Against the powerful no one is sufficiently protected; if then one adds an evil counselor, all, that force and perversity attack, goes to ruin.
The eagle carried aloft a turtle. But this one had hidden the body in
his horn house, and thus holed up could not be harmed in any way.
Here comes, cleaving the air, the crow, and flying beside it, says: "It is certainly
a fine fat prey that you have seized with your claws; but if I do not
show you what to do, it will tire you unnecessarily with its considerable weight. Having been promised a share, he advises breaking on a rock the hard armor, letting it fall from the heights of heaven; after having thus smashed it, she could easily feed herself. Persuaded by these words the eagle followed the advice and generously shared the meal with his teacher.
So the one that had been protected by nature's gift, uneven against two, perished miserably.
[ Contra potentes nemo est munitus satis;
Si vero accessit consiliator maleficus,
Vis et nequitia quicquid oppugnant, ruit.
Aquila in sublime sustulit testudinem.
Quae cum abdidisset cornea corpus domo
Nec ullo pacto laedi posset condita,
Venit per auras cornix et propter volans:
«Opimam sane praedam rapuisti unguibus;
Sed nisi monstraro quid sit faciendum tibi,
Gravi nequiquam te lassabit pondere».
Promissa parte suadet, ut scopulum super
Altis ab astris duram illidat corticem,
Qua comminuta facile vescatur cibo.
Inducta verbis aquila, monitis paruit,
Simul et magistrae large divisit dapem.
Sic tuta quae naturae fuerat munere,
Impar duabus occidit tristi nece.]
The eagle carried aloft a turtle. But this one had hidden the body in
his horn house, and thus holed up could not be harmed in any way.
Here comes, cleaving the air, the crow, and flying beside it, says: "It is certainly
a fine fat prey that you have seized with your claws; but if I do not
show you what to do, it will tire you unnecessarily with its considerable weight. Having been promised a share, he advises breaking on a rock the hard armor, letting it fall from the heights of heaven; after having thus smashed it, she could easily feed herself. Persuaded by these words the eagle followed the advice and generously shared the meal with his teacher.
So the one that had been protected by nature's gift, uneven against two, perished miserably.
[ Contra potentes nemo est munitus satis;
Si vero accessit consiliator maleficus,
Vis et nequitia quicquid oppugnant, ruit.
Aquila in sublime sustulit testudinem.
Quae cum abdidisset cornea corpus domo
Nec ullo pacto laedi posset condita,
Venit per auras cornix et propter volans:
«Opimam sane praedam rapuisti unguibus;
Sed nisi monstraro quid sit faciendum tibi,
Gravi nequiquam te lassabit pondere».
Promissa parte suadet, ut scopulum super
Altis ab astris duram illidat corticem,
Qua comminuta facile vescatur cibo.
Inducta verbis aquila, monitis paruit,
Simul et magistrae large divisit dapem.
Sic tuta quae naturae fuerat munere,
Impar duabus occidit tristi nece.]
