‘The Human Images’

Their place is at the Sides. Their shape, arch-wise round like a hoop stick: from which also the proverb seems to come, when one sees a thin Dog or Horse, whose Ribs protrude through the Skin; one says of them that they have been a guest of the Cooper. The use of the seven True Ribs is for the Protection of the Chest and what hides inside; namely the Heart, the Stomach, Lung and others; also partly for Breathing. Among common people, there has been a feeling and it still persists among some that Man would have one Rib less than Woman; thus Women would have twelve, Men only eleven Ribs; and many indeed assumed this followed from the History of Creation; because it was said that God took a Rib from Adam’s side and made a Woman from it, and closed the place with Flesh. One might respond that even if it were certain that Adam had one Rib less in the body than we do now (although the Creator could have made another Rib in him in order to later form the Woman from Flesh and Bone), this does not necessarily follow in the descendants of the Male gender; because it contradicts common Wives and Orders of Procreation: For the Crippled and Paralyzed Limbs of the Parents do not go naturally or necessarily over to the Children. Thus Blind Parents, Seeing Children, those with one Eye, Children with two; yes, without Hands with two Hands; likewise we also see daily that simple, double Creatures reproduce; and that at one time, two and three Children were born at once. The Jews say that Adam...

Translation Notes

- ‘Spreekwoord’ is translated as 'proverb'.
- 'Hoepelstek' translated as 'hoop stick', referring to the bending shape of something circular or rounded.
- 'Kuyper' refers to a 'Cooper', one who works with barrels, emphasizing the round nature contrasting with thinness.
- 'Bescherming des Borsts' implies protection of the chest's internal organs.
- The passage discusses the myth that men have one less rib than women, referencing the biblical story of Adam and Eve.