Emblem 21

Emblem 21

A dead scarabeus on a rose

Turpibus exitiumLatin

Destruction to the shameless

Interpretation: Beetle on a rose (Destruction to the shameless)
Interpretation (German): Verderbliche Ausschweifung

Description of the imageAI-generated

A large open rose seen face-on, with many layers of petals, leaves and a stem with a bud at the lower left; a beetle (scarab) sits in the centre of the flower. The woodcut is enclosed in an ornamental border of interlaced foliate strapwork.

Subscriptio

Facsimile page — Facsimile; click the page to enlarge

TranscriptionAI-generated

THE Scarabee, cannot indure the sente Of fragant rose, moste bewtifull to see: But filthie smelles, hee alwaies doth frequent, And roses sweete, doe make him pine and die: His howse, is donge: and wormes his neighbours are, And for his meate, his mansion is his fare. With theise hee liues, and doth reioice for aie, And buzzeth freshe, when night doth take her place, From theise, he dies, and languisseth awaie: So, whose delites are filthie, vile, and base, Is sicke to heare, when counsaile sweete we giue, And rather likes, with reprobates to liue.

TranslationAI-generated

The scarab beetle cannot endure the scent of the fragrant rose, most beautiful to see: but he always frequents filthy smells, and sweet roses make him pine and die: his house is dung, and worms are his neighbours, and for his food his dwelling is his fare. With these he lives, and rejoices for ever, and buzzes briskly when night takes her place; away from these he dies and languishes: so, whoever's delights are filthy, vile and base is sick to hear when we give sweet counsel, and would rather live with reprobates.

CommentaryAI-generated

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

Vos vbi contempti rupistis frena pudoris, Nescitis captæ mentis habere modum. Flamma per incensas citius sedetur aristas, Fluminaq; ad fontis sint reditura caput, &c. Quàm possit vestros quisquam reprehendere cursus, Et rapidæ stimulos frangere nequitiæ.

When you have despised and broken the reins of modesty, you know not how to keep measure in a captured mind. A flame would sooner be quenched among the kindled corn-ears, and rivers would return to their source, than anyone could check your courses and break the goads of your headlong wickedness.

Propert. 3, 17.

Propertius, book 3, [elegy] 17.

Iconclass

25F711(SCARABAEUS) insects: scarabaeus

25G41(ROSE) flowers: rose

57AA4(+4) Shamelessness (+ emblematical representation of concept)

57AA51(+4) Licentiousness, Lasciviousness; 'Lascivia', 'Licenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept)

58AA1(+4) Destruction (+ emblematical representation of concept)

86(TURPIBUS EXITIUM) proverbs, sayings, etc. (TURPIBUS EXITIUM)

Suggested Iconclass codesAI-generated

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

25G41(ROSE) flowers: rosehigh

The correlate 'flowers: rose' exactly matches the large open rose with its many petals that dominates the woodcut.

25F711(BEETLE) insects: beetlehigh

The correlate 'insects: beetle' matches the beetle sitting in the centre of the flower.

25F711(DUNG-BEETLE) insects: dung-beetlemedium

The description names the insect a scarab, and 'insects: dung-beetle' would be the precise species identification if the scarabaeus is intended.

25G31(ROSE-BUSH) shrubs: rose-bushlow

The correlate 'shrubs: rose-bush' could cover the leafy stem with a bud shown at the lower left, though only a fragment of plant is depicted.

54AA43 Intemperance, Immoderationmedium

The commentary's reproach that the subject 'knows not how to keep measure' and cannot check its headlong courses matches the personified vice 'Intemperance, Immoderation'.

57AA4 Shamelessnessmedium

The motto describes one who has 'despised and broken the reins of modesty', i.e. the moral concept of Shamelessness.

Relationships to the Adagia of ErasmusAI-generated

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

IV viii 94 Scarabaeo citius persuaseris – essay quotehigh

Erasmus' essay states that the dung-beetle 'rears its young in dung, feeds on dung, lives in dung' and that those born and bred among vices cannot be detached from them, since long familiarity makes disgusting things seem pleasant — precisely the emblem's 'His howse, is donge... for his meate, his mansion is his fare' and its moral that the filthy-minded man 'is sicke to heare, when counsaile sweete we giue.'

III vii 1 Scarabaeus aquilam quaerit – thematic inventiomedium

This is Erasmus' great essay on the nature and lore of the scarabaeus, the standard early modern source for beetle symbolism (including its dung-born habits and its antipathies); the emblem's beetle-on-rose invention draws on this body of beetle lore.

III ii 45 Scarabei umbrae – essay quotemedium

Erasmus explains that the beetle 'has a habit of suddenly flying in at nightfall with a horrible buzzing noise'; the subscriptio's 'And buzzeth freshe, when night doth take her place' reproduces exactly this detail.

II x 3 Tolle tolle mazam quam ocissime scarabaeo – thematic inventiomedium

The adage concerns filthy food (dung-cake) set before a filthy guest, since dung is both the beetle's origin and its nourishment — the same conceit as 'his meate, his mansion is his fare' and the beetle's delight in foul things.

II x 5 Abominandus scarabaeus – thematic inventiolow

The beetle as emblem of the utterly vile and contemptible man underlies the emblem's application to those 'whose delites are filthie, vile, and base'.

III vii 23 Sus per rosas – thematic inventiolow

The proverbial image of a filthy, intractable creature set among roses parallels the emblem's picture of the dung-beetle in the heart of the rose, and both are applied to coarse people unimproved by fine things.