The Whole methodically digested and illustrated with Annotations Fellow of the Royal Society, and Author of the Historia Plantarum, and (To which is added, by the same Author) A Collection of English Words, NOT GENERALLY USED With their Significations and Original in two Alphabetical Catalogues ; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF The preparing and refining such METALS & MINERALS Reprinted Verbatim from the Edition of 1768. LONDON: PRINTED FOR T. AND J. ALLMAN, PRINCES STREET, HANOVER 5-9-50 BS THE former edition of this Collection of English Proverbs falling into the hands of divers ingenious persons, my worthy friends, in several parts of this kingdom, had (as I hoped it would) this good effect to excite them, as well to examine their own memo ries, and try what they could call to mind themselves that were therein wanting, as also more carefully to heed what occurred in reading, or dropped from the mouths of others in discourse, Whereupon having noted many such, they were pleased for the perfecting of the work frankly to communicate them to me. All which, amounted to some hundreds, besides not a few of my own observation, I present the reader with in this second edition. I dare not yet pretend it to be a compleat and perfect catalogue of all English proverbs; but I think I may without arrogance affirm it to be more full and comprehensive than any collection hitherto published. And I believe that not very many of the proverbs generally used all England over, or far diffused over any considerable part of it, whether the East, West, North, or midland countries, have escaped it; I having had communications from observant and inquisitive persons in all those parts, viz. from Francis Jessop, Esq. of Broomball in Sheffield Parish, Yorkshire; Mr. George Antrobus, master of the Free School at Tamworth in Warwickshire, and Mr. Walter Ashmore of the same place. Michael Biddulph, Gent. of Polesworth in Warwickshire, deceased; Mr. Newton of Leicester; Mr. Sherringham of Caius College in Cambridge; Sir Philip Skippon, of Wrentham in Suffolk, Knight; Mr. Andrew Paschall, of Chedsey in Somersetshire; and Mr. Francis Brokesby, of Rowley in the East Riding of Yorkshire. As for local proverbs of lesser extent, proper to some towns or villages, as they are very numerous, so are they hard to be procured, and few of them, could they be had, very quaint or significant. If any one shall find fault, that I have inserted many English phrases that are not properly proverbs, though that word be taken in its greatest latitude, and according to my own definition of a proverb, and object that I might as well have admitted all the idioms of the English tongue, I answer, that, to say the truth, I cannot warrant all those phrases to be genuine proverbs to which I have allowed room in this Collection; for indeed I did not satisfy myself in many; but because they were sent me for such by learned and intelligent persons, and who, I ought to presume, understand the nature of a proverb better than myself, and because I find the like in collections of foreign proverbs, both French and Italian, I chose rather to submit them to the censure of the reader, than myself pass sentence of rejection on them. As for the method I have used, in the preface to the former edition, I have given my reasons why I made choice of it, which to me do still appear to be sufficient. The method of commonplaces, if any man think it useful, may easily be supplied by an index of common places, wherein to each head the proverbs appertaining or reducible shall be referred by the apposition of the numeral characters of page and line. Some proverbs the reader may possibly find repeated, but I dare say not many, I know this might have been avoided by ruuning over the whole book, and searching for the proverbs, one by one, in all the places where our method would admit them entry. But sloth and impatience of so tedious a work enticed me rather to presume upon memory; especially considering it was not worth while to be very solicitous about a matter of so small importance. In such papers as I received after the copy was out of my hands, when I was doubtful of any proverb I chose to let it stand, resolving that it was better to repeat some than to omit any. Now whereas I understand that some proverbs admitted in the former edition have given offence to sober and pious persons, as savouring too much of obscenity, being apt to suggest impurefancies to corrupt minds, I have in this omitted all I could suspect. for such save only one, for the letting of which stand I have given my reason in the note upon it; and yet now upon better. consideration I could wish that it also were obliterated. For 1 world by no means be guilty of administering fewel to lust, which I am sensible needs no incentives, burning too eagerly of itself. But though I do condemn the mention of any thing obscene, yet I cannot think all use of slovenly and dirty words to be such a vioJation of modesty, as to exact the discarding all proverbs of which they are ingredients. The useful notions, which many ill-worded proverbs do import, may, I think, compensate for their homely terms; though I could wish the contrivers of them had put their sense into more descent and cleanly language. For if we consider what the reasons are why the naming some excrements of the body, or the egestion of them, or the parts employed therein is condemned, we shall find them to be, either 1. Because such excrements being offensive to our senses, and usually begetting a loathing in our stomachs, the words that signify them are apt to do so too; and for their relation to them, such also as denote those actions and parts of the body by which they are expelled, and therefore the mention of them is uncivil and contrary to good manners; or, 2. Because such excrements reflect some dishonour upon our bodies, it being reputed disgraceful to lie under a necessity of such evacuations, and to have such sinks Jen. Sib EMED 4-21-50 TO THE READER. about us; and therefore modesty requires that we decline the naming of them lest we seem to glory in our shame. Now these reasons to me seem not so weighty and cogent as to necessitate the omission of so many of the most witty and significant of our English proverbs: yet further to avoid all eccasion of offence, I have, by that usual expedient of putting only the initial letters for the uncleanly words, so veiled them, that I hope they will not turn the stomach of the most nice. For it is the naming such things by their plain and proper appellatives that is odious and offensive; when they come lapped up (as we say) in clean linen, that is, expressed in oblique, figurative, or metaphorical terms, or only intimated and pointed at, the most modest can brook them well enough. The Appendix of Hebrew Proverbs was collected and communicated by my worthy friend, Mr. Richard Kidder, rector of Rayn, in Essex. So I have dispatched what I thought needful to premise either for my own excuse, or the reader's satisfaction, to whose favour able acceptance I recommend this work. TO THE READER. J. RAY. LITTLE need to be said concerning the nature and use of the subject of this book, conveying at once entertainment and proft, as the wise man observes, like apples of gold, in pictures of silver. A proverb is usually defined, an instructive sentence, or common and pithy saying, in which more is generally designed than expressed, famous for its peculiarity and elegance, and therefore adopted by the learned as well as the vulgar, by which 'tis distinguished from counterfeits which want such authority. It owes its original and reputation to the sayings of wise men, allusions of the ancient poets, the customs of countries and manners of mankind, adapted to common use, as ornaments of speech, rules of instruction, arguments of wisdom, and maxims of undeniable truth. The peculiarity of proverbs arises sometimes from the novelty of an expression, which strikes the fancy of the hearer, and engages him to convey it down to posterity: sometimes the thing itself discovers its own elegance, and charms men into an universal reception of it: it is also frequently beholden to the propriety |