
Entreprendre par dessus sa force.
Celluy qui son esprit efforce
Et veult plus qu’il ne peult comprendre,
C’est comme qui veult entreprendre
Oultre son povoir & sa force.

LE bon esprit qui a invention
L’art & scavoir pour dicter & escripre
Et meine à fin la sienne intention
Sy bien disant qu’il n’y que redire,
S’il perd le temps sans faire aulcune chose
Ne lict, n’escript en rithme ny en prose,
Certes il est grandement à blasmer,
L’oysiveté le fera diffamer
Veu qu’il le peult & par lascheté n’ose.
★ Plus fault celluy qui vient a presumer
De mettre avant sa trop lourde Ignorance
Et ne faict riens qui soit à estimer
Des Muses n’a le port ni l’asseurance,
Il est semblable au compas qu’on estand
Pour faire ung rond, lequel on oeuvre tant
Qu’on le corrompt, & le rondeau de faict
Ja commencé est laissé imparfaict,
Parquoy l’ouvrier ne faict ce qu’il pretend.
★ Ainsi le sot faict semblant qu’il entend
Sans jugement & sans discretion,
Il se doict, car au cas ou il tend
N’y a propos, ordre & deduction
Son faict demeure en imperfection
Par ce qu’il a sur la force entrepris.
Et à la fin sera taxé, reprins
Sy on congnoist son obstination.
1. With the compass being attributed to Prudence anbd Temperance, the sense of the broken compass is evident - see Guy de Tervarent, Attributs et symboles dans l’art profane, 1450-1600, 2 vols. (Geneva, 1958-64, re-edition, 1997), col.109.
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- circle (~ planimetry, geometry) [49D36] Search | Browse Iconclass
- compasses [49D5111] Search | Browse Iconclass
- farm or solitary house in landscape [25I3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Imperfection, Incompleteness; 'Imperfettione' (Ripa) [51AA7] Search | Browse Iconclass
- landscape with tower or castle [25I5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- loss, damage, destruction of machinery [47D9] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rocks [25H112] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees [25G3] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- (story of the) Muses; 'Muse' (Ripa) [92D4] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Arrogance; 'Arroganza' (Ripa) [57AA644] Search | Browse Iconclass
- author, poet writing [48C911] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Cowardice [54AA8] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Disapprobation, Disapproval, Rebuking [57BB1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Dissimulation, Hypocrisy; 'Hippocresia', 'Simulatione' (Ripa) [57AA611] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fool, simpleton, numskull [31B8] Search | Browse Iconclass
- handicrafts, craftsman at work [47B1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Idleness; 'Otio' (Ripa) [54DD2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Ignorance; 'Ignoranza', 'Ignoranza di tutte le cose', 'Ignoranza in un ricco senza lettere' (Ripa) [52AA5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Insufficiency [51HH41] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Intention [54C11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Judgement, Discrimination; 'Giuditio' (Ripa) [52A52] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Lack of Self-knowledge [52AA53] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Obstinacy; 'Ostinatione', 'Pertinacia' (Ripa) [53A211] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Skill, Ability; 'Artificio', 'Prontezza' (Ripa) [54A33] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Strength, Power; 'Fortezza', 'Fortezza d'Animo e di corpo', 'Fortezza del corpo congiunta con la generosità dell'animo', 'Fortezza & valore del corpo congiunto con la prudenza & virtù del animo', 'Forza' (Ripa) [54A7] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the poet and his muse [48C9101] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Understanding, Comprehension; 'Apprehensiva' (Ripa) [52C4] Search | Browse Iconclass
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