Jacob Cats, Spiegel (The Hague, 1632)
Emblem 36
The older woman warns the young woman against being too friendly to men or she'll end up like a ewe being taken advantage of by every hungry lamb
La brebis trop apprivoisée De chacun agnel est tettéeFrench
The ewe that is too tame is suckled by every lamb.AI-generated
Description of the imageAI-generated
Within a bold oval frame set in a rectangular border with hatched corner triangles, a pastoral landscape. In the foreground stands a large ewe seen in profile facing right, her body surrounded by four or five lambs that press in from both sides, several of them bending under her belly to suckle at her udder. On the rising ground behind, at the left, two women stand facing the viewer: one in a plain gown with a hood or head-cloth and apron, the other in a richer dress with a large ruff, puffed sleeves and an ornate headdress, holding a fan or glove. Rays of light break through clouds at the upper left; birds fly in the sky; at the right in the distance a church spire rises above trees and a low hedge. Tufts of grass and scrub fill the lower corners. Beneath the oval a scroll-shaped cartouche carries the motto in cursive script.
Subscriptio
TranscriptionAI-generated
Hoort, jonge vrouw, en teere maeght, Een spreucke die hier dient gewaeght, Om dat haer leer by alle man V nut en dienstigh wesen kan: Al isset dat een soet gelaet Aen alle vrouwen geestigh staet, En dat beleeft en spraecksaem zijn V çiert gelijck een sonne-schijn, Vriendinnen, des al niet te min Soo bindt u geestigh wesen in, En maeckt dat niemant oyt te vry Of met u seer gemeensaem zy, Want 'twort niet selden vreemt geduyt, En 'tvalt oock dickmaels qualijck uyt. Siet, als het schaep is al te tam Soo koomter menigh dertel lam, Soo dickmael als het maer en dorst, Het oytjen vallen aen de borst, En suygt daer stout en onbeschroomt Schoon hem de mam niet toe en koomt. Wat dient hier vorder op geseyt? » By wijse lieden kort bescheyt.
TranslationAI-generated
Listen, young wife and tender maid, to a proverb that deserves to be mentioned here, because its lesson can be useful and serviceable to you with every man: although a sweet demeanour becomes all women gracefully, and although being courteous and talkative adorns you like a ray of sunshine, nevertheless, dear friends, keep your charming manner in check, and see to it that no one is ever too free, or too familiar, with you; for it is not seldom oddly interpreted, and it often turns out badly. See, when the sheep is far too tame, many a wanton lamb comes along, as often as it merely thirsts, to fall upon the ewe's breast, and sucks there boldly and unabashed although the teat does not belong to it. What further needs to be said about this? » To wise people, a short answer suffices.
CommentaryAI-generated
16 passages · original left, translation right (click to fold)
Hoogd. Wer sich unter die kleien mischt/ den fressen die Seuw.
High German: Whoever mixes himself among the bran will be eaten by the sows.
Wer unter die banck will / den stößt man baldt darunter.
Whoever wants to go under the bench is soon pushed under it.
Nederl. Goet koop vleys dat krijgt de hont.
Dutch: Cheap meat is what the dog gets.
Lat. Parvo emptas carnes canes edunt.
Latin: Dogs eat the flesh that is bought for little.
Hoogd. Esel wil jederman reiten.
High German: Everyone wants to ride the donkey.
Lat. Amabilitati cum pudore haud convenit.
Latin: Amiability does not agree well with modesty.
Nederl. Alle mans vrient/ menigh mans geck.
Dutch: Everybody's friend, many a man's fool.
Ital. Il troppo conversar partorisce dispregio.
Italian: Too much conversing gives birth to contempt.
Franç. Chose accoustumée n'est pas prisée.
French: A thing one is used to is not valued.
Fille trop veue, robbe trop vestue, N'est pas chere tenue.
A girl too often seen, a dress too often worn, is not held dear. (French)
La chose guere veüe Est chere tenue.
The thing hardly ever seen is held dear.
Fille trop mignarde Devient paillarde.
A girl too dainty/coquettish becomes a wanton.
Nimia familiaritas contemptū parit. Lat.
Too much familiarity breeds contempt. (Latin)
Τὸ σπάνιον τίμιον. .i. Griecx.
What is rare is precious. (Greek)
Quod rarum, carum. Lat.
What is rare is dear. (Latin)
Nulli te facias nimis sodalem Gaudebis minus & minus dolebis. Martial.
Make yourself too much a comrade to no one: you will rejoice less and grieve less. (Martial)
Iconclass
86(LA BREBIS TROP APPRIVOISÉE DE CHACUN AGNEL EST TETTÉE)proverbs, sayings, etc. (LA BREBIS TROP APPRIVOISÉE DE CHACUN AGNEL EST TETTÉE)
Suggested Iconclass codesAI-generated
Additional codes proposed for this emblem, not (yet) part of the indexing.
86(...)proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT)highThe emblem's cartouche carries a motto and the commentary is a florilegium of proverbs in several languages, matching 'proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT)'.
86proverbs, sayings, etc.mediumThe image illustrates a proverbial saying ('too much familiarity breeds contempt'), fitting the general class 'proverbs, sayings, etc.'.
51FF6Infrequencymedium'Infrequency' corresponds to the emblem's core maxim 'what is rare is precious / rare things are dear'.
57BB21Contemptlow'Contempt' is the abstract notion the motto expresses ('too much conversing gives birth to contempt'), though no personification is actually depicted.
57A641Discretion, Modesty; 'Discretione', 'Modestia' (Ripa)low'Discretion, Modesty' echoes the commentary's claim that amiability does not agree well with modesty, though the virtue is not personified in the plate.
Relationships to the Adagia of ErasmusAI-generated
Suggested relationships between this emblem and adages in Erasmus’ Adagia.
- I vii 64 Jucunda vicisstudo rerum – thematic inventiomedium
The emblem's cluster of proverbs ('Chose accoustumée n'est pas prisée', 'La chose guere veüe est chere tenue', 'Quod rarum, carum', 'Nimia familiaritas contemptum parit') restates exactly the point Erasmus develops in this adage's essay, where he quotes 'Bonarum rerum consuetudo pessima est' and 'Nil iucundum nisi quod reficit varietas' — that what is constantly available breeds satiety and loses its value.
- I vi 96 Ne quid nimis – thematic inventiolow
The subscriptio's advice that a woman's sweet and talkative manner is good but must be 'kept in check' so that no one becomes too familiar is a moderation lesson of the 'nothing to excess' type, the governing maxim of this adage; the connection is thematic and generic rather than textual.
Sources
Record ID: embstma_1288_emblem036
This emblem on the Iconclass site: https://iconclass.org/view/embstma_1288_emblem036
Copy: University Library, Glasgow, Stirling Maxwell 1288