Jacob Cats, Spiegel (The Hague, 1632)
Emblem 110
Met een benepen kat is quaet te vechtenDutch
It is bad fighting with a cornered cat.AI-generated
Description of the imageAI-generated
Inside an oval frame with ribbon decorations and a blank banderole below, a domestic interior is shown. A long-haired man in slashed doublet and breeches lunges backwards, raising a drawn rapier in his right hand while a cat leaps from a table at his face and chest, claws extended, mouth open. The tablecloth is dragged down and a pewter jug, a glass and a drinking vessel tumble off the table at the left. On the floor lie an overturned pot, a broken glass, a dish, a knife and other scattered household objects; the man's plumed hat with a feather has fallen to the right. In the background are a door, a framed painting on the wall, a shelf-cupboard with porcelain dishes and bowls, a side table with a tall covered cup and a jug, and a chair. The engraving is signed at lower left 'Avenne in.' and at lower right 'D. Bremden sculp.'
Subscriptio
TranscriptionAI-generated
Mijn wijf heeft menighmael van dese kat geklaegt Vermits sy evenstaeg haer wonder qualick draegt; Sy is te lijdigh slim om alle dingh te snoepen, Sy neemt al datse wil, en laet de meysens roepen, Sy raeckt ontrent den heert, al is de keucken toe, Sy krijgt 'tvleys uytten pot, en niemant weter hoe; En nae te zijn voldaen in al haer grage lusten, Soo sluyptse soetjens wegh, en gaet dan liggen rusten, Niet in den turrif-hoeck, maer op het beste bedt, Dat leyt dan even soo gelijck een vuyle slet. Om dit en ander quaet, soo is het woort gesproken, Dat haer oock heden selfs de kop moet zijn gebroken; Maer als ick nu het beest in dit vertreck besluyt, Soo puylen meer als oyt haer quade parten uyt: Sy brult gelijck een leeuw, in plaetse van te maeuwen, Sy vier-ooght als een wolf, en toont haer felle klaeuwen, Sy schuym-beckt als een stier, en laet haer tanden sien, Getroost, gelijck het blijckt, my d'oorlogh aen te bien; Soo haest ick haer genaeck sy schijnt te sullen rasen, Sy geeft haer in de lucht tot boven aen de glasen, Nu wijcktse voor een tijdt, dan koomtse weder aen, Noch glas, noch porceleyn en kander blijven staen; Indiense met gewelt in engte wort gedrongen, Soo koomtse wonder fel my in het licht gesprongen, En of ick aen het beest den blooten degen toon, Sy vliegter tegen aen, en achtet niet een boon. Sy bleeff my recht te voort, sy bleeff my aen de wangen, Sy bleeff my in den baert met hare klaeuwen hangen, Dies ben ick vuyl, begaet, bekrabbelt over al, En stae vast in beraet hoe ick het maken sal: Mijns oordeels isset best de kat te laten loopen, Want sy wil al te dier haer snoode vacht verkopen; Wel kome wieder wil, voor my ick scheyer uyt, » De noodt, ô lieve vriendt, de noodt is bitter kruyt.
TranslationAI-generated
My wife has often complained about this cat, because she constantly behaves wonderfully badly; she is far too sly, nibbling at everything, she takes whatever she wants and lets the maids call out; she gets near the hearth even when the kitchen is shut, she gets the meat out of the pot, and nobody knows how; and after being satisfied in all her greedy appetites she slips softly away and goes to lie down and rest, not in the peat-corner, but on the best bed, where she lies just like a filthy slattern. For this and other mischief the word has been spoken that today her very head must be broken; but when I now shut the beast up in this room, her wicked tricks bulge out more than ever: she roars like a lion instead of mewing, her eyes flash like a wolf's, and she shows her fierce claws; she foams at the mouth like a bull and shows her teeth, ready, as it appears, to offer me war. As soon as I approach her she seems about to rage, she throws herself into the air up to the windows; now she gives way for a while, then she comes back again; neither glass nor porcelain can remain standing. If she is forcibly driven into a narrow place, she comes springing at me amazingly fiercely; and even if I show the beast the bare sword, she flies against it and does not value it a bean. She stayed on me straight away, she stayed on my cheeks, she stayed hanging in my beard with her claws; so I am dirty, soiled, scratched all over, and stand firmly deliberating how I shall manage it. In my judgement it is best to let the cat run, for she wants to sell her wretched hide far too dearly. Let him come who will, as for me, I give up: Need, O dear friend, need is a bitter herb.
CommentaryAI-generated
5 passages · original left, translation right (click to fold)
Lat. Acerrima virtus est quam ultima necessitas excutit. Spaens. Al enemigo la puente de plata. Gravissimi morsus sunt irritatæ necessitatis. Franç. A l'ennemy un pont d'argent. Lat. Cum desperato hoste non pugnandum. Nederl. De beten van stervende gedierten zijn doodelick. Vna salus victis nullam sperare salutem. Lat. Hosti pontem aureum faciendum. Ital. Il besogno fa far di grand cose. Franç. Besoign faict vieille trotter. Senec. Nullus perniciosior hostis quàm quê audacem angustiæ faciunt. Idem. Longè violentius ex necessitate, quàm ex virtute pugnatur. Lipsf. Ostendunt esse sibi adhuc vires, si deliberant, ambiguas, si desperaverint, acres. Curt. 5. Ignaviam quoque necessitas acuit, & sæpe desperatio spei causa est. Tacit. 3. Hist. Multi desperatione in audaciam accinguntur. Curtius. Efficacior omni arte imminens necessitas. Flor. 11. c. 15. Quàm maximè mortiferi morsus esse solent morientium bestiarum. Sil. 1. Et fractis rebus violentior ultima virtus. Curt. Fortuna belli artem victos quoque docet. 1. Reg. 20. 11. Die het harnas aentreckt en sal hem niet beroemen/ ghelijck een die het harnas af-leyt. Ligurinus. Vrgent quippe metus faciuntque pericula fortes.
Latin: The fiercest courage is that which the last necessity shakes out. Spanish: To the enemy a bridge of silver. The bites of provoked necessity are the most grievous. French: To the enemy a bridge of silver. Latin: One must not fight with a desperate enemy. Dutch: The bites of dying animals are deadly. The one safety for the conquered is to hope for no safety. Latin: A golden bridge must be made for the enemy. Italian: Need makes one do great things. French: Need makes the old woman trot. Seneca: No enemy is more destructive than those whom straits make bold. The same: Fighting is far more violent out of necessity than out of valour. Lipsius: They show that they still have strength—doubtful if they deliberate, fierce if they have despaired. Curtius 5: Necessity sharpens even cowardice, and often despair is the cause of hope. Tacitus, Histories 3: Many gird themselves to boldness through despair. Curtius: Threatening necessity is more effective than any skill. Florus 11.15: The bites of dying beasts are wont to be the most deadly. Silius 1: And when affairs are broken, the last valour is the more violent. Curtius: The fortune of war teaches the art even to the conquered. 1 Kings 20:11: He that putteth on the harness shall not boast himself as he that putteth it off. Ligurinus: For fears press men on, and dangers make them brave.
Het beelt diende te vvesen een oudt vvijf die voor loopt, verschrickt van een beyr, of ander vvilt dier, dat (van sijn banden los zijnde gevvorden) haer nae loopt.
The picture ought to be an old woman running in front, frightened by a bear or other wild beast which (having got loose from its bonds) runs after her.
Hoogd. Wann ein das wasser ins maul geht so wirdt er wohl lernen schwimmē. Hoogd. Die noth machet auch ein alt weib traben. Spaens. No ay mejor maestra que necessida y pobreza. .i. Griecx. Ἀνάγκῃ οὐδὲ θεοὶ μάχονται .i. Lat. Necessitati ne quidem Dij resistunt. Franç. Il n'y a meilleure maistresse que la necessité & pauvreté. Ital. Il besogno fa fare di grand cose. Lat. Paupertas excitat artes. Durum telum necessitas. Hoogd. Wer armut nicht/ so wer kein kunst. Hoogd. Muß ist ein bitter kraut. Nederl. Naeu onder-soecken komt van arme luyden. Plaut. Hominem experiri multa paupertas jubet. Curt. Efficacior omni arte imminens necessitas. Aristoph. Πενία γὰρ ἐστιν ἡ τρόπων διδάσκαλος.
High German: When the water comes up to a man's mouth, he will indeed learn to swim. High German: Need makes even an old woman trot. Spanish: There is no better mistress than necessity and poverty, that is: Greek: Not even the gods fight against necessity, that is: Latin: Not even the gods resist necessity. French: There is no better mistress than necessity and poverty. Italian: Need makes one do great things. Latin: Poverty stirs up the arts. Necessity is a hard weapon. High German: Were there no poverty, there would be no art. High German: 'Must' is a bitter herb. Dutch: Close searching comes from poor people. Plautus: Poverty bids a man try many things. Curtius: Imminent necessity is more effective than any skill. Aristophanes: For poverty is the teacher of ways/manners.
Ἀνάγκῃ οὐδὲ θεοὶ μάχονται.
Not even the gods fight against necessity.
Ἀριστοφ. Πενία γὰρ ἐστιν ἡ τρόπων διδάσκαλος.
Aristophanes: For poverty is the teacher of character.
Iconclass
86(MET EEN BENEPEN KAT IS QUAET TE VECHTEN)proverbs, sayings, etc. (MET EEN BENEPEN KAT IS QUAET TE VECHTEN)
Suggested Iconclass codesAI-generated
Additional codes proposed for this emblem, not (yet) part of the indexing.
51C2Necessity, Inevitability; 'Necessità' (Ripa)highThe correlate 'Necessity, Inevitability' is the central concept of the emblem, whose mottoes repeatedly state that necessity makes even the weak fierce and that not even the gods fight against necessity.
86proverbs, sayings, etc.highThe scene illustrates a cluster of proverbial sayings ('to the enemy a bridge of silver', 'need makes the old woman trot'), matching 'proverbs, sayings, etc.'
54A8Courage, Bravery, Valiance, Manliness; 'Ardire magnanimo et generoso', 'Gagliardezza', 'Valore', 'Virtù heroica', 'Virtù dell'animo e del corpo' (Ripa)mediumThe correlate 'Courage, Bravery, Valiance' matches the motto 'the fiercest courage is that which the last necessity shakes out' and the cornered cat's desperate attack.
56DD11Despair; 'Disperatione' (Ripa)medium'Despair' fits the commentary's insistence that despair makes men bold and that the only safety for the conquered is to hope for no safety, though no personification is depicted.
55BB1Poverty; 'Povertà', 'Povertà del doni', 'Povertà in uno ch'habbia bell'ingegno' (Ripa)low'Poverty' is thematized in the second half of the commentary ('poverty stirs up the arts', 'no better mistress than necessity and poverty'), though it is not visible in the picture.
Relationships to the Adagia of ErasmusAI-generated
Suggested relationships between this emblem and adages in Erasmus’ Adagia.
- II iii 41 Adversum necessitatem ne dii quidem resistunt – essay quotehigh
The emblem's proverb-apparatus cites verbatim both Erasmus's Greek headword ('Ἀνάγκῃ οὐδὲ θεοὶ μάχονται') and his Latin rendering ('Necessitati ne quidem Dij resistunt'), which is the opening formula of adage II iii 41.
- IV vii 55 Necessitas magistra – essay quotehigh
The emblem's theme ('Noodt is een harde school', 'Need makes the old wife trot', 'Paupertas excitat artes', Aristophanes' Penia as teacher) matches this adage exactly, and the commentary quotes the very Curtius tag with which Erasmus closes the essay ('Necessitas ignaviam acuit' / 'Efficacior omni arte imminens necessitas').
- II iii 40 Ingens telum necessitas – essay quotemedium
Among the Latin proverbs appended to the emblem stands 'Durum telum necessitas', a close variant of Erasmus's headword and of the Livy passage ('necessitate quae ultimum ac maximum telum est') that he quotes in the essay.
- IV ix 26 Necessitas molesta – thematic inventiomedium
The emblem's refrain 'De noodt is bitter kruyt' / 'Muß ist ein bitter kraut' states precisely the point of this adage, that everything done under compulsion is by nature disagreeable (πᾶν γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον πρᾶγμα ἀνιαρὸν ἔφυ).
- III v 67 Fumantem nasum ursi ne tentaveris – thematic inventiomedium
Erasmus's lesson that 'those who can harm us are not to be tempted' — illustrated by an otherwise tame beast that turns savage when provoked — is exactly the moral of the man driven back by the cornered, clawing cat.
- I i 60 Irritare crabrones – thematic inventiolow
Erasmus's warning against stirring up hornets, i.e. provoking creatures that will sting back disastrously, underlies the emblem's 'Met een benepen kat is quaet te vechten' and the Latin tags about not fighting a desperate enemy.
- I i 61 Leonem stimulas – thematic inventiolow
The adage concerns those who goad a fierce and powerful creature to their own destruction; the emblem's scene of the man who corners and attacks the cat, only to be clawed and routed, illustrates the same commonplace.
Sources
Record ID: embstma_1288_emblem110
This emblem on the Iconclass site: https://iconclass.org/view/embstma_1288_emblem110
Copy: University Library, Glasgow, Stirling Maxwell 1288