Imagine di Saturno, & del Tempo, che co' piedi legati di fil di lana

The outermost planet of the old order, the metal lead, the black first stage of the work, and an old man with a sickle. One sign does all four jobs, and the books move between them without explaining themselves.

In plain words Two attributes, and Cartari sources both. The hooked blade belongs to the half of Saturn the first block in this run left out: the sickle in his hand shows that time reaps and cuts down everything. The thread is wool. The Romans kept the statue tied that way all year and cut it loose in December, on the days consecrated to him, and Macrobius, through Cartari, gives the reason: a child in its mother's belly lies bound with tender knots which come undone in the tenth month, when the birth is ready. Out of that, Cartari says, came the Latin proverb that the gods have feet of wool.

Vincenzo Cartari, 1615 “Mostra la falce in mano di Saturno, che'l tempo miete, e taglia tutte le cose.” Le vere e nove imagini de gli dei delli antichi, page 26, the exposition of the image.

Symbolica Cartari's Italian, put into English here: The sickle in Saturn's hand shows that time reaps, and cuts all things.

Vincenzo Cartari, 1615 “lo fecero gli antichi, come scriue Macrobio, con i piedi legati con filo di lana, & lo teneuano così tutto l'anno, se non che lo scioglieuano poi di Dicembre in certi dì, che erano consecrati a lui, volendo in questo modo mostrare, che la creatura nel ventre della madre stà legata con nodi teneri, & molli, li quali si sciolgono quando al decimo mese è giunto già il tempo del maturo parto. Et quindi dice Macrobio essere nato quel prouerbio appresso de i Latini, che i Dei hanno li piedi di lana.” Le vere e nove imagini de gli dei delli antichi, page 31, on the bound feet.

Symbolica Cartari's Italian, put into English here: the ancients made him, as Macrobius writes, with his feet bound with woollen thread, and kept him so all the year, except that they loosed him in December on certain days that were consecrated to him, wishing in this way to show that the creature in its mother's belly lies bound with tender and soft knots, which are loosed when at the tenth month the time of the ripe birth has come. And from this, Macrobius says, was born that proverb among the Latins, that the Gods have feet of wool.

Vincenzo Cartari, 1615 “Dicesi anchora, che staua Saturno con i piedi legati, ò perche tutte le cose prodotte in questo mondo paiono essere insieme annodate ( così vengono l'vna dietro l'altra ) ouero perche la natura con certa, & ordinata legge così tiene i tempi legati insieme, che non cessano mai di andare succedendo l'vno all'altro.” Le vere e nove imagini de gli dei delli antichi, page 33, the second reading of the same thread.

Symbolica Cartari's Italian, put into English here: It is said also that Saturn stood with his feet bound, either because all the things produced in this world seem to be knotted together, so they come one behind the other, or because nature by a fixed and ordered law holds the ages tied together in such a way that they never stop following one after another.

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The mark of an errand rather than a nature. Note whether the wings are open, folded, or given to the figure by someone else.

In plain words Two sets of wings, and Cartari accounts for both. Astarte, Saturn's wife and sister, made her husband a royal ornament: four eyes, two in front and two behind, of which two shut and slept by turns so that two stayed open; and four wings at the shoulders, two spread as though he flew, two folded as though he stood still. She set two more on his head, one for the excellence of the mind and one for the senses.

Vincenzo Cartari, 1615 “fece al marito vn'ornamento regale, che haueua quattro occhi, due dinanti: & due di dietro, delli quali due si chiudeuano, & dormiuano à vicenda, sì che due ne erano aperti sempre, & à gli homeri vi pose parimente quattro ali, dellequali due stauano distese, come che ei volasse, & due ristrette, & raccolte, come che stesse fermo” Le vere e nove imagini de gli dei delli antichi, page 31, Eusebius on the royal ornament.

Symbolica Cartari's Italian, put into English here: she made her husband a royal ornament, which had four eyes, two in front and two behind, of which two would close and sleep by turns, so that two of them were always open; and at the shoulders she likewise set four wings, of which two stood spread as though he were flying, and two drawn in and folded as though he were standing still.

Vincenzo Cartari, 1615 “la medesima Astarte pose in capo a Saturno due ali, volendo per l'vna mostrare l'eccellenza della mente, & il senso per l'altra.” Le vere e nove imagini de gli dei delli antichi, page 31, the reason for the wings on the head.

Symbolica Cartari's Italian, put into English here: the same Astarte set two wings on Saturn's head, wishing to show by the one the excellence of the mind, and by the other the senses.

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