CATS

cats, jacob (1577-1660), dutch poet and humorist, was born at brouwershaven in zeeland on the 10th of november 1577. having lost his mother at an early age, and being adopted with his three brothers by an uncle, cats was sent to school at zierikzee. he then studied law at leiden and at orleans, and, returning to holland, he settled at the hague, where he began to practise as an advocate. his pleading in defence of a wretched creature accused of witchcraft brought him many clients and some reputation. he had a serious love affair 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. he returned to zeeland to die, but was cured mysteriously by a strolling quack. he married in 1602 a lady of some property, elisabeth von valkenburg, and thenceforward lived at grypskerke in zeeland, where he devoted himself to farming and poetry. his best works are: _emblemata_ or _minnebeelden_ with _maegdenplicht_ (1618); _spiegel van den ouden en nieuwen tijt_ (1632); _houwelijck ..._ (1625); _selfstrijt_ (1620); _ouderdom, buitem leven ... en hofgedachten op sorgvliet_ (1664); and _gedachten op slapelooze nachten_ (1661). in 1621, on the expiration of the twelve years' truce with spain, the breaking of the dykes drove him from his farm. he was made pensionary (stipendiary magistrate) of middelburg; and two years afterwards of dort. in 1627 cats came to england on a mission to charles