The History of Monsters. 261

is seen to be pierced, bearing the title *Free Servitude*. This teaches us that a Christian, freed from the bondage of the Law and established in grace, ought to offer his ear to the Most High God, so that it may be capable of receiving His precepts and rendered obedient to the divine commands.

In the same place, one sees an image of a hand with a dagger attempting to strike the forehead of a human head, inscribed *Even at the Altar*. The author suggests that wicked men are punished by the Eternal Judge anywhere; indeed, he recounts that this happened to Galeazzo, the son of Francesco Sforza, who was slain by Andrea Lampugnani before the altar.

Furthermore, Gabriel Simeoni presents a human skull placed between a scepter and a hoe, with the title *Death Makes Scepters Equal to Hoes*. This signifies that death removes everyone without distinction, whether beggars or the wealthy. As Horace aptly sang on the subject: "With impartial foot, Death knocks at the hovels of the poor and the towers of kings." Another author graced a similar symbol with the title *Death Spares No Honor*.

I remember seeing elsewhere an index finger pointing to the forehead of a painted human head, with the inscription *The Brow Reveals the Man*. This symbol demonstrates that the human forehead is an indicator of human character. When the thumb and index finger are applied to the lower part of the ear, it symbolizes memory, because among the ancients, a tug on that part of the ear served as a reminder. Elsewhere, in the work of Giambattista della Porta, touching the ear with the hand is the symbol for the letter A; touching the beard signifies B, the head C, the teeth D, the forehead F, the liver E, the throat G, the shoulders H, the loins I, the tongue L, the hand M, the nose N, the eyes O, the palate P, five fingers Q, the kidneys R, the eyebrows S, the temples T, and finally, touching the belly denotes V.

If we continue reviewing symbols taken from the rest of the body parts, we find in Claude Paradin an image of a human tongue whose base is attached to a serpent's tail, with the title *Whither Do You Tend?* This was intended to signify that words should not be uttered incautiously, though a fuller explanation of this symbol can be found in the section on Proverbs, where those derived from the tongue are discussed. In the same author, we can observe an arm armed with an unsheathed sword and decorated with lilies, bearing the Greek inscription *aplanos*, meaning "without guile." He adds that this was the symbol used by the Duke of Montmorency to signify true fidelity. Additionally, representations of human arms in the Zodiac, according to Francesco Giorgio, indicate the sign of Gemini.

Sadeler also depicts two hands joined together, with two inscriptions: the upper one reads *Happiness of the Times*, and the lower *Concord of Things*. He assigns this symbol to Philip II, King of Spain and the Indies. Similarly, Paradin illustrated two hands joined by a chain with the title *It Is Neither Right, Nor Do I Think It Possible*. This suggests that not all captives should be judged as guilty, but only those stained by vice; for although the Apostle Peter was held by a double chain by Herod’s command, he nevertheless escaped with angelic help when the chains fell away. Finally, in an old design of Clovis, two hands are depicted turned upward toward Heaven, supported by two others, with the title *Most Secure*. This seems to be taken from the victorious hands of Moses, which struck down the enemy ranks while they were raised in prayer as if supported.

Moving down to other parts: among the Pythagorean symbols, one is found to this effect: *Do Not Devour Your Heart*. By this we are taught that the intellect and the soul should not be immersed in earthly and voluptuous things, for the heart denotes the rational part of man. However, Pierre Coustau explained the opposite side of this symbol when he depicted a man devouring a heart to represent a person plagued by worldly cares. Elsewhere, Pythagoras said: *Sacrifice and Worship with Bare Feet*. This symbol suggested to everyone that the sensual part of a contemplative person must be free from crimes. He also used to say: *Move the Right Foot to Put on Your Shoe, but the Left into the Basin*. Many explain this symbol to mean that upright and heroic actions should be embraced like the right side, while wicked ones should be discarded like the left.

Next, we must describe those symbols that represent the entire figure of a man, some of which savor more of the nature of an emblem than a symbol; nevertheless,