The gentlemans exercise Or an exquisite practise, as well for drawing all manner of beasts in their true portraitures: as also the making of all kinds of colours, to be vsed in lymming, painting, tricking, and blason of coates, and armes, with diuers others most delightfull and pleasurable obseruations, for all yong gentlemen and others. As also seruing for the necessarie vse and generall benefite of diuers trades-men and artificers, as namly painters, ioyners, free-masons, cutters and caruers, &c. for the farther gracing, beautifying, and garnishing of all their absolute and worthie peeces, either for borders, architecks, or columnes, &c. By Henrie Peacham Master of Artes.

CHAP. I.

Teaching how, according to truth to pur∣tract and expresse, Eternitie, Hope, Victorie, Pietie, Prouid••nce, Ve••••••e, Time, Peace, Concord, Fame, Common Safetie, Clemen••ie, Fat••, &c. as they haue beene by Antiquitie described either in Comes, Statues, or other the like Publike Monuments.

Eternitie.

THE most ancient picture of Eter∣nitie, was expressed in the forme of a faire Lady, hauing three heads, signi∣••ying those three parts of time, viz. Time past, Present, and to come, in her le••t hand a Circle pointing with her right fore-finger vp to heauen, the Circle shewes she hath neither beginning nor end, and those three heads not altogether vnproper to her, ••or saith Petr.

Non haura luogo, fu, Sara, ne era Ma è solo in presente, et hora et hoggi Et sola eternita racolta, è vera.

In the Meddals of Traia•• and Domitian, she is fi∣gured sitting vpon a Sphere, in one hand the Sunne, in the other the Moone, by her sitting is signified her perpetuall constancie.

August••s Caesar caused her to be stamped in his coine in the forme of a Ladie with two heads crow∣ned vnder her feete, written AEternitas Augusti, and these letters S C.

In the Meddals of Faustina, she is drawne with a vaile, and in her right hand the Globe of the world.

In another ancient Meddall I haue seene her drawne in greene, with a speare in her left hand, with her right hand reaching for••h w••th th••se let∣ters. Clod. Sept. Alb. Aug.

Hope.

Hope by the Ancients was drawne in the forme of a sweete and beautiful child in a long Roabe han∣ging loose, standing vpon the tip••toes, & a treyfoile or three leaued grasse in the hand. Hope hath her infancie and encrease, the amiable countenance, the pleasure & delight she bringeth the loose garment shewes she neuer pincheth or bindeth, truth, but al∣loweth the largest scope, the treyfoile of all other herbs first appeareth greene, h••r standing on tiptoe, shewes she neuer standeth ••irme and certaine.

In the Meddals of Gold of the Emperour Adrian and Claudius, she is is draw like a Ladie all in greene, with one hand holding vp th•• skirt of her garment, in the other a goblet with a Lilly in the ••ame, and these leters R. P.

Elsewhere shee is drawne in yellow with a flowry plant in her hand, her garment also embroydered with sundry flowers as Roses, Vi••lets, Daffadils &c. in her l••ft hand an Anchor.

Shee is al••o expressed all in greene with a Garland of sundry flo••••rs vpon her head gi••ing a Cupid, or Loue suck, for indeede she is the ••ood of loue. Amor sinespe, non attin••t ••inem desider••, saith S. Augustine.

Victory.

Victory (as ••••liodorus reports) was expressed by the ancients in the forme of a Lady, ••lad all in Gold, in one hand a Helmet in the other a pomgranate, by the h••lmet was meant force & strength of the body by the pomgranate vnity of wit and counsell, in the Meddals of Octauius she is portra••tured with wings standing vpon a base, in one hand a Palme, in the o∣ther a Crowne of Gold, with these words, Asia re∣••epta.

The sea victory of Vespasian, was a Ladie holding a Palme in her hand, at her foote the prow of a ship.

The same Vespasian caused also a Columne to bee erected in Rome, vpon whose toppe there was the prow of a ship, which being called in Latine Rostrum gaue the name to the common pulpit or pleading place in Rome, where those excellent Orations of Tullius ••orte••sius and others were made beeing fra∣med and built of the prowe of those ships of Anti∣••m which the Romanes ouerthrew and tooke in the riuer of Tiber in memory of so notable a victory.

The victory by land of Vespasian was a Lady win∣ged

writing these words in a shield (neere a palm•• tree) Iudaea Capta.

Titus his sonne gaue her without wings, (as Pa••••sanias reports the Athenians did, who drew (her p••••••iond•• because she could not slie awa••e but euer ••••••maine with him.

Augustus would haue her with wings ready to fl•••• standing vpon a Globe, with a Garland of b••••es, in one hand, in the other the Corne•• of ••he Emperour with this word Imperator Caesar.

Luc••us Verus drew Victory in the forme of a tall Souldier a helmet vpon his head, in his right hand a speare, in his left hand a Trophey laden with the spoiles of the enemy.

Domitian deuised after his Germane Conquest Victory in forme of a Lady writing within a shield hanging vpon a tree, neere whome sate a comely virgine mourning and leaning with her cheek vpon one hand.

Piety.

Piety is drawne like a Lady of Solemne chear, and a ••ober countenance, in her left hand a storke, her right arme stretched ouer an Alter with a sword in her hand, by her side an Elephant and a child.

The Storke is so called o•• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which is the natu∣rall or reciprocall loue the child beareth to the pa∣rent, or the parent to the childe, of which this bird hath euer beene an Embleme for the loue and care she hath of her parents being old.

The sword and Alter declares her readinesse in offering her selfe for the defence of Religion.

The El••phant aboue all beasts is thought to haue a secret and naturall instinct of pity, Plutarch and AElian affirme that they adore and worship the Sun at the rising, Pliny addeth the new Moone: AElian moreouer reporteth that they haue a care of inter∣••ing their dead, and that if they ••inde one dead, they will doe their best to couer him with earth, and no meruaile, if it be true, which Oppian writeth of them that they can prophecie, and which is more as Dion saith, that they haue knowledge of what is done in Heauen.

The AEgiptians resembled P••ety by B••tonis and Cleobis, drawing by the neck•• their mother in a cha¦riot to the Temple of Iuno.

A••t••n••••s P••us gaue her in his money, like a Lady with a Censer before an Altar.

P••a••e.

Peace (as I haue yet to shew in an ancient peece of coine stamped about Augustus Caesars time) is drawne like a Lady, in her right hand holding a Caduceus downward toward the earth, where lieth an hideous serpent of sundry colours, with her other hand co∣uering her face with a vaile, as loth to behold the serpent: the word vnder is Pax Orb. Terr. Aug. It be∣ing the time of the birth of our blessed Sauiour Ie∣sus Christ, when there was a generall peace ouer the whole world.

Caduceus among the Romanes was the name of a wand so called a Cad••ndo, because at the sight thereof presently all quarrels and discord ceased, and it was

carried by their Herralds and embassadors, as an en∣signe of peace.

Traian gaue a Lady in her right hand an Oliue branch, in her left a Cornucopia.

The Oliue is giuen as the Embleme of Peace, be∣cause of all other trees if it may grow free from an∣noiance as in times of peace it becommeth the most fruitfull.

In certaine peeces also of Sergius Galba, shee is re∣sembled by a faire Lady sitting with an Oliue bow in one hand, and a Club in the other, vnderneath Pax Aug••st. Et S. C.

Her beauty and sitting signifie the quiet of the mind in times of peace, by her Club is meant bodily strength.

In the Medals o•• Titus shee is figured like a Lady in one hand, an Oliue branch with the other, leading a lambe and a woolfe coupled by the necks in one yoke.

Vertue.

Vertue in most of the olde Romane statues and coines (as in those of Maximinus, Geta, Traian) was represented by Hercules, naked with his Lions skin, and knotted Clubbe, performing some one of his labours (as at this day hee is seene in a goodly sta∣tue in the pallace of Cardinall Farness in Roome) Hercules being nothing else: but Vertue hath his name in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Iunonis gloria vel quia 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Celebrat aut commemorat He∣roas, which is the property of Vertue, hee is drawne naked to shew the simplicity of Vertue, being as the

common saying is nudo homine cortenta.

In the pe••ces of Geta hee is drawne offering to strike a Dragon keeping an Apple ••ree, by the Dra∣gon are meant all manner of ••••••••s, by his Lions skin magnanimity, by his oken Club is signified Reason ruling the Appetite, the knottines thereof, the dif∣ficulty they haue, that seeke after Vertue.

In the Capitol in Rome he was framed in a good∣ly stature guilt al ouer, in his hand three golden Ap∣ples designing the three Heroicall v••rtues, which are 1. Moderation of Anger, 2. Tempera••ce in Co∣uetousnesse 3. The despising of pleasures.

Domitian Gal••••nus and Galba gaue her like an Ama∣zon with a sheeld and sword holding a lance, setting one foote vpon the World.

Lucius Verus a Bellephoron, & the Chimaera taken by Alciate for the Embleme of vertue and Heroicall Fortitude.

Prouidence.

A Lady lifting vp both her hands to Heauen with this worde Prouidentia Deorum. In the Meddals of Probus a Lady in a Robe in her right hand a Scepter, in her left a Cornucopia, a Globe at her feete.

Of Maximinus carrying a bundle of Corne, with a speare in one hand.

Time.

I haue seene time drawne by a painter standing vpon an old ruine, winged, and with Iron teeth.

But I rather allow his deuise that drew him an old man in a garment of starres, vpon his head a Gar∣land

land of Roses, eares of Corne and dry stickes, stan∣ding vpō the Zodiack (for he hath his strength from heauen) holding a looking glasse in his hand, as be∣holding onely the present time) two children at his feete, one fat, and well liking, the other leane, wri∣ting both in one booke vpon the heade of one, the sunne vpon the other, the Moone.

Hee is commonly drawne vpon tombes in Gar∣dens, and other places an olde man bald, winged with a Sith and an hower glasse.

Concord.

Concord was drawne sitting in her right hand a charger, or platter ••or sacrifice in her selfe, a Cornuco∣pia, the word Concordia Augg. Et. S.C.

Concordia Militaris Neruae Imp. A Lady in her right hand the beake of a shippe, vpon which stan∣deth a flagge about the middle of the staffe of the same, two hands ioyned, the word Concordia Exerci∣tuum.

Pierius Valerianus out of Democritus would haue Concord like a faire Virgin holding in one hand a pomgranate, in the other a bundle of Mirtle, for such is the nature of these trees, that if they bee plan∣ted, though a good space one from the other, they will meet, and with twining one embrace the other.

In Faustinas meddals she is represented by crows, as may bee seene in Alciates Emblems.

In another place s••e is shewed with a Scepter, ha∣uing flowers bound to the toppe of the same, and in her arme a bundle of greene rods.

Fame.

A Lady clad in a thinne and light Garment, open to the middle thigh, that ••he might runne the ••aster, two exceeding large wings, her garments embroy∣dered with eies and eares, blowing of a trumpet•• as shee is described by the Poet Virgill.

Captiu•• Fame.

A Lady in a long blacke robe painted with Put∣tines, or little Images with blacke wings a trumpet in her hand.

Salus publica, or common s••fe••y.

A faire childe holding a goblet in the right hand, offering the same to a serpent, in the other hand a wand, the word Salus. Pub. August••.

Clemenc••e.

A Lady sitting vpon a Lion, holding in one hand a speare, in the other an arrow, which shee seemeth to cast away from her with these words, Indulgentia Aug. Incar.

Among the Meddals of Nitellius she is expressed sitting with a bay branch in her hand, and a staffe ly∣ing by her.

Fate.

Fate is drawne like a man in a faire long flaxen robe looking vpward to certain bright starres com∣passed about with thicke clouds, from whence there shall hang a golden chaine, as it is described by Ho∣mer in the eight of his Illiades, which chaine signifi∣eth nothing else but the coniunction of diuine with humane things on which they depend as on their cause Plato holds this chaine to be the power of the diuine spirit & his heate Flax was the hieroglyphick of Fate among the AEgiptians, as Pierius Valerianus noteth.

Felicity

Lulia Mamme•• gaue Felicity like a Lady sitting in an imperi••ll throne, in one hand a Caduceus, in the o∣ther a Cornucopia.

••ecundity.

Among the M••dd••••les of ••austina shee is descri∣bed in the forme of a Lady sitting vpon a bedde, two little infants hanging about her ne••ke.

Security.

Is expressed among the Meddailes of Gordianus by a Lady lea••ing against a pillar, a scepter in her hand before an Altar.

Mon••y.

Was among the Graeci••ns represented by a Lady, in a garment of white, yellow, ••nd tawny or copper color, in her hand sundry stamps by her side a Ciuet cat which was stamped in the Grecian coin, and was (as Plutarch saith) the A••ms of the Athenians.

Dissimul••tion.

A lady wearing a vizard of two faces, in a long Robe of changeable colour, in her right hand a Mag∣pie, the Poet Spenc••r described her looking through a lattice.

Equality.

A Lady lighting two torches at once.

Matrimony.

A young man standing vpon his shoulder a dou∣ble yoke, his legges fast in a pair of stocks, in his hand a Q••ince, in token of ••ruitfulnesse, which by the laws of Solon was giuen to the Brides of Athens vpon the day of their Marriage, for further variety of these and the like deuises, I referre you to my Emblemes Dedicated to Prince Henry.

Notes

• In Trion••i.