Our Notes & References

Two very rare Bohemian collections of proverbs with an overview and analysis of Czech comedies and verses. With an exception of one incomplete copy of Adagia Bohemica from the Austrian National Library, we could locate no copies of either work outside the Czech Republic; no copies of Moralia Catonis at auctions, and just one of Adagia Bohemica (sold in 1992).

In 1582, Jakub Srnec of Varvažov (1520-86) published “the first collection of Czech proverbs” Dicteria seu proverbia Bohemica (Vaculinova, our translation here and elsewhere). Inspired by Erasmus’ Adagiorum chiliades, Srnec originally compiled this work as a teaching aid for his private school; it included quotes from ancient classics, the Bible, medieval anonymous proverbs, and early modern authors. Its primary aim was to demonstrate that Czech proverbs could “rival not only those in Latin and Greek but also those in other modern languages”, which had already been extensively published. “Unlike some Lutheran educational collections of proverbs, Srnec’s work sought not only to enlighten but also to entertain, making learning more enjoyable for students” (Vaculínová). Dicteria… was reissued without significant changes in 1599.

With vernacular explanations and expanded with 100 new proverbs

“[Srnec’s] excellent book was republished by František Ondřej Horný, an educator in the noble house of Thun” (Hanus) and Horny’s Přísloví česká, Aneb Adagia Bohemica is therefore listed in some bibliographies as the third edition of Srnec’s collection (Babor). Its changes however are so substantial that it can be considered a separate work. Little is known about Horný, its compiler, (also Franciscus Andreas Horny, active in the late 17th to early 18th century), and he does not appear to have published any other work. Vaculínová describes the book as an “adaptation of Dicteria“, in which Horný rearranged the collection and “added about 100 new [proverbs]” (Hanus). The new title also suggests a broader scope: the proverbs from the collection “even today flourish in daily use among the highest and lowest, magnates and commoners, throughout Bohemia, Moravia, and partly also through Silesia, Lusatia, and Hungary.”

Horný’s edition can be regarded as a Czech compendium of proverbs with brief Latin references, whereas the two earlier editions were primarily collections of Latin proverbs with Latin explanations and brief Czech equivalents. In Horný’s edition, all explanations are in Czech. “The Latin quotations [… are] supplemented in some places by quotations from ‘benign’ authors such as Caesar. The names of early modern humanists, mostly non-Catholics [as well as German], cited by Srnec are, of course, absent” (Vaculínová). Horný arranged the proverbs alphabetically and numbered them, totalling 584 proverbs along with 27 additional ones, followed by a few pages of extra expressions. The edition is adorned with an engraved coat of arms of the House of Thun.

Ancient wisdom for the modern Czech – with Czech theatrical and poetical theory and poetry

Bound here with Horny’s Přísloví česká, Moralia Catonis is a collection of proverbial wisdom and moral teachings attributed to an unknown author, identified in Czech bibliographies as Dionysius Cato (active in the 3rd or 4th century). Offering lessons on moral and practical life alongside exercises in grammar and poetics, the text was widely popular across medieval Europe and served as a Latin textbook under the title Catonis Disticha. Geoffrey Chaucer references the work in The Canterbury Tales when describing an uncivilised character: “He knew nat Catoun, for his wit was rude.”

A Czech translation of this Latin text was made in the 1620s by “the father of modern education”, John Amos Comenius (also Jan Amos Komenský, 1592-1670), and published in Amsterdam in 1662, but “no copy has survived” (Czech Union Catalogue). The present edition of Comenius’ translation mentions the year 1672 in the title. The text however contains references to Grammatica linguae Boëmicae… (1704) by Václav Jandit (pp. 83-84). At the same time, “this translation was already mentioned in the second edition of Grammatica… (1705), suggesting it was published between 1704 and 1705″, likely by Konias as well (Czech Union Catalogue). The Czech National Library’s copy is, in fact, bound together with Grammatica… (1705). “We consider this book to be independent, but given its thematic similarities, shared sources and interests, and the same compilation style, it can be attributed to the same creator [Václav Jandit] or at least to someone from his circle” (Czech Union Catalogue, Havránek, Kral).

Moralia Catonis continues here with “rules according to which Czech comedies are now composed in the Czech language”, as noted in the dedication, as well as some guidance on composing and performing plays, a brief explanation of the theory of rhyme, a short history of Czech poetry, poetic translations of Roman and Christian verses, excerpts from plays and epigrams, and examples of “various Czech dialects” (Kral).

Fine provenances

This volume was part of several prominent collections: it seemingly belonged to François Xavier de Borluut de Noortdonck (1771–1857), one of the foremost book collectors in the Low Countries during the 19th century, before entering the vast collection of the Scottish writer and politician Sir William Stirling-Maxwell (1818–78), whose family owned the Keir House estate from the 15th to the 20th century. “Between 1849 and 1852 he commissioned a young London architect, Alfred Jenoure, to carry out alterations to Keir House. The ambitious scheme transformed the neo-classical pile into an idiosyncratic expression of Stirling’s tastes and interests. At the centre was his magnificent two-storey library, lined in cedar, with specially designed furniture and fittings. Dr Waagen found it ‘too remarkable a room not to be mentioned’ and noted that every surface was carved with mottoes, ‘the study of which would occupy an ordinary length of life very profitably’ (Waagen, 453). The books were beautifully bound and embossed with Stirling’s armorial devices, and he himself designed the ex libris slips…” (ODNB)

Stirling Maxwell’s extensive collection of emblemata now resides in the Glasgow University Library.

Like many of Stirling Maxwell’s books on proverbs, this Adagia Bohemica was then acquired by Lieutenant Colonel Victor Samuel M. de Guinzbourg (1906–76), a distinguished Special Agent of the U.S. Counter Intelligence Corps during World War II—described by colleagues as “one of the best agents in Europe” (Black). Born into a Jewish family in Russia, de Guinzbourg moved to the United States around 1931. By the time he joined the U.S. Army, he “spoke almost every European language except for Finnish and Swedish” (Black). After the war, he served as the American military attaché to the UN and published a book of proverbs among contemporary diplomats.

The volume later belonged to the American Hollywood actor Robert Easton (1930–2011), who amassed an impressive library specialising in proverbs and linguistic research.Thanks to his mastery of numerous accents, up to 200 different ones, he became a dialogue and accent coach in Hollywood. “While ‘on location’ from London to Shanghai and across 60-odd years of traveling,” Robert Easton wrote just prior to his death in 2011, “I have lovingly collected poetry, prose, humor, history, culture, slang and local literature … often on my hands and knees in seedy secondhand bookstores, sweltering swap meets and fortuitous flea markets. What a great time I had!” Easton met Victor de Guinzbourg on several occasions, and after the latter died, he acquired his proverbs collection from his widow.

Provenance

François Xavier de Borluut de Noortdonck (modern pencil inscription to upper fly-leaf); William Stirling-Maxwell (with his autograph inscription to upper fly-leaf incl. “of the greatst rarity” dated Paris, 1866, monograms in blind added to covers, armorial bookplate to upper marbled fly-leaf and Keir [House] Proverbs booklabel to lower pastedown); Victor de Guinzbourg (large booklabel to upper pastedown); Robert Easton.

Bibliography

“Unknown to Duplessis” (Stirling Maxwell’s handwritten note); Babor J. F. Prof. Dr. Bratislava Časopis učené společnosti Šafářikovy, cislo 3-4, roc 3, 1929, p. 720; Black, Justin. Espionage History (online); Czech Union Catalogue. Prague: Institute of the Czech Language of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, vvi, Department of Language Development: K15645 (Adagia Bohemica), K01498 (Moralia Catonis); Hanus H. J. “Historie prislovnych sbirek slovanských a zvlast ceských” // Časopis Českého Musea, 1851, p. 136; Havránek, Bohuslav. “K Názvům Lingua Sclavonica, Boëmo-Slavica. Český Jazyk a Sclavus, Slavus. Čech, Slovák.” Listy Filologické. Folia Philologica, vol. 52, no. 2/3, 1925, p. 118; Král, Josef. O prosodii české, Ceské Akademie Ved a Umeni, 1923, p. 101; Vaculínová, Marta. ‘Mol v drahém rouše…’ [A Moth Clad in Goodly Apparel]. A Collection of Proverbs by Jakub Srnec of Varvažov and Its Latin Sources. Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae – Historia litterarum. Prague: National Museum, 2017, 62(1-2), pp. 19–25.