While the Collection's copy of Pieter de Jode I's massive engraving of Jean Cousin's Last Judgement lacks the bottom three textual plates, the Royal Library of Belgium actually has a high resolution zoomable copy available for viewing on their website, which allows us to ask Gemini to transcribe and translate the text and its meaning for us. In this case, Gemini recognizes that the text in the flanking panels is the same, with vernacular French on the left (for maximum readability) and the official Latin versions from the Vulgate Bible on the right as the authoritative scripture quotations. Unlike classic OCR, Gemini is not only able to transcribe and translate from the images, peering through water damage and other visual artifacts, but is able to identify connections in the text (such as the dual language versions) and contextualize them.
Below you can see the trio of text plates that were designed to sit beneath the engraving (see zoomable highres version):
Let's ask Gemini to transcribe, translate and explain these plates to us:
Transcribe and translate this text in its entirety.
Dedication Cartouche (Center)
The banners at the top read "POSTERITATI" (reversed) and "PER ORBEM", translating to "For Posterity" and "Throughout the World".
| Original Latin & French Text | English Translation |
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POSTERITATI |
FOR POSTERITY |
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PER ORBEM |
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD |
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D. LVDOVICO XIII. GALL. ET NAVAR. REGI CHRISTIANISSIMO. |
To Lord Louis XIII, most Christian King of France and Navarre. |
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D. HENRICI IV. VT REGNORVM, SIC ET VIRTVTV HÆREDI. |
To the heir of Lord Henry IV's kingdoms, as well as his virtues. |
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CATHOLICÆ RELIGIONIS PROPVGNATORI ACERR. |
To the most fierce defender of the Catholic religion. |
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OMNIVMQVE ARTIVM ADMIRATORI EXIMIO. |
And outstanding admirer of all arts. |
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AVGVSTISS. HOC VNIVERSALIS IVDICY PARADIGMA |
This most majestic paradigm of the Universal Judgment |
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A IOANNE COVSINIO FRANCO PRIMVM DELINEATVM. |
First drawn by Jean Cousin the Frenchman. |
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GVILIELMVS WITTENBROOT BELGA |
Willem van Wittenbroot the Belgian |
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LIBENS MERITO DAT, DICAT, CONSECRATQ. |
Willingly and deservedly gives, dedicates, and consecrates. |
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a la Nonciation. |
At the Annunciation. |
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Auec Priuilege du Roy. |
With the King's Privilege. |
Scriptural Testimonies (Left is French / Right is Latin)
The two flanking plates contain the same text, with the left providing vernacular French and the right quoting from the Latin Vulgate Bible to provide the authoritative text:
| French Text | Latin Text | Full English Translation |
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POVRTRAICT DV IVGEMENT VNIVERSEL
Confirmé des tesmoignages de l'escripture Saincte. |
IVDICY VNIVERSALIS PARADIGMA.
Sacræ Scripturæ testimonijs confirmatum. |
PORTRAIT OF THE UNIVERSAL JUDGMENT
Confirmed by the testimonies of Holy Scripture. |
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Isai. Chap. 13. Voicy le Iour du SEIGNEVR viendra cruel, et plein d'indignation &c pour mettre la terre en desert, & pour extirper hors d'icelle les pecheurs. |
Isaic. Cap. 13. Ecce dies DOMINI veniet crudelis, et indignationis plenus etc: ad ponendam terram in solitudinem, et peccatores conterendos. |
Isaiah Chapter 13: Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, and full of indignation, etc. to make the earth a desolation, and to destroy the sinners out of it. |
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Malach. Chap. 4. Voicy la Iournee qui viendra allumee comme le fourneau, & tous les orgeuillieux, comme ceux qui font infidelement, seront l'esteulle &c. |
Malach. Cap. 4. Ecce dies veniet succensa quasi caminus, et erunt omnes superbi et facientes impietatem stipula, et inflammabit eos dies veniens. |
Malachi Chapter 4: Behold, the day comes burning like an oven, and all the proud, and those who do wickedly, shall be stubble, and the coming day will set them on fire. |
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Ioel. Chap. 3. Que tes gens s'esleuent et qu'il' montent en la vallee de Iosaphat: car la ie seray assis, pour Iuger toutes gens a l'enuiron. |
Ioel. Cap. 3. Consurgant, et ascendant gentes ad vallem Iosaphat, quia ibi sedebo, vt Iudicem omnes gentes in circuitu. |
Joel Chapter 3: Let the nations be roused and ascend to the Valley of Jehoshaphat: for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. |
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Daniel. Chap. 12. Plusieurs de ceux qui dorment a la pouldre de la terre, s'esueilleront: les vns en la vie eternelle, et les aultres en opprobre, afin que tousiours ils le voyent. |
Daniel. Cap. 12. Multi de ijs qui dormiunt in terræ puluere euigilabunt, alij in vitam æternam, alij in opprobrium, vt videant semper. |
Daniel Chapter 12: Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to eternal life, and others to disgrace, so that they may see it always. |
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Iudith. Chap. 16. Le SEIGNEVR tout puissant se vengera sur eux, et les visitera au Iour du Iugement, car il baillera du feu, et des vers en leurs chairs, tant qu'ils soyent bruslez, et qu'ils les sentent iusques a iamais. |
Iudith. Cap. 16. DOMINVS omnipotens vindicabit iniquos in die Iudicij visitabit eos, dabit ignem et vermes in carnem ipsorum, vt vrantur et sentiant vsq in sempiternum. |
Judith Chapter 16: The Almighty LORD will take vengeance on the wicked in the day of judgment and will visit them; he will give fire and worms into their flesh, so that they may burn and feel them forever. |
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Ecclesiast. Chap. 39. Il y a des esprits qui ont esté crees pour la Vengeance, et iceux ont estably leurs tourments en leur fureur. |
Ecclesiast. 39. Sunt Spiritus qui ad vindictam creati sunt, et in furore suo confirmauerunt flagella sua. |
Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) Chapter 39: There are spirits created for vengeance, and in their fury they have established their torments. |
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Matth. Chap. 24. Comme il fut faict aux Iours de Noe : autant en sera il aussi de l'aduenement du Fils de l'homme. |
Matth. Cap. 24. Sicut erant in diebus Noe edentes et bibentes, donec venit diluuium: ita erit aduentus Filij hominis. |
Matthew Chapter 24: As it was in the days of Noah eating and drinking, until the flood came: so will be the coming of the Son of Man. |
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Idem. Chap. 13. En la fin de ce Monde le Fils de l'homme enuoyera ses Anges, qui cueilleront de son Royaume tous scandales, et ceux qui font iniquité, et les ietteront en la fournaise du feu: la il y aura pleur, et grincement de dents. |
Idem. Cap. 13. In consummatione sæculi, mittet Filius hominis Angelos suos, et colligent de Regno eius omnia scandala, et separabunt malos de medio Iustorum, et mittent eos in caminum ignis, ubi erit fletus, et stridor dentium. |
Idem (Matthew) Chapter 13: At the end of the age, the Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his Kingdom all scandals and those who do iniquity, and separate the evil from the midst of the righteous, and cast them into the fiery furnace: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. |
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Idem. Chap. 24. Le Soleil deuiendra obscur, et la Lune ne donnera poinct sa lumiere, et les Estoilles cherront du Ciel, etc. Et alors paroistra au Ciel le signe du Fils de l'homme, et verront le Fils de l'homme venir es nuees du Ciel, auecq puissance et Maieste. |
Idem. Cap. 24. Sol obscurabitur, et luna non dabit lumen suum, et stellæ cadent de Cælo etc: et tunc parebit signum Filij hominis in Cælo. et videbunt Filium hominis venientem in nubibus Cæli, cum virtute multa, et maiestate. |
Idem (Matthew) Chapter 24: The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from Heaven, etc. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in Heaven, and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven, with much power and majesty. |
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Matth. Chap. 19. Vous qui m'aues suyui, en la regeneration, quand le Fils de l'homme sera assis au Throsne de sa Maieste, vous aussi serez assis iugeans etc. |
Matth. Cap. 19. Vos qui secuti estis me, in regeneratione cum sederit Filius hominis in sede Maiestatis suæ, sedebitis et vos Iudicantes. |
Matthew Chapter 19: You who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his Majesty, you also will sit judging, etc. |
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1 aux Thess. Chap. 4. Le SEIGNEVR mesme auec cõmademẽt, et voix d'Archãge, et auec la trompette de DIEV descendera du Ciel, et ceux qui sont morts en CHRIST resusciterõt premieremẽt. |
1 ad Thess. Cap. 4. Ipse DOMINVS in iussu, et in voce Archangeli, et in tuba DEI descendet de Cælo: et mortui qui in CHRISTO sunt, resurgent primi. |
1 Thessalonians Chapter 4: The LORD himself will descend from Heaven with a command, and with the voice of an Archangel, and with the trumpet of GOD: and the dead who are in CHRIST will rise first. |
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Apocalyp. chap. 18. Et tant qu'elle s'est glorifiee, et qu'elle a este en delices, d'autant donnez luy tourment et pleur. |
Apocalyp. 18. Quantum glorificauit se, et in delicijs fuit, tantum date ei tormentum, et luctum. |
Apocalypse (Revelation) Chapter 18: As much as she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, give her that much torment and sorrow. |
As a reminder, this is the engraving under which these passages were designed to sit:
