[`A bon bluteur may propice:] [Pro.] [Somewhat as stiffe as a maypole does well with him that boults in a fleshlie tub.]
[`A bon bluteur May propice:] [Prov.] [A wooer speeds (oft times) the better for his weapon.]
[Aimer & sç avoir n'ont mesme manoir:] [Prov.] Loue and knowledge liue not together.
[`A la chandelle la chevre semble belle:] [Prov.] Hee that chuses a wife by candle-light, or by other eyes than his owne, may perhaps be fouly deceiued.
[`A la chandelle la Chevre semble Damoiselle:] [Pro.] By candle-light a shee Goat seemes a Gentlewoman; [(where, by the candle, is meant a mans owne affection, or the opinion of another; either of which followed wholly in the choice of a wife, hath often proued erronious.)]
[`A la fin le regnard sera moine:] [Prov.] [At length the Fox turnes Monke; (viz. when hee can play the knaue no longer.)]
[Amour apprend les asnes à danser:] [Pro.] Loue makes the cokes turne courtier.
[Amour de garse, & faut de chien ne dure si l'on ne dit, tien:] [Prov.] Whores and dogs fawne on a man no longer then he feeds them; or, a whores loue, and a dogs leaping continue but while they are fed.
[Amour de putain feu d'estoupe:] [Pro.] [(Th'exposition followes)] [qui luit fort, & dure peu.]
[Amour de putain feu d'estoupe:] [Prov.] [(Th'exposition is) [qui luit fort, & dure peu.]
[Amour de Seigneur est ombre de buisson:] [Prov.] The loue of a great man is either momentarie, or dangerous.
[Amour de seigneur est ombre de buisson:] [Prov.] The loue of a great man is of small continuance, and dangerous consequence.
[Amour faict beaucoup, mais argent faict tout:] [Pro.] Loue is potent, but money omnipotent.
[Amour fait beaucoup, mais argent fait tout:] [Prov.] Loue does much, but money does all.
[Amour se nourrit de ieune chair:] [Prov.] [Yong flesh is a great nourishment to loue.]
[Amour se nourrit de ieune chair:] [Prov.] Yong flesh is food for loue, loue battles with yong flesh.
[Amour vaine tout fors que coeur felon:] [Pro.] Loue ouercomes any thing but a froward, or spightfull, heart.
[Amour vaine tout fors que le coeur felon:] [Prov.] Loue conquers any thing but a fellonious heart.
[Argent faict rage, & amour mariage:] [Pro.] Money breeds rage, loue mariage.
[Aussi bien sont amourettes soubs bureau que sous brunettes:] [Prov.] Loue playes his pranks as well in Cotes as Courts.
[Aussi bien sont amourettes sous bureau que sous brunettes:] [Prov.] Loue trickes are played (loues rites performed,) as well by poore as rich, folkes; (or) as well in poore as rich, clothes.
[C'est trop aimer quand on en meurt:] [Pro.] [He loues too much that dyes for loue.]
[C'est trop aimer quand on en meurt:] [Prov.] [They loue too much who dye for loue; We say, loue me little and loue me long.]
[Danse du loup la queuë entre les iambes:] [Prov.] [Lecherie.] {needsdef}
[D'oiseaux, de chiens, d'armes, & d'amours, pour vn plaisir mille douleurs:] [Prov.] [Who fall in loue, or follow Hawkes, hounds, armes, for one delight sustain a thousand harmes.]
[D'oiseaux, de chiens, d'armes, & d'amours pour vn plaisir mille douleurs:] [Prov.] Who follow haukes, hounds, armes, or are in loue, for one delight a thousand sorrowes proue.
[D'oyseaux, de chiens, d'armes, & d'amours, pour vn plaisir mille douleurs:] [Prov.] The pleasure got by hawkes, hounds, loue, and armes, are deerely bought with millions of harmes.
[En amour est folie, & sens:] [Pro.] In loue there is both wit, and witaldrie.
[En amour est folie, & sens:] [Prov.] In loue there is both dotage, and discretion.
[En amour est folie, & sens:] [Prov.] [Loue is both fond, and wittie; in loue's both folie, and wit.]
[Femme lecheresse ne fera ia poré e espaisse:] [Prov.] [The lickerous houswife seldome makes thicke pottage.]
[Femme lecheresse ne fera ja poré e espaisse:] [Prov.] [A lickorous houswife seldome makes thicke pottage.]
[Fille qui prend elle se rend:] [Pro.] A maid that takes (much) is as good as taken.
[Fille qui prend elle se vend:] [Prov.] [A maid by taking sels her libertie;] or, the maid that wooers profferred gifts doth take, a wanton bargaine will be drawne to make.
[Ia coü ard n'aura belle amie:] [Prov.] Faint heart neuer woon faire Ladie.
[Il n'est que les premieres amours:] [Prov.] [The first loue is the fastest, or faithfullest; no loue's like to the first.]
[Il n'est que les premieres amours:] [Prov.] The first loue is the fastest; there is no loue to the first.
[Il n'est si bon que femme n'assotte:] [Prov.] The best man may b'asotted on a woman.
[Il n'est si bon que femme n'assotte:] [Prov.] The wisest man's assotted by a woman.
[Il n'est si bon qui femme n'assote:] [Prov.] The best man may be gulled by a woman.
[L'amour, la tousse, & la galle ne se peuvent celer:] [Pro.] We say, Loue, and the Cough cannot be hidden.
[L'Amour, la tousse, & la galle ne se peuvent celer:] [Prov.] Loue, scabs, and coughing will not bee concealed.
[L'amour, la tousse, & la galle ne se peuvent celer:] [Pro.] We say, Loue, and the Cough cannot be hidden.
[Le dernier venu est le mieux aimé:] [Prov.] Hee is best thought of that comes last; a new friend makes the old forgotten; the last Suiter wins the wench.
[Le dernier venu est le mieux aimé:] [Prov.] He that came last is best beloued; the newest friend, & c. most trusted, best vsed.
[Le regnard est pris, lasche les poules:] [Prov.] [Vsed when any dangerous knaue is intrapped, or clapt vp;] [vsed also, in mockerie of a common wooer, which hauing deceiued many widowes and maids in his time, is at the length ouertaken, and caught by one thats worse then any of them.] {needsdef}
[Oncques amour, & seigneurie ne se tindrent compagnie:] [Prov.] [True loue, and lordlinesse neuer held correspondencie; friendship, and lordship agree not long together.]
[Oncques n'ayma bien qui pour si peu haït:] [Prov.] [He neuer soundly loued that hateth for a toy.]
[Onques n'aima bien que pour si peu haït:] [Prov.] He neuer loued well, that hated for a trifle.
[Oncques n'y eut laides amours ny belle prison:] [Pro.] Neuer seemd mistresse foule, nor prison faire.
[Parez l'herisson il semblera Baron:] [Prov.] [Good clothes hide much deformitie;] or, a clowne well cloathed seemes a Gentleman.
[Parez vn herisson il semblera Baron:] [Prov.] Good, (or gay) clothes will make a Monkie seeme a Monsieur.
[Parez vn herisson il semblera baron:] [Prov.] [Tricke vp an Vrchin he will seeme a Baron; good apparrell (as Loue) couers many a fault.]
[Plus d'un asne à la foire a nom Martin:] [Prov.] We say (with a small resemblance of sence) there be more maids then Malkin, or, more maids then one be called Malkin.
[Plus d'vn Asne à la foire a nom Martin:] [Prov.] [If one will not another will; there be more wayes to the wood then one;]
[Pour l'amour du chevalier baise la Dame l'Escuyer:] [Prov.] [The Ladie kisses her man for his Masters sake.]
[Pour l'amour du Chevalier baise la Dame l'Escuyer:] [Prov.] The Ladie kisses her man for his Masters sake (an excesse of her loue which verie well might be spared.)
[Pour l'amour du Chevalier baise la Dame l'escuyer:] [Pro.] (Wherein his worship is, often, but little beholden to her Ladieship.)
[Qui bien aime bien chastie:] [Prov.] He that loues throughly, payes home when he punishes.
[Qui bien aime bien chastie:] [Prov.] He throughly punishes that loues throughly.
[Qui bien aime chastie:] [Prov.] He that loues throughly punishes throughly; or, he that loues well, payes home when he punishes.
[Qui bien aime tard oublie:] [Prov.] [Hee that loues heartily forgets not easily; true loue is long a forgetting.]
[Qui bien aime tard oublie:] [Prov.] Sound loue is not soone forgotten.
[Qui mieux aime autruy que soy au moulin il meurt de soif:] [Pro.] [He that hurts himselfe to helpe others, will dye of thirst at the Mill-tayle.]
[Qui mieux aime autruy que soy, au moulin il meurt de soif:] [Pro.] He that loues another better than himselfe, starues in a Cookes Shop.
[Qui mieux aime autruy que soy au moulin il meurt de soif:] [Prov.] [Hee that loues others better then himselfe dies athirst on a Mill-damme.]
[Tel cuide aimer qui muse:] [Prov.] Some thinke they loue who do but dote; or, some, though they thinke they loue, but dreame of loue.
[Vieilles amours, & vieux tisons s'allument en toutes saisons:] [Prov.] Old loue and brands are kindled in all seasons.
[Vn sac percé ne peut tenir le grain:] [Prov.] [A sacke thats full of holes can hold no corne.]
[Vn sac percé ne peut tenir le grain:] [Prov.] [A sacke thats torne doth shed it corne; a broken or crackt heart can hold no good thing in it; applyable also to a heart, that pierced with griefe, cannot hold but must vtter it.]
Return to French Proverbs from 1611