The lily and the river: how much do we presume about our knowledge of the future, and how firmly rooted is our knowledge of our origins? Two fables from Renaissance scientists and polymaths:
The lily set itself on the bank of the river Ticino, and the current swept away both the bank and the lily.
When a nearby spring overflowed its banks, a lily flower, pale with fright, forgot its original gravity and bowed to greet the approaching waters. It would have saved its life if it hadn’t sacrificed its dignity.
From Renaissance Fables, ed. and trans. D. Marsh (revised)
Leave A Comment