Jacob Cats, Spiegel (The Hague, 1632)
Emblem 85
Daerder veel smeden moetmen slach houdenDutch
Where there are many smiths, one must keep time with the blow.AI-generated
Description of the imageAI-generated
Inside a blacksmith's workshop, framed in an oval set within a rectangular border with hatched corner triangles. Three or four smiths work together around a large anvil: one at the left raises a hammer behind his head, a stout smith in the centre swings a long-handled sledgehammer overhead, another figure stands behind him near the open forge fire, and at the right an older bearded smith in a cap, with bare muscular arms and a leather apron, holds a hammer in one hand while gripping a glowing iron bar on the anvil with long tongs. Smoke and flames rise from the hearth beneath a chimney hood; horseshoes and tools hang on the wall and above the fireplace, a framed picture of a town tower hangs at the upper right, and a quenching tub, bellows and scattered tools stand on the floor. At the right edge two children and a woman look on, one child raising its hands in alarm. Below the oval are engraved the inscriptions 'A. Venne in.' at the left and 'Theod. Matham fe. 1627' at the right.
Subscriptio
TranscriptionAI-generated
VVanneerder vijf of ses met uyt-gestreckte leden, Tot onderlingh behulp op eenen aenbeelt smede, Soo moet daer yder man soo spelen metten slagh Dat oock sijn mede-maet een beurte krijgen magh: Indien hy eenigh waer, en sonder met-gesellen, Soo mocht hy rasser gaen, en geene slaghen tellen; Maer nu benevens hem oock rappe gasten staen, Soo moet hy nimmermeer als opte maete slaen. Al die niet in het bosch, maer by de menschen leven, Die moeten yder mensch het sijne leeren geven, De man die vier' het wijf, het wijf haer echten man, Soo isset dat het huys in vrede blijven kan. Daer is geen nutter konst, als sich te konnen voegen, Dat geeft van ons bedrijf aen yder vergenoegen, Maer die het vet alleen begeert op sijne sop, Dat is een al-beschick, of wel een vijse kop. Ghy, leert dan, soete jeught, op desen regel passen, Laet vrienden vrienden zijn; laet handen handen wassen; De mensheyt wijstet uyt, het leven heeftet in, Geen mensch en dient te staen alleen op eygen sin.
TranslationAI-generated
When five or six men with outstretched limbs forge together in mutual help upon one anvil, then every man must so play with his stroke that his fellow also gets his turn: if he were alone and without companions, he might go faster and count no blows; but now that nimble fellows stand beside him, he must never strike otherwise than in measure. All those who do not live in the woods but among people must learn to give every man his due: the husband must honour the wife, the wife her wedded husband; thus it is that the house can remain in peace. There is no more useful art than to be able to accommodate oneself; that makes our dealings pleasing to everyone. But he who wants all the fat on his own soup is an arranger-of-everything, or else a crank. You, sweet youth, learn then to live by this rule: let friends be friends, let hands wash hands; humanity shows it outwardly, life contains it inwardly; no man ought to stand alone upon his own opinion.
CommentaryAI-generated
29 passages · original left, translation right (click to fold)
Besogna martellare à misura quando sono più ad una incudine.
One must hammer in measure when there are several at one anvil.
Cyrus apud Xenophontem. Quos volumus esse socios, venandos esse benè faciendo, & bene dicendo.
Cyrus in Xenophon: those whom we wish to have as partners must be hunted (won over) by doing well and speaking well.
Dit spreeck-vvoort kan sonderlinghe dienen aen de soodanighe die in groote vergaderingen, en met veel personen dagelijcx hebben te handelen, om een yegelijck te laten en te geven dat hem nae ghelegentheyt toe-komt, vvant, gelijck een voortreffelijck man vvel heeft gheseyt, als ons eenige saecke vvel smaeckt ofte bevalt, het en moet ons stracx niet vreemt dencken, soo het aen andere niet vvel en smaeckt; anders komen hier uyt groote mis-slagen in beraetslagingen, te vveten, als men het oordeel van andere af-meet nae het sijne, ende daer op dan aengaet. Daerom dientmen hier op verdacht te vvesen, ende te gedencken het spreeck-vvoordt: Soo veel menschen, soo veel sinnen, &c.
This proverb can serve especially for such people as have daily to deal in great assemblies and with many persons, so as to allow and give to each one what belongs to him according to circumstances; for, as an excellent man has well said, when some matter pleases or suits us, we must not at once think it strange if it does not please others; otherwise great blunders arise from this in deliberations, namely when one measures the judgement of others by one's own and then proceeds upon it. Therefore one should be mindful of this, and remember the proverb: So many people, so many minds, etc.
Op eenen anderen sin:
In another sense:
Als ick 'taenbeelt ben/ soo lijde ick als een aenbeelt; als ick de hamer ben/ voegh ick my tot slaen.
When I am the anvil, I suffer like an anvil; when I am the hammer, I set myself to striking.
Lors que tu es enclume soufre comme enclume, lors que tu es marteau frappe comme marteau.
When you are the anvil, suffer like an anvil; when you are the hammer, strike like a hammer.
Bona incudine non teme martello.
A good anvil does not fear the hammer.
Katzen kinder lernen wol mausen.
Cats' young learn mousing well.
Che de gallina nasce, convien che rupsa, ò che razzoli.
What is born of a hen must scratch and scrape.
Wo viel köch seind / da werdt der brei versaltzen.
Where there are many cooks, the porridge gets oversalted.
Le plus y à de chevaux en une estable, & plus y à de sian.
The more horses there are in a stable, the more dung there is.
Asno de muchos, lobos le comen.
An ass belonging to many is eaten by wolves.
Wo viel hirten sein / da wird übel gehütet.
Where there are many shepherds, the flock is badly guarded.
Dat aen veele belast is wort minst gedaen / Want d'eene latet op d'andere staen.
What is charged to many is least done, for the one leaves it to the other.
l'Asne de plusieurs le loup le mange.
The ass of several owners the wolf eats.
Gemeen goet gaet meest verloren.
Common property is mostly lost.
Gekoppelde schapen die verdrencken.
Sheep coupled together drown.
Segnius expediunt commissa negotia plures.
Several people carry out entrusted business more slowly.
Gemeene pot siet wel maer deylt qualick.
The common pot boils well but divides badly.
Communio parit lites.
Joint ownership breeds quarrels.
Veel kocks versouten den bry.
Many cooks oversalt the porridge.
Non plures medici, sed satis unus erit.
Not many physicians, but one will be enough.
l'Asne de tous Est mangé des loups.
The ass belonging to all is eaten by the wolves.
Gemeene schapen eten de wolven.
Common sheep the wolves eat.
Qui à compagnon il à maistre.
He who has a companion has a master.
Multi imperantes perdiderunt Cariam.
Many commanders ruined Caria.
Πολλοὶ στρατηγοὶ Καρίαν ἀπώλεσαν.
Many generals destroyed Caria.
Quod plures tangit, plures negligunt.
What concerns many, many neglect.
Gemeen goet/ geen goet.
Common property, no property.
Iconclass
86(DAERDER VEEL SMEDEN MOETMEN SLACH HOUDEN)proverbs, sayings, etc. (DAERDER VEEL SMEDEN MOETMEN SLACH HOUDEN)
Suggested Iconclass codesAI-generated
Additional codes proposed for this emblem, not (yet) part of the indexing.
47B111smith, blacksmithhighThe correlate 'smith, blacksmith' directly matches the three or four smiths working in the workshop.
47C731forging (industrial process)high'Forging (industrial process)' matches the smiths hammering a glowing iron bar on the anvil.
47D8(ANVIL)tools, aids, implements ~ crafts and industries: anvilhighThe large anvil around which the smiths work is explicitly the tool named in 'tools, aids, implements ~ crafts and industries: anvil'.
47D8(HAMMER)tools, aids, implements ~ crafts and industries: hammerhighHammers and a long-handled sledgehammer are wielded by the smiths, matching 'tools ~ crafts and industries: hammer'.
47A212fire, oven, furnace ~ interior of industrial structuremedium'Fire, oven, furnace ~ interior of industrial structure' fits the open forge hearth with smoke and flames under a chimney hood inside the workshop.
86proverbs, sayings, etc.highThe commentary is built entirely around proverbs and sayings ('So many people, so many minds', 'many cooks oversalt the porridge'), matching 'proverbs, sayings, etc.'
Relationships to the Adagia of ErasmusAI-generated
Suggested relationships between this emblem and adages in Erasmus’ Adagia.
- I vii 97 Tradunt operas mutuas – thematic inventiohigh
Erasmus explains the phrase as drawn from neighbouring farmers or from craftsmen who lend each other a hand, 'maximè fabri aerarii' (above all smiths); the emblem shows exactly that — five or six smiths working 'tot onderlingh behulp op eenen aenbeelt' (in mutual help at one anvil), each taking his turn with the hammer.
- II vii 7 Multitudo imperatorum Cariam perdidit – direct mottohigh
The emblem's polyglot proverb apparatus quotes this adage verbatim in both Latin ('Multi imperantes perdiderunt Cariam') and Greek ('Πολλοὶ στρατηγοὶ Καρίαν ἀπώλεσαν') as the learned equivalent of the Dutch motto 'Veel kocks versouten den bry'.
- I iii 7 Quot homines, tot setentiae – direct mottohigh
The Dutch commentary closes by telling the reader to remember 'het spreeck-woordt: Soo veel menschen, soo veel sinnen' — a literal translation of Erasmus's adage — and the whole argument (not measuring others' judgement by one's own) is Erasmus's point under 'Alia aliis placent'.
- III i 29 Incus maxima non metuit strepitus – direct mottomedium
Among the emblem's parallel-language proverbs stands the Italian 'Bona incudine non teme martello' ('a good anvil does not fear the hammer'), a vernacular form of Erasmus's adage that the heaviest anvil has no fear of the hammers' noise; the engraving supplies the anvil and hammering smiths.
- I i 33 Manus manum fricat – essay quotemedium
The subscriptio's rule of reciprocity, 'laet handen handen wassen' (let hands wash hands), renders the proverb 'manus manum lavat' which Erasmus cites (from Epicharmus and Seneca) within the essay on 'Manus manum fricat'.
- I i 16 Inter malleum et incudem – thematic inventiomedium
The emblem's appended proverb 'Als ick 'taenbeelt ben, soo lijde ick als een aenbeelt; als ick de hamer ben, voegh ick my tot slaen' turns Erasmus's hammer-and-anvil image to a moral of adapting oneself, and the picture literally depicts hammer and anvil.
- IV viii 84 Pariter remum ducere – thematic inventiomedium
Erasmus's image of rowers who must stroke to a fixed rhythm or achieve nothing is the exact counterpart of the emblem's smiths who 'nimmermeer als opte maete slaen' — collaborative work requires keeping time with one's fellows.
- I vii 100 Ferrum ferro acuitur – thematic inventiolow
The smithy setting and the lesson of mutual benefit between companions ('onderlingh behulp') echo Solomon's adage as Erasmus glosses it: iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens his friend's countenance.
- I ii 15 Suum cuique pulchrum – thematic inventiomedium
The commentary warns against supposing that what pleases us must please others, and the second subscriptio blames 'Vrou Eygen-sin' (Dame Self-Will) for spoiling common work — precisely Erasmus's theme of philautia, each finding his own things beautiful.
- III viii 63 Concordia fulciuntur opes etiam exiguare – thematic inventiolow
The moral that men joined in concord accomplish together what they cannot alone underlies the picture of several smiths forging one bar in rhythm and the closing line that no man should stand alone on his own opinion.
- I v 40 Unus vir, nullus vir – thematic inventiolow
The subscriptio contrasts the lone worker ('indien hy eenigh waer, en sonder met-gesellen') with the team, concluding 'Geen mensch en dient te staen alleen op eygen sin' — Erasmus's point that one man without help achieves nothing of note.
- IV iv 100 Nunc tuum ferrum in igni est – essay quotelow
The emblem's forge with the glowing bar in the fire matches Erasmus's literal image, and his essay carries the reciprocity tag 'manus manum lavat' which the subscriptio renders as 'laet handen handen wassen'.
Sources
Record ID: embstma_1288_emblem085
This emblem on the Iconclass site: https://iconclass.org/view/embstma_1288_emblem085
Copy: University Library, Glasgow, Stirling Maxwell 1288