dots-menu
×

Home  »  Familiar Quotations  »  Page 17

John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.

Page 17

 
 
John Heywood. (1497?–1580?) (continued)
 
163
    You stand in your owne light.
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. iv.
164
    Though chaunge be no robbry.
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. iv.
165
    Might have gone further and have fared worse.
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. iv.
166
    The grey mare is the better horse. 1
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. iv.
167
    Three may keepe counsayle, if two be away. 2
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. v.
168
    Small pitchers have wyde eares. 3
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. v.
169
    Many hands make light warke.
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. v.
170
    The greatest Clerkes be not the wisest men. 4
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. v.
171
    Out of Gods blessing into the warme Sunne. 5
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. v.
172
    There is no fire without some smoke. 6
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. v.
173
    One swallow maketh not summer. 7
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. v.
174
    Fieldes have eies and woods have eares. 8
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. v.
175
    A cat may looke on a King.
          Proverbes. Part ii. Chap. v.
 
Note 1.
Pryde and Abuse of Women. 1550. The Marriage of True Wit and Science. Samuel Butler: Hudibras, part ii. canto i. line 698. Henry Fielding: The Grub Street Opera, act ii. sc. 4. Matthew Prior: Epilogue to Lucius.

Lord Macaulay (History of England, vol. i. chap. iii.) thinks that this proverb originated in the preference generally given to the gray mares of Flanders over the finest coach-horses of England. Macaulay, however, is writing of the latter half of the seventeenth century, while the proverb was used a century earlier. [back]
Note 2.
See Chaucer, Quotation 58.

Two may keep counsel when the third ’s away.—William Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus, act iv. sc. 2. [back]
Note 3.
Pitchers have ears.—William Shakespeare: Richard III. act ii. sc. 4. [back]
Note 4.
See Chaucer, Quotation 26. [back]
Note 5.
Thou shalt come out of a warme sunne into Gods blessing.—John Lyly: Euphues.

Thou out of Heaven’s benediction comest
To the warm sun.
William Shakespeare: Lear, act ii. sc. 2. [back]
Note 6.
Ther can no great smoke arise, but there must be some fire.—John Lyly: Euphues (Arber’s reprint), p. 153. [back]
Note 7.
One swallowe prouveth not that summer is neare.—Northbrooke: Treatise against Dancing. 1577. [back]
Note 8.
See Chaucer, Quotation 19. [back]