GROOTMOEDIGHEID (n. f.)
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Pyreicus schijnt mede verstandts ghenoeg ghehadt te hebben om dese groote maniere te volghen, het en waer saecke dat hy sich puer willens toe allerley ongheachte en gantsch gheringhe dinghen hadde begheven; Daer waeren weynighe die Pyreicus in Konst te boven ginghen, seght Plinius in de selvighe plaetse, maer ick en wete niet of hem sijn voornemen bedorven heeft; want alhoewel hy eenen dappere lust tot allerley gheringhe slechte dinghen hadde, nochtans verkreegh hy daer in den hoogsten lof. Hy schilderde Barbiers winckels, schoenmaeckers winckels, Eselkens, verschyden soorten van toespijse, en diergheljcke dinghen meer, dies wirdt hy onder de wanderlingh Rhyparographus gheheeten; ’t welck even soo vele beduyt als of men hem Klad-schildere hadde genoemt, hy was in dese dinghe uyt der maeten vermaeckelick, soo dat d’aller staetelickste tafereelen van vele andere Konstenaers minder plaghten te ghelden dan dese grollen van Pyreicus. Soo hebben dan die ghene de gantsche kracht van ’t gene wy tot noch toe gheseyt hebben in weynighe woorden (onses dunckens) verstandighlick begrepen, de welcke wy de hoogstaetelickheyt der Inventien, die uyt een verhevene Imaginatie voordkomen, eenen achtergalm ofte oock het naegeschal van de waere grootmoedigheyd noemen. Wy houden het mede daer voor, dat het allen den ghenen, die nae eenen onsterfelicken naem hungkeren, hoogh-noodigh is, datse eenen uytnementlick grooten gheest hebben, of datse ten minsten allerley groote ghedachten en staetelicke verbeeldinghen vaerdighlick souden weten te onderhouden.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Pyreicus appears to have had enough intelligence to follow this great manner, it was the case that he had taken the road to all sorts of unrespected and petty things; There were few who surpassed Pyreicus, says Plinius in the same place, but I do not know whether his intention has spoiled him; because although he had a strong lust for all sorts of petty bad things, he nonetheless received the highest praise for this. He painted barber shops, cobblers, donkeys, all sorts of desserts, and more of that kind, this is why he was commonly named Rhyparographus; which means as much as if one had called him a dauber, he was very entertaining in these things, such that the most stately scenes of many other Artists tended to be deemed of less value than these pranks of Pyreicus. As such (in our opinion) those who have intelligently grasped the power of that which has been said so far in few words, which we call the stateliness of the Inventions, that spring forth from the elevated Imagination, calling it an echo or a reverberation of true magnanimity. We also believe, that it is very necessary to all those, who hunger after an immortal name, to have a remarkable great mind, or that they would at least know to maintain capably all sorts of great thoughts and stately representations.
This commentary is missing in the Latin edition and is formulated rather differently in the English edtion. [MO]