Geffrey Whitney, A choice of emblemes (Leiden, 1586)

Emblem 17

Two men are boozing, two men are playing tric-trac, two men are fighting

Two men are boozing, two men are playing tric-trac, two men are fighting
Engraving · click to enlarge

Ludus, luctus, luxusLatin

Gaming, grief, gluttony

Interpretation
Drinking and gaming (Gambling, grief and gluttony)

Description of the imageAI-generated

An outdoor scene beneath a large tree beside a house: several men gather around a trestle table on which a backgammon-like gaming board with dice and counters lies, together with a tall tankard and drinking cups. One man at left pours or holds a jug while another drinks; a bearded man sits behind the table; a man at the right leans over the board. Another figure stoops at the right beside a horse or beast near a sack on the ground; a shoe and scattered objects lie under the table. A signboard hangs from a bracket on the house at the upper right. The woodcut is set within an ornate foliate printer's border.

Subscriptio

Facsimile page
Facsimile; click the page to enlarge

TranscriptionAI-generated

BEHOVLDE the fruites of dronkennesse, and plaie: Here corage, brawles with Cutthroate for a caste, And ofte in fine, if that they lacke to paie, They sweare it out, or blade it at the laste: This, frendshippe breakes: this, makes vs laugh'd to scorne, And beggerie giues, to those that riche are borne. The Lapithans, by drinke weare ouerthrowne, The wisest men, with follie this inflames: What shoulde I speake, of father NOAH aloane, Or bring in LOTT, or HOLOFERNES names: This SIMON, and his sonnes, did ouerthrowe, And BENEDAB, made flee before his foe. And he that lik'd to spende his time at dice, This lawe in Rome, SEVERVS did prouide: That euerie man, shoulde deeme him as a vice, And of his Landes, an other shoulde bee guide: Like Lawes beside, did diuers more deuise, And wisedome still, againste suche vnthriftes cries.

TranslationAI-generated

Behold the fruits of drunkenness and gaming: here Courage brawls with Cutthroat over a throw of the dice, and often in the end, if they lack money to pay, they swear it out, or settle it with the blade at last: this breaks friendship, this makes us laughed to scorn, and gives beggary to those who were born rich. The Lapiths were overthrown by drink; this inflames the wisest men with folly. Why should I speak of father Noah alone, or bring in the names of Lot or Holofernes? This overthrew Simon and his sons, and made Benhadad flee before his foe. And for him who liked to spend his time at dice, Severus provided this law in Rome: that every man should account him a vice, and that another should be guardian of his lands. Similar laws besides were devised by various others, and wisdom still cries out against such spendthrifts.

CommentaryAI-generated

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

Tunc sumus incauti, studioq; aperimur ab ipso, Nudaq; per lusus pectora nostra patent. Ira subit deforme malum, lucriq; Cupido Iurgiaq;, & rixæ, sollicitusq; dolor, Crimina dicuntur, resonat clamoribus æther, Inuocat iratos & sibi quisque deos.

Then we are off our guard, and are laid open by the very eagerness of play, and our bare breasts lie exposed through the game. Anger enters, an ugly evil, and greed for gain, and quarrels and brawls and anxious grief; accusations are uttered, the air resounds with shouting, and each man calls the angry gods to his own side.

Propertius. Vino forma perit, vino corrumpitur ætas.

Propertius. By wine beauty perishes, by wine youth is corrupted.

Horat. 1 Epist. 19. Ludus enim genuit trepidum certamen, & iram: Ira truces inimicitias, & funebre bellum.

Horace, Epistles 1.19. For play has bred anxious rivalry and anger; anger has bred fierce enmities and deadly war.

Virgilius.

Virgil.

Genes. 9.

Genesis 9.

Genes. 19.

Genesis 19.

Iudic. 13.

Judges 13.

1 Machab. 15.

1 Maccabees 15.

3 Regum 20.

3 Kings (1 Kings) 20.

Ouidius.

Ovid.

Notes and related emblems

Iconclass

Suggested Iconclass codesAI-generated

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

Relationships to the Adagia of ErasmusAI-generated

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

Sources

Record ID: embstma_1667_emblem017
This emblem on the Iconclass site: https://iconclass.org/view/embstma_1667_emblem017
Copy: University Library, Glasgow, Stirling Maxwell 1667