Emblem 39

Emblem 39

A lion leading an army of stags against a stag leading an army of lionsAI-generated

Le bon Souldart vient de bon Cappitaine.

Emblem 39. The good soldier comes from a good captain.AI-generated

Description of the woodcutAI-generated

A woodcut battlefield scene. On the left a lion, standing upright-ish in the centre and holding a tall staff or standard, leads a troop of stags with large antlers; banners and pennants fly above them. On the right a stag, also carrying a lance or standard, advances at the head of a group of lions, with further banners and a rocky, hilly ground behind. The two animal armies face each other across the centre of the field.

Subscriptio

Facsimile page of emblem 39 — Facsimile of the page (Herzog August Bibliothek); click to enlarge.

TranscriptionAI-generated

SI le Lyon conduict vne bataille,Posé qu'il n'ayt auec luy, que des Cerfz:Et d'aultre part vient vn Cerf qui l'assaille,Accompaigné de Lyons bien expers:Le seul Lyon rendra les aultres serfz,D'autant qu'vn Cerf porte leur estendart:Car gens hardiz, ayans vn chef couard,En combatant, n'auront iamais estime,Et gens craintifz se mettront en hazard,S'ilz sont conduictz par vn chef magnanime.

TranslationAI-generated

If the lion leads an army, supposing he has with him none but stags, and on the other side there comes a stag who attacks him, accompanied by very skilled lions: the lion alone will make the others his slaves, inasmuch as a stag carries their standard. For bold men, having a cowardly chief, will never win esteem in fighting; and fearful men will put themselves in danger, if they are led by a great-hearted chief.

Iconclass

86(LE BON SOULDART VIENT DE BON CAPPITAINE) proverbs, sayings, etc. (LE BON SOULDART VIENT DE BON CAPPITAINE)

25F24(STAG) hoofed animals: stag

25F23(LION) beasts of prey, predatory animals: lion

45D1 (military) flags and standards

29A animals acting as human beings

45D311 commander-in-chief, general, marshal

45B the soldier; the soldier's life

45F34 battle arrays

54A8 Courage, Bravery, Valiance, Manliness; 'Ardire magnanimo et generoso', 'Gagliardezza', 'Valore', 'Virtù heroica', 'Virtù dell'animo e del corpo' (Ripa)

Suggested Iconclass codesAI-generated

Additional codes proposed for this emblem, not (yet) part of the indexing.

25F24(STAG) hoofed animals: staghigh

The correlate 'hoofed animals: stag' directly matches the troop of large-antlered stags and the stag leading the opposing army.

44A31 banner, standard (as symbol of the state, etc.)medium

The correlate 'banner, standard' matches the banners and pennants flying above both animal armies and the standards carried by the leaders.

45D12 (military) standard-bearerlow

The correlate '(military) standard-bearer' loosely matches the lion and the stag each carrying a tall staff/standard at the head of their troops.

Relationships to the Adagia of ErasmusAI-generated

Suggested relationships between this emblem and adages in Erasmus’ Adagia.

I iii 49 Hinnulus leonem – thematic inventiolow

The emblem's paradoxical conceit — stags defeating lions, and lions enslaved because a stag carries their standard — exploits the same proverbial opposition of fawn/stag versus lion as a reversal of the natural order of strength and weakness.

II iv 79 Ne caprea contra leonem – thematic inventiolow

The woodcut stages exactly the proverbial confrontation of deer against lion; the subscriptio's lesson, however, inverts the adage by making the leader, not the species, decide the outcome.

IV v 80 In pace leones – thematic inventiolow

Erasmus' adage mocks those who are lions where no courage is needed and foxes/cowards in battle, and it is explicitly applied to rulers; the emblem similarly turns on the courage or cowardice of the chief (chef couard vs chef magnanime) determining the valour of his men.