Friday, March 2, 2012

Fato Prudentia Maior

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 1.62, with an English rendering by George Wither. Here is Wither's interpretation of the symbols shown in the emblem:
The Starres, and many other things, incline
Our nat'rall Constitutions, divers wayes;
But, in the Soule, God plac'd a Power-divine,
Which, all those Inclinations, overswayes.
Yea, God, that Prudence, hath infus'd, by Grace,
Which, till Selfe-will, and Lust, betrayes a man,
Will keepe him firmely, in that happy place,
From whence, no Constellation move him can.
And, this is that, whereof I notice take,
From this great Starre, enclosed by a Snake.
We have seen Rollenhagen use the ouroboros before: Finis Ab Origine Pendet.

Fato Prudentia Maior
Adverso sapiens fato prudentia maior;
Arte malum quisquis corrigit, ille sapit.


Let none despaire of their Estate
For, Prudence, greater is, than Fate.



The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are two words which are not on the DCC list:

corrigo, -ere, correxī, correctum - correct, improve, straighten
prūdentia, f. - foresight, knowledge, skill, wisdom

adversus -a -um: turned towards, facing, opposed; unfavorable
ars artis f.: skill
fātum -ī n.: fate
ille, illa, illud: that
māior -ius: greater, older
malus -a -um: evil
quisquis quidquid: whoever, whichever
sapiens -ntis: wise, sensible
sapio sapere sapīvī: be wise