thomas combe

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FR4036 Student ID: 07005855

1. Discuss the ways in which Combe modified the work for an English audience in his English

translation of La Perrière’s Theatre.

While creating Le Theatre de bons engins La Perrière borrowed from Alciato´s Emblemata and he

did it in a creative way modifying Alciato´s emblems in order to make them suitable to his French

audience. He also acknowledged its moralizing purpose of in the preface. Le Theatre is a moral work

containing some satirical allusions, a perfect reading for the French audience of its time. First edition of

Combe´s work was published around 1593 (Daly 1986: 225-257) that is around 60 years after the

completion of La Perrière´s book (1536). Bearing in mind that the translation was not aimed at French but

at English audience with different cultural reality and that Combe took to his heart the title page

description of Le theatre as ‘cent Emblemes moraulx’, his version had to be modified in order to suit his

English reality. In his introductory êpitre ´To the Reader´ Combe acknowledges his work as a translation

and also informs about the moralizing aim he had in mind while making this creative adaptation. He

adapts the book to less educated English audience, the audience different from La Perrière´s – one more

interested in the qualities of friendship than court life and less likely to appreciate abstractions and

classical allusions. He aims at educating, instructing, moralizing and achieves it through, among others,

the modification of La Perrière’s satiric flavor of Le Theatre and enlarging the potential circle of readers. I

divided the ways in which Combe modified Le Theatre in three main categories: structure, content of the

verse part and language.

Before analyzing the tripartite structure of Combe’ emblems, it is crucial to decide which version of

Le Theatre served him as a model. Mary V. Silcox suggests that it was the 1583 Lyons edition (1995:

217). In fact The Theater’ pictures are close copies of those appearing in this book differing only in small

details (e.g. birds flying in the backgrounds in emblem I1). Only two of them are changed: these are the

cases of emblems number XV and XLXV).

1 Illustrations and text of the emblems ‘in bold’ available at the same or the following page.

FR4036 Student ID 07005855

2FR4036 Student ID 07005855

Emblem I, La Perrière, Le Theatre, Paris, 1539.

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Emblem I, La Perrière, Le Theatre, Lyons, 1583.

Emblem XV (painting of a full-nude), La Perrière, Le Theatre, Lyons, 1583.


Emblem XV (painting of a full-nude), La Perrière, Le Theatre, Paris, 1539.

Emblem I, Combe, The Theater, London, 1614.

Emblem XV (painting of a half-nude), Combe, The Theater, London, 1614.

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If the 1583 edition took as a model the earlier De Tournes version (Lyons), how do we know that the

latter was not the one used by Combe? In the only one case of emblem XLXI verse of the 1583 edition

significantly alters from De Tournes version. In the 1539’s version the word amys appears while in 1583 it

is removed. It is very unlikely that Combe would omit it especially that we know that he was very

interested in the topic of friendship. He obviously felt that his English audience had less need of warnings

to beware of court flatterers rather than of flatters posing as friends (Silcox 1987: 79). He erased the

connection the author of Le Theatre made between court and flatterers and increased the number of

emblems treating about friendship making a link between these topics. Combe does not only keep the

subject of friendship in three emblems in which it appeared in La Perrière’s work (emblems number III,

XLII, LVIII) but he also adds it to five more (emblems: XLV, LXXIII, LXXIV, XCI, XCIIII).


Emblem XCIIII, La Perrière, Le Theatre, Lyons, 1545

Emblem XCIIII, Combe, The Theater, London, 1614.

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Combe’s structure of emblem is very similar to the one from the 1583 version of La Perrière’s Le

Theatre. In his êpitre we read that the structure of an emblem with picture contributes to the moral flavor

of his book. Combe hopes that pictura will serve the reader as a metaphoric form of emblem and that it

will pierce the reader more effectively than the word alone (1614: A2). The most significant and easily

spotted when comparing emblems from both books changes are the layout of mottos and the length of the

verse part that in Combe’s translation is longer than in the original French verse. In his epistle, Combe

mentions that in his translation he will not hesitate to make the necessary adjustments in order to make his

translation suitable to our behaviours (1614: A2). This is true when considering layout of his mottos. They

form couplets while mottos in 1583 editions are just one line long. Each of them constitute a clear

introduction to the emblem, an easy to read instruction. One critic suggests that the couplet form makes

them understood as a call to action (Silcox 1987: 68). A good example of the difference between mottos

from both books might be emblem V. In Combe’s version it is:

‘One bird in hand is a better fare,

Then three which in the hedges are’

(1614: B1, Emblem V).

La Perrière, on the other side, does not use the proverb to convey the message:

‘C’est grand abus de laisser son bon heur’

(1545: A5, Emblem V).

Many of La Perrière’s emblems are based on proverbs, for example emblems XIX and XXX about the

rose’s thorns or emblem XX treating about fortune’s blindness:


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However he almost never uses them in his mottos and rather rarely in his verse. Combe, on the contrary

relies on them heavily: both the couplet of his motto and ottava rima used in the verse part lend

themselves to proverbial epigrammatic style. They seem to be mean of conveying the message in a clear

and easily understood by his English audience manner:

‘There is nothing can be more deere,

Than Time, if we could keep it heare’

(1614: F1, Emblem LXXI)

They reappear on a regular basis for example in emblems V, IX, XXX. They reinforce the moral lesson

and also its importance is stressed by naming them as ‘proverbs’ in verse of emblems III, X, XX, LXXI.

‘Meddle with thy match, the anciet proverb says:

On equall play-fellowes no danger lies.’

(1614:A3, Emblem III)


Emblem XX, La Perrière, Le Theatre, Lyons, 1545. Emblem XIX, La Perrière, Le Theatre, Lyons 1545.

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They usually provide alternative expressions that suit very well the instructive purpose of his book. The

changes made to the verse part could be described as its expansion. Verse part in approximately 30

emblems is not significantly changed and in general emblems are more or less straightforward translations

of the French original e.g. emblem XCV:

Par ung chemin trop fascheux &

estrange,

Si d’avanture advient que

lourdement,

Ton mulet tumbe au milieu de

la fange,

Don’t il ne peult sortir

facilement:

Que feras tu? vers dieu

premierement

T’adresseras, implorant son

secours :

Mais ce pendant qu’a luy as ton

recours,

Metz y la main, avant

qu’arrester plus:

(…)

(1614: G5, Emblem XCV)

When thou shalt travell on the

tedious way,

And see thy Asse fall loden in the

mire,

First for the helpe of God prepare

to pray,

That succours all that do his

help require;

But in the meane time ceasse not

to assay,

With thy owne hands to draw:

him from the mire

For he that would the helpe of

God attaine,

To helpe himself must take a

little paine.

(1583: G4, Emblem XCV)

Combe was obviously able to render La Perrière’s verse very closely, however in some cases he chose to

expand it by making them more explicit. For example in emblem 4 La Perrière’s conclusion is expressed

in two lines:


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‘Qui se vouldra a garder de sa chaleur,

Evitera mortelle decdence’

(1583: A4, Emblem IV)

French poem’s dance imaged is ignored by Combe and instead the readers are treated with four lines of

the instruction:

‘But happie he, who so in time refuseth,

And all vaine fancies utterly forsaketh.

Such one with heed, and grave & good instruction

Doth wisely shun his peril and destruction’

(1614: A7, Emblem IV)

Combe’s addition of ‘grave & good instruction’ explain very well the main idea of his book and the

reason for the expansion of verse in many emblems.

Education rather than condemnation and satire is Combe’s goal. La Perrière’s emblems depict

the cultural and historical situation in which he found himself when writing Le Theatre. They reflect his

strong personal feelings he had towards the abuses of higher clergy and difficult life of the educated men

(Silcox 1987: 68). Combe appears to soften this tone is some poems while retaining the original subject.

For example in emblem XIII La Perrière attacks clergy who lived pampered lives ignoring learned man.

Combe eased the verse with the removal of rude descriptions [e.g. ‘lourdaux asniers à testes

grosses’(1583: C3)]. Deletion in order to make the poem suitable to its audience is also the case with

forcefully worded emblem XL which may have been inspired by the hanging of Semblençay in 1527 2

(Knecht 1982: 134-135). Combe might not have been aware of his long case and would not feel the same

passion about it that La Perrière probably did. It explains why his English version misses the long list of

punishments that the author of Le Theatre prescribes for those who abused their position of authority:

hanging, cutting of the ears, stretching on the wheel (1545: D1, Emblem LX):

2 Poet’s reaction to the case altogether with the dissatisfaction of the verdict expressed by Francis I’s treasurer and the public who were not convinced of Semblençay guilt is described in the R.J Knecht’s book Francis I.


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However deletion is not the only tool used by Combe. In the mentioned at the beginning of this

paragraph emblem XIII Combe enlarges his audience by directing the criticism directly to fools rather

than clergy:

‘So many times fools have to honour leapt

When wifer men have had a colder pull’.

(1614: C4, Emblem XIII)


Emblem XIII, La Perrière, Le Theatre, Lyons, 1545. Emblem XIII, Combe, The Theater, London, 1614.

Emblem LX, La Perrière, Le Theatre, Lyons, 1545.

Emblem XL, Combe, The Theater, London, 1614.

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Combe’s main verse emendations to La Perrière’s text are exhibited in this emblem – he alters the bias of

Le Theatre satiric and observational poem directing the attention towards the goal of changing behavior

rather than to satire. In the emblem’s conclusion La Perrière shows his disgust about the marriage of

stupidity and dignity and concludes that men of letters have to look elsewhere for fun:

‘Puis qu’asnerie & dignité font napoces

Gens literez cherchez ailleurs esbas´ (1545: C3, Emblem XIII)

Combe does not only change the object of criticism, but also significantly alters conclusion:

‘If asses have such a luck what should I say

Let schoolers burn their books and go to play’

(1614: C4, Emblem XIII)

Another example where Combe alters the emphasis to general moral, and speaks as a moralizer, as

a non-scholar to non-scholars contrasting with La Perrière representing learned men and poets, is emblem

XVII. In Le Theatre the vile and vicious idiot who considers ‘nothing good literature’ because of his

hatred for learned man is criticized:

‘Ung idiot, infame, vicieulx

N’estime rien bonne literature,

Car il hayt gens scavans’

(1545: B6, Emblem XVII)

La Perrière’s interest in ´learning´and ´knowledge´ is retained in Combe’s version but the virtue

mentioned only in the motto of this emblem is emphasized3. In the last lines of the poem La Perrière

speaks from the perspective of the learned men while Combe sees it from the side of the fools:

‘Tant que pourceaulx aymeront la pasture,

Gens literez auront temps fort estrange’


‘And hoggish fooles at learning will repine,

3 Motto in 1583 edition: 'Vertu mesprisee des ignorans’.


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So long as puddle shall delight the swine’


Providing the ordinary individual with an instruction and advice is another common technique

used by Combe to reach his goal outlined in the preface. In emblem 15 the French author refers his readers

to St. Paul and warns that ‘on doit scavoir à suffisance´ saying that one should strive to know enough and

not too much (1545: B4, Emblem XV). Combe ignores the reference to St. Paul and concludes that by

searching to far in ‘the most divine ‘ one will never know himself as he ought to:

‘With piercing insearch of things most divine

That fall to far from knowing that they fought,

They do not know themselves as they ought’.

(1614:B6, Emblem XV)

He changes La Perrière’s version and underlines the importance of knowing oneself rather than the

problem of the limitation of knowledge. The emblem concludes giving advice for the ordinary individual

rather than an advice directed only towards learned men. A very significant example of making an

emblem directly applicable to the reader’ actions rather than offering résumé of general observations is

the last one in the collection where Combe, following Geoffrey Whitney’s idea4, renames the original La

Perrière’s Famine naming her Idleness:

Emblem C, La Perrière, Le Theatre, Lyons, 1545.

4 Whitney, as well as Combe looked for an inspiration in Lyons editions of La Perrière´s emblems. Mary V. Silcox suggests that Combe consulted Whitney´s Choice of Emblemes (1586) when translating Le Theatre and adopted some of his changes (Silcox 1987: 82).


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Emblem C, Combe, The Theater, London, 1614.

In French version the reader is informed that the function of ants pulling the chariot is

‘(…)demonstrer qu’avec oysiveté,

Impossible est que grandz biens l’on assemble’. (1545 :G10, Emblem C)

Combe’s conclusion seems to be stronger :

‘lest we labour with the little Ant,

We still are like to live in woe and want it certainly to be shunned’

(1614: H2, Emblem C).

As outlined in the êpitre Combe hopes to render Le Theatre in a way that contribute to the

‘common understanding’ (1614: A2). Without any doubt his, not only English speaking, but also lower

class audience enjoyed idiomatic and adjusted to its social reality text. There are numerous examples

when Combe substitutes French idioms and idiomatic expressions with suitable English ones. In emblem

XXIV where La Perrière pigs’ diet consists of le gland, English ones eat draffe. Also French Roger bon-

temps is exchanged for Robin Good-fellow in emblem LXI. Social differences between two countries have

also been remarked. French clergy becomes rewarded fools (emblem XIII), les roys and les vassaux

change into prince and poore in emblem XXVII. Due to the social differences and the scopus some

themes are also changed: Combe tempers La Perrière’s misogyny. In emblem II the misogynistic

sentiment is softened by the change in the motto: Que vin et femme, attrapent le plus sages is being

replaced by: Ven’rie and drinke do now and then, besot some of the wisest men.(1545: A4, Emblem II;

1614: A3, Emblem II). He changes the emphasis of French emblems focused on flattery and hypocrisy

introducing the topic of friendship. Themes that directly concern his audience stay the same (marriage,

love). In some cases Combe deletes unnecessary or untranslatable French idiomatic expressions: ‘comme

evesque des champs’ in emblem LXXV, in others he adds mocking elements to his translations: French

‘lors que loyseau s’envole de ta main’ are translated as ‘bids her keepers hands adue’ (emblem XC). He

introduces familiar images: trapping, maps, riding and sailing. For example in emblem XCVII he replaces

a very good metaphor of pavoys de constance (1545: G5, Emblem XCVII) with the image of sailing

image and tailors this changed theme very well:

‘And when adversity doth must assile,


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By striving then aloft to beare their sale

(…)

But the sound friend will never sound retreit

Nor stoope his sailes for any force of

weather,

But constantly his friendship stil doth last,

And shine the clearer in the bitter blast’

(1614: G7, Emblem XCVII, La Perrière’s

version of this emblem on the left)

Combe also significantly reduced scholarly

allusions popular in Le Theatre. A good example

could be the previously mentioned emblem 15 about

the necessity of knowing ourselves where the

reference to St. Paul is erased. Combe feels

obligated to add some information concerning

unknown for his audience figures. While

introducing mythological characters he mentions

that they could be found in literature assuring that

his audience does not confuse them with reality:

‘We reade when Bacchus..’ (1614: B1, Emblem II), when telling the story in which monsters like

Chimera are present in emblem XVI he concludes ‘Great monsters mentioned are in stories found’.

Extract from emblem II, Combe, The Theater, London, 1614.

Extract from emblem II, La Perrière, Le Theatre, Lyons, 1545.


Emblem XCVII, La Perrière, Le Theatre, Lyons, 1545.

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Combe´s creative adaptation of Le Theatre de bons engines written by Guillaume de la Perrière

is a meaningful piece of work created for English non-scholarly audience. His labor in rendering the book

was, as he claims in the preface: ‘worthily bestowed’ in providing ‘precepts and rebukes to our

behaviours’. Similarly to La Perrière who borrows from Alciato, Combe always had in mind the

moralizing purpose of his book. The most significant modifications made in English version of Le Theatre

are to be found in the verse section. Bearing in mind social and linguistic differences between both nations

and the moralizing goal of the very first emblematic book written in vernacular: ‘donner quelque honneste

recrëation’ (1539:A5r) Combe rendered the text allowing himself some creativity: the creativity which is

unavoidable in translating, and which at the same time makes his work outstanding and very well suited to

the early 17th century English reader who would like to enjoy some moralizing and quality lines.


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Bibliography

Primary sources:

1. Combe, T. 1614. The Theater of Fine Devices, containing an hundred moral Emblemes.

[Facsimile] 1990. Aldershot: Scolar Press.

2. Gallica, Bibliothèque Nationale de France. ´Le théâtre des bons engins , auquel sont contenuz cent

emblèmes moraulx, composé par Guillaume de La Perrière´, La Perrière, G. 1545.

http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k711107/f104.image [accessed: 30.11.2011].

3. La Perrière, G. 1973. Le Theatre de bons engins 1539. Menston: Scolar Press.

Secondary sources :

1. Daly, P. 1986. ‘The Case for the 1593 Edition of Thomas Combe’s Theatre of Fine Devices’.

Journal of the Warburg and Courtaulds Institutes. 49, pp. 255-257.

2. Knecht, R.J. 1964. Francis I. London: Athlone Press, pp. 134-135

3. Moseley, C. 1989. A century of emblems. Scolar Press: Aldershot.

4. Silcox, M. V. 1995. ‘Three Editions of Combe’s Theatre of Fine Devices’. Emblematica. 9, pp.

217-219.

WORDCOUNT: 3083


http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k711107/f104.image

thomas combe

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