Moral emblems, with aphorisms, adages, and proverbs, of all ages ...

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INQENUAS DIDICISSE FIDELITER ARTES,
Introduction,
To every subject of his Word-Pictures, he appends, in support of the moral he
inculcates, the most pertinent quotations from the Ancient writers, and a most inte-
resting collect of Popular adages, bearing upon the sense of each theme.
From so rich a mine of Emblematic lore, the present volume forms, of course,
but a selection from each of the above-named series, the subjects of which could not
therefore be placed in the same order as in the originals, without the appearance of
meagreness ; while the embodiment of the subjects selected in the present form will,
it is hoped, be found more pleasing as a whole, and best calculated to give an idea
of the diversity of subject treated by the Author.
Sir Joshua Reynolds, when a youth, was much influenced by
the Artistic
excellence of Adrian Van de Venne's Designs for the illustration of the Dutch
Folio Edition of Cats' Works, of which he made careful copies ; and Sir Wm.
Beechy, in his Life of Reynolds, states that "Sir Joshua's richest store was Jacob
Cats' Book of Emblems, which his grandmother, a native of Holland, had brought
with her from that country."
Reproduced with the best appliances of Modern Art, in the Pictorial Illustration
of the word-pictures of the Author, the original designs of Adrian Van de Venne, in
a few instances only, have been deviated from,
in so far as was deemed most con-
sistent with the more elevated taste of the present day in pictorial embellishment.
The Proverbs of the different nations, that wisdom which of all others sprang
from the bosom of the Peoples in every land, and was handed down from generation
to generation, rather orally than by books, form so pleasing and instructive a feature
in the Emblems of Cats, that they have been for the most part preserved in their literal
garb of Cats' day, an adhesion to the original which it is believed will have a greater
charm and interest for the student of Languages, curious to see the shape in which
the traditionally acquired wisdom of long past days was expressed until it reached us
in the more polished garb of modern times.
Wherever admissible, passages from English and other Authors, having an affinity
in sense, and moral, to the Emblem or theme, have been introduced, by way of
elaborating, or of giving more weight to the doctrine inculcated by the Author. The
appendage to this selection from Cats' Moral Emblems of a reprint of the now
exceedingly rare and curious Poems and Emblems of his contemporary Emblematist,
the pious Scot, ROBERT FARLIE, published in London under the title of " Lychnocausia,"
in 1638, will, it is hoped, be considered a not unpleasing associate for the Dutch
moralist, and their juxtaposition in the same volume give
to the whole.
an additional interest
THE TRANSLATOR.
EMOL.LIT MORES, NEC SINIT ESSE FEROS.
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