ORIGINAL

HOOFT AAN HUYGENS.

1628, 30 Juni.

Tegens den ondank, dien ons gering onthaelen, by U Ed. met reden moet behaelt hebben, stel ick, om my wat te vrede te stellen, den dank, dien ’t U Ed. vrienden aldaer te kleener konste zal zijn te begaen, omdat hun banket zal geblanket wezen door den nasmaek van ons daeghelijks broodt. Zagh ick my maer zoo wel te troosten, belangende de ooren Uwer Ed., die ick weet dat zich wijder als de mondt in lekkerny verloopen!

Mijn zorghen is, dat ze met het erkaeuwen mijner kost, zonder kaeuw tot in den Haeghe toe zullen gequelt blijven; 't en zij zij niet te kiesch zijn om myne gasten te wezen op het Deensch gerecht, op zijn Hollandsch gekookt, dat U Ed. in dezen geschotelt vindt. Mondt het hun, 't zal goed zijn om de maegerheit van mijn toorentafelken te boeten: zoo niet, ten minsten de lafheit onzer oorspijze afspoelen. Maer als zy haere bekoomste daervan hebben, beding ick 't overschot te rugge van U Ed. ende van 't geluk, zoo ick kan, dat de selve, Mijn Heere, met haere welwaerde gemalinne altijds in eere ende voorspoedt bewaert, ia haere jonste bewaere*).

HUYGENS AAN HOOFT?).

1628, 15 Juli.

... Dese penn sal der voor boeten ende U E. rekenschap geven van de Deensche gedichten, zoo die noch niet thuis gekeert zijn. De He. Baeck hebb ick se in handen gelaten, vertrouwende aen 't mededeelen van sulcke geheimenissen van vrund tot vrund niet te kunnen misdoen. Van dier gedichten waerd oft onwaerde hebb ick niet te zeggen: Vondelens geschriften rekene ick onder de dinghen, daervan niet wel te oordeelen is. Sy duncken my oneenparigh ende haer selven hier en daer beschamende. Soo valt er in 't gros weinigh van hem te verklaren.

HOOFT AAN BAECK

1629, 18 Juni.

De Heer Generael (= Reael) ende Van den Vondele zouden moghen bezeft hebben op wat moer het daermede schijnt te leggen. Want zij waeren daer tegenwoordigh met my.

BARLAEUS AAN HOOFT

(Vertaald door Vondel.)

1630, 12 Maart, Leiden.

Petro C. Hooft. Versus tuos, Vir clarissime, quibus magno exercitus nostri Imperatoris geminam victoriam gratulares, perlegi aliquoties. Nec enim una lectione exhaurire potui, reconditos omnes sensus, aut acumine ejus assequi. Odisti profanum vulgus, et ab his sacris arceri vis corvos poétas et poétrias picas. Omnia in te sublimia esse video, mentem, stylum, arcem, in qua imperas, adde et nomen ipsum. Ex illa uti infra te posita desuper vides, ita et humi repentes versificatores despicis. Per nubes graderis, sideribus proximus. Inter Latinos tonant Statius et Claudianus, inter Graecos Pindarus, inter Gallos recentioris aevi Bartasius. Tu per Belgicorum vatum capita verticesque incedis, et humiles myricas despicis aéria cupressus. Aliquot retro annis paradigmatis vice inservivisti Belgii vatibus, qui quoties à Baviis et Maeviis secerni volunt, tuum cothurnum induere student, et grandiloquum illum sermonem affectare. Sed video hisce imitatoribus accidere quod ranae Aesopicae, quae cum turgidum bovem inflando imitari conaretur, rupturam fecit. Liceat de te canere, quod de Thebano vate cecinit Flaccus:

Hooftium quisquis studet aemulari Belga, etc.

Vis, ut hallucinationes tuas et lapsus indicem. Sed non sum is, qui sandalium Veneris deprehendere audeam. Nec sum in amicorum scriptis adeo Lynceus, ut aut observare possim, si quid occurrat minus planum, aut etiam reprehenda obelisco configere velim, si vel possim, quam maxime. Multa in isto tuo carmine scripta acute, graviter, apposite. Si forte paranomasia aliqua frontem corruget, judicii mei culpam interpretari malo, quam scriptoris. Vale vir clarissime, et me saepius heroicis tuis ac lucernam redolentibus lucubrationibus bea. Lugd. Bat. 12 Mart. 1630.

VAN BAERLE AAN HOOFT.

(Vertaling door Vondel.)

1630, 14 Maart.

Doorluchtige man,

ick hebbe altemet overlesen de vaersen, waermede ghy onsen grooten veldheer begroet, over synen geluckigen toght. Want met eenmael die te overlesen kon ick mynen lust niet vernoegen, nochte uwe spitsvondigheden en diepe geheymenissen begrypen. Ghy versmaet de praetjes van slopjes en steeghjes volck, en weert van dese heylighdommen de dichters, die met den raven kras kras kryten, en de poetinnen, die als aexsters snateren. Ick sie dat alles in u hooghdraevend is, sin, styl, en de tittel self. Ick voegh er oock het slot by daerghe Drost van syt. Hier van daen sietghe alles over ’t hooft wat beneden u leyt, versmadende alsoo de rymers die langs d’aerde kruypen. Ghy nabuurt met den gestarnten en stapt door de wolcken. Onder de latynen brommen Statius en Claudiaen, onder de Griecken Pindarus, Bartas onder de Vrancken onser eeuwe. Ghy treed over hoofden en kruynen der Nederlandsche poéten, en munt onder de lage heggen wt als een hooghgewassen cypres. Zedert eenige jaeren herwaert hebtghe den Nederlandschen dichtren tot een voorbeelt gestreckt: die soo menighmael sy niet willen onder rondeelers en rete reymers gerekent syn, poogen met uwe laersen op het tooneel te komen, en uwe brommende tael na te bootsen: maer ick sie dat dese copieerders vaeren als de kickvorsch daer het sproockje van seyt, wiens darmen borsten, doen hy wt opgeblasenheyd bestond den geswollen os na te bulcken. Het sy ons geoorlooft van u te singen ’t geen Horatius van den Thebaenschen poeet song:

Wie Hooft der dichtren stael wil volgen, slaght Dedael, en poogt met wassen vieugel te sweven als een veugel, hy stort in ’t glasen meer, elck roept: hier quam hy neer.

Ghy begeert dat ick uwe feylen en struyckelingen aenwyse; maer ick, heer Hooft, ben de man niet die Venus toffel dar betatelen, nocht soo scharpsiende Lynceus in der vrienden schriften, dat ick, ’t geen berispelyk is, gewoon ben te stippen, en niet liever tot myn onderwys bewaere ’t geen heerlijck gesproken is. Ick vinde in uwe dichten veele dingen die treffelyck scharpsinnich Vaer wel voortreffelycke man, en volhard om, by gelegentheyd, my geluckigh te maecken met uwe na de lampruyckende heldenvonden. Alsoo leef lange met uwe vrouwe en kinderen, indien ’er uwe Helionoor eenighe ter weereld hebbe gebragt. Te Leyden den 14 van Maerte 1630.

Uwe voortreffelyckheyds dienstwillige K. van Baerle*).

Het opschrift was: Aen myn heer myn heer P. C. Hooft, Drost van Muyden Tot Amsterdam.

TRANSLATION

HOOFT TO HUYGENS

June 30, 1628

Against the ingratitude that our modest reception must have caused you, I offer, to console myself a bit, the gratitude that your friends there will find easier to express, because their banquet will be flavored by the aftertaste of our daily bread. If only I could comfort myself as well regarding your ears, which I know are more indulgent than the mouth in matters of delicacy!

My concern is that they will be tormented all the way to The Hague by chewing over my food without proper chewing; unless they are not too picky to be my guests for the Danish dish, cooked in the Dutch way, that you find served here. If they enjoy it, it will be good to make up for the meagerness of my little tower table; if not, at least to wash away the blandness of our fare. But once they have had their fill, I request the leftovers back from you and, if possible, that you, my lord, always keep them and your esteemed wife in honor and prosperity, yes, keep their favor.

HUYGENS TO HOOFT

July 15, 1628

... This pen will make up for it and give you an account of the Danish poems, if they have not yet returned home. I left them in the hands of Mr. Baeck, trusting that sharing such secrets from friend to friend could not go wrong. I have nothing to say about the worth or unworthiness of those poems: I consider Vondel's writings among the things that are hard to judge. They seem inconsistent to me and sometimes self-contradictory. So, there is little to explain about him in general.

HOOFT TO BAECK

June 18, 1629

The General (Reael) and Van den Vondel might have grasped what it seems to be about. For they were present with me at the time.

BARLAEUS TO HOOFT

(Translated by Vondel.)

March 12, 1630, Leiden

Peter C. Hooft. I have read your verses, most illustrious man, in which you congratulate our great general on his double victory, several times. For I could not exhaust all the hidden meanings or grasp their sharpness in one reading. You despise the common crowd and want to keep away the crows of poets and the chattering magpies of poetesses from these sacred things. I see that everything about you is lofty: your mind, your style, the fortress in which you rule, and even your name. Just as you look down from above at everything below you, you also despise the versifiers who crawl along the ground. You walk among the stars, close to the heavens. Among the Latins, Statius and Claudian thunder, among the Greeks, Pindar, and among the French of our age, Bartas. You walk over the heads and crowns of Dutch poets and stand out among the low hedges like a tall cypress. For some years now, you have served as a model for Dutch poets, who, whenever they want to be distinguished from the Bavians and Maevians, strive to wear your boots and imitate your grandiloquent language. But I see that these imitators fare like Aesop's frog, whose guts burst when it tried to puff itself up to the size of the swollen ox. Let it be allowed to sing of you what Horace sang of the Theban poet:

Whoever tries to emulate Hooft, the Dutch poet, etc.

You want me to point out your mistakes and slips. But I am not the man to dare to find fault with Venus's slipper. Nor am I so sharp-sighted in the writings of friends that I am accustomed to point out what is blameworthy, and I prefer to keep for my instruction what is excellently spoken. I find many things in your poems that are sharply insightful. Farewell, most excellent man, and continue to make me happy with your heroic and lamp-scented works. Leiden, March 12, 1630.

VAN BAERLE TO HOOFT

(Translated by Vondel.)

March 14, 1630

Illustrious man,

I have read over the verses with which you greet our great general on his successful campaign. For I could not satisfy my desire by reading them just once, nor understand your sharp insights and deep secrets. You disdain the chatter of alley and street people and keep away from these sacred things the poets who croak like ravens and the poetesses who chatter like magpies. I see that everything about you is lofty: your mind, your style, and even the title itself. I also add the fortress where you rule. From there, you see everything below you, despising the rhymers who crawl along the ground. You are close to the stars and walk through the clouds. Among the Latins, Statius and Claudian hum, among the Greeks, Pindar, and among the French of our age, Bartas. You walk over the heads and crowns of Dutch poets and stand out among the low hedges like a tall cypress. For some years now, you have served as a model for Dutch poets, who, whenever they do not want to be counted among the roundel and rhyme makers, strive to come on stage with your boots and imitate your grandiloquent language. But I see that these imitators fare like the frog in the fable, whose guts burst when it tried to puff itself up to the size of the swollen ox. Let it be allowed to sing of you what Horace sang of the Theban poet:

Whoever tries to follow Hooft's style, like Daedalus, and tries to soar with waxen wings like a bird, falls into the glassy sea, and everyone shouts: here he fell.

You want me to point out your faults and slips; but I, Mr. Hooft, am not the man to dare to find fault with Venus's slipper, nor so sharp-sighted in the writings of friends that I am accustomed to point out what is blameworthy, and I prefer to keep for my instruction what is excellently spoken. I find many things in your poems that are sharply insightful. Farewell, most excellent man, and continue to make me happy with your heroic and lamp-scented works. So live long with your wife and children, if your Helionoor has brought any into the world. Leiden, March 14, 1630.

Your most excellent servant, K. van Baerle.

The inscription was: To my lord, Mr. P. C. Hooft, Drost of Muiden, in Amsterdam.

Metadata

  • Sender: Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft
  • Recipient: Constantijn Huygens
  • Subject: Expressing gratitude and discussing the reception of a banquet
  • Send Date: 1628
  • Location: Unknown
  • Geolocation: Unknown
  • Language: nl
  • Summary: Hooft expresses his gratitude to Huygens for a banquet and discusses the reception of the event, mentioning concerns about the quality of the food and the guests' enjoyment.