Jacob Cats, Spiegel (The Hague, 1632)
Emblem 102
Krepel wil altijt voor dansenDutch
The cripple always wants to dance in front.AI-generated
Description of the imageAI-generated
A round medallion set within a square frame with cross-hatched corners shows a village street or square. In the centre background rises a tall maypole crowned with a leafy tree-top and a hoop or garland hung beneath it. A crowd of peasants, men and women, dances in a ring, holding hands, their skirts and coats swinging; several have their mouths open as if singing or shouting. At the right of the ring a man in a broad feathered hat strides forward with one leg stiff and bent, leading the dance. Behind the dancers a musician in a cap plays a wind instrument (shawm/bagpipe) and another raises a tall staff or pole. At the far right two or three figures scuffle or run off, one crouching on the ground. The background shows gabled village houses, a timbered barn, a bare tree, and at the left a church with a tower and spire; birds fly in the clouded sky. Under the ring of dancers at the bottom edge is the engraver's signature line.
Subscriptio
TranscriptionAI-generated
Lestmael quam ick in een velt Daer een yder was gestelt Tot een uyt-gelate vreught, Nae de wijse van de jeught, Ionge lieden van het landt Songen, sprongen, handt aen handt; Yder maeckte groot geschal, Yder wasser even mal, Doch van alle wasser een Met een krom, een krepel been, Met een plompen stompen voet, Die had veren opten hoet, Die was voren aen den dans, Die was by den rosen-krans, Die was om en aen de mey, Die was leyder van den rey; Watmen peep, of watmen songh, Krepel had den eersten sprongh; Al is Fop een rap gesel, Al doet Heyn sijn dingen wel, Al leydt Iorden moye Trijn, Krepel wil de voorste zijn: Maer al was dit in het velt, 'Tis oock elders soo gestelt, Want oock by de steedtsche lien Wort dit menichmael gesien, Veel-tijts, watter wort gedaen, Krepel maeckt hem vooren aen; Krepel is een dapper man, Schoon hy niet, als hincken, kan. Isset niet een selsaem dingh Dat een losse jongelingh, Dat een onbedreven gast, Die het immers niet en past, Veel-tijts eerst sijn oordeel uyt, Schoon het dickmael niet en sluyt! Eerst van alle dingh gewaeght, Al en is hy niet gevraeght! Eerst sal brengen aenden dagh, Wat hem op de tonge lagh! Vraegter ymant hoe dit koomt? Wijse lieden zijn beschroomt Datter yet mocht sijn geseyt Dat niet recht en is beleyt, Daerom gaense traegh te werck, En al met een diep gemerck; Maer een geck vol losse waen Haest sich, en wil vooren gaen: Daerom seytmen noch althans » Krepel wil eerst aen den dans.
TranslationAI-generated
Lately I came into a field where everyone was set upon an unrestrained merriment, after the manner of youth. Young folk of the countryside sang and leapt, hand in hand; everyone made a great noise, everyone was equally foolish, But among them all there was one with a crooked, a crippled leg, with a clumsy, stumpy foot; he had feathers on his hat, he was at the front of the dance, he was next to the rose-garland, he was round about the maypole, he was the leader of the round-dance; whatever was piped or whatever was sung, the cripple had the first leap; though Fop is a nimble fellow, though Heyn does his business well, though Jorden leads pretty Trijn, the cripple wants to be the foremost: But although this was in the field, it is so elsewhere too, for among townspeople as well this is often seen: most often, whatever is being done, the cripple pushes himself to the front; the cripple is a bold man, although he can do nothing but limp. Is it not a strange thing that a flighty young man, that an inexperienced fellow, whom it least of all befits, most often is first to deliver his judgement, although it often does not hold up! Is first to speak about everything, although he is not asked! Is first to bring to light whatever lay on his tongue! If anyone asks how this comes about? Wise people are afraid that something might be said that is not rightly framed, therefore they go slowly to work, and always with deep consideration; but a fool full of empty conceit hurries himself and wants to go in front: therefore people still say even now, "The cripple wants to be first at the dance."
CommentaryAI-generated
14 passages · original left, translation right (click to fold)
Franç. C'est la plus meschante roüe du chariot qui mene le plus grand bruit.
French. It is the worst wheel of the cart that makes the most noise.
Lat. Fatalis imperitiæ pedissequa est impudentia & inanis jactatio.
Latin. Impudence and empty boasting are the fatal handmaid of ignorance.
At initium sapientiæ imperitiæ suæ agnitio.
But the beginning of wisdom is the recognition of one's own ignorance.
Nederl. Godt bewaere my van yemandt die maer een boecxken gelesen heeft.
Dutch. God preserve me from someone who has read only one little book.
Lat. Spes est melior de stulto quam de sapiente in oculis suis. Arab. adag.
Latin. There is more hope of a fool than of one wise in his own eyes. Arabic adage.
Nederl. Hoe slimmer timmer man/ hoe meerder spaenders.
Dutch. The worse the carpenter, the more the wood-chips.
Het ydel vat bomt meest. Nederl.
The empty barrel booms the most. Dutch.
Een penning inden spaer pot maeckt meer geraes dan als sy vol is.
One penny in the money-box makes more rattle than when it is full.
Qui plus balbutiunt plus loquuntur. Lat.
Those who stammer the most talk the most. Latin.
L'abbatu veut tousiours luicter. Franç.
The one who has been thrown down always wants to wrestle. French.
Op een anderen sin:
In another sense:
Quando la cornemusa è piena commincia à sonore. Ital.
When the bagpipe is full it begins to sound. Italian.
De lulle-pijp gheeft eerst gheluyt alsse vol is. Nederl.
The bagpipe only gives sound when it is full. Dutch.
Bensire. Stultum quam semi-stultum ferre facilius est.
Ben Sira. It is easier to bear a fool than a half-fool.
Iconclass
86(KREPEL WIL ALTIJT VOOR DANSEN)proverbs, sayings, etc. (KREPEL WIL ALTIJT VOOR DANSEN)
Suggested Iconclass codesAI-generated
Additional codes proposed for this emblem, not (yet) part of the indexing.
43A1311dancing around the maypolehighThe correlate 'dancing around the maypole' exactly matches the ring of peasants dancing hand in hand around the tall leafy maypole.
43A13111maypolehighA maypole crowned with a tree-top and hung with a garland stands prominently in the centre of the scene.
48C7354bagpipe, musettehighA musician plays a bagpipe/shawm, and the commentary explicitly moralizes on the bagpipe sounding only when full.
48CC7354bagpipe, musette - CC - out of doorsmediumThe bagpipe playing takes place out of doors, in the village street beside the dancers, matching the 'out of doors' qualification.
25I244village square, placemediumThe setting is a village street or square with gabled houses, barn and church, corresponding to 'village square, place'.
52AA5Ignorance; 'Ignoranza', 'Ignoranza di tutte le cose', 'Ignoranza in un ricco senza lettere' (Ripa)mediumThe commentary's central theme is ignorance ('impudence and empty boasting are the handmaid of ignorance'), personified in the Iconclass concept of Ignorance.
52AA51Folly, Foolishness; 'Pazzia', 'Sciocchezza', 'Stoltitia' (Ripa)mediumThe adages on fools and half-fools ('more hope of a fool', 'easier to bear a fool than a half-fool') invoke Folly/Foolishness.
57AA645Boast; 'Iattanza' (Ripa)medium'Boast' fits the commentary's 'empty boasting' and the noisy, self-advertising dance leader who exemplifies empty bragging.
31B9wise men versus foolslow'Wise men versus fools' loosely matches the commentary's contrast between the self-styled wise and the fool ('more hope of a fool than of one wise in his own eyes').
Relationships to the Adagia of ErasmusAI-generated
Suggested relationships between this emblem and adages in Erasmus’ Adagia.
- I vi 16 Ne sutor ultra crepidam – thematic inventiomedium
The emblem's moral — that the inexperienced fellow 'whom it least of all befits' is first to deliver his judgement on everything unasked — is exactly Erasmus's point that no one should presume to judge matters outside his own competence; the Latin gloss 'fatalis imperitiae pedissequa est impudentia' restates the cobbler's presumption.
- I ix 54 Illotis pedibus ingredi – thematic inventiomedium
Erasmus glosses this adage as attacking an important task 'confidently but without experience' (confidenter atque imperite), precisely the emblem's cripple who, though he can only limp, thrusts himself to the head of the dance, and the 'onbedreven gast' who pronounces first; the foot-imagery reinforces the match.
- II vi 71 Homo bombylius – thematic inventiomedium
Erasmus defines the bombylius as one 'always talking and making a great deal of noise, but for any other purpose useless' — the same idea as the emblem's accompanying proverbs, 'the empty barrel booms the most', 'one penny in the money-box rattles most', and 'the worst wheel of the cart makes the most noise'.
- III v 67 Fumantem nasum ursi ne tentaveris – thematic inventiomedium
The second motto, 'Steeckt u vinger in geen dwasens mont' (do not lend a fool your finger lest he bite), matches Erasmus's warning not to provoke those who can hurt you, including Martial's bear that 'licks fingers and hands' until anger turns it into a biting beast.
- III i 63 Dea impudentia – thematic inventiolow
The Latin commentary makes impudentia the handmaid of ignorance and notes that the brazen fool pushes forward while the wise hesitate — Erasmus likewise observes that shamelessness profits men and that the most foolish ventures find admirers.
- I vi 89 Tuo te pede metire – thematic inventiolow
Erasmus's lesson that no man should inflate himself beyond his own condition but gauge himself by his real gifts answers the emblem's cripple who, with his 'plompen stompen voet', takes the foremost place; the literal foot-measure gives the image added point.
- I ii 74 Fastuosis Maximus – thematic inventiolow
Said of one 'who proudly thought himself wiser than he was', matching the emblem's 'geck vol losse waen' and the Arabic adage quoted in the commentary, 'there is more hope of a fool than of one wise in his own eyes'.
Sources
Record ID: embstma_1288_emblem102
This emblem on the Iconclass site: https://iconclass.org/view/embstma_1288_emblem102
Copy: University Library, Glasgow, Stirling Maxwell 1288