Emblem 3

Emblem 3

A crocodile and her eggs on the bank of the Nile

ProuidentiaLatin

Foresight

Interpretation: Crocodile and her eggs (Foresight)
Interpretation (German): Vorausschauende Klugheit

Description of the imageAI-generated

Within an ornamental interlace border, a woodcut landscape: a large crocodile lies on the bank of a river at the lower left, its tail in the flowing water. Behind it on a raised bank or rock a clutch of eggs lies in a nest. Trees and bushy foliage grow on the rocky slope, and at the right there is a ruined stone archway or wall beside the stream.

Subscriptio

Facsimile page — Facsimile; click the page to enlarge

TranscriptionAI-generated

SVCHE prouidence hathe nature secret wroughte In creatures wilde, and eeke such knowledge straunge, That man, by them in somme thinges maie be taughte, As some foretell, when weather faire will chaunge, Of heate, of raine, of winde, and tempests rage, Some showe by signes, and with their songs presage. But leauing theise, which almost all doe knowe, The Crocodile, by whome th'Ægyptians watche, Howe farre that yeare shall mightie Nilus flowe, For theire shee likes to laie her egges, and hatche, Suche skill deuine, and science to foretell, Hath Nature lente vnto this Serpent fell. Which showes, They should with due regarde foresee, When anie one doth take in hande a cause, The drifte, and ende, of that they doe decree, And longe thereon to ponder, and to pause, For after witts, are like a shower of rayne Which moistes the soile, when withered is the graine.

TranslationAI-generated

Such providence has nature secretly wrought in wild creatures, and also such strange knowledge, that man may in some things be taught by them, as some foretell when fair weather will change, of heat, of rain, of wind, and the rage of tempests; some show it by signs, and with their songs give presage. But leaving these, which almost all men know, the Crocodile, by whom the Egyptians watch how far the mighty Nile shall flow that year, for there she likes to lay her eggs and hatch them. Such divine skill, and knowledge to foretell, has Nature lent to this fierce serpent. Which shows that they should with due regard foresee, when anyone takes a cause in hand, the drift and the end of what they decree, and long ponder and pause thereon; for afterthoughts are like a shower of rain which moistens the soil when the grain is already withered.

CommentaryAI-generated

1 passages · original left, translation right (click to fold)

Nic. Reusnerus. Quò sacer excurret Nilus in arua Præscius: alluuie libera ponit Oua: monens meritò nos Crocodilus Quæ sata immineant, antè videre.

Nicolaus Reusnerus. Foreknowing how far the sacred Nile will run out over the fields, the Crocodile lays its eggs free from the flood: rightly warning us to see beforehand what destinies threaten.

Iconclass

25F43(+5711) crocodiles (+ animal looking upwards)

25F43(+5732) crocodiles (+ animal with mouth slightly open)

25F43(+491) crocodiles (+ silent means of communication of animal(s): wagging of tail etc.)

25F43(+911) crocodiles (+ egg-laying)

25G11 groups of trees

25G13 groups of plants (herbs)

25G3(+351) trees (+ bare plant)

25H1123 rock-formations

25H1124(+0) boulder, stone (+ variant)

25H213 river

25H217 river bank

52A1(+4) Intellect, Intelligence; 'Intelletto', 'Intelligenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept)

52A2(+4) Forethought, Deliberation; 'Previdenza', 'Providenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept)

61D(NILE) geographical names of countries, regions, mountains, rivers, etc. (NILE) (NILE)

86(PROVIDENTIA) proverbs, sayings, etc. (PROVIDENTIA)

Suggested Iconclass codesAI-generated

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

25F43(CROCODILE) crocodiles: crocodilehigh

The correlate 'crocodiles: crocodile' exactly matches the large crocodile lying on the river bank in the woodcut.

25H217 river bankhigh

The correlate 'river bank' matches the depicted riverside setting where the crocodile lies with its tail in the flowing water and its eggs on the raised bank.

11M41 Prudence, 'Prudentia'; 'Prudenza' (Ripa) ~ one of the Four Cardinal Virtuesmedium

The correlate 'Prudence, Prudentia' fits the emblem's moral that the crocodile's foreknowledge of the Nile's flood warns us to foresee threatening destinies.

25H199 floodlow

The correlate 'flood' corresponds to the Nile's inundation over the fields that the commentary makes central, though the flooding itself is not shown in the picture.

Relationships to the Adagia of ErasmusAI-generated

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

II iii 70 Antequam incipias, consulta – thematic inventiomedium

The emblem's moral — that one should 'with due regarde foresee, When anie one doth take in hande a cause, The drifte, and ende... And longe thereon to ponder, and to pause' — is precisely Erasmus' proverbial maxim 'Think before you start', deliberating long before undertaking an action.

III vi 52 Perendinum ventum praedicere – thematic inventiomedium

The subscriptio praises creatures that 'foretell when weather faire will chaunge, Of heate, of raine, of winde, and tempests rage', and the crocodile that foreknows the Nile's flood — exactly Erasmus' point that wisdom consists in foreseeing not only what lies before one's feet but what is far off, as sailors foretell the wind of the day after tomorrow.

I i 28 Sero sapiunt Phryges – thematic inventiomedium

The closing couplet, 'For after witts, are like a shower of rayne / Which moistes the soile, when withered is the graine', is the standard proverbial reproach of wisdom that comes too late, of which 'The Phrygians learn wisdom too late' is Erasmus' chief exemplar.

III vi 17 Post bellum auxilium – thematic inventiolow

Whitney's image of rain falling on grain already withered is a figure for a remedy arriving too late, the sense Erasmus attaches to 'Help when the war is over' (loci: serum remedium).

IV x 95 Tanquam de specula – thematic inventiolow

The emblem celebrates seeing dangers (the Nile's inundation, storms) long before they come, which is Erasmus' definition of foreseeing 'as if from a watch-tower', where skilled pilots descry imminent winds and storms.