Ross G Caldwell
26-02-2008 18:56 |
Piscina's take on the Impiccato, from "Discorso sopra l'ordine delle figure dei tarocchi" (Monte Regal (modern Mondovì), 1565, pp. 17-18; excuse my hasty, undoubtedly bad translation) -
"...there follows this old man the Impiccato, who arrived at this point for having scorned good counsel, and whom the Inventor has placed there to represent a sad, false, vicious, bothersome, and quickly finished man (since good Counsel depends on virtue), to show in fact a man lacking in any virtue, that without counsel, in desperation, has hanged himself; to demonstrate and illustrate the worst end that comes to those who despise prudent counsel, and, by consequence of virtue, which sort of person deservedly dies in every sort of contempt, bereft entirely of his reputation, and his name as if he were never born; and because of this follows Death, who expunges from all their memory..."
[i]... questo vecchio segue l’Impiccato giunto à questo punto per haver sprezzato il buon conseglio, il qual l’Inventor hà posto per rappresentare un’huomo tristo, falso, vitioso, pestifero, e brevemente concludendo (poi che il buon Conseglio dipende dalle virtù) per un’huomo privo a fatto d’ogni virtù che senza consiglio come disperato s’è impicato, per dimonstrar & avisar il pessimo fine che fanno i speratori de i prudenti consegli, e per consequenza delle virtù, la qual sorte di gente per essere meritevolmente da ogniuno odiata morendo’perde dal tutto la soa fama, e nome come se giamai non fosse nata, e per ciò segu la Morte che spenge del tutto lor memoria...[/i]
Giordano Berti, in his introduction, thinks that Piscina has forced this interpretation, since there is no reason to think that Piscina was looking at a card with a man hanging by the neck (citing the known 16th century titles of the card). Nevertheless, it is interesting to tie this in with what has been said earlier in this thread about, Judas, desperation and suicide.
Ross
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