Lux Nova
The Secret Vault: Lux Nova

Login

Please complete the highlighted fields

Register Password Reset


Cotgrave's World: Book 22 Glimpses of Wisdom

[ Home ] [ Biography ] [ Books ] [ Quotes ]

Thoughts, proverbs and Sayings from the 16th Century

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

'Vn meschant vaisseau iamais ne tombe de le main'
The best things run more hazard than the worst, or, ill vessels never, while good ones often, fall. Or, honesty is rarely the best policy, or easiest road. As such, a good dog never lights upon a good bone; the worst bones ever fall to the best dog's share, an honest man hath still the worst luck, or, an unworthy fellow often lights upon a worthy fortune, the worst the knave the better the luck.

'De gens de bien vient tout bien'
From good men, comes all goodness.

'Bon sang ne peut mentir'
A worthy nature cannot conceal itself.

'Assez a qui se contente'
We say, a contented mind
is a great treasure; or, is worth all.

'Bon charron tourne en petit lieu'
A good charter turns in a narrow corner;
a wise fellow quits himself well in time of extremity, or, shifts himself easily out of danger.

'Innocene porte sa defense'
Innocense bears its own defense.

'Ce qu'on donne luit ce qu'on mange puit'
True bounty consists rather in giving men means, rather than meat. [ actions not words, permanent not temporary fixes.

'Pardonne a tous mais a toy point'
Pardon all men but thyself; or,
Pardon other mens offences;
but punish thine own.
yet

'Semer des roses aux pourceau'
To bestow excellent things upon
the vicious that will not,
or the ignorant that cannot,
make use of them.

Too many word s,

'Par trop debatre la verile se perd'
Too much debating makes truth be lost.
[anger and hate hinder good council]

'Grande dispute la verite rebute'
Wrangling, contention is truths

'Bon sang ne peut mentir'
A worthy nature cannot conceal itself.

'Bon coeur ne peut mentir'
An honest heart will not,
a worthy heart cannot,
utter, or be the author of untruths.

'Beau parler n'escorche langue'
Fair words flay not the tongue;
tear no skin, break no bones.
Or,

'Les paroles ne puent point'
(bare) words have no ill savour,
or, simple words have no bitter taste.

'Oncques bon cheval ne devint rosse'
Seldom does a good horse turn bad; a worthy fellow will never prove a coward, or knave; age cannot weaken, no danger repell,
no pain afflicts, no offer infects or affects him.

'Baston porte paix quant et soy'
A good bat makes peace where it comes.

'On doit dire du bien, le bien'
Of good things, we must use good.

'Coeur content et manteau sur l'espaule'
In an honest estate, how small so ever,
there is great contentment to be found.

'Assez a qui se contente'
We say, a contented mind
is a great treasure; or, is worth all.

'Bon charron tourne en petit lieu'
A good charter turns in a narrow corner;
a wise fellow quits himself well in time of extremity, or, shifts himself easily out of danger.

'Innocene porte sa defense'
Innocense bears its own defense.

'Ce qu'on donne luit ce qu'on mange puit'
True bounty consists rather in giving men means, rather than meat. [ actions not words, permanent not temporary fixes.

'Pardonne a tous mais a toy point'
Pardon all men but thyself; or,
Pardon other mens offences;
but punish thine own.
yet

'De grand (ou petit)
peche grand (ou petit')
Great offences need great pardons;
little faults are soon forgiven; or,
as is thy fault so must the pardon be.

'Semer des roses aux pourceau'
To bestow excellent things upon
the vicious that will not,
or the ignorant that cannot,
make use of them.
Too many word s,

'Par trop debatre la verile se perd'
Too much debating makes truth be lost.
[anger and hate hinder good council]

'Grande dispute la verite rebute'
Wrangling, contention is truths
prevention.
[few words give truth, many, give lies].

'Tel autheur tel oevre'
Like author, like
work; such is the writer such is the book;
a fool can only write a Foolish book.v The tests of knowledge are made
by those without knowledge,
what is the worth then?
Of knowledge,
but nothing. M.

'Rien n'a qui assez n'a'
He that has not enough has nothing; or, he that covets more than he has, enjoys not even what he does have.

'Tout est fait negligemment la ou l'un a l'autre s'attend'
Nothing is well done
where one altogether trusts unto another.

'Il n'est oevre que d' ouvriers'
There no work done,
unless its rightly done.

'Large de bouche, & estroict de ceincture'
That promises, or offers, much, but put to the Test, will part with little or nothing;
He promises the Earth, but only gives clods [sods].
[Proverbs 25-14.
Whoso boasteth himself
Of a false gift
Is like clouds and wind
Without rain.]
[everyone wants to go to heaven
but nobody wants to die].

'De ce que tu pourras faire amais n' attens autruy'
For that which you can do yourself rely not on others.

'Le coeur, fait l'oeuvre, non pas, les grand iours'
Not the length of day, but the strength of heart rids work.

'Pour bien tirer il faut prendre visee'
Take aim with thy sight,
If you mean to shoot right;
Ere thou thy arrow do let fly,
Let thy hand be guided by thine
Eye;
For he that will prevail,
Must proceed, by,
Advice unveiled.

'Il n' est cheval qui n' air son mesham'
There is no creature perfect,
everyone is in some part,
or point faulty or defective.

'Il n'est bon qui ne faille'
The best men have their faults,
the most honest their errors.
[to err is human].

'Le plus sage se taist'
The wisest says the least.

'Tout cheval a besoing d'esperon'
All men have need of some correction.
[the boy is the father of the man].

'Il n'est cheval qui n'ait sa tare'
He is lifeless, who is faultless.
[ he who makes no mistakes
makes nothing,
does nothing,
is nothing.]

'Grand bandon fait grand l'arron'
Great liberty makes great thieves.
[arron- turn, turnabout, go backwards, from good too bad.]

'Nul grain sans paille'
No corn without straw, {or chaff], good and Bad are commonly lodged together.

'Qui perd le sien perd le sens'
He who loses his patience,
foregoes his senses,
power to reason, or act-
respond appropriately.
(nothing should be done hastily,
except the killing of fleas).
[Proverbs, 29-20.
Seest thou a man that is hasty
In his words,
There is more hope of a fool
Than of him.]

'Trois beaucoup, & trois peu destruisent l'homme'
To speak much and know little,
to spend much and have but little,
to presume much and be but little,
that is a man.

'A tout il y a commencement'
or,

'il y a commencement per tout'
Everything hath a beginning.

'Cuider n'est pas iuste mesure'
Conjecture is no just measure;
the just, conclude not by imagination;
he often wrongs both himself and others,
who makes a certain estimate;
or gives a final judgement,
upon the first, or outward
appearance of things.

'En grand sadeau n'est pas l' acquest'
He gains not most, that carries most,
Not weight but worth, [is weighed]
Not greatness but goodness,
Makes a burden gainful.

'Il n'est si grand iour qui ne vienne a vespre'
The longest days have evenings,
all earthly things an end.

'Nul endroict sans son envers'
No outside, without an inside, hence,
no end without a beginning. 0r,
while birth is not guaranteed,
death upon birth is.

'Tout vray n'est pas bon a dire'
Every truth is not to be told.
[ the price of liberty,
is eternal vigilance].

'Il faut discerner la peau de la chemise'
We must [learn to] distinguish things
which be near,
and those which be further from,
or beyond us.

'Pour devider la susee il faut trouver le bout de sil'
To conceive, dispose of,
discuss of things rightly,
one must find out
their beginnings.

'Aimer & seavoir n'ont mesine manoir'
Love & knowledge live not together. [ both require time and endeavor, the time one gains, lessens the other, you may only be successful in one, or fail in both; few, if any truly great man has been successful with women and children in tow, and those that do, like Moses ignored them].

'Vne science requiert tout son homme'
One art requires a whole man;
a man that would be perfect in an art
must follow nothing else.

'Ne criore a dieu, que sur bons gages'
To trust no man, however rich he maybe, without good pawns, to believe no man however honest he seems, without good proofs.

'De qui ie me fie dieu me garde'
God preserve me from him who I trusted.

'Aller & parler peut oa, boire & manger non'
One may visit a friend sometimes, if he is welcoming, but you must not outstay your welcome, if his welcome is to remain. [familiarity breeds contempt] [friends are the thieves of time].

'Trop presser fait le cheval restif'
To take too much from,
or presume too much on a friend,
is the way to make him loath you,
and for you to lose him.

'Si ieunesse lcavoit, & vieillesse pouvoit iamais povietie n' arioir'
If youth knew what to do,
and age could use what it knows,
no man would ever be poor.

'Et petit champeroist bien bon bled'
Good corn grows very well in little fields;
or very good corn- excellent
spirits are often lodged in exile,
or small bodies.

'Mieux vaut reigle que rente'
Better be wise than wealthy,
honest than rich;
good rules {must be} to be
preserved, before great revenues.

'Mieux vaut estre seul que mal accompagne'
It is better to be alone, than with idle,
or ill-sorted company.
(better no heart than fool hardy;
Better no pies, than pies made
with scabby hands)

'Mieux vant se taire que mal parler'
Better silence than a senseless tongue.
[better to be unborn than ill taught].

'Hardiment parle teste saine'
The speech of the innocent is confident.

'Le moins de mon plus'
The more I can, the least I should.

'Il ne se tort pas qui va plain chemin'
He goes not much awry [astray]
that keeps the highroad way.

'Tel a bonne cause qui est condamne'
A just cause maybe overthrown
By an unjust sentence.
[Proverbs, 13-23.
A poor man's field
May produce abundant food,
But injustice sweeps it away.

'Bons mots n'espargnent nul'
A good man's words are never impartial,
good words hit home.

'A bon enten-tu il ne fault qu` au demy mot'
A good wit needs but one word
to inform it, or,
A wise man picks whole sense
From half a word.

'Il entend le chat sans dire minon'
He apprehends the man's meaning
before he spoke to him.

'La vertu ne sut iamais a` menton blanc'
Virtue never grows old, the vigour
thereof never did see decay.

PATIENCE IS THE CHILD OF WISDOM

'Qui na patience il n`a rien'
He that hath no patience has nothing,

'Tout vient a` poinct qui peut attendre'
He that is patient, anything may compass.

'Le temps renverse les ponts'
In time are bridges (all things) overthrown.

'Pas a` pas le boeuf prend le lievee'
Step by step the ox
does catch up with the hare;
by diligence and continuance,
in a direct course,
Even the dullest wit
comes to great knowledge.

'En vne chanson n'y a qu' un bon mot'
There is but one good word in a song

'Nulle noix sans coque'
No nut without a shell.

'Rien n' a qui assez n'a'
He who has not enough, has nothing.

'A peu parler bien besonger'
The most works done with fewest words. Or, more words less work, or
the fewer the words the more work done.

'Vn coup de langue est plus dangereux qu' un coup de lance'
A word can be more dangerous
than the wound of a lance.
[Proverbs, 12-18.
Reckless words
Pierce like a sword,
But the tongue of the wise
Brings healing.]

'Il ne se garde pas bien qui ne se garde tousiours'
He looks not, that still looks not,
to himself; or, he guards himself not well,
that guards not always.

'En maigre poil a morsure'
A bald head yields a louse,
a full bite, disarmed of protection,
soon harmed by oppression.

'Mal poise qui ne contrepoise'
He that perceives ill, and counters not;
he uses not good luck wisely,
that thinks not of,
or provides not for ill luck:( is doomed.)

'Bon geut chasse maluventure'
Good heed prevents misfortunes,
(or expels them.)

'Qui ia peur il est asseur'
He that fears, is assured; he that
fears false ground treads carefully.

'Vn trouble ne brise dents'
Thick wine breaks no man's teeth;
sweet things go down
without a shoehorn.

'Trop grate cuit trop parler nuit'
Too much scratching hurts the skin,
too much talking the whole body.

'Tel est plain qui se plaind'
Some, how soever full they be,
are never contented. [They eat,
but are ever hungry,
they drink, but ever thirst.
See but never perceive,
hear but never understand.

'A povre coeur petit souhait'
Little things content low thoughts,
or a humble heart has humble desires.

'Bien dire fait rire, bien faire fait taire'
Good words bring laughter,
good deeds admiration.

'Grande moisson l'obeissant reueille'
Great is the harvest of the obedient,
they that can yield will thrive.

'Quand d'autruy parler tu voudras regarde toy, & e tairas'
Let him that mean to tax or discredit
another, examine himself first,
then he will be silent.
Let him first see his own faults, before
complaining of the faults in others.

'Qui bien se cognoist peu se prise, qui peu se prise Dieu l'avise'
He who knows himself well,
despises himself,
he who despises himself God advises.

'Le plus sage se taist'
The wisest says the least.
[Proverbs 21-23.
Whoso keepeth his mouth
and his tongue
keepeth his soul from troubles.]

'Chose bien dorinee n'est iamais perdue'
A thing discreetly given, is never lost,
when you do a good turn
let no one know of it.