
Industria naturam corrigit.
Diligence improves nature
Tam rude & incultum nihil est, industria possit
Naturae vitium quin poliisse, labor.
Inventam casu cochleam, temereque iacentem
Instruxit nervis nuntius ille Deûm.[1]
Informem citharam excoluit: nunc gaudia mille,
Et reddit dulces pectine mota sonos.
Cur igitur quereris, naturam & fingis ineptam?
Nónne tibi ratio est? muta loquuntur, abi.
Ritè fit è concha testudo, servit utrinque:
In venerem haec digitis, saepiùs illa gula.
Nothing is so rough and uncultivated that diligence and industry cannot refine nature’s error. When that messenger of the gods by chance found a tortoise-shell, lying there without purpose, he provided it with strings. He perfected a shapeless lute: now it gives a thousand joys and it produces sweet sounds when it is moved with the quill. Why then do you complain and conceive of nature as tasteless? Do you not understand? Go away, mute things speak. It is appropriate that the lyre comes from a shell: both serve for love: the one with the fingers, the other more often with the throat.
1. Mercury, messenger of the gods, and patron of eloquence and invention.
Related Emblems
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult woman [31D15] Search | Browse Iconclass
- animals (+ wings of an animal) [25F(+342)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm held downwards [31A2515] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm or hand held in front of the body (+ other neutral connotations) [31A2516(+939)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm raised upward [31A2511] Search | Browse Iconclass
- attributes of Mercury: petasus [92B58(PETASUS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- coat, cape [41D212] Search | Browse Iconclass
- dress, gown [41D211] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head bent forward; bowing [31A244] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head turned to the left [31A2421] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head turned to the right - AA - female human figure [31AA2422] Search | Browse Iconclass
- lyre, cithara, psaltery - CC - out of doors [48CC7321] Search | Browse Iconclass
- mountains [25H11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- musician training pupils, music-lesson - CC - out of doors [48CC7211] Search | Browse Iconclass
- non-aggressive, friendly or neutral activities and relationships of Mercury [92B55] Search | Browse Iconclass
- old man [31D16] Search | Browse Iconclass
- one leg in front of the other (+ sitting) [31A2621(+53)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- one person playing string instrument (plucked) - CC - out of doors [48CC7522] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sitting on an elevation (+ sitting on the ground) [31A2352(+55)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- standing on one leg, the other leg forward, bent - AA - female human figure [31AA26232] Search | Browse Iconclass
- standing, leaning, sitting or lying with legs apart (+ standing) [31A26114(+51)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (+ stem, trunk) [25G3(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- woman dancing alone [43C912] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- 'Natura' (allegorical figure or scene; or as Diana of Ephesus, with many breasts); 'Natura' (Ripa) [20] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Accord, Accordance [54E3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Completion (+ emblematical representation of concept) [54D3(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- eating [41C11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fingers [31A2246] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hearing, listening (one of the five senses) [31A32] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Industriousness, Assiduity; 'Assiduità', 'Industria', 'Zelo' (Ripa) [54A11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Instinct, Natural Disposition; 'Instinto naturale' (Ripa) [58B6] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Lack of Talent (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52AA11(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- mouth and throat cavity [31A22153] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Pleasure, Enjoyment, Joy; 'Allegrezza', 'Allegrezza da le medaglie', 'Allegrezza, letitia e giubilo', 'Diletto', 'Piacere', 'Piacere honesto' (Ripa) [56B1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- tortoises, turtles (+ shell, snail-shell etc.) [25F44(+36)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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