Title
Death made up of two contradictory natures, in El Criticón, by Gracián (1657)
Description
Fragment from El Criticón, by Gracián in El invierno de la vejez (the winter of old age) by Lorenzo Gracián, Madrid (1657), (pp. 350-352)
"—Es—dixo el ministro que estava en medio de ambos—que la miráis por diferentes lados, y assí haze diferentes visos, causando diferentes efectos y afectos. Cada día sucede lo mismo, que a los ricos les parece intolerable y a los pobres llevadera, para los buenos viene vestida de verde y para los malos de negro, para los poderosos no ay cosa más triste, ni para los desdichados más alegre. ¿No avéis visto tal vez un modo de pinturas que si las miráis por un lado os parece un ángel, y si por el otro un demonio? Pues assí es la Muerte. Hazeros heis a su mala cara dentro de breve rato, que la más mala no espanta en haziéndose a ella.
—Muchos años serán menester—replicó Andrenio.
Sentóse ya en aquel trono de cadáveres, en una silla de costillas mondas, con braços de canillas secas y descarnadas, sitial de esqueletos, y por cogines calaveras, baxo un deslucido dosel de tres o quatro mortajas, con goteras de lágrimas y randas al aire de suspiros, como triunfando de soberanías, de bellezas, de valentías, de riquezas, de discreciones y de todo quanto vale y se estima. Luego que estuvo de assiento, trató de tomar residencia a sus ministros, començando por el valido. Y quando la imaginaran terrible [fi]era, horrenda y espantosa, al fin de residencia la experimentaron, al rebés, gustosa, placentera y entretenida y muy de recreo; quando aguardavan que arrojasse en cada palabra un rayo, oyeron una y otra chança; y en vez de una envenenada saeta en cada razón, començó con lindo humor a entretenerse desta suerte:"
Translation:
"—It is —said the minister who was in the middle of both— that you look at her from different sides, and thus different sheens appear, causing different effects and affects. Every day the same thing happens, it feels intolerable to the rich and bearable to the poor, she dresses in green for good people and in black for bad ones, there is no sadder thing for the powerful, nor for the more unfortunate ones more joyous. Have you not perhaps seen a type of paintings that if you look at it from one side it looks like an angel, and if on the other a demon? Well, this is Death. Get used to her evil face shortly, that the evilest does not scare in becoming her.
-It will take many years- Andrenio replied.
He sat on a throne made of corpses, on a chair of ribs, with armrest of dry and fleshless quills, a seat of skeletons, and skull pads, under a dull canopy of three or four shrouds, with tears leaking and lace edging in the air of sighs, as if triumphing over sovereignty, beauty, bravery, wealth, discretion, and everything that is worth and esteemed. After she was settled, she tried to take up residence with his ministers, beginning with the worthy. And they had imagined her as terrible, fierce, horrendous and frightening, however, at the end of their residency they experienced her as tasty, pleasant and entertaining and very recreational; when they awaited for a thunderbolt to be thrown with each word, they heard pleasantry; and instead of a poisoned arrow in every argument, she began with a nice sense of humor to entertain this luck:"
"—Es—dixo el ministro que estava en medio de ambos—que la miráis por diferentes lados, y assí haze diferentes visos, causando diferentes efectos y afectos. Cada día sucede lo mismo, que a los ricos les parece intolerable y a los pobres llevadera, para los buenos viene vestida de verde y para los malos de negro, para los poderosos no ay cosa más triste, ni para los desdichados más alegre. ¿No avéis visto tal vez un modo de pinturas que si las miráis por un lado os parece un ángel, y si por el otro un demonio? Pues assí es la Muerte. Hazeros heis a su mala cara dentro de breve rato, que la más mala no espanta en haziéndose a ella.
—Muchos años serán menester—replicó Andrenio.
Sentóse ya en aquel trono de cadáveres, en una silla de costillas mondas, con braços de canillas secas y descarnadas, sitial de esqueletos, y por cogines calaveras, baxo un deslucido dosel de tres o quatro mortajas, con goteras de lágrimas y randas al aire de suspiros, como triunfando de soberanías, de bellezas, de valentías, de riquezas, de discreciones y de todo quanto vale y se estima. Luego que estuvo de assiento, trató de tomar residencia a sus ministros, començando por el valido. Y quando la imaginaran terrible [fi]era, horrenda y espantosa, al fin de residencia la experimentaron, al rebés, gustosa, placentera y entretenida y muy de recreo; quando aguardavan que arrojasse en cada palabra un rayo, oyeron una y otra chança; y en vez de una envenenada saeta en cada razón, començó con lindo humor a entretenerse desta suerte:"
Translation:
"—It is —said the minister who was in the middle of both— that you look at her from different sides, and thus different sheens appear, causing different effects and affects. Every day the same thing happens, it feels intolerable to the rich and bearable to the poor, she dresses in green for good people and in black for bad ones, there is no sadder thing for the powerful, nor for the more unfortunate ones more joyous. Have you not perhaps seen a type of paintings that if you look at it from one side it looks like an angel, and if on the other a demon? Well, this is Death. Get used to her evil face shortly, that the evilest does not scare in becoming her.
-It will take many years- Andrenio replied.
He sat on a throne made of corpses, on a chair of ribs, with armrest of dry and fleshless quills, a seat of skeletons, and skull pads, under a dull canopy of three or four shrouds, with tears leaking and lace edging in the air of sighs, as if triumphing over sovereignty, beauty, bravery, wealth, discretion, and everything that is worth and esteemed. After she was settled, she tried to take up residence with his ministers, beginning with the worthy. And they had imagined her as terrible, fierce, horrendous and frightening, however, at the end of their residency they experienced her as tasty, pleasant and entertaining and very recreational; when they awaited for a thunderbolt to be thrown with each word, they heard pleasantry; and instead of a poisoned arrow in every argument, she began with a nice sense of humor to entertain this luck:"
Creator
Gracián y Morales, Baltasar (1601-1658)
Source
Fragment from El Criticón, third part, by Gracián in El invierno de la vejez (the winter of old age) by Lorenzo Gracián, Madrid (1657), (pp. 350-352).
Found in Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library:
http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/baltasar_gracian/obra/el-criticon-tomo-tercero--0/
Archived in:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200806151751/http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/baltasar_gracian/obra/el-criticon-tomo-tercero--0/
Found in Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library:
http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/baltasar_gracian/obra/el-criticon-tomo-tercero--0/
CDU: 821.134.2-31"16"
URI: http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/nd/ark:/59851/bmc8g943Archived in:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200806151751/http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/baltasar_gracian/obra/el-criticon-tomo-tercero--0/
Date
1657
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