A collection of English proverbs digested into a convenient method for the speedy finding any one upon occasion : with short annotations : whereunto are added local proverbs with their explications, old proverbial rhythmes, less known or exotick proverbial sentences, and Scottish proverbs / by J. Ray, M.A. and Fellow of the Royal Society.

SCOTTISH PROVERBS.

A.

• ALl things hath a beginning (God ex∣cepted)
• A good beginning makes a good ending.
• A slothful man is a beggers brother.
• A vaunter and a liar is both one thing.
• All is not tint that is in peril.
• All is not in hand that helps.
• A toom purse makes a bleat merchant.
• As long runs the fox as he feet hath.
• A hasty man never wanted wo.
• A wight man wanted never a weapon.
• A fools bolt is soon shot.
• A given horse should not be lookt in the teeth.
• A good asker should have a good naysay.
• A dear ship stands long in the haven.
• An oleit mother makes a sweir daughter.
• ...

• A carless hussie makes mony thieves.
• A liar should have a good memory.
• A black shooe makes a blithe heart.
• A hungry man sees far.
• A silly bairn is eith to lear.
• A half-penny cat may look to the King.
• A greedy man God hates.
• A proud heart in a poor breast, hes meikle dollour to dree.
• A scald mans head is soon broken.
• A skabbit sheep fyles all the flock.
• A burnt bairne, fire dreads.
• Auld men are twice bairnes.
• A tratler is worse then a thief.
• A borrowed len should come laughing hame.
• A blithe heart makes a blomand visage.
• A year a nurish, seven years a daw.
• An unhappy mans cairt is eith to tumble.
• An old hound bites fair.
• A fair bride is soon buskt, and a short horse soon wispt.
• As good haud as draw.
• A man that is warned, is half armed.
• An ill win penny will cast down a pound.
• All the corn in the countrey, is not shorn by pratlers.
• Ane begger is wae that another be the gate gae.
• A travelled man hath leave to lie.
• Ane ill word meets another, and it were at the bridg of London.
• A hungry louse bites fair.
• ...

• A gentle horse would not be over fair spurred.
• A friends dinner is soon dight.
• An ill cook wald have a good claver.
• A good fellow tint never, but at an ill fellows hand.
• At open doors, dogs comes in.
• A word before, is worth two behind.
• A still sow eats all the draff.
• A dumb man holds all.
• All fails that fools thinks.
• A wooll seller kens a wooll buyer.
• All fellows, Jock and the Laird.
• As the sow fills, the draff soures.
• A full heart lied never.
• As good merchant tynes as wins.
• All the speid is in the spurs.
• As fair greits the bairne that is dung afternoon, as he that is dung before noon.
• An ill life, an ill end.
• Anes wood, never wise, ay the worse.
• Anes pay it never cravit.
• A good rufer, was never a good rider.
• All the keys in the countrey hangs not at ane belt.
• A dumb man wan never land.
• As soon comes the lambs skin to the market, as the old sheeps.
• As many heads, as many wits.
• A blind man should not judge of colours.
• As the old cock craws, the young cock leares.
• A skabbed horse is good enough for a skald squire.
• A mirk mirrour is a mans mind.
• As meikle up with, as meikle down with.
• ...

• An ill shearer gat never a good book.
• A tarrowing bairn was never fat.
• A good cow may have an ill cals.
• A cock is crouse in his own midding.
• A new bissome soupes clean.
• As fair fights wranes as cranes.
• A yelt sow was never good to gryses.
• As the carle riches he wretches.
• A fool when he hes spoken hes all done.
• An old seck eraves meikle clouting.
• An old seck is ay skailing.
• A fair fire makes a room flet.
• An old knave is na bairne.
• A good yeaman makes a good woman.
• A man hath no more good then he hath good of.
• A fool may give a wise man a counsel.
• A man may speir the gate to Rome.
• As long lives the merry man as the wretch for all the craft he can.
• All wald have all, all wald forgive.
• Ane may lead a horse to the water, put four and twenty cannot gar him drink.
• A bleat cat makes a proud mouse.
• An ill willy kow should have short horns.
• A good piece steil is worth a penny.
• A shored tree stands lang.
• A gloved cat was never a good hunter.
• A gangand foot is ay getting, an it were but a thorn.
• All is not gold that glitters.
• A swallow makes not summer or spring-time.
• A man may spit on his hand and do full ill.
• ...

• An ill servant will never be a good maister.
• An hyred horse tyred never.
• All the winning is in the first buying.
• Anuch [enough] is a feast (of bread and cheise.)
• A horse may stumble on four feet.
• All thing wytes that well not faires.
• All things thrives but thrice.
• Absence is a shroe.
• Auld sin new shame.
• A man cannot thrive except his wife let him.
• A bairne mon creep or he gang.
• As long as ye serve the tod, ye man bear up his tail.
• All overs are ill, but over the water.
• A man may wooe where he will, but he will wed where he is weard.
• A mean pot [where several share in it] plaid never evin.
• Among twenty four fools not ane wise man.
• Ane mans meat, is another mans poison.
• A fool will not give his bable for the tower of Lon.
• A foul foot makes a full weamb.
• A man is a lion in his own cause.
• A hearty hand to give a hungry meltith.
• A cumbersome cur in company, is hated for his miscarriage.
• A poor man is fain of little.
• An answer in a word.
• A beltless bairn cannot lie.
• A yule feast may be quat at Pasche.
• A good dog never barket bout a bone.
• A full-seek will take a clout on the side.
• An ill hound comes halting home.
• ...

• All things help (quod the Wran) when she pished in the sea.
• All cracks, all beares.
• A houndless man comes to the best hunting.
• All things hes an end, and a pudding hes twa.
• All is well that ends well.
• As good hads the stirrep, as he that loups on.
• A begun work is half ended.
• A Scottish man is ay wise behind the hand.
• A new sound, [per onomatop.] in an old horn.
• As broken a ship hes come to land.
• As the fool thinks, ay the bell clinks.
• A man may see his friend need, but he will not see him bleed.
• A friend is not known but in need.
• A friend in court, is better nor a penny in the purse.
• All things is good unseyed.
• A good goose indeed, but she hes an ill gan∣der.
• All are not maidens that wears bair hair.
• A mache and a horse-shoe are both alike.
• Airlie crooks the tree, that good cammok should be.
• An ounce of mothers wit is worth a pound of Clergy.
• An inch of a nag is worth the span of an aver.

B.

• BEtter sit idle then work for nought.
• Better learn by your neighbours skaith nor by your own.
• Better half egg nor an empty shell.
• Better apple given nor eaten.
• Better a dog fan nor bark on you.
• Bodin [offered] geir stinks.
• Bourd [jest] neither with me, nor with my honour.
• Buy when I bid you.
• Better late thrive then never.
• Better hand louse nor bound to an ill baikine.
• Better lang little nor soon right nought.
• Better give nor take.
• Better bide the cookes nor the mediciners.
• Better saucht with little aucht, nor care with many kow.
• Bring a kow to the hall, and she will to the byre again.
• Bear wealth, poverty will bear it self.
• Better good sale nor good ale.
• Better wooe over midding nor over moss.
• Blaw the wind never so fast it will lower at the last.
• Bind fast, find fast.
• Better auld debts nor auld saires.
• Better a fowl in hand nor two flying.
• Better spaire at the breird nor at the bottom.
• Bind the seck before it be full.
• ...

• Better be well loved nor ill won geir.
• Better finger off nor ay warking.
• Better rew sit, nor rew flit.
• Bourd not with bawty, fear lest he bite you.
• Better say, Here it is, nor here it was.
• Better plays a full weamb, nor a new coat.
• Better be happy nor wise.
• Better happy to court, nor good service.
• Better a wit bought, nor twa for nought.
• Better bow nor break.
• Better two seils, nor ane sorrow.
• Better bairnes greit nor bearded men.
• Betwixt twa stools, the arse falls down.
• Better na ring nor the ring of a rush.
• Better hold out nor put out.
• Better sit still, nor rise and get a fall.
• Better leave nor want.
• Better unborn nor untaught.
• Better be envied nor pitied.
• Better a little fire that warms, nor a meikle that burns.
• Be the same thing that thou wald be cald.
• Black will be no other hew.
• Beauty but bounty avails nought.
• Beware of had I wist.
• Better be alone, nor in ill company.
• Better a thigging mother, nor a ryding father.
• Before I wein and now I wat.
• Bonie silver is soon spendit.
• Better never begun nor never endit.
• Biting and scratching is Scotsfolks woing.
• ...

• Breads house skiald never.
• Bairns mother burst never.
• Bannoks [a tharfecake oat bread] is better nor na kin bread.
• Better a laying hen nor a lyin crown.
• Better be dead as out of the fashion.
• Better buy as borrow.
• Better have a mouse in the pot as no flesh.

C.

• COurt to the town, and whore to the window.
• Cadgers [meal-men] speaks of packsaddles
• Changing of words is lighting of hearts.
• Charge your friend or you need.
• Cats eats that hussies spares.
• Cast not forth the old water while the new come in.
• Crabbit was, and cause had.
• Comparisons are odious.
• Come not to the counsel uncalled.
• Condition makes, and condition breaks.
• Cut duelles in every town.
• Cold cools the love that kindles over hot.
• Cease your snowballs casting.
• Come it aire, come it late, in May comes the cow-quake.
• Courtesie is cumbersom to them that kens it not.
• Chalke is na sheares.

D.

• DO in hill as ye wald do in hall.
• Do as ye wald be done to.
• Do weill and have weill.
• Dame deem warily.
• Dead and marriage makes tearm-day.
• Draff is good enough for swine.
• Do the likliest, and God will do the best.
• Drive out the inch as thou hast done the span.
• Dead men bites not.
• Daffling [jesting] good for nothing.
• Dogs will red swine.
• Dirt parts company.
• Drink and drouth comes sindle together.
• Daft talk dow not.
• Do well and doubt na man, and do weill and doubt all men.
• Dead at the one door, and heirship at the other.
• Dummie [a dumb man] cannot lie.

E.

• EArly maister, lang knave.
• Eaten meat is good to pay.
• Eild [old age] wald have honour.
• Evening orts is good morning fodder.
• ...

• Every land hes the lauch, and every corn hes the caffe.
• Every man wishes the water to his own mylne.
• Every many can rule an ill wife but he that hes her.
• Eat measurelie and defie the mediciners.
• Every man for himself (quoth the Merteine)
• Every man flames the fat sows arse.
• Experience may teach a fool.
• Every man wates best where his own shoe binds him.
• Efter lang mint, never dint.
• Efter word comes weird.
• Efter delay comes a lette.

F.

• FAir fowles hes fair feathers.
• Fair hights makes fools fain.
• Fools are fain of flitting.
• Falshood made never a fair hinder end.
• Freedom is a fair thing.
• For a lost thing care not.
• Fool haste is no speed.
• Fools let for trust.
• For love of the nurse, mony kisses the bairne.
• Folly is a bonny dog.
• Fair words break never bone; foul words breaks many ane.
• Foul water slokens fire.
• ...

• Far fought, and dear bought, is good for Ladies.
• For fault of wise men, fools sit on binks.
• Fools makes feasts, and wise men eats them.
• Fools are fain of right nought.
• Forbid a thing, and that we will do.
• Follow love and it will flee thee, flee love and it will follow thee.
• Fegges after peace.
• Fools should have no chappin sticks.
• Frindship stands not in one side.
• Few words sufficeth to a wise-man.
• Fire is good for the farcie.
• Fidlers dogs and flies comes to feasts uncalled.
• Fill fow and had fow makes a stark man.

G.

• GRace is best for the man.
• Giff gaff [one gift for another] makes good friends.
• Good wine needs not a wispe.
• Good cheir and good cheap garres many haunt the house.
• God sends men cold as they have clothes to.
• Gods help is neirer nor the fair evin.
• Give never the wolf the wether to keep.
• Good will should be tane in part of payment.
• God sends never the mouth but the meat with it.
• Girn when ye tie, and laugh when ye louse.
• Go to the Devil and bishop you.
• ...

• Go shoe the geese.
• God sends meat, and the Devil sends cooks.

H.

• HUnger is good kitchine meat.
• He that is far from his geir, is neir his skaith.
• Had I fish, was never good with garlick.
• He mon have leave to speak that cannot had his tongue.
• He that lippens to lent plows, his land will ly ley.
• He rides sicker that fell never.
• He that will not hear motherhead, shall hear step∣motherhead.
• He that crabs without cause, should mease without mends.
• He that may not as he would, mon do as he may.
• He that spares to speak, spares to speed.
• He is weil easit that hes ought of his own, when others goes to the meat.
• He that is welcome, faires weil.
• He that does ill hates the light.
• He that speaks the thing he should not, hears the things he would not.
• He that is evil deemd is half hanged.
• Help thy self, and God will help thee.
• He that spends his geir on a whore, hes both shame and skaith.
• ...

• He that forsakes missour, missour forsakes him.
• Half a tale is enough to a wise man.
• He that hewes over hie, the spail will fall into his eye.
• He that eats while he lasts, will be the war while he die.
• He is a weak horse that may not bear the saidle.
• He that borrows and bigs, makes feasts and thigs, drinks and is not dry, these three are not thrifty.
• He is a proud Tod that will not scrape his own hole.
• He is wise when he is well, can had him sa.
• He is is poor that God hates.
• He is wise that is ware in time.
• He is wise that can make a friend of a foe.
• Hair and hair, makes the cairles head baire:
• Hear all parties.
• He that is redd for windlestraws, should not sleep in lees.
• He rises over early that is hangit or noon.
• He is not the fool that the fool is, but he that with the fool deals.
• He that tholes overcomes.
• He loves me for little, that hates me for nought.
• He that hes twa herds, is able to get the third.
• He is a sairie begger that may not gae by ane mans door.
• Hall binks are sliddery.
• He is not the best wright that hewes the maniest speals.
• He that evil does, never good weines.
• Hooredome and grace, can never bide in one place.
• ...

• He that compts all costes, will never put plough in the earth.
• He that slays, shall be slain.
• He that is ill of his harberie, is good of his way kenning.
• He that will not when he may, shall not when he wald.
• Hanging ganges be hap.
• He is a fool that forgets himself.
• Happy man, happy cavil.
• He that comes uncalld, sits unservd.
• He that comes first to the hill, may sit where he will.
• He that shames, shall be shent.
• He gangs early to steal, that cannot say na.
• He should have a long shafted spoon that sups kail with the Devil.
• He sits above that deals aikers.
• He that ought the cow, goes nearest her tail.
• He is worth na weill that may not byde na wae.
• He should have a hail pow, that calls his neighbour nik••ienow.
• He that hes gold may buy land.
• He that counts without his hoste, counts twise.
• He that looks not or he loup, will fall or he wit of himself.
• Haste makes waste.
• Hulie [softly] and fair, men rides far journeys.
• He that marries a daw [slut] eats meikle dirt.
• He that marries or he be wise, will die or he thrive.
• ...

• Hunting, hawking, and paramours, for ane joy, a hundred displeasures.
• Hald in geir, helps well.
• He is twise fain, that sits on a stean.
• He that does his turn in time, sits half idle.
• He plaints early, that plaints on his kail.
• He is good that faild never.
• Half anuch, is half fill.
• He is a sairie cook that may not lick his own finger.
• Hunger is hard in a heal maw.
• He should wear iron shone that bydes his neigh∣bours deed.
• Hame, is hamelie.
• He that is hated of his subjects, cannot be counted a king.
• Hap and a half-penny, is warlds geir enough.
• He cals me skabbed, because I will not call him skade.
• He is blind that eats his marrow, but far blinder that lets him.
• Have God, and have all.
• Honesty is na pride.
• He that fishes afore the net, lang or he fish get.
• He tint never a cow, that grat for a needle.
• He that hes na geir to lose, hes shins to pine.
• He that takes all his geir fra himself, and gives to his bairns, it were weill ward to take a mallet and knock our his brains.
• He sits full still that hes a riven breech.
• He that does bidding, deserves na dinging.
• ...

• He that blaws best bears away the horn.
• He is weill staikit within, that will neither borrow nor len.
• Hea will gar a deaf man hear.
• He is fairest dung when his awn wand dings him.
• He hes wit at will, that with angry heart can hold him still.