Let every man praise the bridge he goes over. Let him not look for me at home, who can meet me in the market-place.---Spanish. Recommending persons to keep their domestic establishments free from intrusion, especially when they have places set apart for public business. Letters blush not. Less of your courtesy, and more of your coin. Like the tailor of Campillo, who worked for nothing and found thread.-Spanish. Like master, like man. French.-Tel maitre tel valet. Like the squire of Guadalaxara, who new nothing in the Little said is soon mended, and a little gear is soon spended-Scotch. Like author, like book. The proverb ought to have been more precise, and specified what description of authors. Poets, who write from feeling, their works may be a tolerable transcript of their characters. But feelings are variable; they change with the pressure of the atmosphere or the fluctuation of interest, and of course, the productions of this class are only the index of their minds under particular circumstances. With respect to political scribes, the proverb is still less applicable. If we take up the works of this genus, we find them at one period of their lives flaming aristocrats: at another, raving democrats, and vice versa. What ought we to infer of them? that their characters have changed with their books? or is it only their writings which have varied with their interests? We fear it is only the philosophers the rule will apply to. When we meet with a clever book on chemistry or mathematics, we may be pretty sure the writer is a chemist or mathematician. The fact is, these men write not on themselves, but on nature. Hence the difference; angles and alkalies are constant, but man is an animal very changeable. Little strokes fell great oaks: Live and let live. Look not a gift horse in the mouth. French.---A cheval donne, il ne faut pas regarder aux dents. Look before you leap, for snakes among sweet flowers do creep. Lookers on see more than players. Lat.---Plus in alieno quam in suo negotio vident homines. Losers are always in the wrong.-Spanish French.---Qui, perd, peche. Love thy neighbour, but pull not down thine hedge. French.---Qui aime Jean, aime son chien. M. Make not thy tail broader than thy wings. Keep not too many attendants. Make your affairs known in the market-place, and one will call them black and another white.-Spanish. Make the best of a bad bargain. Make a virtue of necessity. Many soldiers are brave at table, who are cowards in the field.-Italian. Many ways to kill a dog and not to hang him.-Scotch. Many irons in the fire, some may cool.-Scotch. Many littles makes a mickle. French-Goutte a goutte, on remplit la cave. Many masters, quoth the toad to the harrow, when every tooth gave her a blow.-Scotch. 'Many kiss the hand they wish to see eut off. Many children and little bread is a painful pleasure.Spanish. Many slips between the cup and the lip. This is in Kelly's collection, as a genuine Scotch, though an old Greek proverb; implying that a project may be spoil ed just at the point of consummation. Many hands make light work. Many go out for wool and come home shorn.-Spanish. Many talk of Robin Hood that never shot in his bow. Many a true word is spoken in jest. Masters are mostly the greatest servants in the house. Masters grow poor and servants suffer.-Spanish. Lat.---Plures adorant solem orienter quam occidentem. French. Malheur ne vient jamais seui. Misunderstanding brings lies to town. Most haste worst speed. The favourite proverb of Erasmus, was Festina lente! "Hasten slowly." He wished, it to be inscribed wherever it could meet the eye on public buildings, and on rings and seals. One of our statesmen, Sir Amias Pawlet, used a proverb of similar import. When he perceived too much hurry in a business, he was accustomed to say, Stay awhile, to make an end the sooner." More fools more fun. French.-Plus on est des fuos plus on rit. Mother's darlings make but milk-sop heroes. Money is welcome though it comes in a dirty clout. Much is wanting where much is desired.---Italian. Must is a word for a king. Much coin, much care; much meat, much malady. My cow gives a good mess of milk, and then kicks it down. N. Nature takes as much pains in the womb for the forming of a beggar, as an emperor. A fine argument for the natural equality of man, which I think is not to be found in the writings of Paine. But though nature has followed the same process in the manufacture of us all, it does not follow that all her work is equally well turned out. There can be no doubt that some of us are naturally endowed with better memories, better judgments, greater reasoning powers, and greater physical strength, than others; and, of course, these differences will make differences in our individual fortunes, and social condition. I cannot see how the advocates of the natural equality of mankind can get over this distinction. Name not a rope in his house that hanged himself. Never scald your lips in other folk's broth. Never quit certainty for hope.-Scotch. Neither beg of him who has been a beggar, nor serve him who has been a servant,--Spanish. Neither fish nor flesh nor good red herring. French,---Besoign faite vielle trotter. Never too old to learn. Nine tailors make but one man. Nits will be lice. A coarse, but descriptive proverb of Oliver Cromwell's, expressive of the contempt he felt for some of his mean and troublesome coadjutors---D'ISRAELI. No pot is so ugly as not to find a cover.---) ---Italian. Nothing so bad as not to be good for something. No smoke without some fire. No condition so low, but may have hopes; none so high, but may have fears. None is a fool always, every one sometimes. No shoemaker beyond his last. It is related of Apelles that he exposed publicly to the Greeks one of his finest paintings, the Trojan Shepherd,' solici ting their opinion on its merits, A shoemaker found fault with the sandal which the artist instantly corrected. The fool, puffed up with conceit, then attempted to make a ridiculous display of all he knew, and in a loud tone censured the finest part of the picture; but Apelles turning aside with contempt, said, Ne sutor ultra crepidam, the words of the proverb, It is applied to persons who presume to judge on subjects foreign to their profession or acquirements. No man crieth---stinking fish. None but great men can do great mischief. Nothing that is violent is permanent. Nothing is more playful than a young cat, nor more grave than an old one. Nobody so like an honest man as an arrant knave. French.--Rien ne ressemble mieux a un honnete homme, qu'un fripon. No joy without annoy. No fool like an old fool. No jesting with edge tools or with bell ropes. French.-Les plus sages ne le sont pas toujours. None of you know where the shoe pinches. The answer of Paulus Æmilius to the relations of his wife, when they remonstrated with him on his determination to separate himself from her, against whom no fault could be alleged. ⚫ No receiver, no thief; no penny, no Pater-noster. No friend to a bosom friend, no enemy to a bosom enemy. --Scotch. No alchemy equal to saving. Nothing so bold as a blind man.---Scotch. No grass grows at the market place. A proverb applied to a certain description of females. No fault, but she sets a bonnet much to weel.---Scotch. That is the servant which makes the wife a little jealous, lest her good man should be tempted astray. No smoke without some fire. Novelty always appears handsome. Ital.-Di novello tutto parbello. No living man all things can. No rose without a thorn. Lat.---Nulla est sincera voluptas. None can feel the weight of another's burden. No man ever lost his credit but he who had it not. Now I have got a ewe and a lamb, every one cries---Wel, come, Pete! 0. Of a little take a little.---Scotch. Of young men die many; of old men, escape not any. a straw. On and truth will get uppermost at last. Old age is not so fiery as youth; but when once provoked cannot be appeased. Old men think themselves cunning.. Old men and far travellers may lie by authority. |