
Neminem sors continet sua.
Nobody is restrained by his own circumstances.
Ad se ipse.
For himself.
Nemo sua potis est contentus vivere sorte,
Alterius semper fortunam laudat abundč.[1]
Illiusque locum petit, ac lucrarier optat.
Caecum odium proprii, quid non mortalia cogit
Pectora? quas curas praeter rem una ingerit hora?
Mercator levibus tentatus fortč periclis,
Miles, ait, potior: cur non mage castra sequamur?
Belli pertaesus nummosas[2] praedicat arcas,
Agricolam docti, quos magna negotia vexant,
Link to an image of this page [F6v p92]Gramineas iactantque casas, victumque modestum.
Hi contrā laesi, cųm iurgia dira fatigant,
Vel caelo segetes tanguntur, moenibus omnes
Felices clamant, & iugera parva queruntur.
Quod si caelestes illorum vota, phrenesim
Audirent, rueret subito in contraria vulgus.
Iidem eadem reprobant, properis mutantur & horis.
Sed Deus omnipotens deceat quid quemque paravit:
Nec furor, aut stultus leges diis ponere quaerat.
Naturam paucis reficis, nec dives egeno
Plus habet: excruciat qui se mercator ad Indos,
Non adeō fruitur partis, nec praemia grata,
Sint maiora licčt, quām cura domestica portat.
Pignore sylvestris mites superat quoque pomos.
Caprificus cumulat ficus, non illa sapore
Sed tamen has aequat, cultus quas educat hortus.
Tu, quodcunque venit divino munere, lauda,
Craesus an Irus eris non te coqueat:[3] omnia praeter
Quām pietas Christi, vanescent pulvere in auras.
Nobody can live content with his destiny; one always profusely praises someone else’s fortune. His position one seeks and profit is what one wants to acquire. Blind self-hate, what does it not compel human souls to do? Which worries does one hour heap on, besides the reality? A merchant, troubled by chance with fickle perils says “I’m better qualified to be a soldier: why do we not join the army instead?” Disgusted with war, he [i.e. the soldier] praises coffers full of money; scholars, who are plagued by big problems, praise the farmer, glorifying their turf cottages and modest lifestyle. These, conversely, vexed because lawsuits are assailing them, or their corn fields are hit by heaven, call all those within the city walls happy, and complain about their mean fields. If the gods would hear the prayers of these men - sheer madness - people would immediately dive into the opposite job. The same people would then reject the same jobs and change hastily from hour to hour. However, God almighty has provided what is suitable for each. Let no raging or stupid man [lit. ‘let rage/fury nor a stupid man’] try to lay down laws for the gods. You can restore your nature with few means, nor has the rich more than the poor. The merchant who goes to India tortures himself and does not enjoy his role so much, and his rewards are not pleasant, even though they are bigger than his worry for home. In offspring, the wild appletree even beats cultivated apples. The wild fig tree amasses figs, but in taste does not match the ones that a tilled garden breeds. You, praise whatever comes by way of divine gift; let it not excite you whether you’ll be a Croesus [extremely wealthy] or an Irus [impoverished]: everything, except the piety of Christ, will vanish with the dust in the air.
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- agricultural implements: plough [47I15(PLOUGH)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm held backwards [31A2514] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm or hand held in front of the body - AA - both arms or hands (+ dressing or undressing) [31AA2516(+9371)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm or hand held in front of the chest [31A25161] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ reaching for somebody or something, seizing something, touching) [31A2512(+934)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- armour [45C22] Search | Browse Iconclass
- carrying something in basket, bag, rucksack, etc. [46C1211] Search | Browse Iconclass
- clouds [26A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- container of textile material: bag, sack [41A777] Search | Browse Iconclass
- farmers [46A14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fashion, clothing (+ undressing, taking off clothes) [41D(+6)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- floating in the air (+ variant) [31A2763(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- forest, wood [25H15] Search | Browse Iconclass
- groups of plants (herbs) [25G13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hacking and thrusting weapons: sword [45C13(SWORD)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hand (+ holding something) [31A2245(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hand, 'Dextera Dei' ~ symbol of God the Father [11C12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- helmet [45C221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- lightning, flash of lightning, thunderbolt [2600] Search | Browse Iconclass
- looking over the shoulder [31A247] Search | Browse Iconclass
- low hill country [25H114] Search | Browse Iconclass
- merchant, salesman [46B21] Search | Browse Iconclass
- road, path [46C11] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scholar, philosopher [49C3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scholar, philosopher (+ professional clothes of scholar, scientist) [49C3(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (+ stem, trunk) [25G3(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- undressing oneself, getting undressed [31A552] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walking [31A2711] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- 'Fons Vitae', 'Fons Pietatis' [11D326] Search | Browse Iconclass
- 'Pietas'; 'Pietā' (Ripa) [57B21] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (personifications of) 'Vanitas', the vanity of human life; Fragilitā humana, Fugacitā delle grandezze & della gloria mondana, Meditatione della morte, Opera vana, Piacere vano, Vana gloria, Vanitā (Ripa) [11R5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- (story of) Croesus king of Lydia [98B(CROESUS)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Christ [11D] Search | Browse Iconclass
- city-walls [25I146] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Deity, God (in general) ~ Christian religion [11A] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Dissatisfaction (+ emblematical representation of concept) [56BB3(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- farmers [46A14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Fate, Doom [54FF12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fruits [25G21] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Fury; 'Furore', 'Furore implacabile', 'Furore & Rabbia', 'Furore superbo & Indomito' (Ripa) [56E3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- geographical names of countries, regions, mountains, rivers, etc. (names of cities and villages excepted) (with NAME) [61D(INDIA)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hail [26D2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Happiness, Felicity [56B2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- historical person (with NAME) other representations to which the NAME of a historical person may be attached (with NAME of person) [61B2(SAMBUCUS, Joannes)3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Instinct, Natural Disposition; 'Instinto naturale' (Ripa) [58B6] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Jealousy; 'Gelosia', 'Rammarico del ben'altrui' (Ripa) [57AA76] Search | Browse Iconclass
- litigation, legal proceedings, lawsuit [44G41] Search | Browse Iconclass
- merchant, salesman [46B21] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Omniscience [52A7] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Poverty; 'Povertā', 'Povertā del doni', 'Povertā in uno ch'habbia bell'ingegno' (Ripa) [55BB1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- scholar, philosopher [49C3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the soldier; the soldier's life [45B] Search | Browse Iconclass
- the soul [31G] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (with NAME) [25G3(APPLE-TREE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (with NAME) [25G3(FIG-TREE)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Ulysses' fight with Irus, the beggar (Homer, Odyssey XVIII) [94I532] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Wealth, Opulence; 'Opulenza', 'Richezza' (Ripa) [55B1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Wildness, Untamedness [54AA42] Search | Browse Iconclass
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