LITTERIS ABSENTES VIDEMVS.

Cic.
Viuis in extremis ignoti partibus orbis,
Et procul ex oculis dulcis amica meis.
At te preasentem, absentem licèt, esse putabo,
Si mihi sit verbis charta notata tuis.

Seneca.
Si imagines amantibus, etiam absentium, iucundæ sunt, quòd
memoriam renouent, & desiderium absentiae falso atque inani so-
latio leuent: quantò iucundiores sunt litterae, quae vera amantis
vestigia, veras notas afferunt.

Loues ioy is reuyued by letters.

When loue impatient growes through absence & delay,
And with his loue to bee no remedie can fynd,
Loue letters come to him & tell his louers mynd,
Whereby his ioy is kept from dying and decay.

Congiunto sempre.

Per lunga absenza Amore impatiente
Il modo ritrouo da giunger l’alme,
Benche sian sparte le corporee salme.
l’Amor lontan per lettere è presente.

Door brieuen vreught.

Door middel van ’t gheschrift en soete minne-brieven,
Hoe verre buyten ’s lants/ men siet en spreeckt sijn lief.
Cupido ’t schrijven vant alleen om ’s liefs gherief,
Een minnelicken brief sterckt ’t herte der ghelieuen.

La lettre parle.

l’Amour impatient de toute longue absence,
Inuenta le moyen pour se joindre d’esprit,
Ores qu’absent de corps, par vn papier escrit,
Auquel il peint le mal, qui sa poitrine eslance.

133 ↓

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Facsimile Images

132, LEI:

132, LDF:

132, LIF:

133, pictura:

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Translations

Cicero Cf. Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares 15, 14, 3; Epistulae ad M. Iunium Brutum 1, 10, 3.

In een brief zien we afwezige vrienden.

Cicero Cf. Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares 15, 14, 3; Epistulae ad M. Iunium Brutum 1, 10, 3.

In a letter we see absent friends.

Je woont in afgelegen delen van de onbekende wereld mijn lieve schat, en ver van mijn ogen. Maar ik zal denken dat je aanwezig bent, al ben je afwezig, als ik een papier had, beschreven met jouw woorden.

You live in remote parts of the unknown world, my sweet-heart, and far away from my eyes. But I will think you are present, although absent, if I had a paper written with your words.

Seneca, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium 40,1

Als afbeeldingen van onze afwezige vrienden ons een aangenaam gevoel geven, omdat zij het geheugen opfrissen en het gemis om hun afwezigheid door een bedrieglijke en schrale troost verlichten, hoeveel aangenamer is dan een brief die echte sporen en echte tekens van de afwezige vriend bij ons brengt. [tr. C. Verhoeven, Baarn 1990, p. 105.]

Seneca, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium 40,1

If the pictures of our absent friends are pleasing to us, though they only refresh the memory and lighten our longing by a solace that is unreal and unsubstantial, how much more pleasant is a letter, which brings us real traces, real evidences, of an absent friend! [tr. R.M. Gummere, Loeb, 1, p. 263, 265]

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Literature

Sebastiàn, Lectura crítica, p. 34

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Sources and parallels

Buschoff 2004, p. 115, note 712. Pictura shows similarities, subscriptio the same contrast between Cupid and the wounded lover:Pennas perdidit ille suas. [13] (in: Daniël Heinsius, Ambacht van Cupido, from: Nederduytsche poemata (1616)) [Compare]

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References, across this site, to this page:

Pennas perdidit ille suas. [13] (in: Daniël Heinsius, Ambacht van Cupido (1613))
Pennas perdidit ille suas. [13] (in: Daniël Heinsius, Ambacht van Cupido, from: Nederduytsche poemata (1616))

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Iconclass

Cupid is reading one of the letter delivered to him by a messenger

prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city [25I12]
sitting on the ground [31A2351]
lover with love-letter [33C2121]
archer's weapons: bow [45C15(BOW)]
quiver [45C23]
messenger [46E1]
letter, envelope [46E221]
delivering; receiving (~ postal matter) [46E232]
reading [49N]
Satisfaction, Contentment; 'Contento' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [56B3(+4)]
Heartache, Heart-break; 'Affanno', 'Cordoglio' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [56BB13(+4)]
(personifications and symbolic representations of) Love; 'Amore (secondo Seneca)' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [56F2(+4)]
proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT) [86(LITTERIS ABSENTES VIDEMUS)]
other non-aggressive activities of Cupid [92D156]
attributes of Cupid (with NAME) [92D18(BOW)]
attributes of Cupid (with NAME) [92D18(QUIVER)]

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Comments

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Litteris absentes videmus [67]

Facsimile Images

Translations

Literature

Sources and parallels

References, across this site, to this page:

Iconclass

Comments

Notes