Cats

Cats, JACOB, a Dutch statesman and poet, was born at Brouwershaven, in Zeeland, in 1577, and after studying law at Leyden and Orleans, finally settled at Middelburg. He rose to high offices in the state, and was twice sent as ambassador to England, first in 1627, and again in 1652, while Cromwell was at the head of affairs. From this time till his death, September 1660, he lived in retirement at his villa near the Hague. Here he wrote his autobiography, which, however, was not published until 1709. As a poet, 'Father Cats' enjoyed the highest popularity. His poems are characterised by simplicity, rich fancy, clearness, homely vigour, and purity of style, and by their excellent moral tendency; while throughout are richly scattered those shrewd maxims and worldly-wise axioms which have been so dear to his practical countrymen. The most highly prized of his productions were the Houwelyk, and the Trouwring (a series of romantic stories relating to remarkable marriages), and the Spiegel van den Ouden en Nieuwen Tyd. His works were first collected in a folio volume in 1658. A late edition is that by Wolterink (Dordrecht, 1878-82).