
Tempestiva prosunt.
The seasonable is useful.
Errico Memmico.[1]
Exuvium Thirus deponit quolibet anno,
Induitur pellem mox iterumque novam.
Hunc si persequeris, qua se solet exuere hora,
Pellis, non manibus praeda petita venit.
Atque ita frustratus longas remeabis ad aedes,
Bestia theriacis nulla venena dabit.
Utile qui sequitur, discernat tempora, causas,
Anni mille negant, hora quod una tulit.
Quidque suum poscit tempus, sunt munera Veris,
Autumni, atque hyemis, fit vicibusque calor.
Colchica Ver, Aestas segetes, Autumne racemos
Das, urensque typhas Bruma regignit aquis.
A tirus [sort of snake] sloughs off its skin each year, and then a little later puts on another. If you pursue this animal at the time it is accustomed to lay it off, you will hold in your hands the skin, not the animal you hunted. And when you return to your big home, deceived like this, the animal will give no poison at all for antidotal purposes. He who pursues something useful, should distinguish between time and cause. A thousand years may deny what one hour has brought. Everything calls for its proper time; Spring, Autumn and Winter have their merit, and in its turn it becomes warm. Spring, you bring the meadow saffron; you, Summer, the crops, Autumn, you give grapes, and searing Winter replenishes the reeds with water.
1. Henri de Mesmes, civil servant, humanist and numismaticist, from a major Parisian family of legislators and diplomats.
Related Emblems
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- (human) skull [31A211] Search | Browse Iconclass
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ holding something) [31A2512(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward (+ indicating, pointing at) [31A2512(+931)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- arm stretched forward - AA - both arms or hands (+ holding something) [31AA2512(+933)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beard [31A534] Search | Browse Iconclass
- foliage, tendrils, branches ~ ornament - AA - stylized [48AA9831] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fruits (+ plants used symbolically) [25G21(+1)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- looking over the shoulder [31A247] Search | Browse Iconclass
- mask, mascaron ~ ornament (+ variant) [48A98211(+0)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- old man [31D16] Search | Browse Iconclass
- one leg in front of the other, walking position [31A26211] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rock-formations [25H1123] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snakes (+ animal with tongue stuck out) [25F42(+57321)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snakes (+ animal(s) changing external appearance in connection with seasons) [25F42(+481)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snakes (+ postures of hind leg(s) of animal(s)) [25F42(+56)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snakes (+ shedding of skin of animal(s)) [25F42(+4821)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- snakes (+ skin, fleece, hide, fur, leather) [25F42(+351)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- standing or leaning with both legs straight, side by side, feet flat on the ground (+ standing) [31A26111(+51)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (+ branch, stick) [25G3(+22)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- walking-stick, staff [41D263] Search | Browse Iconclass
- young versus old age; young and old [31D5] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- autumn, fall, 'Autumnus'; 'Autunno' (Ripa) [23D44] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Cause [51C1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- cereal, grain, corn [47I111] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Cheat, Deceit; 'Fraude', 'Inganno' (Ripa) [57AA621] Search | Browse Iconclass
- historical person (with NAME) [61B2(MEMMIO, Errico)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Opportunity, Opportuneness, Seasonableness [54B12] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plants and herbs (with NAME) [25G4(REED)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- plants and herbs (with NAME) [25G4(SAFFRON)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- poison ~ medicine [49G812] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Regularity of Recurrence (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51F7(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- seasons of the year represented by concepts other than personifications, human activities, landscapes, or still lifes of flowers and/or fruits (e.g. biblical scenes) [23H0] Search | Browse Iconclass
- spring, 'Ver'; 'Primavera' (Ripa) [23D42] Search | Browse Iconclass
- summer, 'Aestas'; 'Estate' (Ripa) [23D43] Search | Browse Iconclass
- time [23] Search | Browse Iconclass
- vintage, grape harvest [47I423] Search | Browse Iconclass
- water (one of the four elements) [21D] Search | Browse Iconclass
- winter, 'Hyems'; 'Inverno' (Ripa) [23D41] Search | Browse Iconclass
- year divided into four seasons [23D40] Search | Browse Iconclass
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