Jacob Cats, Spiegel (The Hague, 1632)

Emblem 5

An old man tells a young woman that 'beauty is more than skin deep'

An old man tells a young woman that 'beauty is more than skin deep'
Engraving · click to enlarge

Elck spiegle hem selvenDutch

Let everyone look at himself in the mirror.AI-generated

Description of the imageAI-generated

An oval medallion frame set within a rectangular border with spandrel ornaments. Inside, a bedroom interior: at left an old bearded man in a long fur-trimmed gown and cap stands pointing with his right hand toward a young woman; behind him a chair heaped with rich garments, a ruff and a hat. At right the young woman, richly dressed with a large lace collar and elaborate curled hair, sits at a draped dressing table holding a small object; on the table stand an octagonal framed mirror reflecting a face, small boxes, jars, a candle and strings of pearls. Behind her a four-poster bed with heavy curtains; on the back wall hang two small framed portraits of a man and a woman and a round object. A brush or tassel lies on the tiled floor. A banderole at the bottom of the oval carries the motto, with the engravers' signatures at lower left and lower right.

Subscriptio

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TranscriptionAI-generated

De Oude Man spreeckt GHy die het aerdigh glas, dat by de jonge vrouwen Een spiegel wort genaemt, zijt besich aen te schouwē, Let vry op u gestel, u hayr en gantsch gelaet, Let vry hoe u het oogh, en al het wesen staet, Doch geeft u niet alleen om uwen douck te schicken, Of om gekroont te zijn met bloemen ende stricken, Maer let op u gemoet, oock onder dit beslagh; En leert dat uwe jeught ten goeden dienen magh: Soo u de spiegel seyt dat uwe wangen blosen, En fris en jeugdich zijn, gelijck als verse rosen. V tanden als yvoir, u lippen t'eenemael Gelijck het Indisch lack, of als het root corael; Soo gaet van stonden aen bereyden uwe sinnen, Om mede schoone glans in uwen geest te winnen; Geeft u geheele kracht gants over aen de deugt, Op dat ghy binnen selfs in schoonheyt blincken meugt: Spreeckt dus tot u gemoet: Sal't niet een schande wesen Soo maer dit buyte-vel in ons en wort gepresen? Sal't niet een herten-leet aen al de vrienden zijn, Indien wy maer alleen en hangen aen den schijn? Neen, neen, mijn weerde ziel, wy moeten verder poogen; Wy moeten hooger sien als op den lust der oogen; Wy moeten schoone zijn, en dat aen alle kant, Iae tot de gronden selfs, gelijck een diamant. Zijn in het tegendeel u leden soo geschapen, Dat van u, door het oogh, geen lust en is te rapen; So spreeckt met u gemoet, en maeckt een vast verbondt, Op dat ghy door den geest u schade boeten condt: Gaet oeffent u verstant in alle goede seden, Gaet oeffent uwen mont in alle wijse reden, Gaet çiert het innigh schoon, dat is het beste deel, Dat is voor alle dingh een edel hals-juweel. Men vinter menighmael die sonder schoone wangen, Die sonder witte verw, der menschen herte vangen: » De deught, de reyne deught, is wonder lief-getal, » De deught, de waere deught, is verre boven al.

TranslationAI-generated

The Old Man speaks You who are busy looking at the pretty glass that among young women is called a mirror, look freely at your figure, your hair and your whole face; look freely how your eye and your whole appearance stand. Yet do not devote yourself only to arranging your headcloth, or to being crowned with flowers and ribbons, but look also to your mind under all this finery, and learn what may serve your youth for good. If the mirror tells you that your cheeks are blushing and fresh and youthful, just like fresh roses; your teeth like ivory, your lips altogether like Indian lacquer or like red coral; then go at once and prepare your senses, so as to win a fair lustre in your spirit as well; give your whole strength wholly over to virtue, so that you may shine in beauty inwardly too. Say thus to your mind: will it not be a shame if only this outer skin is praised in us? Will it not be a heartache to all our friends if we cling to appearance alone? No, no, my worthy soul, we must strive further; we must look higher than to the delight of the eyes; we must be beautiful, and that on every side, yes, to the very foundation, like a diamond. If, on the contrary, your limbs are so formed that no delight is to be gathered from you through the eye, then speak with your mind and make a firm covenant, that you may make good your loss through the spirit: go and exercise your understanding in all good manners, go and exercise your mouth in all wise speech, go and adorn the inward beauty, that is the best part, that is above all things a noble neck-jewel. One often finds women who without fair cheeks, without a white complexion, capture the hearts of men: virtue, pure virtue, is wonderfully lovable; virtue, true virtue, is far above all.

CommentaryAI-generated

1 passages · original left, translation right (click to fold)

Twee aenmerckingen op't gebruyck van Spiegels.

Eerste aenmerckinge. HEt ware niet ondienstigh/ na den raedt van eenige/ dat alle Schoolmeesters/ ende andere die haer werck maecken van de jonckheyt te onderwijsen/ veeltijts een Spiegel byder handt hadden/ om daer mede te doen/ gelijck men houdt dat Socrates t'anderen tijden soude ghedaen hebben; De selve (soo ghesyt wort) hadde voor een gewoonte sijne leerlingen veeltijts aen te manen sich dickmaels te spieghelen/ en sich bevindende van schoone gestalte te wesen/ datse alsdan met alle middelen souden betrachten/ ten eynde sy lieden door hare innerlijcke schoonheyt haren uytwendigen stant souden gelijck mogen wesen; en inghevalle yemant sich mismaeckt quame te bevinden/ dat de soodanighe neersticheyt soude aenwenden dat hy sijne uytwendighe leelijckheyt met inwendighe aenghenaemheyt soude sien te boeten.

Socratis doctrinam expressit Ovidius, Si tibi difficilis formam natura negavit Ingenio formae damna repende tuae.

Idem Iam molire animum qui duret, & astrue formam: Solus ad extremos permanet ille rogos.

Idem Non formosus erat, sed erat facundus Ulisses; Attamen aequoreas torsit amore Deas.

Tweede aenmerckinge. HEt gebruyck van de Spiegels is dienstigh voor de jonckheyt/ ten eynde als hier boven is ghesyt: Voor den ouderdom/ om de grijse hayren/ rimpels/ ende andere veranderingen in sijn gedaente dagelijcx te moghen aenmercken/ sonderlinge een afbeelt sijner jonckheyt daer by hebbende/ om door dien middel sijn daghen te leeren tellen en wijs te worden.

Kent u selven. Nederd. Le miroir n'est point flatteur. Franç. Lo que te dixere el espeio No te lo diran en conseio. .i. Spaens. Ce que le miroir te dira, Au conseil on ne te lira. Franç. Donna senza honestâ non fu mai bella. Ital. Ὡς ἡδὺ κάλλος ὅταν ἔχῃ νοῦν σώφρονα. .i. Griecx. Quam grata est forma, cui comes modesta mens! Lat. Beauté sans bonté ne vaut rien. Franç. Il cerchio non fa la taverna. Ital. Tout nostre scavoir gist à cognoistre nostre ignorance, toute nostre perfection à remarquer nostre imperfection. Franç. Pulchrae domus pulcher hospes. Lat. Ein schönen hauß ein schöner wirt. Hoogd. En belle cage, gentil oiseau. Franç.

Two observations on the use of Mirrors.

First observation. It would not be useless, according to the advice of some, that all Schoolmasters, and others who make it their business to instruct youth, should often have a Mirror at hand, in order to do with it as it is held that Socrates did in former times. He (so it is said) had it as a habit often to exhort his pupils to look at themselves in the mirror, and, if they found themselves to be of fair appearance, that they should then strive by every means so that through their inner beauty they might match their outward condition; and in case anyone found himself to be ill-favoured, that such a one should apply such diligence that he might make good his outward ugliness with inward agreeableness.

Ovid expressed the teaching of Socrates: If unkind nature has denied you beauty, make up for the lack of beauty with your talent.

The same: Now build up a mind that will last, and add it to your beauty: that alone endures to the final pyre.

The same: Ulysses was not handsome, but he was eloquent; nevertheless he tormented sea-goddesses with love.

Second observation. The use of Mirrors is serviceable for youth, for the purpose stated above; for old age, in order daily to observe the grey hairs, wrinkles, and other changes in one's appearance, especially when having beside it a portrait of one's youth, in order by that means to learn to number one's days and to become wise.

Know yourself. Dutch. The mirror is no flatterer. French. What the mirror will tell you, they will not tell you in council. Spanish. What the mirror will tell you will not be read to you in council. French. A woman without honesty was never beautiful. Italian. How pleasant is beauty when it has a prudent mind. Greek. How pleasing is beauty that has a modest mind for companion! Latin. Beauty without goodness is worth nothing. French. The hoop (signboard) does not make the tavern. Italian. All our knowledge lies in knowing our ignorance, all our perfection in noticing our imperfection. French. A fine house, a fine host. Latin. A fine house, a fine landlord. High German. In a fine cage, a noble bird. French.

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Sources

Record ID: embstma_1288_emblem005
This emblem on the Iconclass site: https://iconclass.org/view/embstma_1288_emblem005
Copy: University Library, Glasgow, Stirling Maxwell 1288