Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Virtus Lorica Fidelis

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 1:100, with an English rendering by George Wither. Here is Wither's commentary on the crocodile in the emblem:
If, therefore, thou thy Spoylers, wilt beguile,
Thou must be armed, like this Crocodile;
Ev'n with such nat'rall Armour (ev'ry day)
As no man can bestowe, or take away:
For, spitefull Malice, at one time or other,
Will pierce all borrowed Armours, put together.
In his nature emblems, Camerarius uses the armadillo as the nature emblem for Virtus Lorica Fidelis.
Virtus Lorica Fidelis
Rebus in adversis, Virtus lorica fidelis,
Negligit ambiguae tela maligna Deae.


True Vertue is a Coat of Maile
'Gainst which, no Weapons can prevaile.


Here is the vocabulary:

virtus - excellence, courage, virtue
lorica - coat of mail, armor, fortification
fidelis - faithful, true, reliable
res - thing, affair
in - in, into
adversus - opposed, hostile
negligo - disregard, neglect
amgibuus - changeable, doubtful, fickle
telum - dart, spear, weapon
malignus - spiteful, wicked
dea - goddess