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Cotgrave's World: Book 15 Medicine

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Thoughts, proverbs and Sayings from the 16th Century

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

'Debonnaire mire fait playe puante'
A tenderhearted surgeon makes
A wound stink.

'Les maladies viennent a cheval, est s'en retournent a pied'
Diseases come on horseback
and returns on foot.

'Tard medicine est apprestre a maladie enracine'
Sickness once rooted,
all medicine comes too late.

'Contre la mort n'y a point de medecine'
There is no medicine,
remedy for death.
[death, when it comes
will bear no denial].

'De grande maladie vient on bien en grande sante'
Sound health comes after sore diseases. Or, much comfort after many crosses, or,
long sickness often breeds
a lasting health.

'Medecin d'eau douce'
(a young, raw, or
unexperienced physician.)
we say, a fresh water soldier.

'De nouveau Medecin cimitiere bossu'
A new physician breeds a fat churchyard.

'Ieune barbier, et vieil medecin'
A young churigion
and an old physician,
(are commonly the best.)

'Bon est le medecin qui se scait guerir'
He is a good physician
that can cure his own infirmities.

'Argent comptant porte medecine'
Ready money is ready medicine;
or procures any medicine.

'Veau mal cuit, & poulets cruds font les cimitieres bossus'
Raw veal, and chickens fill churchyards.
Or,
Young meat raw dressed
makes churchyards
grow hunch, backed.
Yet,

'Mal deffus mal n'est pas sante'
Ill upon ill is no health.

'Contre la mort n'y a point de medecine'
There is no medicine
or remedy for death.