Now, though I think all observations about particular days superstitione end frivolous; yet, because, probably, if the weather be fair for some days about this time of the year, it may betoken frost, I have put this down as it was delivered me. Barnaby bright, the longest day and the shortest night. St. Bartholomew brings the cold dew. St. Matthy all the year goes by. Because in leap-year the supernumerary day is then intercalated. St. Matthee, shut up the bee. St. Valentine, set thy hopper by mine. St. Mattho, take thy hopper, and sow. St. Benedick, sow thy pease, or keep them in thy rick. Broil my back, but not my weamb. Said the chevin to the trout, My head's worth all thy bouk. Under the furze is hunger and cold; Under the broom is silver and gold. Medlars are never good till they be rotten. On Candlemas-day you must have half your straw, and half your hay. Look to the cow, and the sow, and the wheat mow, And all will be well enow. Somerset. Sow or set beans in Candlemas waddle: i. e. Wane of the moon. Somerset. At Twelfth-day the days are lengthened a cock's stride. The Italians say at Christmas. A cherry year, a merry year : A plum year, a dumb year. A rhyme, without reason, as far as I can see. Wheat will not have two praises. (Summer and winter.) Set trees at Alhallo'ntide, and command them to prosper; Set them after Candlemas, and entreat them to grow. This Dr. J. Beal allegeth as an old English and Welch proverb concerning apple and pear trees, oak and hawthorn quicks; though he is of Mr. Reed's opinion, that it is best to remove fruit trees in the spring, rather than the winter. Philosoph. Transac. N. 71. Upon St. David's day, put oats and barley in the clay. With us it is a little too early to sow barley (which is a tender grain) ir the beginning of March. If you would fruit have, You must bring the leaf to the grave. That is, you must transplant your trees just about the fall of the leaf, neither sooner nor much later: not sooner, because of the motion of the sap; not later, that they may have time to take root before the deep frosts. Make the vine poor, and it will make you rich. Prune off its branches. Set trees poor, and they will grow rich; set them rich, and they will grow poor. Remove them always out of a more barren into a fatter soil. The dunder clo gally (affright) the beans. Somerset. Beans shoot up fast after thunder storms. When elder is white, brew and bake a peck : When elder is black, brew and bake a sack. Somerset. TO THE FOREGOING I SHALL ADJOIN A FEW SPANISH, ITALIAN AND FRENCH. PRIMO porco, ultimo cane. The first pig, but the last whelp of the litter, is the best. Cavallo è cavalla cavalcalo in su la spalla, asino è mulo cavalcalo in su'l culo. Ride a horse and a mare on the shoulders, an ass and a mule on the buttocks. Al amico cura gli il fico, al inimico il persico. Pill a fig for your friend, and a peach for your enemy. Tre cose vuol il campo, buon tempo, buon seme, è buon lavoratore. A field requireth three things; fair weather, good seed, and a good husbandman. El pie del dueño estiercol es para la herededad. the owner is the best manure for his land. A dog of an old dog, a colt of a young horse. The foot of The Gallegos say, A calf of a young cow, and a colt of an old mare. Good husbandry is good divinity. Ital. Whom God loves, his bitch brings forth pigs. Under the blessing of heaven all things co-operate for his good, even beyond his expectations. Di buona terra tò la vigna, di buon madre tò la figlia. a vine of a good soil, and the daughter of a good mother. Take La nieve, per otto di, è madre alla terra, da indi iu la è matrigna. Snow for a se'nnight is a mother to the earth, for ever after a stepmother. Quien sembra en Dios espera. in God. He who sws his land, trusts A house built by a man's father ̧ Casa de padre va de abuelo. 41 PROVERBS AND PROVERBIAL OBSERVATIONS REFERRING TO LOVE, WEDLOCK, AND WOMEN. LOVE me little, and love me long. Hot love is soon cold. [Derbysh. Love of lads, and fire of chats, is soon in and soon out. Chats, i. e. Chips. Lads' love's a busk of broom, hot a while, and soon done. [Chesh. He that hath love in his breast hath spurs in his sides. Chi ha amor nel petto ha le sprone nei fianchi. Ital. Love and lordship like no fellowship. Amor è signoria non vogliono compagnia.-Ital. Amour et seigneurie ne se tinrent jamais compagnie.-Fr. The meaning of our English proverb is, Lovers and princes cannot endure rivals or partners. Omnisque potestas impatiens consortis erit. The Italian and French, though the same in. words, have I think a different sense, viz. Non bene conveniunt nec in una sede morantur majestas et amore. Love is blind. Lovers live by love, as larks by leeks. This is I conceive in derision of such expressions as living by love. Larks and leeks beginning with the same letter, helped it up to be a proverb. Follow love, and it will flee; Flee love, and it will follow thee. This was wont to be said of glory: Sequentem fugit, fugientem sequitur. Just like a shadow. Love and pease-pottage will make their way. Because one breaks the belly, the other the heart. The love of a woman, and a bottle of wine, Are sweet for a season, but last for a time. Love comes in at the windows, and goes out at the doors. Amor tussisque non celantur. The French and Italians add to these tw the itch. L'amour, la tousse, et la gale ne se peuvent celer. Fr. Amor, la rogna, è la tossa, non si ponno nascondere.-Ital. Others add, stink. Aye be as merry as be can, For love ne'er delights in a sorrowful man. Fair chieve all where love trucks. Whom we love best, to them we can say least He that loves glass without a G, Take away L, and that is he. Old pottage is sooner heated than new made. Old lovers fallen out are sooner reconciled than new love's begun. Nay, the comedian saith, Amantium iro amoris redintegratio est. Wedlock is a padlock. Age and wedlock bring a man to his night-cap. Wedding and ill wintering, tame both man and beast. Marriages are made in heaven. Nozze e magistrato dal cielo è destino. Ital. Marry in haste, and repent at leisure. 'Tis good to marry, late or never. Commend a wedded life, but keep thyself a bachelor. Marry your sons when you will, your daughters when you can. Marry your daughters betimes, lest they marry themselves. Span. Who marries between the sickle and the scythe will never thrive. I've cur'd her from lying i' th' hedge, quoth the good man when he had wed his daughter. Motions are not marriages. More belongs to marriage than four bare legs in a bed. The Like blood, like good, and like age, make the happiest marriage. Equalem uxorem quære. την κατὶ σαυτὸν ἕλα. Unequal marriages seldom prove happy. Si quam voles aptè nubere nube pari. Ovid. Intolerabilius nihil est quàm fœmina dives.-Juvenal. An ill marriage is a spring of ill-fortune. Many a one for land takes a fool by the hand. her or him. i. e. Marries He that's needy when he is married, shall be rich when he is buried. Who weds ere he be wise, shall die ere he thrive. 'Tis hard to wive and thrive both in a year. Better be half hang'd than ill wed. He that would an old wife wed, must eat an apple before he goes to bed. Which by reason of its flatulency is apt to excite desire. Sweet-heart and honey-bird keeps no house. |