
Vis nescia vinci.
Force that cannot be overcome with force
Scylurus Cheronesien[1] (mencionné par Plutarque) lais-
[M]
sant à la fin de ses jours octante enfans masles, leur pre-
sent à tous une Trousse ou liasse de dards, à ce qu’ils
essayassent l’un apres l’autre, de la rompre. Lesquels tou-
tefois n’en pouvans venir à bout, & lui ayans respondu
qu’il n’estoit possible: lui mesmes defaisant icelle Trous-
se, en rompit tous les dards separément. Leur remon-
trant par tel moyen, que tant qu’ils persevereroient

d’estre unanimes, & d’un accord, qu’ils seroient tousjours
puissans & grans: mais aussi là ou ils se viendroient à
separer & distraire, ce ne seroit d’eus que foiblesse &
abjeccion. Mesme exemple pouvoit il aussi mettre en
avant des pierres de l’isle Cycladique Scyre,[2] lesquelles
(selon Pline) estans entieres, nagent sur l’eaue: & bri-
sees s’en vont à fons. Cette Devise donques de dards as-
semblez, suivant l’histoire & la nature des pierres, que
dessus, sinifie la force de l’union estre invincible: princi-
palement quand elle est ceinte du bon lieu de Prudence.
[Marginalia - link to text]Plutarque.
1. Scilurus (or Scylurus), King of the Scythians - the Chersonesus being modern Crimea or thereabouts (Plutarch, Morales, Apophtegmata, 2.8.17).
2. This is a bit muddled: Scyros is one of the Sporades, whereas Syros is one of the Cyclades. Nevertheless, the floating stone mentioned in Pliny, Natural History, 36.26, is indeed Scyros.
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