Friday, February 24, 2012

Consensu Populi Regnum Subsistit

Here is today's emblem and distich by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Book 1.55, with an English rendering by George Wither. You will see that Wither was simply baffled by the visual emblem this time:
A Crowned Scepter, here is fixt upright,
Betwixt foure Fowles, whose postures may declare,
They came from Coasts, or Climats opposite,
And, that, they diffring in their natures are.
In which, (as in some others, that we finde
Amongst these Emblems) little care I take
Precisely to unfold our Authors minde;
Or, on his meaning, Comments here to make.
It is the scope of my Intention, rather
From such perplext Inventions (which have nought,
Of Ancient Hieroglyphick) sense, to gather,
Whereby, some usefull Morall may be taught.
I guess maybe the idea is that the birds at least are not attacking one another, being well-behaved in the presence of the crown.

Consensu Populi Regnum Subsistit
Consensu populi regnum subsistit, et urbes
Pace vigent, cives si bene conveniant.


That Kingdome will establish'd bee
Wherein the People well agree.



The vocabulary is keyed to the DCC Latin Vocabulary list. There are only three words in this poem that are not on the DCC list:

consensus, consensūs m. - agreement, unanimity, consensus
subsistō, -ere, substitī - take a stand, stand still, stop
vigeo, -āere - be lively, thrive, flourish

bene: well
cīvis -is m./f.: citizen
conveniō -venīre -vēnī -ventum: assemble, meet; agree
et: and
pāx pācis f.: peace
populus -ī m.: people
rēgnum -ī n.: kingship, kingdom
sī: if
urbs urbis f.: city