
LA FIN COURONNE L’OEUVRE.
NOus avons tous au monde une commune entrée:
Nature meine au jour par un mesme sentier
Et la race des Rois, & l’enfant du potier,
Autant entre nos murs qu’en estrange contrée.
Mais quand en aage meur la jouvence est entrée,
Un passage doublé fourche son train premier:
Et en ce carre-four se perdre est coustumier,
Qui pour l’estroicte voye, a l’ample rencontrée.
Le chemin en est beau, large, doux, & plaisant
Qui rid au passager: mais le sortit nuisant
Jette l’ame, & le corps au feu qui les devore.
L’estroit est de vertu le sentier espineux,
Qui couronne de vie en fin le vertueux:
C’est ce que considere en ce lieu Pythahore.[1]

Ad Nicolaum Reusnerum Leorinum.[2]
Finis coronat opus.
The end crowns the work
ARcta per augustum quae ducit semita callem
Difficili, at pulchro fine coronat opus.
Latior, & spatiams per amoena rosaria, suevit,
Digna voluptatis praemia, ferre crucem.
The narrow path which leads through the straits of the mountain track crowns the work with a difficult but beautiful end. The wider and broad one through the pleasing rose gardens is accustomed to bear a cross [suffering], the fitting rewards of voluptas.
1. The Pythagorean symbol Y (cf. Erasmus, Adagia, 1.1.2), can also be compared with the Christian choice as in Matthew 7:13-14. See also Coustau, ‘Sur l’Ypsilon de Pythagoras’ ([FCPa105]).
2. Nicolas Reusner, from Löwenberg in Silesia, poet and emblematist (d. 1602), a lawyer and polyhistor, held a chair in Strasburg.
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- (high) hill [25H113] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- book [49M32] Search | Browse Iconclass
- chair [41A721] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dress, gown [41D211] Search | Browse Iconclass
- flame [41B121] Search | Browse Iconclass
- index finger forwards, pointing, indicating [31A25552] Search | Browse Iconclass
- mountains [25H11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plants and herbs [25G4] Search | Browse Iconclass
- pointer ~ reading [49N22] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Pythagoras, the philosopher [98B(PYTHAGORAS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- road, path [46C11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scholar, philosopher [49C3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- thorny twig «« KEY (222) TO 25G plants; vegetation [25G(+222)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees [25G3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (with NAME) [25G3(LAUREL)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walls ~ fortified city [45K141] Search | Browse Iconclass
- wreath, garland ~ festive activities [43A(+12)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
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- End; 'Fine' (Ripa) [51FF5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fire (one of the four elements) [21C] Search | Browse Iconclass
- flowers (with NAME) [25G41(ROSE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Heaven (as one of the Four Last Things) [11L541413] Search | Browse Iconclass
- journey to heaven, pathway to heaven [11S3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Licentiousness, Lasciviousness; 'Lascivia', 'Licenza' (Ripa) [57AA51] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Mortality, Extinction of Life [58BB1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Nature [2] Search | Browse Iconclass
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- potter, ceramist [48C313] Search | Browse Iconclass
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- the damned souls, and their punishment [11T5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the way to destruction is broad and the gate is wide; the way to life is narrow and the gate is straight ~ doctrine of Christ on love, etc. (Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:24) [73C7454] Search | Browse Iconclass
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- young versus old age; young and old [31D5] Search | Browse Iconclass
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