Of the Picture of Dolphins.
That Dolphins are crooked, is not only affirmed by the hand of the
Painter, but commonly conceived their natural and proper figure; which
is not only the opinion of our times, but seems the belief of elder
times before us. For, beside the expressions of _Ovid_ and _Pliny_,
their Pourtraicts in some ancient Coyns are framed in this figure, as
will appear in some thereof in _Gesner_, others in _Goltsius_, and
_Lævinus Hulsius_ in his discription of Coyns, from _Julius Cæsar_ unto
_Rhodulphus_ the second.
Notwithstanding, to speak strictly in their natural figure they are
streight, nor have their spine convexed, or more considerably embowed,
than Sharks, Porposes, Whales, and other Cetaceous animals, as
_Scaliger_ plainly affirmeth: _Corpus habet non magis curvum quam
reliqui pisces._ As ocular enquiry informeth; and as unto such as have
not had the opportunity to behold them, their proper pourtraicts will
discover in _Rondeletius_, _Gesner_, and _Aldrovandus_. And as indeed is
deducible from pictures themselves; for though they be drawn repandous,
or convexedly crooked in one piece, yet the Dolphin that carrieth Arion
is concavously inverted, and hath its spine depressed in another. And
answerably hereto may we behold them differently bowed in medalls, and
the Dolphins of _Tarus_ and _Fulius_ do make another flexure from that
of _Commodus_ and _Agrippa_.
And therefore what is delivered of their incurvity, must either be taken
Emphatically, that is, not really but in appearance; which happeneth,
when they leap above water, and suddenly shoot down again; which is a
fallacy in vision, whereby straight bodies in a sudden motion protruded
obliquely downward, appear unto the eye crooked; and this is the
construction of _Bellonius_. Or if it be taken really, it must not
universally and perpetually; that is, not when they swim and remain in
their proper figures, but only when they leap, or impetuously whirl
their bodies any way; and this is the opinion of _Gesnerus_. Or lastly,
It may be taken neither really nor emphatically, but only
Emblematically: for being the Hieroglyphick of celerity, and swifter
than other animals, men best expressed their velocity by incurvity, and
under some figure of a bow: and in this sense probably do Heralds also
receive it, when from a Dolphin extended, they distinguish a Dolphin
embowed.
And thus also must that picture be taken of a Dolphin clasping an
Anchor: that is, not really, as is by most conceived out of affection
unto man, conveighing the Anchor unto the ground: but emblematically,
according as _Pierius_ hath expressed it, The swiftest animal conjoyned
with that heavy body, implying that common moral, _Festina lentè_: and
that celerity should always be contempered with cunctation.