Jacob Cats, Spiegel (The Hague, 1632)
Emblem 25
A young woman tells a suitor to set his sights on a woman of a character more like his
Birds of one faether Wil flocke togederEnglish
Birds of one feather will flock together.AI-generated
Description of the imageAI-generated
Within a large oval frame set into a rectangular border with ornamental corner pieces, a young woman in a wide ruff, broad-brimmed hat and full gown sits on the ground at the left, holding a small book in her lap; behind her, in the hollow of a dark tree-trunk, sits an owl, and leafy branches hang overhead. At the right stands a soldierly gallant in a plumed broad-brimmed hat, ruff, slashed doublet and breeches, a cloak over his arm, high boots, a sword at his side and a long stick or cane in his hand; he looks down toward the seated woman. Between and behind them is a river landscape with a village and church tower in the distance, two swans swimming on the water, and birds flying in the sky. In the foreground at the lower right two ducks stand on the bank. A scroll at the bottom of the plate carries the engraved motto.
Subscriptio
TranscriptionAI-generated
De Vrijster spreeckt. Wat koomt ghy, lieve vrient, aen my de vryer maken, Ghy mocht van heden af u liefde beter staecken, Ghy zijt een raeuwe gast, en ick een stille maegt, Ten dient niet (soo my dunckt) met u te zijn gewaegt. Ick ben van joncx gewent al staegh in huys te wesen, Om met een sedich hert een heyligh boeck te lesen; Ick neme mijn vermaeck in eenigh naelde-werck; Ick ben schier noyt op straet, maer dickmael inde kerck. Ghy in het tegendeel hebt ongetoomde lusten, Die woest, die selsaem zijn, die noyt en konnen rusten, Ghy wilt geduerigh zijn, of daer een trommel raest, Of daer een hel trompet de legers t'samen blaest; Ghy mocht op beter gront een ruyters dochter minnen, Die kan een veldt-slagh sien met onvertsaechde sinnen, Die swiert een bloot geweer, of drilt een swacke pijck, Die hoort het grof geschut, en acht het voor musijck; Soodanigh moetse zijn die u sal konnen lieven, Die u sal, na den eysch, in alle dingh gerieven, Die u het bloote sweert sal reycken metter hant, En seggen brengtet weer, of blijft ghy in het sant. Maer ick, die eene ben van dese pimpel-meesen, Die voor den roock alleen van grove stucken vreesen, Die noyt gevecht en sie als tot mijn groot verdriet; Ick ben u geensins nut, en ghy en dient my niet. Siet, als ick keer het oogh op al de snelle dieren, Die sweven op den stroom, of om de bossen swieren; Al waer ick immer koom, of waer ick henen kijck, Ick sie, dat yder een hem paert met sijns gelijck. Noyt sal een teere duyf haer tot den arent geven; Noyt sal het schouw patrijs ontrent den havick leven; Noyt vougter swarte raef sich by een witte swaen; Gelijck, beminde vriendt, dat moet te samen gaen.
TranslationAI-generated
The maiden speaks. Why do you come, dear friend, to play the suitor with me? You would do better from this day on to give up your love. You are a rough guest, and I a quiet maid; it is not fitting (so it seems to me) to be joined with you. From my youth I have been used to being always at home, to read a holy book with a modest heart; I take my pleasure in some needlework; I am almost never in the street, but often in church. You, on the contrary, have unbridled desires, wild and strange, that can never rest; you want to be always where a drum is raging, or where a shrill trumpet calls the armies together. You would do better to court a trooper's daughter, one who can watch a pitched battle with undaunted mind, who swings a naked weapon or brandishes a slender pike, who hears the heavy guns and counts it music. Such must she be who shall be able to love you, who shall serve you, as required, in everything, who shall reach you the bare sword with her own hand and say, bring it back again, or else stay lying in the sand. But I, who am one of these little titmice, who fear the very smoke of heavy cannon, who never see a fight but to my great distress — I am of no use to you at all, and you are no good for me. See, when I turn my eye on all the swift creatures that glide on the stream or sweep about the woods: wherever I ever come, or wherever I look, I see that every one mates with its like. Never will a tender dove give herself to the eagle; never will the shy partridge live near the hawk; never does a black raven join a white swan; like, beloved friend, must go with like.
CommentaryAI-generated
1 passages · original left, translation right (click to fold)
Lat. Plutarchus in libello de educandis liberis parentes admonet ut ejusmodi liberis suis uxores despondeant quæ non sunt multo ditiores vel potentiores, prudenter enim dici proverbio: Tuæ sortis uxorem ducito.
Syr. 27. 10. Les oiseaux s'assemblent avec leurs semblables.
Syr. 13. 17. & seqq. Tout animal aime son semblable toute beste s'apparie avec quelque autre de sa sorte: aussi l'homme s'accointe avec son pauvre.
Quel accort y à il entre le serpent & le chien? & quelle paix entre le riche & le pardure?
Griecx. Γάμει ἐκ τῶν ὁμοίων. .i. Vxorem ducito ex æqualibus.
Lat. Sic fuit, est, & erit, similis similem sibi quærit: Eligat æqualem prudens sibi quisque sodalem. Similis gaudet simili. Semper graculus assidet graculo.
Griecx. Ὅμοιον ὁμοίῳ φίλον. Balbum balbus rectius intelligit.
Hoogd. Gleich und gleich gesellt sich gern.
Cicero. Pares cum paribus facillimè congregantur.
Idem. Nihil est quod tam attrahat & alliciat ad amicitiam quam similitudo.
Franç. Chacun quiert son semblable. Æqualem tibi uxorem ducito.
Nederl. Twee gelijcke te gaer Maecken een goet paer.
Net by kuys/ en mors by vuyl; Valck met valck/ en uyl met uyl.
Spaens. Cada oveia, con su pareia. .i. Chasque ovaille avec sa pareille.
Franç. Chacun se doit iouer à son pareil, Chacun se prene à son pareil.
A vn boiteux femme qui cloche.
Spaens. Casar y compadrar, cada qual con su ygual. .i. Se marier & faire comperage chacun avec son pareil.
Spaens. Toma tu ygual y vete mendigar. .i. Prens ton pareil, & va t'en mendier.
Lat. Similitudo mater benevolentiæ. AEqualitas amicitiæ mater.
Pythagoræ dictum, Τὴν φιλίαν ἰσότητα εἶναι. Griecx.
Nederl. Voghelen van eender veeren vlieghen geern t'samen.
Spaens. Cada qual Con su ygual.
Franç. Chacun avec son pareil.
Turcks. Hirsis hirsisse dolduse dur. .i. Spaens. Il tristo co'l tristo s'accorda.
Hoogd. Wer freyen wil der nem seins gleichen.
Ital. Io molondron, tu molondrona. Casate con migo Antona. .i. Ie suis beste & tu vne autre beste, Marie toy avec moy Antonette.
Franç. Entre gens de mesme nature, l'Amitié se faict & dure. Mais entre gens de contraire nature Ny amour ny amitié ne dure.
Syr. 13. 15. Een yeder gedierte houdt hem by sijns gelijcke/ also sal oock den mensche sich by sijns gelijcke voegen.
Lat. Plutarch, in his little book On the Education of Children, advises parents to betroth to such children of theirs wives who are not much richer or more powerful, for it is wisely said in the proverb: Marry a wife of your own station.
Syr. 27:10. Birds gather with their like.
Syr. 13:17ff. Every animal loves its like; every beast pairs with some other of its own kind: so too man keeps company with his own poor.
What agreement is there between the serpent and the dog? and what peace between the rich man and the poor?
Greek. Marry from among your equals, that is: Take a wife from your equals.
Lat. So it was, is, and will be: like seeks its like. Let every prudent man choose a comrade equal to himself. Like rejoices in like. The jackdaw always sits beside the jackdaw.
Greek. Like is dear to like. One stammerer understands another better.
High German. Like and like gladly keep company.
Cicero. Equals most easily come together with equals.
The same. There is nothing that so attracts and draws to friendship as likeness.
French. Everyone seeks his like. Take a wife equal to yourself.
Dutch. Two who are alike together make a good pair.
Neat with clean, and slovenly with filthy; falcon with falcon, and owl with owl.
Spanish. Every sheep with its mate, that is: each ewe with her like.
French. Everyone should play with his like; let each take up with his like.
A limping wife for a lame man.
Spanish. In marrying and in standing godparent, each with his equal, that is: to marry and to enter into compaternity, each with his like.
Spanish. Take your equal and go begging, that is: Take your match and go off to beg.
Lat. Likeness is the mother of goodwill. Equality is the mother of friendship.
A saying of Pythagoras: that friendship is equality. Greek.
Dutch. Birds of one feather gladly fly together.
Spanish. Each one with his equal.
French. Each with his like.
Turkish. The thief is full with the thief, that is: Spanish (sic): The wretch agrees with the wretch.
High German. He who wants to woo, let him take his like.
Italian. I a dolt, you a dolt-woman: marry me, Antonia, that is: I am a beast and you another beast, marry me, Antoinette.
French. Between people of the same nature friendship is made and lasts; but between people of contrary nature neither love nor friendship lasts.
Syr. 13:15. Every beast keeps to its like, so too shall man join himself to his like.
Iconclass
86(BIRDS OF ONE FAETHER WIL FLOCKE TOGEDER)proverbs, sayings, etc. (BIRDS OF ONE FAETHER WIL FLOCKE TOGEDER)
Suggested Iconclass codesAI-generated
Additional codes proposed for this emblem, not (yet) part of the indexing.
86proverbs, sayings, etc.highThe emblem is built entirely around proverbs and sayings ('like seeks its like', 'marry your equal'), with a proverbial motto engraved on the scroll.
86(...)proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT)mediumThe specific proverb text is inscribed on the scroll at the bottom, matching 'proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT)'.
51B2Similarity, Likenesshigh'Similarity, Likeness' is precisely the abstract concept illustrated — like pairs with like, equality is the mother of friendship.
25F36(SWAN)water-birds: swanhighTwo swans swimming on the water in the landscape correspond to the water-bird 'swan'.
34B2331swans (domestic waterbirds)lowThe paired swans on the river could be read as domestic waterbirds, though the generic water-bird designation fits better.
71Y4the book of Ecclesiasticus, the wisdom of Jesus SirachmediumThe commentary repeatedly cites Sirach (Ecclesiasticus 13 and 27) as the scriptural authority for the emblem's lesson.
Relationships to the Adagia of ErasmusAI-generated
Suggested relationships between this emblem and adages in Erasmus’ Adagia.
- I ii 21 Simile gaudet simili – direct mottohigh
The emblem's polyglot commentary reproduces both Erasmus's Latin headword ('Similis gaudet simili') and the Greek form he gives in the essay ('Ὅμοιον ὁμοίῳ φίλον'), which is the governing idea of the motto 'Birds of one feather will flock together'.
- I ii 23 Semper graculus adsidet graculo – direct mottohigh
The commentary quotes the adage verbatim: 'Semper graculus assidet graculo' ('A jackdaw always sits beside a jackdaw'), a bird image exactly parallel to the English motto.
- I ix 77 Balbus balbum rectius intelligit – direct mottohigh
The commentary gives the adage almost word for word ('Balbum balbus rectius intelligit') as another instance of like keeping to like.
- I viii 1 Aequalem uxorem quaere – essay quotehigh
The whole opening of the commentary is lifted from Erasmus's essay on this adage: the reference to Plutarch's De liberis educandis, the proverb 'Tuae sortis uxorem ducito', the Pittacus maxim 'Γάμει ἐκ τῶν ὁμοίων / Uxorem ducito ex aequalibus', and 'Aequalem tibi uxorem ducito' — applied to the maiden's refusal of an unequal suitor.
- I ii 20 Aequalis aequalem delectat – essay quotehigh
The commentary's 'Pares cum paribus facillimè congregantur' and 'Similitudo mater benevolentiae' are the very Ciceronian tags Erasmus quotes in the essay on this adage ('Similitudo mater est benevolentiae... pares cum paribus, ut est in vetere proverbio, facillime congregantur').
- I i 2 Amicitia aequalitas. Amicus alter ipse – essay quotemedium
The commentary's 'Æqualitas amicitiae mater' and the Pythagorean dictum 'Τὴν φιλίαν ἰσότητα εἶναι' correspond to Erasmus's discussion of Pythagoras' saying that friendship is equality in this adage.
- I ii 22 Semper similem ducit deus ad similem – thematic inventiomedium
The subscriptio's conclusion that 'every one mates with its like' and the commentary's 'Sic fuit, est, & erit, similis similem sibi quaerit' restate the Homeric adage that God always leads like to like, part of Erasmus's I ii 20–24 cluster on similitude.
- I ii 24 Cicada cicadae cara, formicae formica – thematic inventiomedium
Erasmus's Theocritean line 'cricket is dear to cricket, ant to ant, hawk to hawk' is the animal-pairing argument the maiden develops (dove not with eagle, partridge not with hawk, raven not with swan), and matches the Dutch tag 'Valck met valck, en uyl met uyl'.
- I ii 62 Cascus cascam ducit – thematic inventiomedium
Erasmus's adage on old man marrying old woman — 'like delights in like, ugly in ugly' — is the same marital application found here in 'A vn boiteux femme qui cloche' and 'Casar... cada qual con su ygual'.
- I x 72 Dignum patella operculum – thematic inventiolow
The proverb of the lid fitting the pot expresses the same 'matched pair' idea as 'Twee gelijcke te gaer maecken een goet paer', though it is not quoted in the emblem.
- I vi 8 Pari iugo – thematic inventiolow
The image of two oxen pulling evenly in the same yoke underlies the emblem's argument that spouses must be equally matched; cf. 'Ten dient niet met u te zijn gewaegt'.
- I ix 18 Aquilam noctuae comparas – thematic inventiolow
The picture's owl in the hollow tree and the subscriptio's 'never will a tender dove give herself to the eagle' echo Erasmus's proverb on the absurdity of matching eagle with owl, reinforced by the Dutch tag 'Valck met valck, en uyl met uyl'.
Sources
Record ID: embstma_1288_emblem025
This emblem on the Iconclass site: https://iconclass.org/view/embstma_1288_emblem025
Copy: University Library, Glasgow, Stirling Maxwell 1288