36 



much more from their own poetical and didactic excellence 

 than from the burin of the artist. Two learned ecclesiastics 

 of the Horosco Covarrubias family, severally composed in 

 Spanish verse a volume of ' Emblemas Morales' in which we 

 find much of what is good and original ; but little praise can 

 be accorded to the engravings, which are coarsely executed 

 upon wood. One of the brothers, Don Juan, Bishop of 

 Girgenti, published his collection at Segovia in 1589. Of 

 the three books into which it is divided, one consists of a 

 copious dissertation upon the origin and structure of this class 

 of compositions, and the two last of Emblems — fifty in each 

 book — accompanied by long and learned disquisitions. 



" The following is the eighteenth Emblem of the 3rd book : 



'" NECAT AMPLEXTJ.' 



{ " Representation of a dead Tree covered with Ivy.) 



" ' El avbol que consiente compania 

 De la yedra lasciva y halaguera, 

 Gastando su virtud di noche y dia 



Entre sus braoos es forcoso muera ; 

 Porque veays que haze quien se fia 

 De la falsa ainislad de la ramera 

 Que Ie consume y gasta sin medida 

 Honra, salud, hazienda, sangre y vida." 



Hi., 18. 



"Don Sebastian, who, as well as his brother, held high 

 offices in the church, produced a much larger collection of 

 'Moral Emblems,' which was printed at Madrid in 1610. 

 The following is numbered 200. 



" ' VIVE HOME.' 



(" Representation of a Crow — the sun rising.) 



" ' El Cuervo dize Cras, quando si pone 



De Febo il carro por el Occidente, 

 Y quando a la manana se dispoue 



A dorar con sus rayos el Oriente. 

 Repite el Cras, y como siempre entono 



Esta mesma palabra eternamente 

 Difiriendo su bien de dia en dia 



El miserable muere en su porfia. 



