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Cotgrave's World: Book 1 Marriage

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Thoughts, proverbs and Sayings from the 16th Century

Extracts from a French to English dictionary by, R Cotgrave. Published 1611.

Words,
Food for Thought,
Edification and
Entertainment.

Who Wants to Get Married?

'A bon entendeur ne saut qu' une parole.'
A wife understands a man
by one word,
but few men know it.

'Mesnageable' husband-able, worth
marrying, we say, a good catch.
[ but look at the word,
it is almost,
'manageable',

mes-nageable, but more important, is he worth nagging?

M E S N A G E A B L E.
S E E M N A G A B L E.
or
M E S N A G E A B L E
S E E. BLAME. N A G.

And if that wasn't warning enough, we have,

'Mesnager'. To husband, to use thriftily, govern discreetly, to make best or most of a thing,

{husband, from husbandry, to farm: management of resources, a man that is].

Bride: m. e/e: f. bridled, bitted: restrained, uled, moderated, held under: kept in order.
Fort en bride Stout, headstrong: stubborn, surly, unruly.
Brider To bridle, bit, restrain, moderate, rule, hold under, keep in order. (A man, who lets a woman, slip her bridle, will hear constant neighing.)
Tenir en bride To restrain, hold in.
Brider la mule a To wait on, attend the leisure of, or do base offices for.
[ To a man, there is little difference between a Bride and a bridle; and, while a man may bridle a horse, only a woman may bridle a man and a horse.]
Les couilles ley pendant a' faute de gibbeciere He has taken too much of the lower sheet, Or, he is tame enough by this time; [spoken of a young man, after he has been married 2-3 months].
Gibbeciere: f. a pouch, a bag, something to store or hold things, as many men, are kept in their wife's pockets, or tied to the matrimonial bed: and for some there is little difference between a gibbeciere and a 'gibbet', for if you marry the wrong woman you are as good as hanged, or might as well consign yourself to the gallows.]
De grosse table a l' estable Excessive housekeeping makes gentlemen into grooms
Addomestique Tamed, reclaimed, made gentle, inward, familiar, housel; acquainted with us.
[ from Eve's taming- domestication of Adam: from Dom, to dominate and Adam= Ad-dom-estique. Domesticated man, - Adam, sig' Earth.]
Baston d' Adam The weapon which Adam used to fight with Eve.
C'est bien rentre de puques noirs

Yea, you marry sir,
now you have hit it.

As we say, to hit the nail on the head, drive the point home, or, you've nailed the lid upon your own coffin, that's for sure.

Baillez luy Belle Goodly betide him, somebody spit in his mouth, for now he has hit it for sure. (said ironically, you hit the jackpot,)
Accorde vn ac A man betrothed
Que femme a noise He that has a wife, strife has
Au jourd'uy marie demain marri

Married today,
marred tomorrow;
today wedded,
tomorrow wretched.
Today wife-full,
Tomorrow woeful.

'Marri.' Sorry, sad, pensive, aggrieved, afflicted, discontented, vexed at; repining, repentant; malcontent, angry, fretting, chasing, displeased, offended; out of patience, fuming.

'marie- marier, to wed, marry, enter into the dreaded, wedlock; as, 'bain de Marie', Mary's bath; a cauldron, or hot kettle of water. Or, 'Marier la cave, & le puits.' To mingle-mix wine with water.

De court plaisir long repentir For a short pleasure, a long repentance;
0r,
to court-seek, pleasure,
brings long penitence.
Lamais grasse geline n'aima chapon A fat wife never loved a faint, or defective husband.

Geline; a hen, chicken; chapon, - capon, a castrated cock fowl. It reminded much of several species of spiders, amongst whom, the female is not only several times larger, than the male: but having allowed him to engage with her, bites off the thinking part of his brain. She then devours the rest of him at her leisure. Indeed, contrary to the falsehood, that behind every great man there is a good, or strong woman, in reality the opposite is true; for few men do anything of worth once they have married, and even less once they have children.

Sorti de mauvaise femme Unhappily matched, pestered or troubled with an evil woman.
Geline qui poind, et ne pond pas said of) an idle, unprofitable, barren, curst or scolding wife. [a chicken that lays barren eggs.]
Femme bonne qu' a mauvais mari, a bien souvent le coeur marri The good wife of an ill husband has often a sorrowful heart herself.
Fiancailles chevauchent en felle & repentailles en croupe Repentance sits full close {or, the Devils next door} to marriage.
Tousiours ne sont pas nopces

A wedding day lasts not always,
jollity and good cheer,
continue not forever.
All parties end.

Quand Marthe file, & ambrose hable Leur cas est triste, & pitoyable

When wives do spin,
and husbands babble
Their case is hard and lamentable

'Fil/e. a net to catch, a snare, or gin, or drag-net; or to spin- draw out, twist- weave tales, improbable yarns, a woman who loves to argue, or, scorn, or belittle others. If she be married to one who makes himself a haven, or port for Liquor. From Ambrose, drink of the gods, and Hable, a port, haven. Then, the devil comes to his own: babble, - talk excitedly, foolishly, muddled.

Femme mauvaise qui n'empire encore n'est elle pas la pire. An ill wife that grows not worse
Is not the worst.
Chascun cuide avoir la meilleure femme Every ape thinks her puppy the fairest.
Every mother thinks her own gosling a swan.
Qui a le nez tourne a la friandise Said of a light housewife,
(like, from the affinity that is
between a lickerish tongue,
and a lecherous tail.)
[be like, a young beauty, who chooses a rich man, not for love, but because of the sweet things he can give her.]
Femme le cheresse ne sera ia poree espaisse The lickerous housewife seldom makes thick pottage.
On ne fait pas de rien grasse poree Fat broth cannot be made from nothing.
Tenir de la queniouille To hold of, or do, or pay homage to the smock; his wife to be his master.
Vn mesme cousteau me coupe le pain & le doigt The same knife that cuts my bread,
cuts my finger;
the same mouth blows hot and cold,
the same mind loves
and hates.
Couvecendre. A lazy housewife,
one that is forever hanging her nose
over the fire,
or warming her privates before it.
Femcre qui enuis fileporte chemise vile Beggary and sluttishness are fruits of bad housewife and laziness.
Femme trop piteuse fraict sa famille teigneuse The over gentle housewife mares her household.
La goutte en la hanche la fille en la panse The gout in the haunch,
a girl in her paunch;
vis, if a woman often feels pain
in her back, flank, hips, legs and knuckles,
tis a sign that she bears girl child.
Mere piteuse fair sa fille roigeuse A tender mother breeds a scabby daughter. [a sheepish cat makes a proud mouse].
Mausaise sille se morque de sa mere An ill bred, brought up daughter, mocks her silly mother.
Femme qui ses leures mord, & qui son
alleure tord se mesle du mestier ord,
ou fait a soy mesmetort.
The wife that bites her lips
and treads askew, is to her husband,
or herself untrue.
Les sottes filles a merier
sont fascheaux troupeaux a garder
Wenches fond of marriage
are troublesome cattle to keep.
As many marriages makes bare walls.

A bruised apple may taste sweet but it soon turns bitter.

Argent faict rage, et amour mariage Money breeds rage, love marriage
'A le quenouille le fol s' agenouille The fool submits himself to his proud wife.

'Agenouille.' To kneel, go down unto the knees; Quenouille, a rod on which wool etc. is wound for spinning.

Dame qui trop se mire peu file She that heeds her beauty to much:
tends her benefit but little;
A proud, and a good housewife
are incompatible.
Qui a maraste diable en l'atre As good have a devil for a wife, as a stepmother.

'Atre.' Hearth, floor of a fireplace.

Le vous en mets la bride sur le col I give you full power over it;
I abandon it wholly unto you.
Entre promettre et donner doit on la fille marier' Between giving somewhat,
and promising much,
a man may be honestly
rid of a daughter.
Qui perd sa femme, et cinq
sols c'est grand damage de l'argent
He that loses his wife and sixpence,
has some loss,
financially at least,
to complain of.
Gasteresse a woman that marries, wastes and destroys
Ce n'est rien, c'est vne femme
Qui se noye
It is no great matter,
Though a woman
Drown herself
A qui Dieu veut aider
sa femme luy meurt
The wife of him,
whom God will help soon dies.

I find more bitter than death
the woman whose heart is snares and nets,
and her hands as bands,
whoso pleased God
shall escape from her,
But the sinner
Shall be taken by her.
Ecclesiastic 7-26

D' oyseaux, de chiens, d' armes, &
d'amours pour vn plasir mille douleurs
The pleasure got by hawks, hounds
and armies and love are dearly bought,
with A million harms.
'Soliel qui luisarne au matin,
femme qui parle Latin,
et enfant nourry de vin,
ne viennent point a bonne fin'.
A glaring morning,
A woman Latinist,
A wine fed child,
Make men cry had I wish
Tous frappez a vn mesme coing All, made in one mold,
All, stamped with one finger,
All birds of a feather.
Toute chatte a son felovrier Everyman has his madding fit; or, a season there is, wherein many women may be wooed, if not won.
C'est trop aimer quand on meurt He loves to much, that dies for love
Il faut acheter maison faitte, et femme a faire Buy a house readymade, and a wife
unmade, (unman-ed.) or, let thy wife
be of thine own making.
A chandelle la chevre semble belle He that chooses a wife by candle light,
or by others eyes,
other than his own,
may perhaps be foully deceived.
[just ask Henry 8th.]
Elle a la langue en la bouche, non en la bourse Her tongue is ever at hand, I warrant you. [said of a prattling, tattling, housewife].
Or, her clicket is ever wagging, also, she is not tongue tied I grant you.
clicket, seems a very apt term for a woman's mouth, because like a train, once they start moaning all you hear is clickety, clack, clickety clack,
same old moans,
same old track. M.

It is better to dwell in the wilderness,
than with a contentious and angry woman.
Proverbs 21-19.

It is better to dwell in a corner
Of the housetop,
Than with a brawling woman,
In a wide house.
Proverbs 21-9.

Langue de tripiere. Or, iniureux en tripiere. One that scolds like an oyster wife, or butter whore; a railing tongue. ['tripiere.' A trip seller's wife. 'tripier.' A trip seller; also, a gorbelly, gulch, fat-big bellied.] thus,
cousteau de tripiere, (qui coupe des deux costez.) One that, in a faction, holds correspondence with both sides, rather to hurt them both, than help either.
Fille fenestriere & trotiere rarement bonne mesnagere Seldom proves a gazer, {one who is always looking at her own refection}, or gadder, {one who wanders} a good housewife.
Femme qui envis file porte chemise vile Beggary, and slutishness are the fruits of ill buswifery and of laziness.
Les sottes filles a merier sont fascheaux troupeaux a garder Wenches fond of marriage are troublesome cattle to keep. As many marriages makes bare walls.
A la quenouille le fols'agenouille Fools kneel to distances, weak men unto women
Qui a le nez tourne a la friandise Said of a light housewife, (like, from the affinity that is between a lickerish tongue, and a lecherous tail.)
[be like, a young beauty, who chooses a rich man, not for love, but because of the sweet things he can give her.]
Orgueilleuse, semblance monstre folle cuidance A haughty look, argues a fond presumption. Or a proud look shows the hearts possessed with folly.
A la chandelle la chevre semble dam oiselle By candle light a she goat
seems a gentle woman;
where by the candle,
is meant a man's own affection?
or opinion of another,
either of which followed
wholly by the choice of a wife,
has often proved erroneous.
For wine finds beauty where there is none,
and lust is so blind,
it sees nothing but the Sun.
and a beauty in the eyes of one,
is but disdainful to another.
[dam oiselle-damsel].
Femme le cheresse ne sera ia poree espaisse The lickerous housewife seldom makes thick pottage
On ne fait pas de rien grasse poree Fat broth cannot be made from nothing
Tenir de la queniouille To hold of, or do, or pay homage to the smock; his wife to be his master.
Truye aime mieux bran que roses The sow loves to dress better than delicacies.
We say, mutton dressed like lamb.
Vn mesme cousteau me coupe le pain & le doigt The same knife that cuts my bread,
cuts my finger;
the same mouth blows hot and cold,
the same mind loves
and hates.
Couvecendre A lazy housewife,
one that is forever hanging her nose
over the fire,
or warming her privates before it.
Femcre qui enuis fileporte chemise vile Beggary and sluttishness are fruits of bad housewife and laziness.
Femme trop piteuse fraict
sa famille teigneuse
The over gentle housewife
mares her household.
Mausaise sille se morque de sa mere An ill bred, brought up daughter,
mocks her silly mother.
Mere piteuse fair sa fille roigeuse A tender mother breeds a scabby daughter.
[a sheepish cat makes a proud mouse].
Caqueteule a prattling housewife
Caquetiere a prattling housewife

It is better to dwell in the wilderness,
than with a contentious and angry woman.
Proverbs 21-19

Femme rit quand elle peut, & pleure quand elle veut A woman laughs when she can,
and weeps when she will
Quand la messe fut chantee,
si fut la Dame parce
By the time prayers were done
her tears were on.
Elle a mis le bouquet sous l'oreille Of a widow; she would fain be had, won, or married. Of a whore; she may [for money] be had, won or used.

In France, when they rode, or, lead out horses for sale, they used to stick flowers-posies under their ears. Perhaps such women were of the habit of carrying a flower or two to signal their readiness to be deflowered.

[the word 'bouquet' signified, nosegay or posy of flowers.]

Femme qui ses leures mord, & qui son
alleure tord se mesle du mestier ord,
ou fait a soy mesmetort
The wife that bites her lips
and treads askew, is to her husband,
or herself untrue.
Femme safre, & yvrongnesse, de son corps n'est pas maistresse A wanton and wine drinking woman,
her body yields to open shame.
[yvrongnesse- a drunken woman
or sow [female pig].