Not farre from the gates of Leontychidas house, senator of the Lacedemonians, there was a liue serpent or snake, that had wrapped himselfe about the Key of a locke. When this came to the southsayers eares, they con- stantly affirmed before him that it signified some strange wonder that should happen. To whom he thus replied. Surely to me it seemes a thing of no grat wonder, if the snake haue wrapped himselfe about the Key: but rather on the contrarie part, if the Key had folded it selfe about the serpent, then without all doubt, it had bene a thing to be wondred at. And so the wise Senator making but a iest of it, laughed at their foolish superstition. And surely at this day, the common peoples cre- dulitie is verie much infected, about manie things which happen sometimes after an ex- traordinarie manner, yet by as naturall meanes as may be, yea, when they are I say: if you thorowly examine them plainly agreea- ble to nature. In fine, there is likewise a prepo- sterous iudgement or inconstancie touching matters of faith in these and the like super- stitions, which with wicked traditions bring no small corruption to mans iudgement.
PREV embmne_pae1591_emblem044 SEQ 45 PARENT embmne_pae1591 TYPE emblem pictura TIPE emblempictura MOTTO_EN_NORM A high matter in a low house NEXT embmne_pae1591_emblem046 IIHIM MNE ; MNE_EMB CAPTION_EN The key of the Spartan Leontychidas (Leotychides) with a snake coiled around it SOURCE_FILE embmne_pae1591.xml LINK_FACSIMILE embmne_pae1591_fac094 MOTTO_LA Scilicet is superis labor est.