Ars Naturam adiuuans. [Illustration: _Alciat, 1551._] _Vt sphæræ Fortuna, cubo ſic inſidet Hermes: Artibus hic, varijs caſibus illa præeſt. Aduerſus vim Fortunæ eſt ars facta: ſed artis Cùm fortuna mala eſt, ſæpe requirit opem. Diſce bonas artes igitur ſtudioſa iuuentus, Quæ certæ ſecum commoda ſortis habent_. [Sidenote: _i.e._] “As on a globe Fortune rests, so on a cube Mercury: In various arts this one excells, that in mischances. Against the force of Fortune art is used; but of art, When Fortune is bad, she often demands the aid. Learn good arts then ye studious youth, Which being sure have with themselves the advantages of destiny.” Sambucus takes up the lyre of some Emblem Muse and causes Mercury to strike a similar strain to the saying, “Industry corrects nature.” Induſtria naturam corrigit. [Illustration: _Sambucus, 1564._] TAM _rude & incultum nihil eſt, induſtria poſſit Naturæ vitium quin poliiſſe, labor. Inuentam caſu cochleam, temereq́ue iacentem Inſtruxit neruis nuntius ille Deûm. Informem citharam excoluit: nunc gaudia mille, Et reddit dulces pectine mota ſonos. Cur igitur quereris, naturam & fingis ineptam? Nónne tibi ratio eſt? muta loquuntur, abi. Ritè fit è concha teſtudo, ſeruit vtrinque: In venerem hæc digitis, ſæpiùs illa gula._ The god is mending a broken or an imperfect musical instrument, a lyrist is playing, and a maiden dancing before him. Whitney thus performs the part of interpreter (p. 92),— “The Lute, whose sounde doth most delighte the eare Was caste aside, and lack’de bothe striges, and frettes: Whereby, no worthe within it did appeare, MERCVRIVS came, and it in order settes: Which being tun’de, such Harmonie did lende, That Poëttes write, the trees theire toppes did bende. Euen so, the man on whome dothe Nature froune, Wereby, he liues dispis’d of euerie wighte, Industrie yet, maie bringe him to renoume, And diligence, maie make the crooked righte: Then haue no doubt, for arte maie nature helpe. Thinke howe the beare doth forme her vgly whelpe.” The cap with wings, and the rod of power with serpents entwined, are almost the only outward signs of which Shakespeare avails himself in his descriptions of Mercury, so that in this instance there is very little correspondence of idea or of expression between him and our Emblem authors. Nevertheless, we produce it for what it is worth. In _King John_ (act iv. sc. 2, l. 170, vol. iv. p. 67), the monarch urges Falconbridge’s brother Philip to inquire respecting the rumours that the French had landed,—