Merx Amoris.

X.

Prouer.5.
QVare tam cito seduceris, ô anima ab extra-
neo? iam iam amabas auroram gratiæ, nunc
vero concupiscis fumum perditionis: amabas co-
ronam gloriæ, nunc compedes ignominiæ: ama-
bas stabilia &æterna, nunc fluxa & transitoria: a-
mabas veritatem, nunc mendacium: amabas vi-
tam, nunc concupiscis mortem. reuertere, reuer-
tere ad mercatorem primum. execrabile tibi erit
cucurisse post Deos alienos, & Amorem sæculi, &
deseruisse Dominum Deum tuum. Ille gratis om-
nia donat cum magno animi gaudio & emolu-
mento: hic carissimé omnia vendit cum magna
animi afflictione & detrimento. ille prætiosissi-
mas margaritas; hic nisi fumos & vapores. audi
Poëtam

Cat.
Mira puer Veneris vasto promittit hiatu,
At si perspicias singula, fumus erit.
Fumus Amor, sunt fumus opes, sunt fumus honores;
Et speciem fumi, quidquid amamus, habet.
Fumus amans, est fumus Amor, mens fumus amicæ est.
Nostraque sic fumo pectora nutrit Amor.

[20a] ↓

Fumos vendit Amor.

Des dames la faueur, n'est que fumée et vent;
De rien, que des vapeurs, donc se nourrit l'Amant.

21 ↓

Denrees de l'Amour.
X.
Follastre Amour que vaillent tes denrees?
ombien tes feux? à quel pris tes fumees?
ombien fais tu payer vn peu de vent?
our vn plaisir mille & mille douleurs:
our vn instant vn siecle de malheurs:
it tous les maux pour le biē d'vn moment.

Assi sueles necio Amor,
Como es humo quanto tragas
Librar en humo tus pagas.

Der sotter liefden meesten vrient/
Die wort met wint en roock gedient.

Back to top ↑

Facsimile Images

20

[20a]

21

Back to top ↑

Translations

Merchandise of love.

Why, o soul, are you lead astray so quickly by what comes from outside? Indeed, there was a time when you used to love the dawn of redemption, whereas now you desire the smoke of perdition. You used to love the crown of glory, now the shackles of disgrace. You used to love what is stable and eternal, now what is in flux and transient. You used to love the truth, now the lie. You used to love life, now you yearn for death. Return, return to the first seller. It is he who gives you all for nothing and it comes with great gladness of heart and benefit. It will be execrable to have run along behind gods that are not yours, and the love of the world, and to have deserted your Lord God. That other love sells everything at the highest price and it comes with great affliction of the heart and great loss. The former gives the most precious jewels, the latter smoke and vapour.
Listen to the poet:

Venus's boy talks big and promises wonder full things,
But if you have a good look at these separately, they will be smoke.
Love is smoke, wealth is smoke, honours are smoke,
And all that we love bears the resemblance of smoke.
In that way love nourishes our hearts with smoke.

Love sells smoke.

Back to top ↑

Literature

Back to top ↑

Sources and parallels

Same copperplate, slightly altered, in: De liefde voed ons met hoop [29] (in: Willem den Elger, Zinne-beelden der liefde (1703)) [Compare]
Remake of image, background landscape removed, figure of reseller of pipes taking place of Amor divinus, in:Quàm grave servitium, quod levis esca parit? [13] (in: anonymous, Typus mundi (1627)) [Compare]
Amor, smoke, in:Fumo pascuntur amantes. [12] (in: Jacob Cats, Proteus (1618)) [Compare]
Porteman 1975, p. 211. Both using the saying 'Fumos vendit Amor'. Fumo pascuntur amantes. [13] (in: Jacob Cats, Sinne- en minnebeelden (1627)) [Compare]

Back to top ↑

References, across this site, to this page:

Fumo pascuntur amantes. [12] (in: Jacob Cats, Proteus (1618))
Fumo pascuntur amantes. [13] (in: Jacob Cats, Sinne- en minnebeelden (1627))
De liefde voed ons met hoop [29] (in: Willem den Elger, Zinne-beelden der liefde (1703))
Quàm grave servitium, quod levis esca parit? [13] (in: anonymous, Typus mundi (1627))

Back to top ↑

Iconclass

A girl holding some pipes and a tobacco-pouch, stands before Cupid who is smoking a pipe, seated on a huge ball to which his foot is chained

sitting on an elevation [31A2352]
adolescent, young woman, maiden [31D13]
torch (+ kindling a light; lit, burning light, lamp, candle) [41B32(+1)]
pipe ~ tobacco [41C741]
pipe ~ tobacco (+ taking (particular) foodstuffs: eating, drinking, smoking, chewing, etc.) [41C741(+1)]
law and jurisprudence (+ handcuffs, fetters) [44G(+32)]
archer's weapons: bow [45C15(BOW)]
Restriction, Limitation (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51EE11(+4)]
Hope; 'Speranza', 'Speranza delle fatiche' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [56D1(+4)]
(personifications and symbolic representations of) Love; 'Amore (secondo Seneca)' (Ripa) (+ clothed with wings) [56F2(+1331)]
(personifications and symbolic representations of) Love; 'Amore (secondo Seneca)' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [56F2(+4)]
proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT) [86(MERX AMORIS)]
attributes of Cupid (with NAME) [92D18(BOW)]

Merx Amoris [10]

Facsimile Images

Translations

Literature

Sources and parallels

References, across this site, to this page:

Iconclass

Comments

Notes