed into an ass and has various adventures, and seems to morph into the author himself by the end.
Related Emblems
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- (story of) Apollo (Phoebus) [92B3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (story of) Pan [92L5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- archer's weapons (with NAME) [45C15(ARROW)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- archer's weapons (with NAME) [45C15(BOW)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- bagpipe, musette [48C7354] Search | Browse Iconclass
- birds [25F3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- contest between Apollo and Pan with the mountain god Tmolus as judge, i.e. judgement of Midas; Midas often represented with ass's ears [92B3411] Search | Browse Iconclass
- crown (symbol of sovereignty) [44B191] Search | Browse Iconclass
- ears of an animal [25F(+333)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- lute, and special forms of lute, e.g.: theorbo [48C7323] Search | Browse Iconclass
- quiver [45C23] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sceptre, staff (symbol of sovereignty) [44B192] Search | Browse Iconclass
- three persons [31A(+73)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees [25G3] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- ass, donkey [46C13142] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Falsehood [52AA6] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Judgment of Conduct [57B] Search | Browse Iconclass
- representations to which the NAME of a person from classical history may be attached [98B(APULEUS)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Truth; 'Verità§ (Ripa) [52A6] Search | Browse Iconclass
Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.