Solomons Proverbs in English and Latin Alphabetical, Title page – To the reader
SOLOMON'S PROVERBS Engliſh and Latin, Alphabetically Collected for help of Memory.
In Engliſh by H. D. And ſince made Latin by S. Perkins, late School-… of Chriſt-Church-Hoſpital.
Fitted for the Uſe of Schools.
Eccleſ. 12.9. The Preacher was wiſe, he taught the People Knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and ſought out, and ſet in order many Proverbs.
1 Kings 4.30, 31, 32. And Solomon's Wiſdom excelled the wiſdom of all the Children of the Eaſt, &c. For he was wiſer than all the Men, &c. And he ſpake three thouſand Proverbs, &c.
Prov. 4.7. Wiſdom is the Principal thing, therefore get Wiſdom; and with all thy gettings, get Underſtanding.
The Fifth Edition.
London, Printed for William Redmayne, and are to be ſold by Hen. Mortlock at the Phoenix in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1681.
To the READER.
IT is ſaid of Solomon, ſo much commended for WISDOM, 1 Kings 4.29. &c. That God gave him wiſdom and underſtanding exceeding much, and largeneſs of heart, even as the ſand that is on the Sea-Shore. And that his wiſdom excelled the wiſdom of the Children of the Eaſt-Country, and all the wiſdom of Egypt. And, that he was wiſer than all men &c. And, that his fame was in all Nations round about: Which admirable wiſdom of his ſeemed chiefly to conſiſt in his Proverbs; Who ſpake, as Verſ. 32. three thouſand Proverbs; compared with Eccl. 12.9. The Preacher was wiſe, he ſtill taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and ſought out and ſet in order many Proverbs.
1. The nature of a Proverb.
For the Nature of them in general. They are ſhort wiſe Sentences, containing much in a little. The Hebrew word foreign (a)foreign ſimilitudo, parabola, proverbium ſententia: citè graviter que dicta & paucis concinnata. Bux. Lex.ſignifies (as Buxt.) an excellent Speech, Sentence, Parable, or Similitude, acutely and weightily ſpoke and comprized in few words. The Greek words,(b)foreign, Proverbium, Adagium, Ep. 222. Parabola, Joh. 10.6. foreign. 1. Comparatio alegorica & aenigmatica, Mat. 13.13. 2. Obſcura ſententia, Mat. 15.15. 3. Exemplar ſeu Typus, Heb. 9.9. 4. Adagium. Luk. 4.23. 5. Similitudo. Heb. 11.11. Paſ. Lex. foreign, vel foreign, as Paſor renders them, import much the ſame, viz. ſhort Sentences, ſometimes comparatively delivered, called by Greek Writers, foreign, Axioms, or worthy ſayings; and by the Latins Adagia, Adagies, ſhort Sentences.
In the Scripture ſometimes called, The ſayings of the Antients, 1 Sam. 24.13. becauſe delivered by the wiſe ancient Fathers or Elders, and therefore Prov. 1.6. called, The words of the wiſe; and ſometimes, The ſayings of old, 2 Sam. 20.18. Pſal. 78.2. becauſe the approbation and conſent of Ages went to make them the uſuage of a Nation, being brought by Cuſtom and Tradition to every mouth.
2. The Ʋſe of a Proverb.
Proverbs we find are variouſly laid down and uſed in Scripture, ſometimes by way of Compariſon or Similitude, 1. Comparatively.which doth greatly illuſtrate, as Prov. 26.9. As a Thorn goeth up into the haend of a Drunkard, ſo is a Parable in the mouth of Fools. And verſ. 11. As a Dog returneth to his vomit; ſo a Fool returneth to his folly. Ver. 14. As a Door turneth upon his Hinges, ſo doth the ſlothful man upon his Bed. Be wiſe as Serpents, and harmleſs as Doves, Mat. 10.16.
The difference betwixt a Proverb and a Parable.And the only difference betwixt this ſort of Proverbs and Parables is, That one is a large ſimilitude, the other a ſhort one. A Parable is a long Proverb, and a Proverb a ſhort Parable; being in Scripture therefore called both by one name, ſometimes the Parable called Proverb, and the Proverb called Parable, Mat. 15.15.
Our Saviour delighted ſo much in this kind of ſpeaking, that he is ſaid not to have ſpoke without them, Mat. 13.34.
2. Obſcurely.Sometimes in an obſcure or aenigmatick way of ſpeaking, and therefore called, Prov. 1.6. The words of the wiſe, and their dark ſayings. And Pſal. 87.2. Dark ſayings of old; which our Saviour therefore uſually explained, as not being underſtood many times by his Auditors, as John 10.6. Mat. 15.11,—15, 16, 17 ver. Mar. 13.11. And therefore it is ſaid to him upon his explanation, John 16.26. Now ſpeakeſt thou plainly, and ſpeakeſt no Proverb, oppoſing plain ſpeaking to proverbial or Paribolical.
Sometimes again in a plain familiar ſtile,3. Plainly. eaſie to be underſtood of all; containing ſhort, pithy, ſententious Doctrines, either for inſtruction, exhortation, admonition or reproof: And of this kind are moſt of Solomon's, and indeed moſt we meet with in the Scriptures: as ſuch as theſe: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wiſdom. Above all gettings, get underſtanding. Fools make a mock of ſin. Man lives not by bread alone. Evil communication corrupts good manners. &c.
3. The End of a Proverb.
The end of a Proverb is for information of the mind, and reformation of the manners; and beſt expreſt by Solomon himſelf, in his own words, Prov. 1.2, 3. To know Wiſdom and Inſtruction; to perceive the words of Ʋnderstanding; to receive the Inſtruction of Wiſdom, Juſtice, Judgment and Equity. And this Univerſally to all ſorts, degrees, age and ſexes, young and old, poor and rich, learned and unlearned, fooliſh and wiſe; therefore verſ. 45. To give ſubtility to the ſimple; to the young man, knowledg and diſcretion. To the wiſe and underſtanding, increaſe of learning, and the attaining to wiſe Counſels; to the underſtanding of a Proverb, or an eloquent Speech, (as the Margent) the words of the Wiſe, and their dark Sayings. It is ſaid, the wiſdom of the Ancient Grecians, that wiſe and underſtanding Nation, conſiſted much in their Proverbs; and to this day they are accounted the beſt evidence of the Wiſdom of a Nation, whereof Collections are generally made, and Records uſually kept.
4. The Order of Solomon's Proverbs.
As for the Order of Solomon's Proverbs, they are without any methodical contexture, or near dependance upon each other, which makes them the more abſtruſe, and difficult to the Reader; are therefore, for better help of Memory, brought into this method and order, being Alphabetically collected out of the Proverbs and Eccleſiaſtes; and though deſigned only for private uſe, is here tendred to the publick, as profitable for all; but eſpecially recommended to the wiſe improvement of Judicious School-maſters, by whoſe ingenuity, theſe excellent Adagies, and worthy ſayings, ſo full of Wiſdom and knowledge, ſo expreſly leading to every duty, both to God, our ſelves and Neighbours, and of ſuch Univerſal concern, may by Gods bleſſing be improved in School-learning, to inſtil ſuch excellent Principles as may not only leave divine impreſſions upon the minds of their youth, but moſt admirably direct to every moral accompliſhment, containing not only the true wiſdom, (teaching the fear of the Lord) but all other neceſſary learning, as well Ethicks, viz. matters pertaining to moral vertues, as Prudence, Juſtice, Temperance, &c. As Oeconomicks, viz. matters of Domeſtick or Family concerns, relating to the duties of husbands, wives, Parents, Children, Maſters and Servants. And Politicks alſo, relating to Government, and matters of State: ſo that Plato, Ariſtotle, Cicero, &c. and other Heatheniſh School-Authors, are not to be named with Solomon, who ſo inſtructs to every good word and work; the Proverbs indeed being what is ſaid of the Scriptures, 2 Tim. 3.16. Profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Inſtruction in Righteouſneſs, &c. Therefore, as Solomon himſelf adviſes, Train up a Child in the way he ſhould go, and when he is old he will not depart from it, Prov. 22.6.
If any advantage be reaped hereby to to you or yours, let God have the Glory, and the unworthy Inſtrument the benefit of your Prayers, who is deſirous in every capacity faithfully to his utmoſt,
To ſerve You and his Generation, whilſt, H. D.