History of Monsters. 265

some depict a winged old man armed with a scythe and an hourglass, adding the title: *VIRTUE ALONE DULLS THIS BLADE.* This is because men who shine with the extraordinary splendor of virtue are said to lead an eternal life. We also find in Bocchius an image of an old man handing a mirror to a youth; the inscription reads: *BEHOLD, THE LIVING FACE IS RADIANTLY BROUGHT FORTH FROM THE MIRROR. THUS YOU WILL BE WISE, AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO DO ALL THINGS, SO LONG AS YOU YOURSELF WILL IT.* The theme of this symbol is drawn from Socrates, who taught that young men should examine themselves in a mirror so that they might match the beauty of their minds with the charm of their bodies—or at the very least, repair any physical deformity with the excellence of their character.

In the same author, one may see the figure of an old man sitting in a chair, holding a cup in his right hand offered by a handsome youth, with the title: *I DRINK THIS TO THE BEAUTIFUL CRITIAS.* The author intended to represent Theramenes, one of the thirty Athenian tyrants mentioned by Cicero in his *Tusculan Disputations*. Through this symbol, we are to understand that by holding death in contempt, the heart is freed from fear.

Regarding the imagery of women, I recall seeing on the frontispiece of the book an image of a Maiden representing a Sibyl, adorned with this couplet: *LEST THE ORACLES BE DISTURBED AND FLY OFF ON SWIFT WINDS, THE PROPHETESS NOW SPEAKS FROM A MORE CONVENIENT LEAF.* Here, the author alludes to the books of our own age and to the prophecies of the Sibyl, which were famously written on the leaves of trees. Eleonora of Toledo, wife of Cosimo the Great, Duke of Tuscany, depicted the wife of Collatinus who, having been violated by Tarquin, took her own life so as not to survive her dishonor. The title is: *REMEMBER TO PRESERVE YOUR REPUTATION.* For just as men are commended for their many virtues, women are praised for the reputation of their modesty. Sadeler also engraved an image of the three maidens—the Graces—with the inscription: *SHE POSSESSES THESE, AND SURPASSES THEM.* He attributed this symbol to Isabella, daughter of King Manuel of Portugal and wife of Emperor Charles V.

We must now move quickly to those symbols in which several human figures are observed together. Coustau depicts a man on horseback surrounded by a crowd of soldiers, with an executioner in front striking someone with an axe, to demonstrate the severity required in war. He alludes to General Lamachus, who for the slightest reason would punish soldiers with the ultimate penalty. This same image is found in the sixtieth emblem of *The Pegma*, where the author demonstrates that God sees and provides for everything.

Yet, to speak truly, many learned men have argued that this has nothing of a symbol about it—much like the following symbol, which shows a man sitting and speaking to a youth playing the lute. This image represents Antigenidas encouraging his disciples to despise the opinions of the unlearned masses. Similarly, it seems to lack any symbolic essence when Coustau depicts armed men pouring molten gold into the mouth of a dead old man. He intended this picture to represent the Persians stuffing the mouth of Croesus, King of the Lydians, with gold; in this context, Croesus signifies that death blesses and enriches men.

Many symbols present themselves to represent laziness and idleness. Bocchius depicted a half-naked man sitting, treading with his left foot on an overturned hourglass, while a very gaunt, naked woman stands beside him. The inscription is: *AGAINST THE SLOW, THE INERT, AND THE LAZY.* Through this symbol, he indicates that hunger is the constant companion of the idle man. In the same work, Cupid is shown wounding a sleeping man with an arrow, to illustrate that Love finds plenty of work in idle times. Ovid wisely warned young men to keep busy, for while they are idle, they cannot escape Cupid’s grasp. As he sang: *For Venus loves leisure; he who seeks an end to love—love yields to business; be busy, and you will be safe.*

Men playing in a ball-court are also depicted in a symbol devised by Sambucus to represent the waste of time.

Finally, symbols pertaining to judges and magistrates must not be overlooked. In Bocchius, a man is seen sitting on a tribunal, speaking to another while covering one of his ears with his right hand; the inscription reads: *IMAGE OF A JUST JUDGE.* The theme of this symbol is taken from history, for they relate that Alexander