
Simulachrum trium Gratiarum,
Aglaiae, Euphrosines & Thaliae.
The picture of the three Graces, Aglaia, Euphrosyne and Thalia.
In amicitiam hodiernam, hoc est, usque
ad pecuniam exclusivè.
On modern friendship, that is, friendship based wholly on money.
Quisquis amas Chari um [=Charitum]
praestantia dona sororum
Subsidioque tuos expetis esse tibi.
Civibus obsequere, & studiis te dede tuorum.
In meritis laus est non tenuisse malum.
Whoever you are who love the extraordinary gifts of the sister Graces,
And wish your own [family and friends] to be a help to you:
Be accommodating to your fellow-citizens, and apply yourself to cultivating your
own people.
It is high praise for those that deserve it [or as far as favours are concerned] not to
have held on to the apple.*
* In other words (perhaps), ‘don’t be stingy with your favours and they won’t be stingy in return’. The meaning is a little elliptical.

ALIUD.
Other
Tune verecunda pingis Polyclete[1] tabella
Artifici Charitum corpora nuda manu?
Cur non Assyrio spectatur Aglaia cocco?
Et comites cur non byssina palla tegit?
Haec sunt syncerae fulgentia stemmata[2] mentis,
Quae sua dum confert omnia, nuda manet,
Anteit una, duae retrò vestigia figunt:
Sic debet meritum gratia bina sequi.
O quantum antiquo iam nunc decessit honesto?
Quis nequeat nostra de pietate queri?
Nanque socer genero siclum vix mutuat unum,
Ni traiectitium sentiat ille lucrum.
Polycletus! Is this an authentic portrayal [lit. a true panel] you are painting
with your craftsman’s hand, of the naked figures of the Graces?
Shouldn’t Aglaia be painted [lit. why is Aglaia not seen] in clothing of Assyrian scarlet?
And why aren’t her companions covered in garments of cotton?
These [Graces] are the glittering achievements of an uncorrupt mind,
Which, while it brings together everything of its own, remains unclothed [i.e. open
and honest];
One outshines the other two: they follow in her footsteps;
Thus ought the twin graces to follow merit [or a favour].
Ah how far has [our age] fallen off from ancient integrity!
What man does not have reason to [lit. cannot] complain of our [lack of] duty?*
For truly [these days] you’ll hardly find a father-in-law borrowing a single farthing
[lit. shekel] from his son-in-law,
Without him feeling that the money had vanished beyond the horizon.
* Pietas has a greater range of meanings than our ‘piety’, including dutifulness to those to whom one owes an obligation, such as one’s family, friends, and the gods.

TRes gratias, praeclarissimum post homines
natos retinendae nos inter nos societatis mo
nimentum, nobis poëtae in fabulis reliquerunt: quo
rum solertiam pictores imitati, aditum homini-
bus ad ea officia diligenter colenda aperuerunt,
quibus humanae vitae splendor & honestas cerni
solet. Nam in tabulis semper nudae exprimuntur,
& ea forma, ut una adverso vultu procedere, aliae
autem aversae subsequi videantur. Quae res non
tantum ad referendam gratiam, & ad bene meren
dum de eo à quo primùm beneficio aucti sumus,
animos nostros incitare debet, sed ad omne pieta-
tis & obsequii genus reddere paratiores. Quan-
quam enim ad φιλαυτίαν & amorem quem primùm
in nobis natura peperit, consentaneum minime vi
deatur, tantùm de tuo largiri ut postea alieno indi
geas: est tamen & Charitum naturae & Evangeli-
cis nostris praeceptis perquam accommodatum
de dimenso tuo detrahere, ut alterius infirmitatem
opibus tuis leves. Si enim non pauperum tantùm,
sed aequalium nostrorum fortuna tantopere no-
bis à lege commendatur, ut praeter officium face-
re videatur, qui magis se quàm proximum bene-
volentia fuerit complexus: graviter opinor sit ar-
guendus, qui proximum in adversis rebus non ad
iuverit. nam angustè rebus tuis uti, ut aliorum te
nuitati sis officiosior, liberale & Christianum est:
eaeque solae res extra fortunam esse à poëta memo
rantur, quas amicis lubens contuleris: neque un-
quam pecunia apud nos magis in numerato & prae-
sens est dicenda, quàm cum benevolè necessariis &
Link to an image of this page [S7r p285]egentibus suppeditatur. Cum enim advenerit morien-
di tempus, & vitae & fortunis cedendum est: ea autem
sola tua sunt benefacta quae in alios collocaris. Ne
que enim quicquam est principi illi Deo infestius
quàm res eas quas summa sua benevolentia & be-
nignitate nobis concessit, tam clausas & obsigna-
tas tenere, ut neque domini qui eas tenet, neque cae-
terorum utilitatibus inserviant. Sed quam à Deo
acceperimus, eadem illi referenda gratia est: maxi-
meque erit enitendum ut pauperibus rem gratam
faciamus: quibus si quid praestitum est, tanquam
sibi collatum Deus rationibus suis infert. Quia
autem nullum est officium referenda gratia magis
necessarium, in eo genere primum pictorum in pin
gendis gratiis sagacitatem sequemur, deinde & He-
siodum authorem adhibebimus, qui iubet aut eadem
mensura referendum esse beneficium, aut etiam ma-
iore si modo facultates nostrae largiantur. Sed
quia homini pudenti & bene informato molestum
est ab illo aliquid contendere, cui aliquando fue-
rit officiosus, ei qui primùm beneficio provoca-
tus est, erit videndum, qua in re, ab amico benefi-
cium suum desyderari possit: neque enim in eo quod
ultro facere debet interpellatio expectanda est: il-
ludque amicitiae & petentis verecundiae erit tri-
buendum, ne non tam is rogare obsequium, quàm
vetus debitum exigere videri possit.
Related Emblems
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- adult woman [31D15] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Aglaia (one of the Graces) [92D31] Search | Browse Iconclass
- city-view in general; 'veduta' [25I1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Euphrosyne (one of the Graces) [92D32] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Graces (Charites), generally three in number; 'Gratie' (Ripa) [92D3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- reaching for somebody or something, seizing something, touching [31A(+934)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Thalia (one of the Graces) [92D33] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the (nude) human figure; 'Corpo humano' (Ripa) [31A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- three persons [31A(+73)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees [25G3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (with NAME) [25G3(LAUREL)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- colours, pigments, and paints (with NAME) [22C4(RED)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Duty [57A21] Search | Browse Iconclass
- extinct, 'historical' peoples (with NAME) [32B2(ASSYRIAN)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- family, relationship, descent [42G] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fashion, clothing [41D] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Friendship; 'Amicitia' (Ripa) [56F23] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Incorruption, Purity; 'Purità' (Ripa) [57A63] Search | Browse Iconclass
- money [46B31] Search | Browse Iconclass
- picture, painting [48C514] Search | Browse Iconclass
Hint: You can turn translations and name underlining on or off using the preferences page.