14 Facts About Jacob Cats

Jacob Cats was a Dutch poet, humorist, jurist and politician.

Jacob Cats then studied law in Rotterdam and Paris, and, returning to Holland, he settled in The Hague, where he began to practice as a lawyer.

Jacob Cats's pleading in defense of a person accused of witchcraft brought him many clients and some reputation.

Jacob Cats had a serious engagement about this time, which was broken off on the very eve of marriage by his catching a tertian fever which defied all attempts at cure for some two years.

For medical advice and change of air Cats went to England, where he consulted the highest authorities in vain.

Jacob Cats returned to Zeeland to die, but was cured mysteriously with the powder of a travelling doctor.

Jacob Cats was made pensionary of Middelburg; and two years afterwards of Dordrecht.

In 1627 Jacob Cats came to England on a mission to Charles I, who made him a knight.

Jacob Cats held this office for 15 years, but without putting his stamp on it.

Jacob Cats retired to the seclusion of his palatial villa "Sorghvliet", which was surrounded by a vast and sumptuous formal garden; the garden became internationally famous and featured in 17th-century collections of engravings of famous European gardens.

Jacob Cats became famous in his own lifetime from his moralistic Emblem books, most notably Sinne en Minnebeelden, for which Adrian van der Venne cut the plates.

Jacob Cats is still spoken of as "Father Cats" by his countrymen.

Jacob Cats was contemporary with Hooft and Vondel and other distinguished Dutch writers in the golden age of Dutch literature, but his Orangist and Calvinistic opinions separated him from the liberal school of Amsterdam poets.

Jacob Cats was intimate with Constantijn Huygens, whose political opinions were more nearly in agreement with his own.