Scottish Proverbs, Title page – To the reader
SCOTTISH PROVERBS: GATHERED TOGETHER BY DAVID FERGƲSSON sometime Minister at DUNFERMLINE: And put ordine Alphabetico when he departed this life, ANNO 1598.
EDINBURGH, Printed by ROBERT BRYSON, and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of Jonah 1641.
The Printer to the merrie, judicious and discreet Reader.
IT is well known, that everie Nation hath the own Proverbs, and proverbiall speeches, yea everie Shire or part of a Nation hath some proverbiall speeches, which others hath not: so that a man can hardlie gather together all such speeches, yet some are more inclined to such kinde of speeches then others. Therefore manie in this Realme that hath heard of David Fergusson sometime Minister at Dunfermbline, and of his quick answers and speeches, both to great persons, and others inferiours, and hath heard of his Proverbs which hee gathered together in his time, and now are put downe according to the order of the Alphabet: and manie of all ranks of persons being verie desirous to have the saids Proverbs, I have thought good to put them to the presse, for thy better satisfaction. And because many will say, that there are many Proverbs which I have not set down, I have left a blanke at the end of every Letter, that thou may supplie that want, as everie manthinks good: So shall I bee blamelesse that could print no more then I received the copie of, and thou contented that may set down what Proverbs are inlacking in thy conceit. I know there may be some that will say and marvell that a Minister should have taken pains to gather such Proverbs together: but they that knew his forme of powerfull preaching the Word, and his ordinar talking, ever almost using proverbiall speeches, will not finde fault with this that hee hath done. And whereas there are some old Scottish words not in use now, bear with that, because if ye alter those words, the Proverb will have no grace: And so recommending these proverbs to thy good use, I bid thee farewell.
SCOTTISH PROVERBS.
A
ALl things hath a beginning (God excepted)
A good beginning makes a good ending.
A sloathfull man is a beggers brother.
A vaunter and a lier is both one thing. —
All is not tint that is in perrell.
All is not in hand that helps.
A toome purse makes a bleat merchant.
As long runs the fox as he feet hath.
A hastie man never wanted woe.
A wight man wanted never a weapon.
A fooles 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 ole it mother makes a sweir daughter.
A racklesse hussie makes monie thieves.
A lyer should have a good memorie.
A black shoe makes a blythe heart.
A hungrie man sees far.
A sillie bairne is eith to lear.
A half pennie cat may look to the King.
A greedie man God hates.
A proud heart in a poore breast, hes meikle dollour to dree
A skade mans head is soon broken
A skabbit sheep flees all the flock.
A burnt bairne, fire dreads.
Auld men are twise bairnes.
A tratler is worse then a thief.
A borrowed len should come laughing hame.
A blythe heart makes a blomeand visage.
A year a nurish, seven years a da.
An unhappie mans cairt is eith to tumble.
An old hound bytes sair.
A fair bryde is soon buskt, and a short horse soone wispt.
As good had as draw.
A man that is warned, is half armed.
An ill win pennie will cast down a pound.
All the corne in the countrey, is not shorne by kempers.
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 bridge of London.
A hungrie louse bytes fair.
A gentle horse would not be over sair spurred.
A friends dinner is soon dight.
An ill hooke wald have a good claver.
A good fellow tint never, but at an ill fellows hand.
At open doores, dogs comes in.
A word before, is worth two behinde.
A still sow eats all the draff.
A dumme man holds all.
All failes that fooles thinks.
A woole seller kens a woole buyer.
All fellows, Jock and the Laird.
As the sow fils, the draffe soures.
A full heart lied never.
As good merchant tynes as wins.
All the speid is in the spurres.
As sair greits the bairne that is dung afternoon, as he that is dung before noon.
An ill life, an ill end.
Anes wood, never wise.
Anes pay it never cravit.
A good ruser, was never a good rider.
All the keys of the countrey hangs not at ane belt.
A dum man wan never land.
As soone comes the lambeskin to the market, as the old sheeps.
As many heads, as many wits.
A blinde man should not judge of colours:
As the old cocke crawes, the young cock leares
A skabbed horse is good enough for a skald squir
A mirk mirrour is a mans minde.
As meikle upwith, as meikle down with.
An ill shearer gat never a good hook.
A tarrowing bairn was never fat.
A good cow may have an ill calf.
A cock is crouse in his own midding.
A new bissome soupes clean.
As sair fights wranes as cranes.
A yeeld sow was never good to gryses.
As the carle riches he wretches,
A foole when he hes spoken hes all done.
An old seck craves meikle clouting.
An old seck is ay skailing.
A fair fire makes a roome 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 foole may give a wise man a counsel.
A man may speir the gate to Rome.
As long lives the merrie man as the wretch for all the craft hee can.
All wald have all, all wald forgive.
Ane may lead a horse to the water, but foure and twentie cannot gar him drink.
A bleat cat makes a proud mouse.
An ill willy kow should have short hornes.
A good peice steil is worth a pennie.
A shored tree stands lang.
A gloved cat was never a good hunter.
A gangand fit is ay getting.
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 is a feast (of bread and cheise.)
A horse may snapper on foure feet.
All thing wytes that well not faires.
All things thrives but thrice.
Absence is a shroe.
Auld sinne new shame.
A man cannot thrive except his wife le… …m.
A bairne mon creep or he ga…g.
As long as ye serve the tod, ye man bear up his tail.
All overs are ill.
A man may wooe where he will, but hee will wed where his hap is.
A mean pot plaid never evin.
Among 24 fooles not ane wise man.
Ane mans meat, is another mans poyson.
A foole will not give his bable for the tower of Lun.
A foule foot makes a full wombe.
A man is a lyon in his own cause.
A heartie hand to give a hungrie meltith.
A cumbersome cur in companie, is hated for his misscariage
A poore man is fain of little.
An answer in a word.
A beltlesse bairn cannot lie.
A Zule feast may be quat at Pasche.
A good dog never barket but a bone.
A full seck will take a clout on the side
An ill hound comes halting home.
All things helps (quod the Wran) when she pished in the sea.
All crakes, all beares.
A houndlesse 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 wise behinde the hand.
A new tout in an old horne.
As broken a ship hes come to land.
As the foole thinkes, 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 pennie in the purse.
All things is good unseyit
A good goose indeed, but she hes an ill gansell.
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 clergie.
An inch of a nage is worth the span of an aver.
B
BEtter sit idle nor work for nought.
Better learn by your neighbors skaith nor by your own.
Better half egge nor toome doupe.
Better apple given nor eaten.
Better a dog fan nor bark on you.
Bodin geir stinkes.
Bourd 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 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 a gain.
Bear wealth, povertie will bear it self.
Better goodseal nor good eall.
Better wooe over midding nor over mosse.
Blaw the winde never so fast it will lowne at the last.
Bind fast, finde fast.
Better auld debts nor auld saires.
Better a fowle in hand nor two flying.
Better spaire at the breird nor at the bottome.
Binde the seck or it be full.
Better be well loved nor ill won geir.
Better finger off nor ay warkin.
Better rew sit, nor rew flit.
Bourd not with bawtie.
Better say, Here it is, nor here it was.
Better playes a full wombe, nor a new coat.
Better be happie nor wise.
Better happie to court, nor good service.
Better a wit coft, nor twa for nought.
Better bow nor break.
Better two seils, nor ane sorrow.
Better bairnes greit nor bearded men.
Betwixt twa stooles, the arse falls down.
Better na ring nor the ring of a rashe.
Better hold out nor put out.
Better sit still, nor rise and get a fall.
Better leave nor want.
Better unborne nor untaught.
Better be envyed nor pittied.
Better a little fire that warmes, nor a meikle that burnes.
Be the same thing that thou wald be cald,
Black will be no other hew.
Beautie but bountie availes nought.
Beware of had I wist.
Better be alone, nor in ill companie.
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.
Byting and scarting is Scots folks wooing.
Breads house skaild never.
Bairns mother burst never.
Bannoks 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 towne, and whoore to the window
Cadgers speaks of leadsadles.
Changing of works 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 cooles the love that kindles over hot.
Cease your snowballes casting.
Come it aire, come it late, in May comes the cowquake.
Courtesie is cumbersome to them that knowes it not.
Calke 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 deim warilie.
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 bytes not.
Daffing dow nothing.
Dogs will red swine.
Dirt parts companie.
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 dore, and hership at the other.
Dummie cannot lie.
E
EArlie maister, lang knave
Eaten meat is good to pay.
Eeild wald have honour.
Evening ortes is good morning fodder.
Every land hes the lauch, and everie corne hes the casse.
Every man wishes the water to his own mylne.
Everie man can rule an ill wise but he that hes her.
Eat measurelie and defye the mediciners.
Everie man for himself (quoth the Merteine)
Everie man flames the fat sowes arse.
Experience may teach a fool.
Every man wates best where his own shoe bindes him.
Efter lang mint, never dint.
Efter word comes weird.
Efter delay comes a lette.
F
FAr fowles hes fair feathears.
Fair heghts makes fooles fain.
Fooles are fain of flitting.
Falshood made never a fair hinderend.
Freedome is a faire thing.
For tint thing care not.
Foole haste is no speed.
Fooles sets far trystes.
For love of the nourish, monie kisses the bairne.
Follie is a bonnie dog.
Faire words brake never bane, foule words breaks many ane
Foul water slokens fire.
Far sought, and dear bought, is good for Ladies.
For fault of wise men, fooles sits on binks.
Fooles makes feasts, and wise men eats them.
Fooles 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 folow thee
Fegges after peace.
Fooles should have no chappin sticks.
Friendship stands not in one side.
Few words sufficeth to a wiseman.
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 makes good friends.
Good wine needs not a wispe.
Good cheir and good cheap garres many haunt the house.
God sends men cauld as they have clothes to
Gods help is neirer nor the fair evin.
Give never the wolfe the wedder to keep.
Good will should be tane in part of paiment.
God sends never the mouth but the meat with it
Girne when ye knit, and lauch when ye louse.
Go to the Devil and bishop you.
Go shoe the geese.
God sends meat, and the devil sends cookes.
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 lippins to bon plowes, his land will ly ley.
He rides sicker that fell never.
He that wil not hear motherhead, shal hear stepmotherhead
He that crabbes 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 well 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 speakes the thing he should not, hears the things hee 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 whoore, 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 spaill will fall into his eye.
He that eats while he last, 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, drinkes and is not dry, these three are not thirstie.
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 poore that God hates.
He is wise that is ware in time.
He is wis that can make a friend of a foe.
Hair and hair, makes the cairles head baire:
Hear all parties:
He that is redd for windlestrawes, should not sleep in lees.
He rises over earlie that is hangit or noone.
He is not the foole that the foole is, but he that with the foole deals.
He that tholes overcomes.
He loves me for little, that hates me for nought.
He that hes twa huirds, is able to get the third.
He is a sairie begger that may not gae by ane mans doore.
Hall binkes are sliddrie.
He is not the best wright that hewes the maniest speals.
He that evil does, never good weines.
Hooredome and grace, can never byde in one place.
Hee that compts all costes, will never put plough in the eard.
He that slayes, 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 foole that forgets himself.
Happie man, happie cavil.
He that comes uncald, sits unservd.
He that comes first to the hill, may sit where he will,
He that shames, shall be shent.
He gangs earlie 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 cals his neighbour nikkienow.
He that hes gold may buy land.
He that counts but his hoste, counts twise.
He that looks not or he loup, will fall or he wit of himself
Haste makes waste,
Hulie and fair, men rides far journeys:
He that marries a daw, 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 staine.
He that does his turne in time, sits half idel.
He plaints early that plaints on his kail.
He is good that faild never.
Half aunch, is half fill.
He is a fairie cook that may not lick his own finger.
Hunger is hard in a hail maw.
He should wear iron shone that bydes his neighbours deed.
Hame, is hamelie.
He that is hated of his subjects, cannot be counted a king.
Hap and a half-pennie, is warlds geir enough.
He cals me skabbed, because I will not call him skade.
He is blinde that eats his marrow, but far blinder that lets him.
Have God, and have all.
Honestie is na pride.
He that fishes afore the net, lang or he fish get.
He tint never a cow, that grate for a needle.
He that hes na geir to tyne, hes shins to pine.
He that takes all his geir fra himself, and gives to his bairns, it were weill ward to take a mell and knock out his harnes.
He sits full still that hes a riven breik.
He that does bidding, serves na dinging.
He that blaws best bears away the horne,
He is weill staikit thereben, that will neither borrow nor len
Hea will gar a deaf man hear.
He is sairest dung when his awn wand dings him.
He hes wit at will, that with angrie heart can hold him stil.