CHAPTER II

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.