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DICTIONARY 
 
 MODERN GREEK PROVERBS. 
 
DICTIONARY 
 
 MODERN GREEK PROVERBS, 
 
 AX ENGLISH TRANSLATION, EXPLANATORY REMARKS, 
 AND PHILOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 ALEXANDER NEGRIS, 
 
 PROFESSOR OF GREEK LITERATURE, 
 
 Editor of the Orations on the Crown, 
 Author oi 
 
 EDINBURGH : 
 
 THOMAS CLARK, 38, GEORGE STREET. 
 MDCCCXXXI. 
 
r 
 
 fit* 
 
 Edinburgh ;— Duncan Stevenson, 
 Printer to the University. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Some Readers may expect to find in this Pre= 
 face, a dissertation upon the beauty of the Greek 
 language ; the extent and variety of its literature ; 
 the number and excellence of its Poets, Histo- 
 rians, Orators, and Philosophers, to whom suc- 
 ceeding ages have been so much indebted, and to 
 whom the most enlightened nations have always 
 paid the greatest homage. 
 
 Such an eulogy might perhaps have been ne- 
 cessary during those dark ages when literature 
 slept, or was stifled, amid the empire of barba- 
 rism; but since, in the present day, no one disputes- 
 its being the most beautiful language that men 
 have ever spoken, as it is without question the 
 most interesting and valuable ; (for what literary 
 productions are there which can be compared 
 with those of Greece, the birth-place, cradle, 
 and school of Genius !) the encomium would be 
 quite superfluous, especially as it is considered in 
 almost every civilized country, as one of the 
 most important parts of a liberal education. 
 
To speak of modern Greek by itself, without 
 mentioning the ancient, of which it constitutes 
 an inseparable part, would be the same thing as 
 to discuss the qualities of the branch of a tree, 
 without taking into consideration the parent stem 
 from which it is derived. 
 
 Greek, from the most remote period to our 
 own times, forms but one language ; a language 
 which perhaps is the most rich, the most ex- 
 pressive, and the most agreeable to the ear; yet 
 also that which is the most complicated, from 
 its various idioms and its ambiguous construc- 
 tions. These naturally arise in a great measure 
 from its literature embracing so extensive a pe- 
 riod ; since Authors, who have written in dif- 
 ferent epochs, must necessarily exhibit in their 
 works some variations and peculiarities of style, 
 such as take place in every country from the 
 same causes ; the extent of which must depend 
 upon the longer or shorter duration of time, and 
 the nature of those events which operate upon 
 the tastes, customs and manners of a people. 
 
 It may well be imagined how insurmountable 
 these difficulties must appear to students, who, 
 after they have diligently pursued the course 
 prescribed to them, perhaps for years, and are in 
 reasonable expectation of reaping the reward of 
 their labours in the possession of valuable know- 
 ledge, find themselves scarcely at all advanced. 
 Their time and exertions appear to have been 
 thrown away, (as in some respects they really 
 have been,) and a disgust is frequently contracted 
 towards the study of the language itself, that 
 
may endure for the rest of their lives : and, after 
 all, they have only accomplished what they might 
 have acquired in a comparatively short space 
 of time under a Teacher familiar with the ge- 
 nius of the language, and able to smooth the 
 rugged path to knowledge, by removing obsta- 
 cles and obscurities. When I speak of the diffi- 
 culties of the Greek, I consider it in a point of 
 view entirely different from that elementary 
 knowledge which is ordinarily attained ; and feel 
 confident that, were the true path pursued, it 
 would appear even more easy of acquirement 
 than that of many modern languages. 
 
 The prejudices which prevail on this subject, 
 arise in a great degree from ignorance of the 
 relation between the ancient and modern Greek. 
 It is indisputable, however, that the Greeks who 
 study their own language, may attain more easily 
 than foreigners not merely the knowledge ne- 
 cessary for theoretical and speculative research- 
 es, but such as may render them proficient in 
 the higher and more useful departments of 
 Greek literature. Born in a land where a 
 dialect of the language is spoken, familiar with 
 it from infancy, they possess the clew of Ariadne 
 to lead them through those labyrinths of diffi- 
 culties and impediments, in which Critics often 
 err and lose themselves, while groping in the 
 dark they seek a way to get out, with perhaps 
 little more than the blind guidance of conjec- 
 ture. The numerous productions of Coray are 
 sufficiently well known to the Literati, to render 
 it unnecessary to enlarge upon this point, 
 
The spoken dialect, comprising all the ad- 
 vantages of the ancient, as rich, as flexible, as 
 sonorous, but more simple, and consequently 
 more easy than those in which the immortal 
 chefs-d-ceicvres of our ancestors are written, is at 
 this day so much studied by a great number of 
 Scholars, from their being convinced that its 
 acquisition is essential to the full comprehen- 
 sion of the ancient, that I could, without difficul- 
 ty, mention celebrated German Hellenists, who 
 know it almost as well as their native tongue. 
 Its utility under other relations ; the original 
 works of which its modern literature can boast ; 
 the honour even of speaking a dialect of the lan- 
 guage of Homer, of Thucydides, of Sappho, ought 
 not to be feeble stimulants in rendering its acqui- 
 sition more general, and extending it to the fair 
 sex, who, it is to be hoped, will not be much 
 longer excluded from the study of Greek ; which, 
 taught as a living language, (and such it is, with 
 the ancient pronunciation, instead of the modern 
 innovation of Erasmus, which was never living 
 but with its inventor and those who walked in 
 his steps ; and if it be still retained is only on 
 account of prejudice,) would appear no more pe- 
 dantic or ridiculous from their lips than from 
 those of the well-educated ladies of Greece, a- 
 mong whom there are some who can recite en- 
 tire books of Homer by heart, and who write 
 the ancient Greek, with as much elegance, pu- 
 rity, and facility, as ever flowed from female 
 pen during the most classic sera of Grecian lite- 
 
rature, when the vivifying rays of inspiration 
 shed their most genial influence. 
 
 Every thing then that facilitates this study is 
 a service rendered to public instruction, and can 
 scarcely fail to be favourably received by those 
 who have that object in view. It is this consi- 
 deration which induces me to publish this Dic- 
 tionary of Proverbs ; a title which may in itself 
 perhaps suggest the idea of a dry uninteresting 
 work — a reproach, however, that I venture to 
 hope this little volume will not be found to de- 
 serve ; since, in addition to its main object, that 
 of bringing together a collection of national pro- 
 verbs in alphabetical order, it is diversified by 
 the introduction of explanatory illustrations, 
 anecdotes, and traditions ; some, indeed, with 
 no higher aim than the amusement and relaxa- 
 tion of the reader; others, and I think they 
 form the greater part, calculated to give infor- 
 mation upon the habits and opinions of the peo- 
 ple, both civil and domestic. 
 
 These can never be exhibited in a form so 
 compendious and unvarnished as by a work like 
 the present, in which, so far from aiming at or- 
 nament, the vulgar style, which popular proverbs 
 every where preserve, and which a pure prose 
 voluntarily rejects, has been scrupulously ad- 
 hered to. Nor am I apprehensive that on 
 this account, the morality or good taste of my 
 countrymen will appear in an unfavourable light, 
 notwithstanding some unrefined expressions 
 which were unavoidable. 
 
 The maxims of experience in all countries 
 
bear the same homely character ; deduced from 
 plain facts, destitute of embellishment, and the 
 graces of imagination ; they are calculated for 
 general utility, of which a nearer approach to 
 elegance would render them incapable. 
 
 They are level to the capacity of the poor and 
 uneducated, to whom they serve as a manual of 
 moral and prudential aphorisms, by which they 
 may form their opinions, and regulate their con- 
 duct ; while to those of more cultivated intellect, 
 they are recommended by their truth and sim- 
 plicity : as the proprietor of the finest gardens 
 will often stop to admire the hedge-rose or the 
 hare-bell, the spontaneous and uncultivated pro- 
 ductions of nature. 
 
 With regard to the translation, which I have 
 endeavoured to render as literal as possible, in 
 order that it may be serviceable to those who 
 wish to study the Greek language as it is now 
 spoken, it has not been altogether unattended 
 with trouble or difficulty ; sometimes arising, 
 no doubt, from my not being more familiar with 
 the English idiom, but principally from my anx- 
 iety, that it should be simply the vehicle of the 
 Greek ; not merely of the sense, but of the con- 
 struction also. 
 
 If, in the prosecution of this design, I shall be 
 found sometimes to have given it an appearance 
 not quite so advantageous as might otherwise 
 have been the case, the object I have had in 
 view will, I doubt not, be taken into considera- 
 tion, and form a sufficient apology. 
 
Should the success not altogether answer the 
 attempt, I may at least be permitted to hope that 
 the friends of Greek literature will regard this 
 little work with some degree of interest and fa- 
 vour ; at all events, in whatever light it may be 
 considered, if it should prove of any utility to 
 the Public, my intention will be fully answered, 
 and I shall have all the recompense for my 
 labour which I desire to receive. 
 
DICTIONARY 
 
 GREEK PROVERBS. 
 
 Aydkt dydki Ityvrzuiv o <poovif/,o; dpvriXt, sc dydki 
 dydkt lyivi-To h dyovo'iba. (a'iXi. — By little and 
 little a prudent husbandman planted a vineyard ; 
 by little and little the young grapes from verjuice 
 became sweet as honey : — To do a thing well, there 
 
 ought not to be too much haste This agrees with 
 
 the Italian proverb — Chi va piano va sano ; chi 
 va sano va lontano. 
 
 'Aya-rdu <r« y.do}a.[Ace.. — He loves cresses : — A fool's 
 motto. 
 
 ' Aydvra, h Jk'^a rov %ooov, r,vei x,a) dvtioa. ku si (/?■£,■;. 
 — Mary was fond of dancing, and got a fiddler 
 for her husband : — Applied to those who succeed 
 according to their wishes. 
 
 ' Ayxtfct rov <pikov trov ftl ro ikarrtyftd rov. — Love 
 your friend with his foible : — Because no one is 
 without his faults. 
 
 ' Ayikarro; trirocc. — The stone that never smiles : — 
 To express the signs of grief. Ceres overwhelmed 
 with sorrow for the loss of her daughter Proser- 
 pine, wandered about in search of her in the dis- 
 guise of an old woman. She came at length to 
 1—5 A 
 
Eleusis, where she sat down on a stone, which 
 was afterwards called, a.yi\a>rro$ niT^u.. 
 
 " A.ytv(>u, du,u.uff/invc&, tfixoals Ikaictt;.— Unripe prunes, 
 bitter olives : — Applied to those who are always 
 saying bitter things. 
 
 " Ayov^o; srgo&vtifrbs ya Xoyov rov yvgivzt. — He that 
 solicits for another in a disagreeable manner, is 
 making interest for himself. 
 
 J 'Ayt>io; iXiuSzQia,. — Savage liberty : — Applied to 
 anarchy, or rather to such liberty as savages enjoy, 
 which is established on the principle of bodily 
 strength, and in which the weak become the prey 
 of the strong. 
 
 'A^uvtoi Knvroi. — Gardens of Adonis : — Applied to 
 what soon decays. This proverb derived its origin 
 from the ancient custom of the Grecian ladies, 
 who, in commemorating the death of Adonis, car- 
 ried vases full of earth, mixed with the seeds of 
 various vegetables, such as lettuce, fennel, &c. 
 which having but little root soon perished. This 
 ceremony alluded to the misfortune of the young 
 lover of Venus, who was cut off in the flower of 
 his age, and to the lettuce, on which she laid him 
 after his death. 
 
 "A$aea i%0gav to. ^u^a. — An enemy 's present is no 
 favour : — In Greece this proverb is also used in 
 another form. 'E^^ow ^a^nr^a Tzv hoKpieu a^ro 
 Z i '/iuiu,v. — The gift of an enemy is no better than 
 an injury. Virgil seems to have had the same 
 sentiment in view, when, in his speech to the Tro- 
 jans, dissuading them from receiving the wooden 
 horse within their walls as a present from the 
 Greeks, he makes Laocoon say, 
 
 ■ timeo Danaos et dona ferentes. 
 
 5—10 
 
PROVERBS. 3 
 
 'A-Tog pvitt.; oh -rtuv-t. — The eagle catches no flies : 
 — That is, the great care not about small things. 
 The word •rni.vin comes from muZ^u, Doric for 
 Ti's^u. Tfieocritas Idyll. §'. v. 35. 
 
 Tr,vii xa) tov rxugov air u^iog ays Tia.?xs. 
 
 ' A0diixroi %a,olruv xr,Ttn. — Unfading are the gar- 
 dens of kindness : — Applied to those who remem- 
 ber favours received. 
 
 Alff%vvn Tokzat tfoX'irov auagria. — The disgrace of 
 the city is the fault of the citizen. 
 
 Aig-uthov oupct. — Blood of Esop : — In allusion to 
 the manner of his death, it signifies innocent blood. 
 See Suidas. 
 
 AlffuTue; xoXoios. — Escp's jackdaw : — Applied to 
 those who appropriate to themselves another's me- 
 rits. 
 
 'AxtQecXo; Xoyo;, — Headless speech : — To those who 
 say silly things. 
 
 "Axovitk <ri sc 'tdouffoc, I'i^a, ffi aai 'f-j^axra. — I heard 
 you and teas terrified ; I saw you and was easy : 
 — To those who at a distance inspire terror, but 
 when near prove harmless. 
 
 'Ak^iSo; koi \},i6<TT'/i; iygvyoga, ffvu.(pu)vovv. — A. miser 
 and a liar bargain quickly : — The former is blind- 
 ed by the prospect of gain ; the latter readily makes 
 promises, without intending that they should ever 
 be fulfilled. 
 
 " AXcc? x.ou xovkiov. — Salt and bean : — To those 
 who pretend to know with certainty what they 
 can merely guess. It takes its rise from the cere- 
 mony of the ancient diviners in throwing salt and 
 bean, before predicting a future event. 
 
 "AXXa. Xiyu, x uKXa w^arru. — He says one thing, 
 and does another : — To those who fulfil not their 
 11—20 
 
4 GREEK 
 
 promises, or who easily change their projects. 
 Another form is, ccXka Xiyn to ir^a/i, x aXXa, 
 ve^arvu to ($(10.0*6. — He says one thing in the 
 morning, and does another in the evening. 
 
 " KXXu. v T& [autiu, tov Xoyov, %,' aXXa, tti; xovxxov- 
 Quio? — The eyes of the hare are one thing, those 
 of the oiol another : — Applied to those who com- 
 pare things very different from each other. The 
 word xovxK.ovZu.ia., is synonimous with yXov\, and 
 signifies nurse of the cuckoo. It is said that the 
 cuckoo, when she is about to lay her eggs flies 
 to the nest of the owl, which, not seeing dur- 
 ing the day, is terrified by the sudden flight, and 
 shrinks in her nest, yielding place to the stranger. 
 The cuckoo then rolls one of the owl's eggs from 
 the nest, and leaves one of her own in its stead. 
 The owl sits on all till the young are produced ; 
 after which the cuckoo returns every day to visit 
 its young one, until it is able to fly. The word 
 (hoio., nurse, comes from Baja, a name which the 
 ancient Romans gave to a nurse ; from a city of 
 the same name which was famous for all kinds of 
 luxuries. It was a Greek colony, and founded, ac- 
 cording to some, by Bdios, one of the companions 
 of Ulysses ( See Strabo, i, 26) whose name the city 
 bears. It was here that Agrippina, the mother 
 of Nero, dwelt, and where, by his orders, she was 
 put to death. 
 
 *AXXo Xiyw 'yo]> rnv B-itoiv pov, aXXo Xiy i/xtv a-vnn. 
 , — J say one thing to my aunt, she says another to 
 me : — To those who do not wish to understand 
 what is said, and answer one thing for another. 
 'Ep.lv for the Doric i/u.)v, of which the Attic is 
 Iftoi. Thus by Theocr. Idyll, la,, v. 44. 
 
 "A^iov h tuvt^m tree/) \fuv ray vvxtu licH^u;. 
 
 20—22 
 
PROVERBS. O 
 
 *AXXa§ ayavrdit tov TaTa, xa) S.XX6? t-/,v traffa- 
 
 lua. The one loves the priest, the other the priest' 
 
 ess : — The same thing does not please every body- 
 In Latin, — De gustibus nil disputandum. 
 
 "AXXo; to ttuo uvectyrsi, xa) aXXo; <r avef&t^u. — The 
 one kindles the fire, the other blows it : — That is 
 to say, one begins the evil, another increases it. 
 
 "AXXo; %affx.ii, xa) aXXo; %a!pTU One gapes, and 
 
 another gulps: — Said of those who obtain what 
 others expected. 
 
 " AXXo to va lor,;, xa) aXXo to v axevffy;. To see is 
 one thing, to hear is another : — That is to say, 
 we ought to place more confidence in seeing than 
 hearing. A similar sentiment is to be found in 
 Thucydides, Lib. «. § oy . Ka/ to, ftlv vrdvv <7fa- 
 Xaid Tt l)i7 Xsyttv ; uv dxoa) [/.aXXov Xoyuv fjcderv- 
 £i;, r, o\pst; tojv dxovffopzvwv ; 
 
 'AXXov fJLi TgiSzi; ViffTOTa, xa) dXXov 2 i%M tov tt'ovov. 
 — ^ You rub me, reverend sir, on one place, and I 
 have the pain in another : — Sufferings are best 
 known to those who feel them. 
 
 'AXXov 'v to, xaoxaXto-fiaTa, xat aXXov yivvovv 55 
 xoTTaig. — The hen cackles in one place, and lays 
 her eggs in another. 
 
 * AXXou; h yXwffffa, aXXov; to, "%'ovTia liovXivovv. — The 
 tongue serves some, the teeth others : — The first 
 part of the proverb is applicable to babblers, the 
 last to gluttons. 
 
 "AXXojv laTgle, -rX'/jyav kvto; yz/aaTo;. The healer 
 of others is himself full of wounds : — To those 
 who, making pretensions to virtue, and teaching it 
 to others, are themselves vicious. 
 
 'AXotftovov il$ tov /&h %voftzvov fnX Ta vu%td Tov. — 
 Alas ! for him who scratches not himself with his 
 23—31 
 
b GREEK 
 
 men nails : — He is best served who is his own 
 servant. 
 
 ' AXoiftovov its rov$ 'ha^yAvov?, Iv otru 01 x^itcu va sk- 
 Sovv. — Alas ! for those who have been beaten, till 
 the judges come: — Those who receive an injury 
 ought to be speedily redressed 
 
 " ApuGos fipuxh iQogsa, xdfa tfcirv/aaro S-dgm. — Ano~ 
 vice was dressed in breeches, and looked at them 
 every step : — He who is suddenly placed in a high 
 situation knows not how to conduct himself pro- 
 perly. 
 
 ' Ava'i<T%vvro$ xa) ffth'/iPivto;. — Impudent and from 
 iron : — In other words, brazen-faced. 
 
 3 Avxxarn>/u,iva (or IfAWtp^z/Ltiva,^) yviyara, xuxo'ulpa,- 
 ffpivos. irotvid. — Ravelled yarn makes ill-woven cloth : 
 — If due arrangements be not made at the com- 
 mencement, the end will shew the defects. 
 
 'Avdkara yikotx. — Unseasoned laughter: — against 
 which the following maxim may be directed : 
 
 Tikas uxuioos Iv (Zpotc7; liuvov xxxov. 
 
 * Av @gi%n, Xdcrtfn y'mrxi. — If it rains, there is mud : 
 — Applied to natural consequences. 
 
 'Av Viv ira'tPiu^rjv, Tiv io-vfAVsOiPia^ov.. — If they had 
 not been of the same mind, they had not inter- 
 married their children : — To those who are al- 
 ways of the same opinion. 
 Av 1\v rivai votrov, a.$ nv xou TfciffTayivov. — If there 
 is none fresh, let us have salted : — To those who 
 content themselves with the second place. 
 
 51 Av u-7ru to tfapdwovo you, Kiycd rnv ^ro^'ffn u-ov. — 
 If I tell my complaint, I disclose my shame : — To 
 those who receive an injury from their relations ; 
 and through magnanimity conceal it, in order to 
 prevent a stain on their family. 
 
 " Av u%x rv £h ffgotrtpdyiHiv Ityrovv. — Iflhad cheese, 
 31—4-1 
 
PROVERBS. 7 
 
 / would not ask any thing else to eat aloig with 
 my bread: — To those who like frugality, and con- 
 tent themselves with little. 
 
 ''Av ti% rt fid&a) ftu$ og%eiha, <rbv 'iXzyav fair ft ov. — 
 If our grandmother were masculine, we icould 
 call her grandfather : — Applied to thiiigs impos- 
 sible. 
 
 ' Avi/u,of4.a.^tufMiroi, ta.t(/,o')oax.o^'7r'i(f(Ji.tt.ra. (or l>ia.voXo- 
 irxog'z'itrfz.a.ra,). — ■ What the wind gathers, the Devil- 
 scatters : — 111 come goods never stay. 
 
 * AvtfAov rytyavHr/u-ivov, %iovt '$ to ircvSxi. — Fried 
 wind, and snow on the spit : — Applied to trifles 
 and impossibilities. 
 
 "Av iQoGitr o Xuxo; <ri)v (Zgo%hv, vrigi'SXvftci tQogus 
 
 If the wolf dreaded rain, he ivould wear a cloak : 
 — To the brave who fear nothing. 
 Av >j iu%a,i; aX'/ih'jeev, x o oiaKova^'/js <rXounvi. — If 
 wishes ivere granted, even the beggar ivould become 
 rich: — Wishes are freely given, but they make us 
 neither richer nor poorer. Thus they say in 
 English, If wishes were horses, beggars would 
 ride. 
 
 *Av 'kkouvj o Qio{ rov; x,o^a,x.a;, nroaTtohov sis viv 
 xoo-fiov 2h %foXiv u<ro/*ziv'/i If God ivould listen- 
 to the crows, not a quadruped ivould be left on the 
 earth : — To the wicked and envious who utter vain 
 imprecations against others. 
 
 * Avfya/vro; civdg/>j<arou Xvxo;. — Man the wolf of man : ._ 
 — One ought not to put too much confidence in 
 an uuknown person. 
 
 J AvfyoiTos woXv$ouXo$, Qzo; 5s fiovX-zixoTos. — Ulan 
 has many projects, but God cuts them short: — 
 To those who devise many plans, but are disap- 
 pointed in their fulfilment by some unexpected ac- 
 cident. This proverb suggests another which is 
 41—49 
 
8 GREEK 
 
 well known : aXXui fih fiovXu) a.vdgiv<rav, cikXu <5'e 
 Sio; xiXiuiu 
 
 ' Av$ou<ttov <za.^a,xu,Xt(Ti$ lf/,oia.!^u V«v a.y y deduce. — 
 The entreaties of man resemble statute-work : — 
 To those who are obliged to satisfy the demands of 
 their friends, for fear of censure. 
 
 "Av xu0iff7i; [A ffroaZov, oj; to $(>u%u ya,Xiov^tZ,n$. — 
 If you sit with one who squints, before the even- 
 ing you will become cat-eyed : — Evil communica- 
 tions corrupt good manners. The word yaXiou- 
 ^ca comes from yaky, a cat, from its looking 
 crossways. 
 A* KTVffa; fjbi xcti tov&j, xuraQovpai (TZ x \yai. — If 
 you strike and hurt me, at least I may curse you ; 
 — One not being able to avenge an injury, may 
 utter prayers which sometimes seem to be rea- 
 lized, like those of Chryses in the Iliad. 
 
 :l As> nicy o ovgtzvc; ! — If the heavens fall! — Ironi- 
 cally, to those who are ridiculously timid when 
 there is nothing to fear. 
 
 "Av o\ %,n~iio"/\ 'PraXiv x^affiov, fftpov^vkiav oo$ rov. — If 
 he ask you for more wine, give him a blow: — Those 
 who make improper requests incur evil : As the 
 Cyclops, who asked more wine from Ulysses, till 
 he became drunk, and was struck blind. 
 
 * A v rov yXvxavYis, S-u xoXXr^'s rbv pd%'//v treu If 
 
 you encourage him, he will stick to your back : — 
 If you give one his desires too freely, you will have 
 difficulty in checking his importunity. What 
 Theocr. Idyll. I. v. 11, expresses by, 
 
 — %a,\i<7rov %ogia)v xuvce yiveut. 
 
 A proverbial expression which is also used, as his 
 Scholiast observes, %x\trfov f^ahvira, xvcav o-xuro- 
 rgayuv. And Idyll. $. v. 43 : 
 
 "ESa xa) radios av' uXa*. 
 
 49—55 
 
PROVERBS. 9 
 
 'Ay tpruiu 'y&>, \o\ ffxacr o civoga; f/.ov' x,u) av <prnr/i 
 ai/ros, va, ffKaff avro;. — If I am in fault, let my 
 husband burst, and if the fault is his, let himself 
 burst : — To those who are so exceedingly selfish, 
 that they take not the smallest interest in the wel- 
 fare even of their nearest relations. 
 
 'A|/^£; n tccKccio'/cottx, ffu.£a.vra, 7ra)Xuzf<)ai;.— T'he 
 old hen is icorth forty chickens : — There are ladies 
 who, although old, are more attractive than many 
 young ones. 
 
 'A^/^s< o \vx; yta ixutov, kui zxktov outs z'ju,. — One 
 may be worth a hundred, and a hundred not 
 worth one : — It is in the same sense that this other 
 proverb is used : olx iv too voXv to iv, aXX' iv tu> 
 iZ to Trokv. — The quality is not in the quantity, 
 but the quantity in the quality. 
 At* a.ya.7rn too xaXod fjcov, "h\v tov uo^ ccv ''-X r/ } y^vtioi. 
 — From the love of my beau, I did not observe 
 ivhether he had a beard: — Ironically expressive of 
 the disgust which is felt at the presence of one who 
 is disagreeable to look upon. 
 
 'Air^a»' h <jrw6ii>a. pou, x,a) rfXaTUv -h yavia pov.— 
 My mother-in-law is dead, and my hearth is en- 
 larged : — Used by those who get rid of any ob- 
 stacle or incumbrance. 
 
 'ATera|s to -ttuXIov kou IXv yv{>i£zu<—The bird hath 
 flown away, and comes not back : — Every one 
 ought to be watchful of his own concerns, lest he 
 become a loser by inattention. 
 
 ' Ato ayxudi fiyuivzi po2ov, Kod aTo po%ov fiyuiv ay~ 
 xa,8t. — From the thorn springs the rose, and from 
 the rose the thorn : — Tins proverb is applied, when 
 we see people of low birth raising themselves to 
 eminence, and others of rank having nothing to 
 boast of besides the names of- their ancestors, 
 56—62 a 2 
 
10 GREEK 
 
 'Awo %oO{>Xov nut f/,s$uir<rhv [/.uvdavus c»jv ukvhiav. — 
 From the fool and drunkard you may learn the 
 truth : — Regarding the latter the Italians say, II 
 vino e una mezza corda. ' 
 
 3 A<ro6a,[/Avov to Tovyy) uvatfoha yv^t^n The purse 
 
 of the dead is turned inside out : — It often hap- 
 pens that the property of the dead is wasted. 
 
 'Atfo naaov ^^lutpiiXtT'/iv seal truxKtov a%upa, xuXo* 
 thai. — From a bad debtor even a bag of straw is 
 worth having. 
 
 ' 'Avfosigza tyiv iKiyav, xa.) |s^o •$/&>/& 'ir^ojyav. — They 
 were calling it carnival, while they xoere eating dry 
 bread : — To those who, through pride, conceal their 
 poverty. 
 
 'A<rofjca,H,^ri^a/^u^l <rv\v recym. — Fool, Jteep the corn 
 farther off : — Applied to those who are wise be- 
 hind hand, and try to correct a fault, when it is 
 too late. The story is, that a muleteer half -starved 
 his mule, and that one day he loaded it so heavily 
 that it fell down from weakness. He unloaded it, 
 and in vain tried to compel it to rise : he at last 
 thought that he would succeed by flattery. So 
 taking a handful of corn, he held it at a distance 
 from the animal's mouth, but without success. 
 The muleteer's comrade knowing his avarice, taunt- 
 ed him with this proverb. Another version of 
 which runs thus : TQwipa, uy^oixi rvjv ray/iv. — 
 Clown, you should have given the corn sooner : ■ — 
 i. e. Foresee the evil and provide against it. 
 
 9 Asro fAYiXov u$ ulyov, vtx, scv^a Xopxavmov. — From an 
 apple to an egg, here is a sausage, madam : — To 
 those who are continually flying from one thing to 
 another without the least connection. 
 'Arfo 'fAtfgoo*0a xuXXia rov l%0gov, tfiig art ovr'iffM. — 
 Better to have the enemy in front than in the 
 63—69 
 
PROVERBS. 11 
 
 rear : — To those who, under the mask of friend- 
 ship, secretly seek our hurt ; and with whom it is 
 far preferable to come to an open rupture, in order 
 that, considering them as enemies, we may be on 
 our guard against them ; also in English, a fair 
 foe is better than a false friend. 
 'Ato Tirgav us XiStl(>iov. — From the rock to the peb- 
 ble : — To bad debtors who, under various pretexts, 
 defer payment from time to time. 
 
 'Ato tix^ocv xoXoxvvSnv [Ann xoXox'jv6'o(TToqov. Of 
 
 a bitter gourd, use not even the seed : — The sons ' 
 of tyrants and wicked persons ought not to be too 
 freely trusted. 
 'Ato tTTuvo r^tp^a tvffx'oXcas i£ycc%si£. — You can. 
 scarcely pull a hair from a thin beard : — We can- 
 not derive much advantage from oue who has little 
 in his power. 
 'Atq nro\ yivuoc, ffoQos. — His wisdom is in his beard : 
 — To him who is wise in his own conceit. The 
 English say, The wisdom 's in the wig. 
 ''Ato ra, xaXuic a way pivot. ivruigu o AidZoXo; rd (joktu., 
 f£ t« x-axoZ; II xtti ccvtov rov voix.ox.VQnv. — Ofivhat 
 is honestly acquired, the Devil gets the half; but 
 together with ill got pelf, he takes also the posses- 
 sor : — Unjust gain gives no advantage. 
 'Ato <rhv S-vgav h u[toc.g?lct. — He goes wrong as soon 
 as he enters .• — To those who, as soon as they be- 
 gin to say or do any thing, commit faults. 
 'Ato t'/iv ftdvocv as tjjv ftocftriv i^dQn to Taib'iov. — 
 Between the mother and the midwife the child was 
 lost: — To a theft committed between two per- 
 sons. 
 'Ato rhv roifta xoipaToit. — It hangs by a hair: — 
 Used when one is observed in great danger. It is 
 also said: fitot r%(%ei 'iXu\]/u— -Within a hair- 
 69—77 
 
12 GREEK 
 
 breadth: — Likewise by Theocr. Idytt.th'.v. 9. 
 S-g)% ava piffffov. 
 
 'Ato rr,v %&gav fiyuiv 'h xa.-yfoi.. — The cloak comes 
 from the state : — To governors or judges who, by 
 receiving presents, enrich themselves at the public 
 expense. 
 
 'Avr' o ti Qoou, xXi-zrrnv 2sv <po£itTui.—From his 
 dress, he needs not fear the thief ; — To very poor 
 people. 
 
 'A>zro to akoyov '$ tov yahagov. — From the horse to 
 the ass : — To those who from a higher situation 
 willingly descend to a lower. 
 
 'Avro to avTt -a il; tov ^cls-zaXov. — From the ear to 
 the master : — To him who hears a lesson and is 
 immediately able to repeat it — general application, 
 no sooner said than done. 
 
 'Ato to ~Ru.ybu.Ti sg%zTcu. — He cor/ies from Bagdad 
 (the ancient Babylon) : — To those who are uncon- 
 scious of common domestic occurrences. 
 
 , Atto to yov^oimov sect) fx,iu, Tg'i%u, xaXn uvea. — From 
 a swine, even a hair is a great deal : — To a miser- 
 ly person who presenting a trifle thinks it of great 
 value. 
 
 'Ato to HBtpccXi [Zg/k)/x.o!.u to ipagi. — From the head 
 the fish begins to stink : — The chiefs are often to 
 be blamed for disorders which happen among the 
 people. 
 
 "Ato to Kurt'iov us <rov xXngov. — From the oar to the 
 pulpit : — To those who from low condition unde- 
 servedly arrive at honour and power. 
 
 'A*8 tov ydpov igxop.u.i, xoCi tq'i(am aTo ttiv <xitva.v. 
 — I come from the marriage, and am starving with 
 hunger : — To those who are invited to a splendid 
 77—86 
 
PROVERBS. 13 
 
 entertainment, and, from a misplaced bashfulness, 
 eat not according to their appetite. 
 
 ' ' Ato to (jto/jo. tov kou to S-Egf/ov xat to "$/v%()ov.— 
 From his mouth both heat and cold : — To those 
 who praise and condemn the same things. 
 
 'Asro X-^ 1 $y K 'w Xoyo;, Tea.) tl; x,tXiovs xa.Ta.vTivit. 
 — The word goes from the Up, and passes to thou- 
 sands : — One who does not wish -a thing to be 
 known should hold his peace ; for those whom 
 he least suspects may be the means of publishing 
 it. 
 
 'At' tov AtuSokou tyiv ub}J/i, (/.'/it Iq'kQi (a'at cip-ji. — 
 From the DeviVs farm, neither kids nor lambs : — 
 All intercourse with the wicked, although appa- 
 rently advantageous, wiii sooner or later prove pre- 
 judicial. 
 Aga.ta.is [AOLgais, x.ouxovva,oui$ xai n Tgvtfixi? vi %ov- 
 Xidgocig. — Destructive hands, pine apples and per- 
 forated spoons : — This string of words, which in 
 the original has no other connection between the 
 different parts, than the similarity of terminations, 
 is applied to designate that sort of conversation 
 which (on account of the frequent and inconsi- 
 derate change of the subject) has as little import 
 as the words of the proverb. 
 
 'A^aVjj Xovn? You wash a negro: — That is, you 
 
 try to correct a man who is incorrigible, and there- 
 by lose your labour. 
 
 'A£«;£vjjji v<pa.'ivsi. — He weaves a spider's web: — - 
 To those who occupy themselves with trifles. 
 
 'Agyu o @zo;, opus Tiv a.X'Ao-y.ova.a. — It is also said, h 
 ©so? agyii, dkXallv aX'/io-pavi?. — God delays, but 
 does not forget : — The wicked shall not pass with 
 impunity. 
 
 'Agyvoo.To p,>Xv)/xx, x,pvgo to <ria>tfa.— -Discourse is 
 86—94 
 
14 GREEK 
 
 silver, silence is gold : — There is greater danger in 
 saying too much than too little. 
 
 " A^Ta^i^M <pa;, kcci xXiipz va,%'/ig Pillage to eat, 
 
 and steal to keep : — Applied to those who support 
 themselves and get rich, by robbery and theft. 
 
 % A^moriqa. rns 1i§&igu.s Xiyu. — He speaks things 
 older than parchment .-. — To those who relate cir- 
 cumstances of great antiquity. This proverb is 
 taken from ancient mythology, according to which 
 it is said, that Jupiter wrote on a skin every occur- 
 rence that took place in the world. 
 
 "Atnco-pfos o vov;, "SivrXous o troves. An inconsiderate 
 
 mind, double labour : — A wise man, by proper 
 arrangement in business, is able to perform, with 
 the greatest ease, what others are totally unable to 
 accomplish. 
 
 "A? <7ray/\ vo\ xou£iv'/ira,i. — Let him go and shear 
 himself : — =It is also said, as Kovgivqrai, n as -^a- 
 XititvriTxt. — Let him get himself shorn and clipped 
 with scissors : — This expression is applied to one 
 for whom we have no regard, and whom we dis- 
 miss with contempt. 
 
 " A<rtf(>viv yvajirtv tx,u. — He has a white understand- 
 ing : — Metaphorically applied to one destitute of 
 common sense. 
 
 31 A<T7T(>ov iHvoci xa.) to %iovi. — The snozv also is white : 
 
 - — To persons who are good looking, but of un- 
 couth and disagreeable manners. 
 
 "Ao-Tpog ffxvXXo;, (zav^os cavkkos. — A white dog, a 
 black dog : — To those who are alike in wicked- 
 ness. 
 
 ' Atrrgwz'uis (h^ovrais xai av axovffysi tcc vruktu, ffou 
 fihv t cc(P'/io"/i;. — If you see ligntning or hear thun- 
 der, abandon not your birds : — Tn cases of danger, 
 every one should attend to his relations. 
 94—102 
 
PROVERBS. '15 
 
 "A<r%vfti fiou xui u.toi<zi f/.ou, — y.cci ri va <7tgearo<pa.ft.iv 
 fyabv ; — O my ugly and unbecoming, — but what 
 shall we commence with at supper ? — To persons 
 whose money is their only merit, their manners 
 and appearance being much against them. 
 Avya, xa) o%i Tri^a. — Eggs, and not wings : — To 
 those who make many promises, but seldom fulfil 
 them. 
 Avra,, xou Ta>\.' avra. — The same, and again the 
 same : — To those who always repeat the same 
 things. 
 Avrvt n Taffr^a, rov fintrruu ! — See what cleanness he 
 
 exhibits ! — Ironically to a dirty fellow. 
 Auto <x'oo~a. Z,vyiu.Z, 11 '■> — How much does that weigh ? 
 — Used to express extreme rusticity. The origin 
 of the proverb is this : — A lady sent her servant 
 to the post-office to inquire whether there were 
 any letters for her. There was one, the postage of 
 which, on account of the distance it had come, 
 amounted to something considerable. The servant, 
 afraid of being cheated, commenced an inquiry re- 
 garding the price of letters, and observing one 
 which had come from the neighbourhood, asked, 
 How much does that cost according to its weight ? 
 As she was told the price was a penny, she threw 
 down the money, snatched up the letter, and ran 
 home to her mistress quite overjoyed and delighted 
 with her bargain. 
 Avros f/A rhv rgiXtrtrotv rov, yifit^n rhv zoiktr<rav 
 rov. — He with his foolery feeds his belly : — To 
 one who plays the buffoon to gain a livelihood. 
 Avros o x.cfJf,f(,ivos, us criH.off.ivos (pctivirsu. — That 
 man when sitting, seems as if he were standing : 
 , — To those who perform, with ease and expedition, 
 103—109 
 
16 GREEK 
 
 things which generally require much time and la- 
 bour. 
 
 '' A(p7iffi tov yd/xov, xa) vvyi £/« xdffruva. — He has 
 left the marriage, and gone for chesnuts : — To 
 those who unseasonably attend to trifles. 
 
 'Atpogf&yiv Bjv i/%ctf/.zv, xat o Qios tyjv 'ivrtftipt. — JVe 
 had no pretext, but God sent one : — To those who 
 disingenuously contrive excuses for themselves. 
 
 " A<P(> astro $ o xr,7Tog, %^/ipa <ru kci%uva. — A. garden 
 being unenclosed, the cabbages disappear : — Negli- 
 gence is punished. 
 
 'AtpuXazrov h ayrXoT'/i;. — Simplicity unguarded : — 
 The innocent being often unacquainted with tbe 
 snares of the world are liable to fall a prey to man, 
 as they cannot well know how to provide against 
 dangers. 
 
 ' ACSvciKo; Trpay/^anvryig, xatidoBto; otccxovdoyis. — A 
 merchant against nature, is nothing but a beggar : 
 — Applied to those who acquire a fortune, though 
 not by merit, and whose manners betray their for- 
 mer condition. 
 
 B 
 
 B«^s t d<xo to sW, xat fiydks. r dvro r ciXXo. — 
 Let it go in at the one ear, and out at the other : 
 — i. e. give no attention to what he says. 
 
 Bcix' aXiugi, zd/zi VTnav. — Knead meal, .and make a 
 cake : — To those who pretend not to know how to 
 accomplish any thing. 
 
 B#/.' abya. xa) (oovtvcov, xa) zd[£ dzovoZoufti- — Mix 
 eogs and butter, and make gravy for sharpening : 
 109—117 
 
PROVERBS. 17 
 
 —To those who feign excuses for not granting fa- 
 vours. This proverb is said to have sprung from 
 a soldier who used the expression to a country wo- 
 man, when she refused him refreshment on pretence 
 that she had nothing to give him. 
 BxXs xkuVi 's ry)v yXuffiruv ffov. — Put a key on your 
 tongue : — i. e. Beware of communicating secrets. 
 This caution is beautifully expressed in the follow- 
 ing verses : 
 
 'Appriruv ixiuv yX&xrffn B-Qouy); \<xix,u<r6a, 
 Kgmrtrav yxt> /avQujv, h xnocvcuv tyvXtzx'/i. 
 
 BaXsrj x l/u,lv xagfaxi. — Drive a nail to me also : 
 — To persons who foolishly compare themselves 
 with those who are by far their superiors. This 
 proverb takes its origin from the fable, according 
 to which, a frog having seen a farrier shoeing a 
 horse, went proudly up to him, and extending its 
 foot, desired also to be shod. 
 
 ~£>a.Xz rov Xvkov wotcrrixov, xou rov trxvXXov ogx.yd<r?iv. 
 — Appoint the wolf for a shepherd, and the dog 
 for a corn-gatherer : — To those who choose not 
 good managers of their property. The word vroi- 
 <ttiko;, shepherd, comes from yroih, grass, because 
 he conducts the herds in the meadows. 
 
 Bd/ravo; Trirga. — Touch-stone: — To those who ex- 
 amine their own undertakings as well as those of 
 others, in which they are concerned, and perceive 
 all the consequences, advantageous and disadvanta- 
 geous, like the touch-stone which distinguishes the 
 genuine from the spurious. The Ancients had a 
 proverb to the same effect : XvVta x'tdos lxiy%u ro 
 
 HcLff'tXv) riftx rov rfxToi' xk) <rv 'ffava, "%t yvsoffiv. — 
 Basil respect the priest ; and you too priest behave 
 yourself : — It is a duty to honour one's superiors, 
 117—122 
 
18 GREEK 
 
 but they also ought to conduct themselves proper] v 
 towards their inferiors. 
 
 Bacv/uSj Xoydgiov s%u, x av vov l>uffom, x a.X>.o S-s- 
 ka. — The king has great treasures, but wishes for 
 greater, if you will give him them : — In reference 
 to the covetousness of powerful men. 
 
 Bxtrru.it xcii o »^a<Fn(Atvp$ d.xod,T'/,T0v xctftoioi. — Even 
 he who is in servile dependence, maintains ungo- 
 vernable pride : — Small things often produce much 
 vanity. 
 
 HaQri^a xaCi yv^'ovw, xcu Z,r,<rn xa) fty) X>'h</'A. — I bap- 
 tize and anoint, whether he live or not : — Every- 
 one should do his duty independently of the conse- 
 quences. 
 
 ~&ViXvyy,a, t%s igvf&utrBas — An object of execration, 
 that every body shuns : — Applicable to the wicked. 
 
 T$iQXto6rixn %y^v%os. — A living library : — Persons 
 who without books can supply their use. 
 
 Boicoria, vs. — A JBozotian sow : — One way of desig- 
 nating a stupid fellow. (See farther, Pindar, 
 Olymp. vi, v. 152, and his Scholiast.) 
 
 TSovouTuov ccv y/^dtr'/i, vrdXtv lis fiob'iou viynv uva.t. — 
 The buffalo, though old, is still worth an ox : — 
 To those whose inherent worth renders their old 
 age equal to the youth of many. 
 
 ~Bouvov iyivvynn tfovrix'ov. — A mountain produced a 
 mouse .-—To those who make much ado about 
 nothing. 
 
 JSovvov fxl Qovvcv olv uvrayovtrsa Mountains don't 
 
 go to meet each other : — To those who behave 
 themselves in such a manner, that the slightest dif- 
 ference will prevent their meeting ; as if the one 
 would never require the assistance of the other. 
 
 ~&^uf/Aov 0^/d.gtov ogiyavov u.yu<ruu. — Stinking fish 
 require wild marjoram : — To those plain ladies 
 who need exterior ornaments. 
 122— 132 
 
 
PROVERBS. 19 
 
 Vala^et 2vo IftciZ.Xova.v V rov |jv«v a^v^ava. — Two 
 asses were quarrelling at a strange manger : — To 
 those who unnecessarily trouble themselves, dis- 
 puting about other people's business. 
 
 Ta.[A%Qo; x,a) vufztyy) QsXouv '$ ~r,v vo/atyiv t&iv irvp.- 
 
 7Ttt)ioav The bridegroom and bride wished it, 
 
 in spite of their fathers-in-law ;, — Those who are 
 incbned to follow their own will do not listen to 
 the advice of others. 
 
 Tccgyaoisi yagyagu. — He conjugates the conjunction 
 yag : — To a young student who makes no pro- 
 gress in his studies, or an ignoramus. This is the 
 history of the proverb : — There was in a certain 
 school a young man, who, notwithstanding his na- 
 tural abilities to learn, in consequence of his arrant 
 trifling and laziness, was conspicuous for his ig- 
 norance. The Professor observing this, one day, 
 to amuse himself, and at the same time to correct 
 the student, made him the sport of the class, and 
 asked him what part of speech yu,(>, was ? a verb 
 — was the learned reply. Of what conjugation ? 
 a circumflex verb of the first. Conjugate it, said 
 the master. — The young man was going on with 
 astonishing volubility, till the bursts of laughter 
 from his companions stopped him in his career. 
 Henceforth he was denominated Mr. Gargari, 
 and the circumstance was so notorious that his 
 nick-name passed into a proverb. 
 
 Twrovurffcc lxoi'/i ro <rTyri ffov ! \yui ' ' x, u *& x%-it%*&- 
 — Neighbour, your house is burnt ! impossible, 
 I have the keys : — To little minds which place im- 
 133—136 
 
20 GREEK 
 
 plicit confidence in things which afford no securi- 
 
 ty ; .-.,;, . ■ v ■ , 
 
 Turovio'ffx, VTT'/iy o xvogx; (/.ov g tov fzvkov' va W7rxv~ 
 *%qiv9&>, n vx zu,grig'/i<ra ; — Neighbour, my husband 
 is gone to the mill ; shall I take another, or shall I 
 wait ? — To fickle and inconsiderate women. 
 
 TiXx fti vx tri yiha, vx trigafAiv <rov xxigov. — Make 
 game with me, that I may make game with you ; 
 and thus let us pass our time : — To those who 
 play amusing tricks with each other. 
 
 TiXx ft&jgo; '$ xyzkxffTx. — The fool laughs where 
 there is nothing to laugh at : — Anciently said : 
 
 YtXtt, V o ftcogos x civ Tt (jla yiXolov h. 
 
 TiXas, liffTfora, xxxx yiXx;. — You laugh, reverend 
 sir, you laugh to your hurt : — To those who do 
 not anticipate unpleasant consequences. 
 
 Tivax r^uyovv to \pagiu. — These fish eat beard: — 
 To those who in consequence of riches increase in 
 power. Here the fish represents the rich, and the 
 beard, power ; as being the strength of a man. 
 
 Tia tjjv Qurixv uv 'h 0-vx.id. — That fig-tree is for the 
 fire :• — To a hopeless character. 
 
 TkvxxtP 'A y^'Ax 's to o-vxx, r^uyii xai to ffvxo<pv\- 
 Xx. — The old xuoman relishes figs so much, that 
 she eats the very leaves : — To one who becomes a 
 gormandizer. 
 
 YXuxx Tcitpayis, ^rtx^x to %a>vivirii;. — You have 
 eaten them sweetly, you shall digest them bitterly : 
 — To those who enjoy temporaiy pleasure, at the 
 expense of future pain. 
 
 TXvxvrxro fiov ^r^uffo, xx) <xu)$ B-x tn ^i^dcco ; — 
 My sweetest leek, and how can I forget you ? — . 
 Applied ironically to those whose self-love makes 
 136—145 
 
PROVERBS. 21 
 
 them imagine that they are beloved, or esteemed 
 by others, to whom they are indifferent. 
 
 TXvimoo; Vav Xo$t. — Slippery as oil: — To him 
 who knows how to avoid exposing himself to 
 dangers. 
 
 Tougouvi '? to traxxi. — A pig in a poke : — Applied to 
 an unseen purchase. This proverb originated from 
 the practice in Greece, during the Mahometan do- 
 minion, of selling pork in the night-time, which was 
 done with the greatest secrecy, to avoid giving of- 
 fence to the tyrant. 
 
 Toapftivr,; tyuvri; ouvarwrzgoi h vraoove'ia.. — Presence 
 is more efficacious than written words. 
 
 Tewa, ftl zv uittpov 1/u.Syjx.t's tov %ooov, iiriira 'zbaz- 
 26o lia va. ixQn, xa) 2lv vj/^^ro^sn. — An old woman 
 entered a dance by paying a penny ; afterwards 
 she would have given two to get out, but she could 
 not: — To a person who ought not to entangle 
 himself in undertakings that are beyond his 
 strength, lest he be unable to withdraw from 
 them even with considerable damage. 
 
 To'/icic (ttavrsy^ara, xa) y'to^ov 7ra.oa.fjt.v61a. — An old 
 woman's prophecies, and an old mans tales : — 
 To those who utter idle stories, and talk nothing 
 but nonsense. 
 
 Yonyoouri^a car oXu y/ioal^ h ^d^i;.—~A favour 
 becomes old sooner than any other thing .■ — This 
 proverb is derived from the apophthegms of Aris- 
 totle, who, on being asked what becomes soonest 
 old, answered, a favour. The ancients had like- 
 wise the following saying : 
 
 Mtra <rr,v Vo<nv raxiirra y/ioacrxu X&Qii. 
 Toedoug ff'ApzQov, xa) Xoyous auoiov. — Blows to-day, 
 and words to-morrow .- — To those who begin 
 145—152 
 
22 GREEK 
 
 where they should end, and vice versa. This pro- 
 verb answers to the following in French : au- 
 jouroVhui on se bat, demain on se disputera. The 
 whole import is in this sentence of Thucyd. Lib. 
 i, § 78 : lovrs; ri ol ccvOowvoi Ij rov; vroXzpov;, 
 t&iv t^y&iv wgorsgov 'i%ovra,i a %(>nv tStrngov ^oav' 
 
 XOiXOTTaSoVVTZ? OS 7\0'/), 1"<WV XoyOJV UTrTOVTUI. 
 
 Tvfivhv tyiv x^i a ' — -A naked favour : — A favour 
 should be conferred freely and without ostentation. 
 
 TvfAvov iva, %iXn>i ^Vftivei va. rov Ix&vffovv olv IfiTo- 
 govv.~*Ji thousand dressed men cannot undress a 
 naked one : — Because we can take nothing from 
 those who have nothing. There is a kindred pas- 
 sage to be found in Herodotus, Lib. vii, § 172 : 
 ovbapu. ya,% odvuafflns uvuyxn x^iffffuv 'i(pv. 
 
 AxviiZ,ov xa) Izfihzvi, rr,v %iogtuv (Jts/\ \n<rfjt,6'j7><ryis, — 
 Borrow and spend, but do not forget the day of 
 payment. 
 
 Aolvzixo x ayvgwro. — Sorrowed and not returned: 
 — To one who asks as a loan what people know 
 he will never return. 
 
 Aaviixov xv^ot, <r ccXzuqi, ^a-vzixov xai to tfgo£y/xt. — 
 Borrowed, madam, is the flour ; borrowed also 
 the leaven : — Reciprocal accommodation is com- 
 mendable and useful. 
 
 AuXo; o kXovtos. — Wealth is timid: — To the rich 
 who are frequently influenced by timidity and cow- 
 ardice, lest they should be deprived of their wealth. 
 152—158 
 
PROVERBS. 23 
 
 Aristophanes also in Plut. v. 203, says : 
 
 Ankora.ro; 'io-(P o Ukovro;. 
 and Euripides in Phamiss. v. 600 : 
 
 _ d£/Aov 5' o vrXouro;, xod (piXo^v^ov xux'o*. 
 
 PaUadas thus addresses gold : 
 Xoval. -rung xokaxuv, ohuv/i; xa.) <Pgovrf$o; vis* 
 Ka< ro 'ix,'- lv <*'- (ficZo;, xai ph 'ip^nv a o&Cy/i. 
 
 AiiXonoo; rn; ^aXia;. — More cowardly than cowar- 
 dice : — To very great cowards. 
 
 A=r|£ pa; rhv papc'/iv <rov. — Shew us your back : — 
 Instead of, go away, or begone. 
 
 AitTva. Tihga., x s?.u va. crX 'J/vhkio*u Take your 
 
 supper, mother-in-law, and come that I may catch 
 your fleas : — To those who are over-anxious to 
 render services at improper times. 
 
 Aixa. fc'iroa, xa.) xo(prt yAav Measure ten times, 
 
 and cut once : — To those who speak much and 
 hastily without thinking. The tongue should not 
 outstrip the thoughts, and every one should free his 
 conversation from superfluous words. 
 
 Ait/Avo; o y£ba.Qo;, uvavavf/Avo; o votxoxv^n;. — The 
 ass being tied, the master is at his ease : — Domes- 
 tic security is necessary for comfort. 
 
 A'zv a&feus rov xbtfov va. cxv^n ri; va a\ <ra.^. — 
 You are not worth the trouble that one should 
 stoop to pick you up : — To him who despises little, 
 and is disappointed in his prospects of greater gam. 
 A Spaniard hearing of the abundance of gold to 
 be found in Mexico, thought he had only to go 
 thither, aud pick up as much as he desired. Ac- 
 cordingly, when he arrived at Vera Cruz, he found 
 by chance a doubloon on the ground ; but confi- 
 dently relying on the wealth which he thought he 
 158—164 
 
24 GREEK 
 
 should soon possess, haughtily spurned it away, eja- 
 culating the words of the proverb, which afterwards 
 passed as a common saying. It is scarcely neces- 
 sary to add, that he had not many opportunities 
 like that which he rejected. 
 
 Aiv V^iVQii vu, %&joiir'/i 'Suo ya.'ba.^ojv up^v^a,. — He can- 
 not divide straw between two asses : — To extreme 
 stupidity. 
 
 Ah 'ix il £ '£ 7 ° v %%-iov fto'igav. — He has no share in the 
 sun : — To very poor people. 
 
 Aiv yvgzs an'oy-'/i rov yu.Xy.ia.goTtcaXov o~ov. — You have 
 not yet found your man with shaggy buttocks : — 
 To those, who living disorderly, do not think of the 
 punishment that awaits them. This proverb is 
 taken from the ancient : ovtfu Mi\a,p<xvyu> rtru- 
 %wkus. Thia, daughter of the Ocean, having two 
 sons who used to insult passengers, endeavoured to 
 persuade them not to do so, lest they should fall 
 into the hands of a certain man with black but- 
 tocks, and be punished for their misconduct. 
 Hercules meeting them thus employed, tied their 
 feet together, and threw them over his shoulder, 
 with their heads reaching below the lion's skin 
 which he wore. They soon recollected "the warn- 
 ing of their mother, and perceived its application ; 
 whereupon they burst into laughter, and Hercule 
 learning the cause of it, untied and dismissed them. 
 See Zenobius Adag. Centur. v, § 10. and Suidas - 
 under lAiXotf/^vyov rC^ois. 
 
 A\v 'ki.'i'Tr o Mk^7'/i; utfo rriv ffa,^ciH,oirT'/iv. — March 
 does not fail to happen during lent : — To those 
 who obstinately and without shame intrude them- 
 selves on the society of those who hate them. 
 
 Ah p a.ya.'Tra, o avo^ge&s /u,ov, 2ion Tiv (ti [tarffovxatTi. — ; 
 My husband does not love me, because he has not 
 164—169 
 
PROVERBS. 25 
 
 beaten me : — To those who distrust the love of 
 their friends merely because the expression of it ap- 
 pears at variance with their own ideas of affection. 
 It is said that in some parts of upper Albania, the 
 wives receive so much maltreatment from their 
 husbands, that they consider a frequent beating a 
 sure proof of conjugal affection, and the absence of 
 that seasoning, a no less certain sign of cold indif- 
 erence. A newly married woman being one day 
 asked by her friends whether her husband loved 
 her, complained bitterly of his cruelty, as he only 
 caressed and paid her attention as if she were a 
 stranger ; and bursting into tears, exclaimed, 
 " No ! my husband does not love me, I have not 
 yet received a single blow from him !" 
 
 Aicc rr,v a-r-ioiav it; utfopiav. — On account of inex- 
 perience in perplexity : — To those who, remaining 
 in their original ignorance, are perplexed and em- 
 barrassed by a reverse of fortune, to a degree some- 
 times unfavourable even to their honesty ; an evil 
 from which a greater portion of knowledge might 
 happily have preserved them. 
 
 A/a to xot^tpiov xuvu to vstc&^ov. — For the nail he 
 loses the shoe : — To those who, for the sake of 
 trifles, incur great losses. 
 
 Atit to px\--\--\--\, lx,a<ru,piv to %U- %^~x\ 
 — Vulgarly for the following : Ink t'/iv (oXnx/iv xat 
 o xgiftiTitr/ao; uTri^ga. — For the bleating we have 
 Inst the neighing ; — To those who to save a little 
 lose a great deal ; as the English say, To save at 
 the spigot and let out at the bung-hole. — or — 
 Penny wise, pound foolish. — Or to thieves, who 
 attempting to steal little, often lose much. The 
 origin of the proverb in question is this : — A 
 peasant went one day on horseback to steal a 
 169—172 B 
 
26 GREEK 
 
 sheep, and approaching a fold where the sheep 
 were enclosed, tied his horse to the hedge and en- 
 tered. When the dogs began to bark, he, fearing 
 lest he might be caught by the shepherds, fled 
 in haste on foot, not having time to release his 
 horse. On his return home, his wife asked why 
 he had walked, and what he had done with his 
 horse ? Imitating the baa-ing of a sheep and the 
 neighing of a horse, he replied ; that in striving 
 to gain the former, he had lost the latter." 
 
 Aia rov vr'ovov nrov putted, yteitp' o Xuxo; rov ^vyov. — 
 For the sake of the ox, the wolf licks the yoke : — 
 To those who flatter others in order to gain their own 
 ends ; as for instance, he who wishes to marry the 
 daughter flatters the parents, and the hungry guest 
 pays court to the master of the feast. 
 
 Atcipooov anpuXurov, xu.) £ r /i/x,i(/, oXoffrooyyvXri. — 
 Or what in ancient Greek would be expressed 
 thus : — aojvoithi; to kgf/Miov, o~rQoyyvX'/i §' y) Zymia. 
 — What I have found is conical, but ichat I lost 
 was round : — This proverb has its origin from the 
 following anecdote: — A carrier on a journey lost 
 a horse-shoe ; as he went along he saw on the 
 ground a nail that had been thrown away, which 
 he picked up and shewed to his comrades, saying 
 to them with a laugh ; "A conical advantage and 
 a round loss. " Conical being the form of horse- 
 shoe nails ; and horse-shoes in Greece, being made 
 round, and not, as in other countries, in the shape 
 of a crescent. 
 
 Swci<rxxXs '-/Ton dtSc&crxz;, aa) voptov 2lv Ixoaru; ! — A. 
 
 fine moralist, who teachest, and dost not keep the 
 
 law ! — To those who recommend duties to others 
 
 which they do not practise themselves. Similar 
 
 172—175 
 
27 
 
 to this is the ancient Greek maxim . 
 
 "AT<z>ri; iffftlv I? to vovhruv cotyoi, 
 Avrct V a.u.ccorava'jTts oh yiyvu<Txofji.i'j. 
 
 A.3it o Q-c; •^apiov, x i oiuz.Z,tr opa; kou zuAoo-uof&u,. — 
 God gives bread, but tee must creep along ourselves 
 also : — To lazy people who ahsnrdly expect food 
 from God, without using any exertions to obtain or 
 secure it. The proverb is taken from the following 
 tradition : — A simple man who had often heard an 
 impostor preaching to the multitude for his own 
 profit, on his advising them to distribute their mo- 
 ney freely, and God would support them, without 
 their even giving themselves the trouble of work- 
 ing, quitted his residence, and retired to a desert- 
 ed spot, where he remained two days fasting, in 
 the hope that God would send him some food. 
 On the third day he saw by chance, a great manv 
 horses passing at a distance on the highwa)', laden 
 with baskets of bread for the camp which was near 
 at hand. A loaf falling from the last horse, after 
 all had passed, the man, being weak, dragged him- 
 self along the ground in a sitting posture, and tak- 
 ing precautions to avoid being seen, reached the 
 place where the loaf had fallen, and having seized 
 it, began to eat, saying often ; " Yes, truly ! God 
 gives bread, but we must also drag our bodies a- 
 long to take it. " The German say : Gott giebt 
 den ochsen, aber nicht by den hazrnern. 
 
 &nt?z.oo7r'i<r6yi<Tctv u<ruv rod Xu.yov to. <z , uto'id. — They 
 were scattered like the young of a hare : — To 
 brethren who are widely separated from one ano- 
 ther. It is said that the hare makes her young feed 
 apart. 
 Aio-Kccgiov l>i<7fQio-w7ro').-—A double-faced quoit ; — To 
 175—178 
 
28 GREEK 
 
 those who conceal a hostile disposition under a fair 
 exterior ; which Homer had in view when he put 
 the following verses into the mouth of Achilles : 
 (Iliad, ix, v. 312.) 
 
 'E%0o6; ya,o pot x-iivog, opai; ail>u.o TuXyfftv, 
 "O; % 'irzgov f/Siv 7civ6n ivt <pgztr)v, ci/.Ko 11 $u~C,n> 
 
 Phocylides also says, in admonition : 
 
 M'/itf zrt^ov xivQois x^aor/i v'oov, ccXX' uyogzvcav' 
 TLutrtv o uvrXoo; 'ItxSt, to. £' zx '^vy^ts ccyogzvz. 
 
 A); vraiciia, ot yzgovris. — Old men are twice chil- 
 dren : — To those in whom the imbecility, fre- 
 quently attendant upon old age, has reduced the 
 mental powers to the same state as during the pe- 
 riod of infancy before the mind has acquired strength, 
 knowledge, and experience. Aristophanes, JYubes, 
 v. 1404. says also, 
 
 $r,<rzi; vo[/.iZ ) iff8u,i o~v rratboi rovro rougyov zivat ; 
 'Eyi %i y avrziTTotfA ava>sot$ sra.T'Sz; oi yz^ovrz;. 
 
 Ao? x If-il, xau to rfcudi f/,ov, thou x avowees f/.ov *s 
 rhv S-vgav. — Give to me and my child, my hus- 
 band is also at the door : — To those poor people, 
 who, the more you give them, become the more 
 importunate ; and as one want is satisfied, ima- 
 gine another. Also to those who exhaust the pa- 
 tience and benevolence of their friends, by their 
 imprudence and rapacity. 
 
 Ao; pz xuigov, Vthzi; Z,unv. — Give me time, you give 
 me life : — Applied to a particular portion of time 
 upon which often depend the greatest emergen- 
 178—181 
 
PROVERBS. 29 
 
 cies. The effects of time in general are quite the 
 contrary, for as Simonides says : 
 
 Xgovo; 6?b; ooovra; 
 ~K.cc) "ttolvtu, ^/Y^u xa) to, (-nciiorarcc. 
 
 Ao; fjt.i xv^a. rov av^a <rou, xa) <ru xou.ru rov xcttu.- 
 vsv. — Give me your husband, madam, and keep 
 you the pestle : — To persons who without shame 
 or discretion ask from their friends what is most 
 necessary to them. 
 
 Ao$ rov <7rr,ya.vov, Six va pn finer xa.v67i. — Give him 
 some rue, lest he be bewitched : — Ironically, to 
 persons who are always apprehensive of evil. For 
 rue, according to the popular notion, is an infal- 
 lible protection against witchcraft. 
 
 Aos rov "$/6jf/.iov, xa,) %u'/.icti$ 'ivrura,. — Give him 
 bread, and after that the scourge : — That is, give 
 a man what is sufficient, and if he still importunes 
 you for more, you may then justly reproach him 
 with his greediness. 
 
 AovXtvi fjcz xaxoppoifyxz, y,v] yivu 'o~a)v xa.) trivet. — 
 Serve me poor wretch, lest I become like you: — 
 A taunt to those who are so oppressed with po- 
 verty that they are glad to serve others without 
 any pay but their food. 
 
 Auvaircci Tzv 6vvu,tra.i, xav rlfjcfcoiriov erov eiyoiov. — You 
 can or you cannot, at least put on a fierce look : — 
 We should not be pusillanimous, and allow our- 
 selves to be frightened by threatening emergencies, 
 for even the weak, by shewing a little courage and 
 greatness of mind, may weather the storm that as- 
 sails them. 
 
 Auo uSiXQo) ipti.XA.ovuv, xa.) 1>vo r^iXo) %%o,iqu.v. — 
 
 Two brothers were quarrelling, and two fools 
 
 were rejoicing at it ; — A good lesson to those who 
 
 are prone to anger, which is generally a loss to 
 
 181—187 
 
30 GREEK 
 
 themselves, while it is a subject of rejoicing to the 
 foolish and the wicked ; who, as the English pro- 
 verb says, " love to fish in troubled waters." 
 
 Avo ubiXfyo) %vu.$ xo/>f&6$. — Two brothers are one 
 trunk : — Denoting that they should mutually 
 strengthen and support each other ; which Xe- . 
 nophon, Mem. Lib. B', C. r', § 19. expresses thus : 
 aoiXtpoj <pi/.a> o'vrs, xai vrokb ^up-tuti, ?rg«<r<7S- 
 rov cifta to, 1-t utyiXtia, aXXnXoiv. 
 
 Avo urzid, xa) otfowv ffsrao"/) Two leather-bottles, 
 
 and which of them will burst ; — To those who 
 dispute warmly with one another ; or to those who 
 are indifferent with respect to the interests of others. 
 
 Avo Xcr,yov; av xvv/iyx;, x'ot'hvo 3-e vd <r\ (puyovv. — 
 If you pursue two hares, both will escape from 
 you : — To those who are distracted by a multi- 
 plicity of pursuits, which precludes the possibility 
 of giving that attention to any one of them which 
 is necessary to success. The ancients expressed the 
 same sentiment thus : 
 
 'O "civoj <XTaixa$ "hiuxwv ovhin^ov »aT«Xa/i?aJS(. 
 
 which in modern Greek would be : 
 
 'O xwniyav 2uo Xuyovs, olTi xav %va tfiavu. 
 
 Avo o'^uQioc t\% iv rwyuviov r'/iyxvi^ovrus, xou \v to 
 ecXXov Tiv <xi<rrivu.-—Two fish are fried in the 
 same pan, and the one does not believe the other : 
 — To those selfish persons who suffer the same 
 misfortunes as others, but believe only their own. 
 
 Avo ^uuovtxa u; yAciv [/.uo'x i u,X'/)v %\v (ha.o-<rovvTa.i. — 
 Two waier -melons cannot be carried under one 
 arm: — Of very difficult things, one of which is 
 enough at a time to do well. 
 
 AS; vrXovr'/i, oi^n; yvuffiv' !iw$ vtria'fciia.v, owns tqi- 
 Xav. — 'Give riches, you give sense ; give poverty, 
 187—193 
 
PROVERBS. 31 
 
 yov give folly : — This proverb is very just as re- 
 gards the superficial judgment of the multitude, 
 and the selfish conduct of the worldly. It is easy 
 for the rich man to obtain the reputation of wis- 
 dom, and the observance due to it ; while he who 
 is poor, if he escape the imputation of folly, is still 
 exposed to indifference and neglect. 
 
 E 
 
 E«v x, rj) '*-^ vagoixntf^Si %wXcci<juv (Aoidvurn. — If you 
 sit down with a lame man, you will learn to halt : 
 — A lesson to those who keep bad company ; shew- 
 ing that we naturally acquire the habits of those 
 with whom we associate. The French say: dis- 
 moi qui tu hantes,je te dirai qui tu es. 
 
 '~E?gci7%u, ft? cfAiXiT. — He is speaking Hebrew to me : 
 — Used emphatically to express what appears to 
 us unintelligible. The French likewise say : c' est 
 du grec pour moi. 
 
 'E%oa7o; ^otuao-ro; roc. vtaXaia. ttav&ffTt^a yvinvit. — 
 A. bankrupt Jew searches his old accounts: — To 
 a miser, who after suffering some loss, endeavours 
 to find resources where none exist. 
 
 'ESbcJou kcycc^iacrfiob; (pion. — He brings a Jews 
 account : — That is, he makes an exorbitant charge. 
 In the same sense they say in France : c'est un 
 compte cT apothicaire. 
 
 "Eyyi^t to /u,cc%cc7gt '$ to y,ox.na?^ov. — The knife has 
 touched the bone: — Of a serious injury, which 
 coming closely home to a man, is scarcely to be 
 forgiven or forgotten. 
 193—198 
 
32 GREEK 
 
 am no glutton, but a growler To those who feel 
 
 discontented, from being deprived of what belongs 
 to them. 
 'Eyeu v« yJn ff\ Vilai, act) o zoffftos «.$ Xiv. — Thovgh I 
 give you nothing, let the ivorld say I do : — To 
 those who boast of pretended deeds of charity, with 
 the mean desire of gaining a false reputation a- 
 mong men. 
 "Eyu tov \iyca, z)f/,ai ihvovy^o?' aliTog oi ft i^ojtoch, 
 Toircs, vreuhu, s%a. — I te ^ ^ m I am an eunuch, 
 and he asks me how many children I have : — To 
 those who ask impertinent questions, and perpetu- 
 ally return to the charge, after being made distinct- 
 ly to understand that their curiosity cannot be 
 gratified. 
 EDj tov <rdtpov tv; fWTg&iees ncti xXu'iu. — He has 
 seen his step-mother's grave, and he weeps .-—To 
 those who feign grief which they do not feel. 
 E/'jj f/,oi to. //.ira^b KogivOou xtii ~2tK.vavo;. — Be mine 
 whatever is between Corinth and Sicyon : — This 
 proverb comes from the ancients, and applies to 
 those who long to be rich. 
 luivcci a-^i'rii za) puDvpos 'guv tov wpiovov. — He is fiery 
 and irritable like a mule : — The Greeks say also, 
 zTvui 'cdv tyiv "sko. (or to zvuvtrftcc.) — He is like 
 tinder. 
 Ei'jai fii^'/iXo?.—He is profane : — That is, he is not 
 in the secret ; alluding to the sacred mysteries of 
 antiquity which were kept secret from the vulgar. 
 ~Eha.t kou uir<7r(>u. acii ftavgct yiXoiu, — There is both 
 ichite and black laughter : — Our frame is .so con- 
 stituted, that even when overwhelmed with grief, 
 something may be seen or heard, irresistibly ex- 
 citing us to laughter. On one occasion, a family 
 199—206 
 
PROVERBS. 33 
 
 in Greece were in a state of deep mourning for the 
 recent loss of a father. A lady came to console 
 them, and had scarcely entered the room, when, 
 while busied in taking off her cloak, her wide pan- 
 taloons became loose and fell to the floor, and 
 getting entangled with her legs, brought her to the 
 ground. At this sight an irrepressible desire tu 
 laugh seized all who were present. 
 
 Ehat r&Tga3oiyevv9}fiUo$. — He was born mi Wednes- 
 day : — To those who being born of noble and gen- 
 teel parents, are, by a reverse of fortune, reduced to 
 serve others. We still retain, as is seen by this pro- 
 verb, what is said of the birth of Hercules, who, 
 in consequence of its having happened on that dav, 
 was doomed to serve others, be subject to them, 
 and perform such labours as were enjoined him. 
 
 Eivai q>rw%o r a^v), 'zx~' ^ w>.uri7av olpav The 
 
 sheep is lean, but it has a broad tail : — To a per- 
 son of slender information, but of vast pretensions. 
 
 E'ikccj toy govgXov va, X^V' ' iy -^ iart y - ^''CoXuS'A. — A. 
 fool was told to and he sat down and pre- 
 sented his posteriors : — To those who, under the 
 name of doing what they are bid, do what amounts 
 to something very different, from the manner in 
 which they go about it. 
 
 Elnv o yaffiagos toy vnritvo, ziQaXu. — The ass said 
 to the cock, big head: — To those who are blind to 
 their own defects, however great, but ingenious in 
 detecting the smallest faults in others. 
 
 Ei; duo 0-uvrzx.v- rhv tXctiav. — God-father cut the olive 
 intico: — To a voracious eater. ( Vide 2 under* 
 Iuytvkyi.) 
 
 Eh luypa<pny.ivcc livlou, ^ixvarat. — He forgets him- 
 self among painted trees : — To those who from ab- 
 •206—212 u 2 
 
i- GREEK 
 
 sence of mind, are betrayed into any serious breach 
 of decorum in the presence of those whom they 
 ought to respect. 'The history of the proverb is as 
 follows : A man of this character happened to be 
 in the company of a brilliant party of ladies. The 
 drawing-room where they sat was hung round with 
 a numerous assortment of paintings representing 
 trees, mountains, lawns, and the whole variety of 
 rural scenery. Musing upon these he so far for- 
 got his situation as to imagine himself alone, and 
 being visited by the calls of nature, proceeded, 
 without quitting the spot, to obey them. This 
 happened in a country to the north of Europe, and 
 being told in Greece by a person who was present, 
 gave rise to the proverb. 
 
 Els ®io$, xeu voXXo) (piXot. — One God, and many 
 friends : — Though our ultimate dependence should 
 be on God, that does not supersede the cultivation of 
 human friendship, which is the established medium 
 through which many blessings are conferred. 
 
 E/j K^ifjcairf^ivou ctzov ff^otv) [jJa f/.iXiT'Aff'As. — Dorft 
 mention a rope, in the house of him who has been 
 hanged : — In conversation we should avoid those 
 topics that may excite painful recollections in any 
 who are present, particularly as to any thing dis- 
 honourable in the history of their family. 
 
 ~Eus f&ixjiov troltov vvroo'/ipa, y/hyu. — A large boot to a 
 small foot : — To orators who magnify what is in 
 its nature trifling. 
 
 "Ei; vo/xov xotkias. — This proverb depending upon a 
 pun does not admit of translation. The pun is 
 upon the word h"krAa$ {age") converting it into 
 xotkius (belly}. Using the proper word, the phrase 
 would denote that a person had reached his majori- 
 ty, but the pun conveys the idea that he had come 
 212—216 
 
PROVERBS. 35 
 
 to the age when the laws give him power to eat 
 what he likes. It is applied to epicures. 
 
 El; Z'zvov y,oaa-i, vioov y,r, (ZeLkys. — Put no icater int^ 
 another's wine : — To those who officiously inter- 
 fere with the affairs of others. 
 
 El; o-ttoiov to oXiyov dzv ilvtzi lx.cz.vov, lit tovtov ovaiv 
 txKvov. — To whomsoever a little is not sufficient, to 
 him nothing icill be sufficient : — To those who are 
 dissatisfied with their actual circumstances ; inti- 
 mating that the fault lies in the state of their own 
 minds, which no external change could remedy. 
 It points particularly to the endless cravings of am- 
 bition. 
 
 El; 7ra,Xct%ov x-cu xokoSov, f/.0V ku.X-X-0; o rt xciu,'/-,.— 
 For a fool and a maimed person, the grave alone 
 can do any thing : — To those who are past all 
 hopes of amendment. 
 
 Et; ToXXob; traxiov fm kvffy;. — Dont open your purse 
 before many : — i. e. Don't make a present to any 
 individual in a company, while the rest are looking 
 on. 
 
 El; ffxuKXou ro TgoffxitpuXov ■$>&)/&) o\v fypioavu. — 
 Under a dog's pillow, bread does not see the day- 
 light : — To great eaters. 
 
 El; 0-ruou.v ynv ffitiigu. — He sows on a barren soil : 
 — To the ungrateful who make no return for the 
 favours conferred on them. 
 
 El$ t'av u.£go%iot.v (or '; ty,v a,vct£(?o%id) xako V xcu 
 to ^aXa^. — In drought even hail is good: — To 
 those who being in extreme distress are glad to pro«* 
 cure relief even by a considerable sacrifice. 
 
 El; tyiv Quoccv ffTix.ii;, ^;7|s f/,a; t'av TTi(>vav ffov.— 
 
 You stand at the door, shew us your heels : — To 
 
 those who have an opportunity of escaping from 
 
 danger. The expression is borrowed from the eii- 
 
 216— 224 
 
36 GREEK 
 
 eumstance, that a person in rapid flight throws out 
 his heels alternately, thus presenting them in quick 
 succession to the eyes of his pursuers. It may also 
 apply to those who intrude themselves upon others, 
 who, not desiring their company, would be better 
 pleased to see them withdraw. 
 
 El; tov xuSivu ra. "biKix, rov uvc/,1 uy,og(pu. — To every 
 one what belongs to himself is beautiful : — To the 
 vain and conceited, whose self-love clothes what- 
 ever they possess with fanciful embellishments. 
 
 El; to tfigav (Z(>i%it. — It rains on the opposite side : 
 — Tauntingly to those who pretend not to under- 
 stand you. 
 
 El; to <xi6u,gi rh Kt£u[Atiot,v. — He commences the pot- 
 tery art by a large jar : — To those who attempt 
 what is great without having gone through a pre- 
 vious training by performing things of a simple 
 kind. The ancients expressed it thus : h &Mtu tm 
 xigafiuav. 
 
 El; rov; Tvtprov; yik <ffgoZ,vp.a.- — He asks leaven from 
 Gipsies : — It is foolish to ask favours of men of a 
 niggardly mind. The Gipsies are considered so by 
 the Greeks, and hence the proverb. 
 
 El; tov; xaxov; 0X01 xgiatrrovv. — Every body is in- 
 debted to the wicked : — viz. for injuries. 
 
 Eh tov; x,azob; rgirzeixu. — To the wicked, misfor- 
 tunes come triple .--Expressive of those overwhelm- 
 ing judgments which frequently combine to crush 
 the wicked. 
 
 El; rov; f/.m^ov; ftixgu liio~zi o %i'o;. — To little men, 
 God gives little things :■ — To those who betray a 
 childish joy on the reception of trifles. 
 
 El; rov rawuvov rov xwXov yru.^a^iift.u.^ovv Aaiftovi;. 
 — Devils winter at the back of the humble: — To 
 a bad man who envelopes his real character in a 
 S;arb of humilitv. 
 224—232 
 
PROVERBS. 37 
 
 El; ruv rvty'Kuv Tqv %&guv, /u,ovoQt)ctk/u,o; o KvQtov/i- 
 tyi;. — In the country of the blind, the ruler may be 
 blind of an eye : — Knowledge is entirely compara- 
 tive, and a man of very partial information may 
 gain the admiration of those who are totally igno- 
 rant. The French also say : dans le pays des 
 aveugles les borgnes sont rois. 
 
 E'i^ku-iv rov ffxvXXov, % iGovihi tov Xvxov. — We kept 
 a dog, and he assisted the wolf: — To a bad ser- 
 vant, who, being trusted as a faithful friend to the 
 family, forms a secret combination with the ene- 
 mies of his master to facilitate his ruin. 
 
 Ei%iv o tpoo'jif/.o; %ou\iugt, 'iT^ojyi xctt o Tgi"Ko$ f/,1 
 rovro. — The wise man had a spoon, and the fool 
 also ate with it : — To those who allow their pro- 
 perty to be used by unworthy men, who embezzle 
 the profits, and grow rich at their expense. 
 
 'Ezxxitrzv o fauKxaxas, x h Xiftvn Tiv to |sv££/. — The 
 frog flew into u passion, and the pond knew nothing 
 about it : — To insignificant men whose expressions 
 of wrath are disregarded by their superiors. Or to 
 those whose importance exists in their own imagi- 
 nation only, as the fly upon the chariot-wheel : 
 " O what a dust I make." 
 
 "Excct/,i x h xaxb %m(>u, o-itk^i. — The barren country 
 has at last produced grain ; — To those who after 
 much wilful perversity are at last reclaimed. 
 
 'Exv>J<rf h "fcVT^u., x' y,Z^i to G~xitfu,o~ftu, T'/t;. — The 
 pot while rolling, fell in with the cover ; — To those 
 who concur in their sentiments. 
 
 * Ehu. vraTTrov, vcc a\ ^stjfai tk yovtxce. rrov. — Come, 
 grand-papa, till I shew you your ancestors: — To 
 young impertinent prattlers who presume to teach 
 their seniors what they know much better than 
 themselves. 
 233—239 
 
.i» GREEK 
 
 "EXa av Tgifiaftivz, u; ifil rov piyaTtrdgnv. — Come 
 
 you trembling, to me who am shivering : To 
 
 those who experience similar accidents. 
 EXdn trzvXioL, xxi aXitrart, xa.i aXafTata //.h t'oain. 
 
 — Come, dogs, and grind, and pay nothing for the 
 mill : — To a house in great disorder. 
 
 "EXct%is to M You have drawn the letter M. — as 
 
 it were from a lottery : — Enigmatically to a fool, 
 the word pwoo$, which signifies a fool, beginning 
 with that letter. 
 
 'Ekiu0igcc Ks£*v£«, xK'- °' Tov SsXs/s. — Free Corfu, 
 — where you please : — To those who confound li- 
 berty with anarchy and unbridled licentiousness. 
 The grossness of the expression forbids a verbal 
 translation. 
 
 "EfAxh yvpvos, x Ivrgstrer Iv^vfAvo;. — He is accus- 
 tomed to be naked, and is ashamed to be clothed : 
 — To those who prefer old customs, however awk- 
 ward, to all modern improvements. 
 
 "Ef/Aa, iU to, Tv(pTo ! 7rav~ka., zee) ^idXt^i t affTgorsgov. 
 
 — Go to the Gipsy-children, and choose the whit- 
 est: — When ail is bad, whatever a person chooses 
 must of necessity be bad, 
 
 s E/u,us ^tuft) Viv l%oy.iv, xa) h yuTa Trrira, evqva. — 
 We have not bread to eat, while the cat drags away 
 the pie : — To ill-placed profusion, productive e- 
 qually of want and waste. 
 
 'Evayav IvaQ/a^svoj.—— The accused is the accuser .*-•-- 
 To a guilty person who accuses other people. 
 
 "Eva; £ouoXo$ p'i/C vii <r ^ v ^T^av zh to <n"/)yuoi, xou 
 \xchtov <Pgovt/x,oi Tiv TTjv IrAuXXovv. — One fool 
 throws a stone into the well, and a thousand wise 
 men cannot take it out ; — The slightest impolicy 
 sometimes gives birth to evils which no subsequent 
 measures, however wisely conducted, can remedy. 
 240— 2 4S 
 
PROVERBS. 39 
 
 ' Y.;y.; tppivtfto$ vkio %i?.tsu; atyoo'ia.:. — One wise man 
 
 is worth more than a thousand fools : — which 
 
 Plato in Gorgias, § 44, expresses thus : E/V <ppo- 
 
 tu-j fAvotw fjcr, tppovovvrcov xpiirrojv \ffrt. 
 
 'Ev ogm va. \xtrroXur6y v\ vvftQ'/i, <roZ yapoooZ ru. puna. 
 
 ixZ,r,xu.v Whilst the bride made her toilet, the 
 
 eyes of the bridegroom were starting from their 
 sockets : — To those who delay ; and to those who 
 are impatient or eager in expectation. 
 'EvrpoTT^Xo; 'ffav o %o7po;. — Bashful as a hog : — 
 Ironically of a man who has no shame. 
 
 *f3f oco-/i, xai f/Ae-ce, Kvxes Externally a sheep ; 
 
 internally a ivolf: — As the English adage, " A 
 wolf in sheep's clothing." See Math, vii, v. 15. 
 'EhTiplixtao-iv. — Escaped like a partridge: — That 
 he extricated himself, as a partridge skilfully eludes 
 the fowler. 
 'EZ-up' o Qzo; ri Vvdeov y..a.ou.Uit. — God knows what 
 tree he causes to fade : — That the dispensations of 
 Providence come by knowledge, and not by chance ; 
 and, whether as punishment or discipline, are just 
 and wise. 
 'E^tuoeu ri 3-iXa' •Trd.y.iv ffuxa. 8-iXa. — I know ichat it 
 wishes for ; it ivishes Jigs again : — To those who 
 dread a repetition of the dangers they have already 
 suffered by. The proverb took its origin from the 
 following tradition : A Sicilian merchant having 
 gone to sea with a cargo of figs, was wrecked, and 
 with difficulty preserved his life by swimming to 
 the shore, where he sat down upon a stone. Af- 
 terwards, perceiving the sea calm, and suspecting its 
 smoothness to be a deceitful temptation, he said to 
 those who had also saved themselves from the wreck, 
 " I know what it wishes, it wishes figs again.' 1 
 The proverb is similar tothe 49th fable of Mio]). 
 249—255 
 
40 GREEK 
 
 'E%'/ivru,&iXov/i$ itvozi. — He is a sixteen-needler : — 
 To a miser. From the modern Greek comedy by 
 (Economos, of this name, which it derives from 
 that of its hero, whose petty avarice is thus indi- 
 cated. As in France since the time of Moliere, to 
 call any one a Tartufe, presents a more distinct 
 image to the mind than the general term, hypo- 
 crite. The ancients expressed the same meaning 
 by the term xvyAvoftgier'As. Theocr. also says, in 
 Idyll. ;, v. 54-55 : 
 
 UtiXXiov u 'cfi/u-iX'/iru. tytXagyvQi <rus <paxo$ s-v^s/v 
 M*; Vira^j tuv %ttga xccruTgiav to zvf/.tvov. 
 
 "E|&/ «to ro kiQizXi (A.ov, «j '/jvai nod t ubiXtyav pov 
 . — If I save my own head, I do not care even for 
 my brother's : — To those who are so .exclusively 
 selfish, as not even to feel for the misfortunes of 
 their own relations. 
 
 l E\ca avf to, kccxu., ivzoXut; /rupSovXiCit;. — Out of 
 evils, advice is easy : — To those who, meeting with 
 no difficulties themselves, presume to give directions 
 for their conduct to those who do. The same sen- 
 timent occurs in jEschylus. Prometh. v. 263. 
 
 'EXatpgov, offTis T'/iftci'rciJv &%a tf'ohu, 
 *E%a, rfcigaivuv vov6in~v <ri tov; xuxus 
 Ti^a.o'o'ovTas. 
 
 Shakspeare also, in Much Ado About Nothing, 
 act 5, scene 1, 
 
 -'Tis all men's office to speak patience 
 
 To those that wring under the load of sorrow ; 
 But no man's virtue, nor sufficiency, 
 To be so moral, when he shall endure 
 The like himself : 
 
 256—258 
 
PROVERBS. 41 
 
 £2*6/ rou %ooov vsXXa. roecyov^ia kiyu.— Out of the 
 assembly, he gives many songs : — To those who 
 boast out of season and place ; or to those who, 
 really possessing useful and agreeable talents, ne- 
 glect the proper occasions for their exercise ; and 
 obtrude them without being desired, where they 
 are unsuitable. Another reading is : oV $Tv avr 
 t\oi toZ %oocu, vroXka. r^ccyou^ta, \ivoii. — He who 
 is out of the company, can sing many songs. 
 
 "ETalli ttau tpccfa He has suffered and learned; — 
 
 Which the ancients conveyed by «%«?■«, (A.a.Sn- 
 para.. This recalls the adage ; qua nocent, do- 
 cent 1 to which we may add what Thucyd. says, 
 Lib. a, § 18, y.z-ce, xivSuv'av <ra; f&sXiras Woiov- 
 ptvai. and Shaksp. As You Like It, act 2, 
 scene 1 , Sweet are the uses of adversity. 
 "ETutli red XivaoioZ to, <xa@n. — He has suffered the 
 sufferings of lint: — To one who has suffered 
 much ; lint, in the process of preparation for the 
 purposes of manufacture, being yery roughly han- 
 dled. 
 ''E'tto.v cclyo 's rhv yAmv <rau X^'atu va '' 'wtrryioit'/i. — 
 He tries to support an egg upon his nose : — To 
 one who thinks himself capable of every achieve- 
 ment, and who pronounces all that has been done 
 by others to be easily performed. The proverb 
 is said to be derived from the pleasant illustration 
 by which Christopher Columbus, in a familiar 
 manner, level to every capacity, exposed the folly 
 and presumption of his enemies, who wishing to 
 depreciate his merit as the discoverer of America, 
 said that it was nothing extraordinary, and that 
 each of them could have done the same. At a 
 great feast where several of these persons were pre- 
 sent, Columbus, taking an egg, asked, who could 
 make it stand upon his nose. Each tried, but to 
 259—262 
 
42 GREEK 
 
 no purpose, as may be supposed ; when he, breaking 
 it, easily stuck it on. All then exclaimed, " We 
 can do so likewise ; what difficulty is there in it?" 
 " True," replied the great navigator, " you can do 
 it, now that I have shewn you the example." 
 'Etfavoj it; rvtv x, a i^ v y - l/ ^ ° xagrokoye; The nup- 
 tials, — and lo ! the tax-gatherer ! — To unexpected 
 misfortunes which are aggravated by coming in the 
 very season dedicated to happiness. 
 ^Ytira.oi x&QeLki, pu^zi ro7%;ov. — Take a head, and beat 
 a wall : — To those who are so stupid, that their 
 heads being no better than stones, are represented 
 as fit for nothing but to beat walls. 
 "Etfagc ju.z orxv f/J ib/^'/is, dia. va, ft z%'/i;, orav S-sAjfj. 
 — Take me when you find me, that you may have 
 me when you wish : — That we should not rely too 
 implicitly upon present prosperity, thereby neglect- 
 ing to make a seasonable (not an avaricious) pro- 
 vision against future exigencies : but should rather 
 imitate the ant and the bee, who, out of the abun- 
 dance of summer, lay up stores to compensate the 
 sterility of winter. 
 'Esra^ao - ' o x,a7-oy/i^o$, xovzta, too /jcayti^ivovv. — > 
 The Monk having observed Easter, returns to 
 his beans : — To those who having observed, as 
 well as they are able, the duties or ceremonies en- 
 joined them, return well satisfied to their usual 
 habits. 
 "Evrzo-i to Xabi '$ rh <pxx,r,v. — The oil has fallen into 
 the lentil soup ; — In raillery, to one who has sus- 
 tained a trifling loss. Olive oil is in Greece an 
 article of the greatest use, and employed as butter 
 is in other countries, especially in the time of 
 Lent. Lentils require a great deal ; and therefore 
 the oil falling into the soup, of which it was a ne- 
 262—267 
 
PROVERBS. 43 
 
 cessarv and important ingredient, could not occa- 
 sion any great loss. Hence the proverb. 
 
 "Etiko-iv h ycira. <rov ttovtikov The cat has caught 
 
 the mouse : — To those who suffer justly. The cat 
 generally catches the mouse while committing de- 
 predations . 
 
 "Emua-i to %ikiov cctto rhv ovgdv. — He has caught 
 the eel by the tail : — To those who lose their time 
 in pursuit of objects, which, from their nature, it 
 is almost impossible to retain ; or who vainly eu- 
 deavour to convince by argument, or improve by 
 admonition, those whom sophistry or cunning en- 
 ables to elude them. 
 
 "EvrguZa,; (houvrts "Hoa ! — You have done it ox-eyed 
 Juno ! — Applicable to those wives who sooner 
 or later accomplish their own wishes in spite of the 
 opposition of their husbands. It takes its origin 
 from the apostrophe of Jupiter to Juno, when she 
 had excited Achilles against the Trojans, whom he 
 favoured. {Iliad, 2'. v. 357.) 
 
 ''ErfgyiZag x.cu ZTriira, powvris 9rorvuz."H6yi. 
 
 'jOgjitmvu rowuX'tov t'/iv aorrccv. — The chicken gives 
 advice to the hen : — To the young and forward, 
 who in their pertness and ignorance, pretend to 
 instruct the experienced and advanced in life. 
 
 "EvTfot.ffi to. t'ooiJ. tou, -a i^ura. <rov; oLxXov$ olv <rov; 
 fowt. — He has broken his legs, and asks others if 
 they feel any pain : — To men who, while conscious 
 of the derangement of their own affairs, hope to 
 escape observation by an affected interest in those 
 of others, and assuming airs of patronage and pro- 
 tection. 
 
 "EtTTiis- ffirdgt, x \<pvrgair& xgiDdgt. — He sowed 
 wheat, and barley sprung up : — That the inten- 
 tion is not always to be judged of by the result ; 
 267—273 
 
44 GREEK 
 
 since well-advised proceedings are not always at- 
 tended with success. 
 
 Jl EtruQ o ■A.'kkrfrns tyiv <p&>vyiv vd <p6y/i o votnozugyi;.— 
 The thief raised his voice to make the oioner fly : 
 — To those who cry out first when they have com- 
 mitted an injury ; and by assuming an appear- 
 ance of innocence and indignation, endeavour to 
 frighten and prevent the sufferer from making an 
 accusation. 
 
 'Effv ro xare&u'Qi, x \yu [A r /\8i ^ufju dgftivtzo. — You 
 the rich cake, and I not even black bread : — 
 Karavipi, probably from Kara v<$hv, like a tis- 
 sue, is a cake made of pastry resembling very small 
 vermicelli interlaced, and which forms a real tis- 
 sue. At Constantinople they excel in this species 
 of pastry. Hufju d^pivixo, is a kind of very coarse 
 black bread, which is called Armenian bread ; by 
 what relation to that people I do not know. Or 
 perhaps it takes its etymology from the word icgfii- 
 vov participle of aoa> for a^ohiov, convenient, ne- 
 cessary. The application of the proverb is to 
 those who are rich and live in abundance, while 
 others have not the necessaries of life. This senti- 
 ment Theocr. expresses thus, Idyll, i'. v. 13 : 
 
 'Ex m$w avrXtt; ^XoV lyw £' 'i^u ou% uXis o%o$. 
 
 Evytvn l$d>va%av, xai o ph %x uv d'7nXoyh6r i They 
 
 called a noble, and he who was not one, apologiz- 
 ed : — To vulgar rich people who assume nobility, 
 in the hope that some at least will be deceived. 
 
 Euyivhs Ik fiaXavriou. — Noble by his purse : — To 
 those whose riches procure them the honour due 
 to rank, talent, or virtue. 
 
 Evzatgov fiav^giov, ytpdrov Xvkov?. — An empty fold 
 filled with wolves ; — That is, empty as regards its 
 273—278 
 
PROVERBS. 45 
 
 proper occupants, and filled with thieves and mur- 
 derers ; as in times of anarchy, when the good and 
 peaceable are displaced by the wicked and violent. 
 
 Eu%hv si; tov ysirovcc <xov vu.%'/!, Tioio-trorsoo'j Ts si; ryv 
 %u7octv gov. — Wish that your neighbour may 
 have, but wish more that your own pot may 
 boil : — " One word for your friend, and two for 
 yourself." It is a good thing to have a rich and 
 generous neighbour ; but it is still better for your 
 respectability and independence, to exert yourself, 
 that you may not need his assistance. 
 
 'Etyu.ya.fASv tov yasi^ctoov, ftci; sf&ui 'h ovou. tov 
 
 We have eaten the whole ass, there is but his tail 
 now: — Tv~hen we have by energy and persever- 
 ance overcome the difficulties, and accomplished 
 the really laborious part of an undertaking ; we 
 ought not, by suffering our constancy to be shaken 
 at the end, to leave our work incomplete ; but 
 finish perfectly that which we have begun well. 
 ( Vide O under "OXov to flaHi lop.) 
 
 "Etyays Xojt'ov. — He has eaten lotus : — To those who 
 have resided long in foreign countries ; because 
 eating of the lotus was popularly believed to make 
 a man forget his country. 
 
 "Etyay 'h p-vtycc eTbr^ov. — ■ The fly has eaten iron : — 
 Ironically to those who think they can perform 
 impossibilities. 
 
 "Etpay o trxvXko; <r uXsv^i. — The dog has eaten the 
 
 - meal : — To those who, under vain pretences, refuse 
 a request ; and disguise their unwillingness to grant 
 it, by excuses invented for the purpose. 
 
 : 'Ep0utnv si; tuv <dsuv r avTicL. — It has reached the 
 ears of the Gods : — To those who cannot elude 
 the divine vengeance for the evils they have done 
 278— 28 4 
 

 46 GREEK 
 
 as it is beautifully expressed in these two verses of 
 the Anthology : 
 
 'AvOguTTou; y,\v 'lira; Xqirsis, ktotov rt trot-Acra; ' 
 Ov 7J,<nn oz Qzob;, ovhl koyt^oysvo;. 
 
 "E<p0a.<r 'h TTgoStu. '$ ra lubiKu.. — The sheepskin has 
 sufficed to pay the twelve : — To spendthrifts and 
 debauchees who, without reflecting, squander their 
 property in dissipation. It is said that a drunken 
 currier who was indebted to a tavern-keeper twelve 
 pence, not being able to pay him otherwise, took 
 from his house the last fleece which remained to 
 him, and gave it to the retailer of wine in pay- 
 ment of the debt. His wife observing that this 
 fleece had disappeared, questioned him; " have 
 you taken the sheep-skin ? what have you done 
 with it?" But he, being half-drunk, replied ; " the- 
 skin sufficed just for the twelve. The word ttoq- 
 Sid, signifies what the ancients expressed by y,'A- 
 X<wt57. This last word is still employed in the pre- 
 sent day, but more rarely than the first. 
 
 'E^a^ ixttv 'h fcorra, h otto'io, iyivvat yiyaXo <r av- 
 yov. — The hen that laid the large egg was lost : 
 — To those who have had the misfortune to lose 
 a benefactor that liberally dispensed his kind- 
 nesses. 
 
 "Efcaffxi vet £«^sj f&ovG&Xiov, k %^a^/t fAuTyeev. — He 
 was gaping to snap up a buffalo, and swallowed a 
 fly : — To those who without judgement are al- 
 ways expecting some great good fortune to happen 
 to them, and meet with nothing but trifles — all, 
 indeed, that the little desert of the idle merits. 
 
 "Ejjjsi x> 'A ftutyu <r<7rXriva.v. — Even the fly has a spleen; 
 — We ought neither to despise nor to insult the 
 weakness of an enemy • the tamest may feel an 
 284—288 
 
 
PROVERBS. 47 
 
 injury, and the most feeble find a mode of retalia- 
 tion. 
 
 "E%u x.ed/.oxa.^ilca;. — He has stings on his back: — 
 To those whose conscience tormenting them with 
 the fear of the discovery of their secret misconduct, 
 are restless, suspicious, and irritable, like a man 
 who has been stung by nettles or bees. 
 
 "E%u Tiirirav xat •za.oabutxo'j. — He has pitch and pa- 
 radise : — To a man who acts with moderation and 
 prudence ; and keeps well with all parties, by join- 
 ing himself particularly to none : Steering equally 
 between two extremes. 
 
 "E% h x,vou. tov o'ikov, x h xa&zXa ?cc xXithici. — 
 TJie mistress has the house, and the girl the kegs : 
 — Blind confidence in servants, whether proceeding 
 from indolence or simplicity, is always to be depre- 
 cated, as injurious to the interests of the mistress 
 and the morals of the servant. 
 
 'E%0oov xat (pdovsgev r o/x/xtzriov rwv yiirovav. — Hos- 
 tile and jealous is the eye of neighbours : — To en- 
 vious neighbours. The two following verses on 
 envy may be appositely introduced here : 
 
 e O <p0ovo; lerri xdxttrroi' s%a2i rt xkXov iv uut£>. 
 linn yv.^ (p6o'jiQ&>» oft/xaroc xcci xugoiav. 
 
 'E%u pufiftciru. oiu, rvtv _yovvu.v ffov 1 have thread 
 
 for your fur : — That is, you shall suffer for the 
 evil you have done me ; I reserve my vengeance 
 till an opportunity offers. 
 
 'E-ipotp'/Kri to ficooi po-j, x \\% (.titled <iv 'a a f/.-v. — ?/Iy ox 
 is dead, and we are rid of it : — When the causes 
 that engage us to make treaties cease, then the 
 treaties themselves are nail. 
 288—294, 
 
m 
 
 Z<7 %ur(>a, Z$ <pi^-ia. — The pot boils, friendship 
 lives : — or ^Jt^j (p/Xtx, pot-friendship : — To 
 those whose assiduities are prompted by their in- 
 terest ; but which they attempt to dignify by the 
 name of friendship. 
 
 Zurraivirai ftX roc; Ikvrfia;* — He warms himself with 
 hopes ; — or otherwise, az^oZaetXivii, He reigns in 
 air : — To the sanguine who delight themselves 
 with imagining happiness, often as visionary as 
 agreeable- Voltaire also says, (Merope, act 1. 
 scene 4.) 
 
 " Je lis au fond des cceurs, a peine ils sont a moi : 
 Echauffes par l'espoir, ou glaces par l'efiroi." 
 
 Ziuyaoi xa) xXatvi. — A pair and a branch : — To 
 
 those who, by reciprocity of regard, and similarity 
 of tastes, appear to be informed by one mind : 
 Shaksp. also says, Midsummer-night's Dream, act 
 3, scene 2, 
 
 - So we grew together, 
 
 Like to a double cherry, seeming parted, 
 But yet a union in partition, 
 Two lovely berries moulded on one stem : 
 So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart. 
 
 :?i; !)iu to. r^uy/is, '/) <rguyu$ ^ta, va, t,r,; ; — Do you 
 live in order to eat ; or eat in order to live ? — In 
 pleasantry to those whose sobriety is suspected ; a 
 question which often entraps, when the answer is 
 made with vivacity too quiok for reflection. 
 295—298 
 
PROVERBS. 49 
 
 1y,ti putvgi fi.au vot. <pZs rgiQvkXt, x.u) rh kvyoucro 
 ffrin(pu>.i. — Live my donkey, that you may eat tre- 
 foil ; and in August, grapes : — To those who 
 make fine promises for a distant time, and still 
 more for an uncertain future. 
 
 Znrii tx, Tr'ioa TaSuguv. — He seeks far what is be- 
 yond Gibraltar : — That is, he attempts things dif- 
 ficult, and almost impossible. From the ancient 
 proverb : to. tt'-^o, Yah-'iouv, ob vrzg/zTu. 
 
 Zr,ru to,-, po'toas v aftarnirn. — He seeks to deceive the 
 fates : — To those who take every precaution to 
 preserve themselves from death, as if they could 
 «lude their destiny. "We may here also cite the fol- 
 lowing fragment of the poet Phanocles, preserved 
 by Clement of Alexandria. 
 
 'AXXa to Motouuv vr,{t aXvrov, ovbi, rtv' s<rnv 
 'Eztpuyiuv, oft'offoi yiiv \<7Ti<pio£o l </.i6u.. 
 
 Zr,riKvo IXoyAXv fjih 2'3i ryjv \XiYifjcoirvv7iv Gov. — Give 
 not your alms to a sound-limbed beggar ; — la 
 other words, encourage not the lazy, since society 
 has no evil more pernicious than this class of indi- 
 viduals. 
 
 H 
 
 H ukrrfua uvea ftaXXcorga. — Truth i« a quarrel- 
 maker : — Unvarnished truth is offensive, and is 
 apt to excite anger, when it comes home to one's self, 
 "H avruXXayvi, n u.-TQ?r^ovrh. — Either elude or di- 
 vert : — That is danger ; there is no other alterna- 
 tive. 
 
 299— 304 
 
 C 
 
50 GREEK 
 
 C H attQima If&Gamt f/A to ffuxxiov, xai IxGuivu fti t\ 
 /ssXov; — Sickness enters with the sack, and goes 
 out with the needle ; — All afflictions are more easi- 
 ly contracted than removed. 
 
 "H fidgzt <r ag%ovTosrovXov f n /zh to $oxi/xdZ,us. — 
 Either satisfy the young noble, or try it not : — 
 Give adequately, or not at all, to those whose wants 
 are great. 
 
 'H yXatrira xoxxaXa 2sv s%u, xai x'oxxaXa ffvvT(>iQii. 
 — The tongue has no bones, yet breaks bones ;— 
 To those who bitterly reproach and distress others, 
 by their inordinate love of speaking. 
 
 'H yg'/iu Tiv u%z AidSoXov, xai ay'agaei yovoovviov. — 
 The old woman had not a Devil, and she bought a 
 pig : — To those who, not having evils, create some 
 for themselves. 
 
 'H %wTga YoTga Tzv ytvtTai. — The beggar becomes 
 not a giver r — Those who are accustomed to ask, 
 rarely learn to bestow. 
 
 'HttiXwrz v ayidc/i, xai , \irta.yitt.ffi.—He wished to 
 purify others, and, was frozen himself: — To those 
 who, in their endeavours to serve others, meet with 
 an evil return. t AyiaZ,a>, and ayiao-pos refer to 
 a particular custom in the Greek church, according 
 to which the priests, going from house to house 
 with water that has been blessed, sprinkle the ha- 
 bitations and families, generally by means of small 
 sprigs of myrtle bound together. The origin of 
 this custom is very remote ; See Notes in my Edi- 
 tion of the Orations on the Crown, Boston, 1829. 
 p. 229. 1. 12. 'i\u tcuv vzg{ppavT"/j0ia/v, x, <r. X.] 
 
 "HfaXov, o'uvuvah'ofci, vatrizlTw, <pd.yi, fiXiTa opus to, 
 Xzqiu> gov xai Tiv ouiuu^ouv. — I ivished, fellow - 
 godfather, to say to you — eat, but I see that 
 305—311 
 
PROVERBS. 51 
 
 your hands are not empty : — To those who are so 
 greedy as to need no invitation. 
 
 H xxXn YifAioa. utto rhv ccbyhv li'i^vit — Or, accord- 
 ing to another reading — 'hpiga xakh u.ko to to^u 
 Hzi%vst. — The fine day shews itself from the dawn : 
 — =A good education in early youth is the best pledge 
 of a virtuous life. 
 'H xoiXlot, auTix lh %x u ' — ^ e ^ e % h as n0 ears * — 
 Those who are hungry do not understand jesting. 
 
 Hfi-.T; its Zfivov?, xcci Z'ivoi si; '/i t u.eH;. — We to stran- 
 gers, and strangers to us : — This elliptical pro- 
 verb bas two meanings, — the first addressed to 
 travellers : — Let us conduct ourselves towards fo- 
 reigners when we are in their country, as we would 
 wish them to behave to us, when they come to ours, 
 — as one of the ancients has said, 
 
 Ssvo; vrsipuxu;, nrou; ^svr^oxov; ffiSou. 
 
 The second, the duty of hospitality : — . When stran- 
 gers visit us, let us receive them, as we ourselves 
 would wish to be received by them in their coun- 
 try; as, 
 
 Ssvov; f sw£s* xu) tru ya.^ Zivo; y 'iffy. 
 
 In either sense an excellent lesson, whether we are 
 so situated as to receive or to perform the social 
 duties of hospitality. 
 
 'Hftu; tfsivovpsv, xa) to. trxvXXia, xoXXov^ai; ffvpouv. — 
 We hunger, and the dogs trail cakes ; — To poor 
 and proud persons, who, while in secret they deny 
 themselves necessaries, make a shew of allowing 
 their dependants luxuries. 
 
 r H ftlv X li i ' iv AiTo/hoTs, o $s vov; in VLXutti^uv.— 
 The hand among the JEtolians, but the mind a- 
 mong the Clopides .—In the word AlweXoTs there 
 311—316 
 
52 GREEK 
 
 is an allusion to the verb alru, I ask. Atpy is 
 understood before KX/vtiImv, in which there is a 
 substitution of the letter I for r, Kgavriet having 
 been a borough of Attica, in the tribe Leontis, from 
 which the people of the borough were called K^u- 
 ^riSis, a substitution, however, made in conse- 
 quence of a defect of the organs of speech in some 
 persons, who wishing to pronounce r, cannot do 
 so, and instead of it use I. The allusion, there- 
 fore, is to k\u-^, thief. See in regard to this 
 proverb, Aristoph. Equit. v. 80. The sense then 
 is the same as if it were said : v% x*i l ^ lv «**£* 
 tm Tz vu zkivrra. — He begs with the hand, but 
 steals with the mind: — Applied to those who beg 
 in order that they may steal, and, while they 
 stretch out the hand for alms, are meditating a 
 theft. 
 
 ^FLftiga; %agci, mi %gavou kurtr,. — A. day's pleasure 
 and a year's grief: — The transient pleasures of 
 vice are generally succeeded by tbe penalty of long 
 continued suffering. 
 
 £ H f/y/irioa y,ou Viv %rov, <pr\riv o 7ra,<rigc&s /xov. — My 
 mother has not been, but my father has : — To 
 those who wantonly insult and sport with the feel- 
 ings of others, whom they despise ; believing them 
 incapable of making a retort, and thus receive a 
 good lesson when they least expect it. A person 
 of high rank, who was travelling, arrived in a vil- 
 lage, where, encountering a villager whose resem- 
 blance to himself struck all his attendants, he asked 
 him if his mother had ever been in such a town, 
 " No," said he, " my mother has never been there, 
 but my father has, several times." 
 "H fuzgo; f/.tx,6o$ 'vruv^gi'^ou, ri (/,ikqo; xcckoyigsipov. 
 — Either marry very young, or turn monk very 
 young : — That a person should decide upon his 
 316—319 
 
PROVERBS. 53 
 
 future course of life, before he has contracted ha- 
 bits which may be opposed to the choice most ad- 
 vantageous for him. 
 
 'H pvtya. ItuK-i r uXcya,. — The fly drives the 
 horses : — To those who, believing themselves to be 
 of the greatest importance, think that they are the 
 soul of every thing, when no one is conscious 
 even of their existence. 
 
 ' H va vipvkotpoovr,; okiyurioov, '/j va. 'ov'ictaou 'TTiotiT- 
 ff'oTZ(>ov. — Either less pride, or more power ; — 
 Pride without power is contemptible. 
 
 'H *v/u,<pn '$ to, yrifaoixa X u fi> yaf&Sgov ri Shikit ; — 
 The bride at her father-in-law' 's, without the bride- 
 groom. ! what has she to do there ? — To those who, 
 by neglecting the opinion of the world, bring 
 blame upon themselves ; which they will be sure to 
 do, even by too much attention to persons who are 
 near to them, at the expense of those who are still 
 nearer. 
 
 'H %'zvn lyvoia yw^iiii rov trzvXXov. — A. stranger's care 
 makes old the dog : — As a Swiss sacrifices health 
 and strength in the service, and for the interest of 
 strangers. 
 
 ' H 5T«7rS;, <7ru<7ru.s' y, Z.ivya.;, Z,ivyu,?. — If a priest, be 
 a priest ; if a ploughman, a ploughman : — To 
 those who unite employments incompatible with 
 each other. 
 
 'H irir^u. fjuiTu^doiciv lis (ia,6'/)(/A'Jov totov. — The 
 stone has struck again the place to which it had 
 become accustomed : — The same evils are apt to 
 return to the same individuals. 
 
 'H vriTgivo;, r, ^vXivo;, — Either stony, or wooden:- — . 
 "Where there is no feeling, there can be no impres- 
 sion. 
 
 'H, vroXka); <poovrih; Ufftfotfccv to.)? Tg;%ai' <7CV+ = 
 319—32? 
 
54 GREEK 
 
 Many cares make the head white .-—Grief brings 
 on premature old age. 
 
 'H vrohXh fftfovhn rov 'iSyaXi ra, (/.vaXa rou. — Much 
 study has turned his brain : — Applied to men of 
 genius by the vulgar, who are apt to call that folly 
 which is above their comprehension, because at va- 
 riance with their own manner of thinking and act - 
 ing. Voltaire has well expressed this sentiment : 
 — " Notre miserable espece est tellement faite, que 
 ceux qui marehent dans le chemin battu jettent 
 toujours des pierres a ceux qui enseignent un che- 
 min nouveau." (Diet. Philos. Under Lettres.) 
 
 ! H travkka utto rhv fiiav ms rvtpXa, yivvu, to, xovrdi- 
 fita Ttfj. — The bitch, by her haste, produces her 
 young blind : — Excessive zeal without due reflec- 
 tion seldom has a good result. We may add to 
 this explanation the following verses, which ex- 
 press the same idea : 
 
 'H fifiaouTavs fiovXh yJiy af&iimV h 01 ray^zla , 
 
 AliV i(pi\si0f6iV?iV TYiV {AtTOiVOSCCV '%tl. 
 
 "tiro ^Xu^ov y*ai (pueceffzv. — It was green, and has 
 made a spot : — To a thief, discovered by the marks 
 of his theft. 
 
 ( H rgiXa Tragofto'iu &l$ oXovs Tsv thai. — Folly is not 
 alike in all people: — it is said also : — xara <ryi> 
 rgiXu, youQi ro rgskog. — According to the folly, 
 write fool : — This last proverb takes its origin 
 from the reply of a schoolmaster, who having been 
 asked by one of his pupils, with how many Vs he 
 ought to spell the word rgsZ.05, fool, replied, — 
 " according to your share of folly." TqzXss, is de- 
 rived from trrgiSko;. 
 
 ~Hvga.fjc.iv \ovg7Jov tcituv, x.a) oX'/if/,iga •^ctXXoft.iv.— 
 We have found a foolish priest, and we sing all 
 day : — To bad servants who, taking advantage of 
 327—332 
 
PROVERBS. 55 
 
 the goodness and indulgence of their masters, con- 
 tinually take their own pleasure, and neglect their 
 duty. 
 
 Hugsv 'a uffia tov po^ov. — The file has found the 
 knot : — To self-confident and insolent persons, who, 
 wishing to dispute with those who are better in- 
 formed than themselves, are vanquished and de- 
 spised. c Po£«j from ogo$. 
 
 Hugzv % x.ogu(p'/i tov vrarov. — The top has found the 
 bottom : — To those who spend improvidently, 
 "without sparing or economising their resources. 
 
 Hvgsv h vvf/,<P'/} ftas to ywv'to^iov oTiirhv tv; S-y^aj. — 
 Our daughter-in-law has found out the little cor- 
 ner behind the door : — Ironically of things evi- 
 dent ; to those who, without reason, imagine that 
 they make great discoveries. 
 
 Hvgzv o xw\h$ xar^tpo^ov. — The lame man has found 
 a descent : — To weak persons who, while execut- 
 ing easy things, make a parade of their strength. 
 
 Hygs to ^vxpiov iU t«iv Xao-vrw. — He has found a 
 twopence in the mud: — To those who, in the 
 hope of a trifling gain, commit actions which dis- 
 honour them ; like a man who, stooping to pick 
 up a silver twopence which he saw in the mud, 
 fell, and made himself all over dirt. 
 
 H^e to Tou^i tov. — He has found his peer : — To 
 persons closely resembling each other j the word 
 toc.7^1 is from Itou^o?. 
 
 'H (pant) jBE to 0-toc.miov Tv\i $quZ,u. — The lentil boils 
 against its xoill : — Every thing yields to superior 
 force. 
 
 31 H xogi-^aTi %,x\u, n u-QviTi tov %ooov. — Either 
 dance well, or quit the ball-room : — In the same 
 sense as the maxim of Lord Chesterfield. — " What- 
 ever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well." 
 332—340 
 
56 gree: 
 
 e 
 
 05[«-r«v trufie&Xtas Itfoxgivzrat. — He feigns death 
 like the panther : — To those who prepare snares 
 for us. It has been said of the panther, that when 
 he sees apes, he lies still as if dead, and thus en- 
 traps them when they approach him. 
 
 Oa, tri xoLpu va ftu£'/i$, <7ro<r auyu X.ojq-a h ffxovtpia. 
 ffov. — I will make you learn how many eggs your 
 bonnet will contain : — Used when one threatens an- 
 other, that he will make him repent of some ac- 
 tion, and that he will punish him. ILxoCtpia, pro- 
 bably from cxvQos, <rxu(piov. 
 
 QuvftaffTu, va Xoyta ffov, y.uai^cuv of/.ue uTTiffTiav. — 
 Your professions are admirable, hut they have 
 the odour of being incredible : — To those whose 
 promises go beyond their performances. 
 z7o; xc&i B-iiu f/J zDgzipav, ffvioc xcil QXcya (it? zxwpav. 
 — Uncle and aunt have reared me ; the hearth 
 and fame have burned me : — Injuries received at 
 the hands of relations are more severely felt than 
 those inflicted by strangers. 
 
 Qikzi v'u \x&a,7»'/i v htp'iltov a<vo rjjv v^vTfav (£z vov 
 vgskov ro £%/. — He wishes to bring the serpent 
 out of his hole by the hand of a fool: — To those 
 who, in order to avoid exposing themselves in en- 
 countering dangerous enemies, secretly employ, as 
 instruments against them, the courage and fool- 
 hardiness of more simple persons. 
 
 QiXzt v avHff'A vo Yzv^gov, x' h fta-X^ ^ v T ' ^ t P' vii ' — ■ 
 The tree wishes to flower, and the hoar-frost per- 
 mits it not : — To one who becomes an obstacle to 
 341—346 
 
PROVERBS. 57 
 
 the advancement of a young man naturally well- 
 disposed. 
 &<os ^luxa rob; auaoraiXov;. — God pursues sin- 
 ners : — That sooner or later those who do evil, 
 will reap the fruits of their misconduct. Theocr. 
 says also, Idyll, i. v. 17. 
 
 Ei/gs Qic$ tcv aXirgbv. 
 
 Qippviv zU ^u^oix. zacfiiccv 'i%u. — Tie has a warm 
 heart to cold things : — Of those who shew great 
 zeal upon occasions where there is little worthy of 
 their exertions. 
 
 QiofAtuv uv loiToi:.—.IIe is a doctor of Thermia : — 
 That is, he acts the doctor without being one, 
 and knows how to avoid compromising himself. 
 The isle of Thermia is the ancient Cythnos. It 
 derives its present name from its hot springs. The 
 proverb was the result of the following fact : — 
 A tempest having driven into one of the ports of 
 this island, a vessel which had on board a Greek 
 in the European costume ; one of the passengers, 
 for a jest, told some of the islanders, that he was a 
 physician of high reputation ; and there not being 
 one in the island, though there was no scarcity of 
 diseases, a deputation came to wait upon the sup- 
 posed doctor, to request him to visit the sick, and 
 moreover to establish himself there. All his excuses 
 were in vain, and he was compelled to yield to their 
 urgent entreaties. He performed some wonderful 
 cures ; but, as his science was not very profound, 
 in order to preserve his reputation, he had the 
 prudence to withdraw in time; leaving behind 
 him the name of a physician of great merit. 
 
 0srr«>.£v vopifffta, — Thessalian coin ;— To those 
 346—350 
 
 e 2 
 
58 GREEK 
 
 who tell lies ; because the Thessalians used coun= 
 terfeit coin. 
 
 Q'icooia, tTicrxovgov, xa) xaoYia fAvkuivoi. The mien of 
 a bishop, and the heart of a miller : — To those 
 who have the external appearance of being respect- 
 able and just ; but internally, have a bad disposi- 
 tion. This proverb alludes to what is related of 
 the bargain of a fisherman, at first with a miller 
 and afterwards with a bishop ; the latter of whom 
 wished to pay him with benedictions, while the 
 former fulfilled his contract. 
 
 ®r,oixkuov (piko$. — Friend of the Thericlean cup :— 
 To the votaries of Bacchus ; from a species of 
 wine-cup made of glass, first invented by Thericles. 
 KwA/f, r,v kiyirat •pt^utos xi^apivtrui <dn'^xkn$. 
 Suidas. 
 
 Spi'^i kvxov rov %zt[/,uva, vol ff\ tyu.y'4 to x&koxai- 
 gicv. — Nourish a wolf in the winter, that he may 
 devour you in the summer : — To the ungrateful, 
 This proverb is thus expressed by Theocr. Idyll. 
 L v. 38. 
 
 Qgi'^ai xod kuxi2u$, B-pi-^ai xvva;, us rv (pdyavTi. 
 
 €>>jf/J; vffn^a civTo oka y/i^aZ,u. — Anger last of all 
 becomes old : — Death is the only extinguisher of 
 anger, which is the last passion that expires in 
 characters naturally addicted to it. 
 
 Qv/jlqv largos k'oyos. — The physician of anger is 
 reason : — Persuasive words often appease the anger 
 of the most irascible. Solomon says also, (Pro- 
 verbs, ch. XV. v. 1,) ' Arfoxgio-ts Ti vTo&iTrcutra 
 atfotprpttpu S-vpov* 
 
 &vpojfft ; a? rt'tq %vh. — Is he angry 9 Let him 
 drink vinegar : — To those who put themselves in 
 a passion for nothing ; or of those to whose anger 
 we are indifferent. 
 350—356 
 
59 
 
 largos, fAoutrixo;, y.ui XaXes uvea o xahlg. — Every 
 one is a physician, a musician, and a fool : — 
 This means that every one has some portion of 
 these three qualities, and that there is nobody who 
 is not, during some period of his life, in circum- 
 stances where he acts as his own physician, enter- 
 tains himself with his own music, and has reason to 
 accuse himself of some foolish deed. AojXo; may 
 be from aXaos- 
 'largos rov \ccvrov rou xafa)s tfg'ivrit va yvai. — Every 
 one ought to be his own physician : — This means 
 that, when occasions present themselves, we ought 
 to make use of them in order to acquire some know- 
 ledge of medicine, which, in the event of necessity, 
 we can apply to practice. Let us hear, also, what 
 Hippocrates says as to this, (Vs£< halms vyiavijs, 
 p. 340.) "Avt^a, Ti x&i °' ' i(f ' ri ffuvzro;, Xoyitra.fji.i- 
 vov 07i ro7<Tiv avSoowoitri wkiitrrou ahov Icrrtv 'h 
 
 vyum, itfurraffBai zx tvis tajvrov ytrnp-ns iv met 
 vovirr,<ri'j a(piXi&<r6ai. 
 
 'fioh ij 'Pooos, Bob xa) to vrvd'/ifAu. — There is Rhodes, 
 and there- the leap : — To one who boasts of the 
 great feats he has achieved in other countries ; and 
 who is challenged to prove the truth of his asser- 
 tion, by performing similar exploits on the spot. 
 From the 1 4th fable of JEsop. 
 
 'l^guTa S-'iXu 'h a^iT'/i. — Virtue requires a laborious 
 effort : — This means that we must give ourselves 
 to strenuous exertion, in order to attain to virtuous 
 357—360 
 
60 
 
 conduct. Hesiod, Oper. et Die. Lib. A', v. 2S7 
 thus expresses the same sentiment : 
 
 Tr,s y ccgiTYii t^^aJra, S-zo) ■sTgotfugotfov 'ifaxav, 
 
 and Pindar, Olymp. vi, v. 14. 
 
 - Axtvhvvoi B' agi 
 
 tch 
 
 Oun <ffao av^pdtriv, out h vavtrt xaikous, 
 ?' lltuu _ 
 
 K 
 
 l^aiuouos ovgavos affreatfas Hlv <po£i7rui. — A serene 
 sky fears not the lightning. Also, |«o-r£^s;oj (or 
 ^«(Ttj^«j) olgc&vos, affrgawyiv [wi tyoQaffc&i. — The 
 sky is serene, fear not the lightning : — Threaten- 
 ings disturb not the breast of the innocent. 
 
 Kcch)$ -rhv $pZ(jLa.9 <rou %\v Tr,v ffi^ccUiTat. — Every 
 one is not disgusted with his own bad smell : — 
 It is also said : sis xctSUa h (s^ufca. tov Tsv tov /3g&/- 
 f/Au. Addressed to those who oyerlook or excuse 
 their own faults. 
 
 Kc/Js "kayos ^X il ^ a ' r ^ v ot-yrox^iirh too. — Every opi- 
 nion has its answer : — That no argument can be 
 so strong but that something may be plausibly 
 advanced on the opposite side. The ancients too 
 said : tccvt) koya> koyos <xa.ku.Ui. 
 
 "Kadi iriovtti xakriTi^ov.^ — Every past year is the 
 best : — To men of discontented minds, who always 
 praise the past. 
 
 Kci&iT h <7ro[/,<7rrt 's tov ^oopov, xa) vri^iyikusi tous 
 livSuTas. — Scorn sits upon the highway, and 
 360—365 
 
PROVERBS. 61 
 
 laughs at the passengers : — To those who would 
 reduce others to the same state of ignominy or dis- 
 grace with themselves. 
 
 K«^= -4/11/(77'/;; 'iy^a xu.) tqv f^aorvoa. rou. — Every liar 
 has another for a witness. 
 
 Kce.hu (or xuDicri) ffTQaSa, kui ko'ivi l^ci (or 'l<ntt). — 
 Sit crooked, and judge straight : — That is, judge 
 justly ; the proverb is taken from the posture na- 
 turally assumed in deep study or investigation. 
 
 KyJ&j; $roiiJ/z;, (p&yi. — As you have ground, so eat : 
 — Every one meets with a corresponding return for 
 a foul tongue. 
 
 KctHojs xa.vova,o%£.;, cr\ -^d>.Xovv. — As you give out 
 the line, so will they sing to you : — In the same 
 sense with the preceding. The word xavova^a; 7 
 is more commonly written xaXuva^u,;. 
 
 Kui octo yv/Avov cxaOiov <7ritivzra,i. — He grasps even 
 a naked sword : — To those who, when involved 
 in difficulties, have recourse to dangerous expe- 
 dients. ( Vide O under c O pb f^wv ?r«^.) 
 
 Kcci a.'ffo ffTiigav alycc IxS&cXXn ydXa,. — He extracts 
 milk even from a barren goat : — To those who 
 prevail by a natural winuingness of manner. 
 
 K«< 'xhroi xuXXc-ffobrig, k \xt7vos "^ctSb;. — The one 
 is bandy-legged, the other blind : — When, of two 
 bad things, one is at a loss which to choose, re- 
 sembling the English proverb, " six of the one, 
 and half a dozen of the other." 
 
 K«< abroi tyi; vof/.'XYii, xa.) xitvo; r%s x&vvc&s. — The 
 one deserves the pillory, the other the galleys :—— 
 To bad men who have similar dispositions. 
 
 K«; %vo xett r^ii; ra, ^r^iTovrct, xakov tivat va kiyuv- 
 reu. — It is well that what is good should be twice 
 
 or thrice repeated : This proverb is derived 
 
 from an ancient one which is attributed to Empe- 
 365—374 
 
62 GREEK 
 
 docks, in the following terms : Kui 2)? yu-o, S lit, 
 xaXov iirriv hirvruv. Plato in Gorg. § 53, ex- 
 presses it thus : K«< Vt$ ydg rot xai r^'i; <putn xa- 
 7.ov z'tvut to za.hu Xiyziv ti xai iKHrxoTitffQui. 
 
 Kat us rhv vrXdrw o/^/^dna 'ixii. — He has eyes even 
 on his back : — To those who, with wakeful atten- 
 tion, observe the motions of those who use artful 
 means to deceive them. 
 
 K«< vipus vtov/ipo), d.7-7.' \ffus f&u; |j5TS/5v«<rj (or vtid 
 r>fjux$'). — We indeed are cunning, but you are be- 
 yond us : — To those who are worse than cunning. 
 
 Kaivovgyiov f&ou x'ocxivov, xa) <ffov vd, ff\ xgiftucw ! — 
 JMy new sieve, and where shall I hang you ! — 
 Every thing new is, for a short time, more valued 
 than what is old. 
 
 Kaigo; ipa^h T^dy/naro;. — Time is the soul of every 
 thing : — Said of things that are done seasonably. 
 
 Kai 's <rhv $gv<riv vzgov Tzv tvgitrxei, — Even at the 
 fountain he finds no water :■ — To those who, from 
 their own deficiencies, are always unfortunate. 
 
 Kai '; rov xa. — On the buttocks too : — zu>, per syn- 
 cope for xuXov. — It is used when two persons em- 
 brace and continue kissing each other with extra- 
 vagant kindness, as if you should say, you have 
 only farther to salute each other on a part which 
 decency forbids us to name. 
 
 K«< <tv xaxcv fczgo&okov, xou xi7vo$ xaxov oifjiftdnov. 
 — You too are a bad handful, as he is a bad bun- 
 dle : — To persons who are equally worthless. 
 
 Kat rd TToXXa o 'i%ojv S-gnvii, xa) o rd. ohiyu. — He 
 who has much weeps, as well as he who has little : 
 — Every one has his sorrows. 
 
 Kat <r abyd xa,) to xu.7-d.Stov. — Both the eggs and 
 the basket : — Said in a case of total loss. 
 
 Kat ro (jc'iT.1 x'o^ov i%u.—J2ven honey occasions sa~ 
 374—384. 
 
PROVERBS. 63 
 
 tiety : — That there is nothing which dees not come 
 at last to disgust, if dwelt on without intermission, 
 It is thus expressed in Pindar Ifem. Od. vii, v. 
 
 -Kooov o \x u 
 
 Kat /Lcikt xa.) to. ts^ttv avSC 
 
 K«< tovto /jloIou. ub'j, xk) xuvo yzorix'ov f/,ov. — Both 
 this is my part, and that is my portion : — To men 
 whe grasp at every thing without being satisfied. 
 A different turn is sometimes given to the same 
 sentiment, thus : ciuro va. y.ov to ouffr,?, \xi7vo va 
 ffov to Taou, yj Ixuvo va /u,ou to %aoio-r,$. — This 
 you will give me, that I will take, and this you will 
 make me a present of. 
 
 Ka; to -^/ufju ffcoffTov, xa.) o cxvXXo; %ograff{tivo;. — 
 The bread is whole, and the dog is fed, : — To good 
 economists. 
 
 Ka) tpo&iiTut, xa) (poStgiZit- — He both fears, and 
 threatens : — To those who conceal their cowardice 
 under mighty words. 
 
 Ka) %6tS xovxia, xa) avyioov X^cayov xoi/ximv. — 
 Yesterday he fared on beans, and to-day on the 
 juice of beans : — To persons in extreme poverty. 
 
 KaxoXoyu, \vno~h va xaXoXoyr, T-.v 'iy.ufav. — He speaks 
 evil, because he has not learned to speak well: — 
 This proverb is taken from an apothegm of So- 
 crates, who, when one said to him : xaxu; o lilva 
 <ti kiyu, A certain person speaks evil of you ; an- 
 swered : xaXag yag Xzyiiv obx 'iyaSiv, It is be- 
 cause he has not learned to speak well. 
 
 Kaxuv vuvvyuot;. — A food of evils : — Of evils that 
 follow each other in rapid succession. 
 
 Kakd^vai to. irXarvy.u.vixa., to vav'tov ouea? llv <p0d- 
 vsi. — -Broad sleeves are beautiful, but the cloth will 
 384—391 
 
64 GREEK 
 
 not admit of them : — To those who have a longing 
 for what is beyond then' means. 
 
 KaXa r/}z%zi, oy,ca; 'i\t» tov ^po(it,ou.-~He runs well, 
 but he is off the course : — To those who practise 
 virtue, but without a proper system. 
 
 Kah'/iftiga 'las/v/7, zouaia ffTzgva.—" Good day, John:" 
 " I am sowing beans .•" — To those who, from inat- 
 tention to what is said to them, return incoherent 
 answers. As if John were a labourer, and an ac- 
 quaintance passing should say to him : " Good day, 
 John ;" and he being intent upon his work, and 
 thinking that his friend asked him what he was 
 sowing, should answer : "lam sowing beans." 
 
 KaXh ' J 'A vvip'/) fta,;, p,ov' sJvat ffr^a^Yi. — The bride is 
 pretty, only she is blind ; — To those who praise 
 ironically. 
 
 KxkXia, appatrriav si; to ffwfAci, vag c/,(jlu.Qiu.v '? tw 
 •J/vx'fiv. — Better have disease in the body, than ig- 
 norance in the mind : — Plato in Hipp. Min. ex- 
 presses it thus : Tokv ydg toi piiZfiv ^z uyuQov 
 \gyu.ffu u,pa.&iu.$ rtuvo'u.s rhv ^v%yiv 7i voerov to 
 treafaz. 
 
 KaXXia va <n Z,r,kzvovv, tfugu. vol tx zXzouv. — Better 
 to be envied than pitied : — This sentiment occurs 
 in Pindar Pyth. Od. I, v. 164. 
 
 x.giffo'wy yo\{> o\nTigfi,m tpQavos. 
 
 and Sophocles in his Ajax, v. 157, has expressed 
 very justly the cause of the preference : 
 
 Ugo; ya.o tov z%ovP o tySovos zgtfu. 
 
 Xcckkta tzvtz zucSovvcc, vtkqoI %iXi<z TgoSc&Tu Bet- 
 ter five coals than a thousand sheep : — To those 
 -vvho prefer keeping by their first profession : For 
 a coppersmith, being once urged bv his friends to 
 391—397 
 
PROVERBS. 65 
 
 try his fortune in a different path, answered as a- 
 bove. The proverb is also used to signify, that 
 things necessary at the moment, however cheap 
 or trifling they may be, are preferable to other 
 things of which one has no immediate want. 
 
 Kakkix to ff'/ifjctoivov aiiyov, 7fa.oa. r'/jv a,lotv'/)v oovtGa. 
 — Better an egg to-day than a chicken to -mor- 
 row : — That present good, though small, is better 
 than the uncertain promises of futurity, however 
 large. 
 
 KukXtov tvcc; tpgcvifto; i}£Q(>0Si •7fa.oa. 'iva Z.ov^Xov <pi- 
 y.ov. — Setter a wise enemy than a foolish friend. 
 
 yia V . — Better cabbage with peace than sugar with 
 grumbling : — Mediocrity combined with tranquil- 
 lity, is better than riches imbittered by the crav- 
 ings of discontent. A sentiment nearly similar 
 occurs in the Medea of Euripides, 124. 
 
 Tav yag ftirgioiv TTgcora, ftlv ilvriTv 
 TouvofAtx, twee, x^riirSai rt f/.cixeaj 
 ASiffTa, figoroiirtv. Ta B' vwi^uXXovr 
 Ovhiva. Kuigov 'bvva.rai B-v/iroT;. 
 
 The proverb, however, may be explained in another 
 sense, thus : "I would rather you gave me little 
 with a kind welcome, than much while you seem- 
 ed to reproach me with it." 
 
 KaXX/ov y/oyia, 's to ^co^atpi, va^a. (/.ayyava '$ t 
 akuvi. — Better words in the fields, than flails on 
 the thrashing floor .- — It is better to agree in time 
 than come to an open rupture. 
 
 KaXov rvo'tov us irnuXXivov TOfzdgiov., — Good cheese in 
 a dog-skin : — To one who has a good quality par- 
 tially concealed by a bad one. — It is customary 
 with the Greeks to use skins for packing up and 
 397— 40g 
 
66 GREEK 
 
 protecting articles of commerce. Sheep-skins and 
 calf-skins, however, are used for this purpose, and 
 they would revolt at the thought of using a dog-- 
 skin. 
 
 KcifAcioovu 'erxv tfayuvi, xai yvtiivu xgiugio yctXa. — 
 He is proud as a peacock, and calls for rani's 
 milk : — To worthless fellows assuming conse- 
 quence, who arrogantly demanding impossibilities, 
 expose at the same time their ignorance, by shew- 
 ing that they suppose them attainable. 
 
 Kapuoovit V«v t^v vv/u.<P'/iv. — He looks at himself 
 like a bride : — To those who put on airs. 
 
 Y.a.f/,1 zxkov 's tov AiaSokou to %co{>i'ov. — Do good 
 to the field of the Devil: — Speaking of those who 
 repay favours with ingratitude j to whom also these 
 two lines of the Anthology are applicable : 
 
 •buZXos avyg, wifos \ffri rir^fiivos' zh ov utfuirus 
 'Avrkcov ra? %agiTCCs, us kivov i£i%tci$. 
 
 KdfAS (£& <r^o<p^Tt]v, vol ffi xdpw vrXovo-iov. — IMake me 
 a prophet, that I may make you rich : — To those 
 ■who promise on conditions that can never be ful- 
 filled. 
 
 Koiftz rguTMtv its to vtgov. — Make a hole in the 
 water : — To him wbo says what is silly or trifling. 
 
 Ka^nAfl? \ffi6vi/.'Affa,ffa xigaTX, z%cc<ri zai to, avria 
 t-/is. — A camel wishing to have horns lost his ears 
 too : — To persons of a mean and selfish disposition, 
 who, through envy of another's advantages, lose 
 their own. The proverb is borrowed from the 
 1 97th fable of iEsop. 
 
 Kci^nXo; hri b'vou. — A camel upon an ass : — Applied 
 when a powerful man oppresses and tramples upon 
 one who is dull and stupid. 
 402—409 
 
PROVERBS. 67 
 
 Kaurikcu (tvtitraMxitt. — The rancour of a camel : — 
 To the obstinately unforgiving ; the camel being 
 so. 
 
 Keifi'/is, wa,$r<i ) xcifiid /ayi ffov vrovitrr,. — If you do evil, 
 and suffer for it, let not your heart be stung by 
 it: — "VVe should submit with patience to those 
 evils which we bring upon our own heads. 
 
 Kd.fjt.vii t'a'j traxxofpatyx (hiXovdxi. — He makes a pack- 
 ing needle into a tailor's : — To those who, while 
 endeavouring to magnify what is great, through 
 ignorance, only lessen and debase it. 
 
 KukvoZ ffxiu.. — The shadoio of smoke: — To men 
 who are very thin and-emaciated. 
 
 'K.xffoiavou l^dgi^av ycftdgtov, xoc) to rygut'c rd ^ov- 
 ria, — They made him a present of a beast of bur- 
 den, and he examined its teeth : — To those who 
 receive kindnesses with an indecorous curiosity. 
 
 Kas7<9.'«y dyyd^iucrccv, y.a.) uvro; Ixaftdgoviv.— They 
 demand of him his statute-work, and he eyes him- 
 self with pride : — To those who will not believe 
 that one is serious in forcing them to any thing. 
 
 Kdtfov '/.ccXoZv ooyocva. — Instruments are somewhere 
 sounding : — To those who pretend that they do 
 not understand what is said to them. 
 
 Kdwa. lu'TrXovv. — Double Kappa : — Enigmatically 
 to a bad man, there being two Kappas in the 
 Greek word xa&os. 
 
 Kurd to. if'jivf/.ara., xai rd aiffOvftuTu,. — Like mind, 
 like sentiments : — The following is an example 
 told of Voltaire. A Swedish officer who was well 
 read in the works of that author, and one of his 
 great admirers, in passing through Switzerland, 
 came to Ferney, expressly to pay him a visit. 
 The philosopher not feeling inclined at the time 
 to see any bodv, bade his servant inform the 
 410—418 
 
68 GREEK 
 
 stranger that he was not at home. The officer 
 disappointed in his expectation said, " I am very 
 sorry I have missed the monster." This answer 
 having been reported to Voltaire by the servant, 
 who durst hardly tell it to him, the philosopher 
 was so much struck with it, that he sent his ser- 
 
 ; vant on horseback, to request the stranger to dine 
 with him. 
 
 Kara ro fcztpdXi /aov o\ tf^otrnwiu According to my 
 
 head I make my bow : — -It is enough if one does 
 what he can. 
 
 Kara rs yAyov/^av, xa) ro pavrurf&a. — According to 
 tlie cheek, so is the slap : — When any thing is done 
 proportionally. 
 
 Kara rov 2 o u $ vn^irarus. — You act like Mr. 
 Hush : — i. e. You neglect your education ; and 
 your ignorance will throw you into great per- 
 plexities, from which unlooked-for circumstances 
 can alone deliver you. This proverb is deriv- 
 ed from the following anecdote : — An Archbishop 
 of Cyzicus, remarkable for his ignorance, was 
 obliged to preach the funeral sermon of a lady of 
 quality who belonged to the neighbourhood, in con- 
 sequence of the unexpected absence of the person 
 intended for that purpose. He, with great reluc- 
 tance, began to stammer out something by way of 
 introduction, in which, among other things, he said, 
 that the deceased had incessantly repeated to him, 
 that she felt she was dying ; till one day in his 
 impatience he said to her, trou$, hush. The good 
 Archbishop pronouncing this word with consider- 
 able force, blew out the lights, and this served as 
 a peroration to his discourse. The ceremony pass- 
 ed on, and' terminated to the satisfaction of the 
 Parson, who answered well enough for the time 
 418—421 
 
PROVERBS, 69 
 
 in which he lived, but would have made a very 
 awkward figure in our days. 
 
 Kara, to Ta^rXeofix, xai ruv vrodcov ro \d.'7TXu^,a,.—' 
 Extend not your feet beyond your blanket : — 
 Every one should suit himself to his circumstances. 
 The word txtXcu^o. for •x'i'xXwfJi.o', from rriTrXov, 
 or , <xu.<7rXwy,ot for \(pot,<TXu(jt.a.. 
 
 ~K.oe.rce, ro vru^avvfjuov erov not,) v\ yXutrord, gov. — Your 
 tongue answers to your name : — Two neighbours, 
 one surnamed Proco, and the other Kalpe, argu- 
 ing together, began at last to taunt each other. 
 Kalpe, inflamed with foolish anger, said, you grunt 
 Mr. Porco, for Proco ; and Proco wittily answer- 
 ed, your tongue, Mr. Kalpe, (x.dx<z"/i, pitcher) 
 answers to your name ; that is, you cannot re- 
 strain yourself, but your tongue goes like water 
 from a pitcher. 
 
 Kciri riro, kva xciri rofaytv Something there was, 
 
 and something has eat it: — To a person suspected 
 of having stolen something ; an indirect way of 
 accusing him, that his conscious guilt may betray 
 him, by affecting his look and demeanour. 
 
 Kan Xu.kx.ov \jq 'a (pu.v>cc. — The pease-pudding I see 
 has a hollow in it : — To those who indicate by 
 their manner that they are anxious to ask some 
 favour ; for pease-pudding, as the Greeks prepare 
 it, requires oil. 
 
 Ka'^s pi, xai fidki y,6^a. — Burn me, and soften it 
 with snot : — To persons wbo have done us a great 
 injury, and afterwards attempt to soothe us with 
 flatteries. 
 
 K' Iftrfgo; ficJh, yJ Ivriffa pivfta. — A pool in front, 
 and a stream behind : — To those who are beset 
 by two evils, and know not in their terror which 
 to avoid first. 
 421—427 
 
70 GREEK 
 
 KsQaXi z&av&i* — Addled head: — A metaphor taken 
 from eggs, meaning an empty head, xi(pdki dlno. 
 
 K.' 71 X07XIVOV TOV CC'Jh^/X, T7,S f/.\ rods ToayfM&tturd- 
 
 Iccig. — Even the sifter has put her husband among 
 the merchants : — To men of trivial acquirements, 
 who presumptuously place themselves on a level 
 with men of superior information. It resembles 
 the moral of JEsop's YSlih Fable : ot rols xgstr- 
 rofftv dpiXXufAZvoi. Trpo; rat \xiivuv (m\ ityixvUffQai, 
 xou yikwros otpki/rxuvovo'i. 
 
 Km%o$ uvoct. — He is a Chinese : — Meaning one who 
 is quite an original. 
 
 Kivviff o'E&gaTos, x %Xu%i 'SdZ&arov. — The Jew set 
 out on his journey and stumbled on the Sabbath : 
 — On meeting unexpected obstacles. 
 
 Koxxakov J i%zi a kbyos. — The expression has a bone 
 in it :■ — When a thing is difficult to be understood. 
 
 Kooe&xois xoodxov [AcLrt Tiv IQydvst. — A crow does 
 not pick out a crow's eye : — To a man who defends 
 the bad conduct of another, because he is in the 
 same scrape himself. 
 
 Kouxiov nro, x ifftfouriv. — It ivas a bean and split in 
 two : — It is used to express a striking resemblance. 
 
 Kovxxo; dxa.1^0; rov xgbvott f/,h kakwy. — May the 
 Cuckoo next year not cry out of season . • — A 
 sign of misfortune, for when the Cuckoo is heard 
 out of her time it is considered a bad omen. 
 
 KovxxovZdyici Tzra^sv. — A. screech-owl has flown : — 
 A good omen. 
 
 K«^s xkuvd^iov, xa) xruTfoc rov diga. — Cut a switch 
 and beat the wind : — To a stupid person. The 
 following lines addressed to one of this character 
 are ludicrous and apposite : 
 
 "EffZiffi rov kv%vov fiu^es, ^/vkk&iv vvro tfokkwv 
 Atzxvbpsvos, k'i\«,s, obx %rt p,% /SAisrsrs. 
 
 428—437 
 
PROVERBS. 71 
 
 Koa'ivu y yu, Qkuuoii xcu civl^a.: pet). — I decide, and 
 my husband prates : — To a babbler who attributes 
 her own infirmity to another, unconscious of its 
 application to herself. 
 
 KeurUv Tu).i7rou VitrrroTO., ayo^ut^i x.ou -rlvi. — I 
 have wine to sell, Reverend Sir, buy and drink ; — 
 That we should not expect benefits for nothing, 
 but return like for like. 
 
 Kooy.ohii>.ov 2a.Kova. — The tears of a crocodile: — 
 To those who pretend to sympathise with misfor- 
 tunes which they themselves have caused. It is 
 said that the crocodile weeps over his prey before 
 he devours it. 
 
 KovSn tov yXtov fjd to xatrxivov. — Be hides the sun 
 with a sieve : — To those who attempt to obscure 
 the lustre of genius by weak and inadequate expe- 
 dients. The proverb is designed to shew that true 
 merit surmounts every obstacle, and cannot remain 
 long concealed. 
 
 Kovov trtoYigov xru-zae. — You hammer cold iron : — ■ 
 Applied to things impracticable. 
 
 Kri£u Itt) cLppov. — lie builds upon the sand ; — To 
 those who indulge in false hopes. 
 
 KuxXojto; ^uoiu. — The gift of a Cyclops : — A dan- 
 gerous gift, because the Cyclops promised to pre- 
 serve Ulysses alive till he had eaten all his com- 
 panions, as we read in the Odyssey, I', v. 345. 
 
 Oi,Tiv lyu tfu/zarov 's&ofjcca (jlitu ot; Irdooitru 
 Tou; V ciXXovs ffgotrfcv' to Vi roi |-/v'/?/sv jV<t«/. 
 
 Kvotx. vj%tcc. — Darling night : — To the excessively 
 indolent, because such persons long for the night 
 when thev are relieved from their labour. 
 438—445 
 
72 GREEK 
 
 Kvgic&xk %uguti07ri<;rt?ci> xa) ^ivri^cc pi/^s^i'jirj!,-. 
 
 Sunday in mirth, and Monday in murmurs : 
 
 To a young scholar who rejoices with cheerfulness 
 and vivacity during the continuance of his holi- 
 days, but betrays an opposite state of mind on re * 
 turning to his lessons. 
 
 Kvrru^t tov xcidgz-z-rw. — Look at the glass : — To 
 persons who have too favourable an opinion of 
 their own appearance. 
 
 A«£j ft'/ioh, xa) xguriii xaXd. — Take nothing, and 
 keep well : — That is, abstain from what belongs to 
 others, and guard well your own property. 
 
 Aayo; 7ri-7r$gt 'itryri^t xara, tjjj xitpaXrn tou. — The 
 hare sowed pepper against its own head : — To 
 those who contrive schemes which issue in their 
 own ruin. 
 
 Axyod g»sj» Tfi^vaii. — He lives the life of a hare : — 
 i. e. He is a coward. Demosthenes uses a similar 
 expression, "kayw fiiov 'i^ns* See p. 174, I. 26, 
 of my Edition. 
 
 Aaxzuv cikXov iirxa^/i, xa.) o 'i%ss sVscs. — He dug a 
 pit for another, and he has fallen into it himself : 
 — which the Psalmist in Ps. vii, 15, expresses 
 thus : X&xxov u)ov\i xa.) avurxa-^/iv avrov, xa) Ift- 
 -Xiffiirat %\$ fc'oS^ov ov ilgyaffara' and Hesiod." E^y, 
 xa.) 'Up. Lib. A', v. 263 : 
 
 Ol O.VTM XO.XU, TiV^U a\r,o c&XXw XCCXK, T-V^UV, 
 
 *H ll xaxh (ZovXh 7? fiovXivo-can %axi<?r>i. 
 446—451 
 
 
PROVERBS. 73 
 
 Xuzrifff&a Tn? T^ooxrivx;, %x°x rou Xvxou. — The 
 kicking of the sheep is the joy of the wolf : — The 
 pinches of the beloved fill the lover with rapture ; 
 whence it may be observed, that nipping andscart- 
 ing, by way of wooing, are not peculiar to Scot- 
 land. 
 
 AeiV o ya.ro;, xai %ot>iuovv rx <TovTt;iix. — The cat is 
 absent, and the mice dance : — Young persons in 
 the absence of their superiors, oftesi^xhibit a scene 
 of riot and confusion. 
 
 Aiuxhv o-rci<pvnv, tl; kzuxov TtMati — A ichite line, on a 
 tchite stone : — Applied to things obscure, or to 
 persons of dull apprehension ; for a white line can- 
 not be discerned when drawn on a white surface, 
 there being no distinction of colour. Sra^vj? iEo- 
 lice for o-TxttfA'/i. The ancients used the same pro- 
 verb, XiVKM \'i8a), Xivx-h (rrd0{£'/i. 
 
 Aouu? /&$, fffSViZsts fM, i^iu^oj <ris p zy'-vv/ariv. — You, 
 wash me, you comb me, but I know ivho gave me 
 birth : — To persons who are insensible to the kind- 
 est treatment, and seek for pretexts to justify their 
 ingratitude. 
 At/^viav iv Tl^vrxviiw. — A lamp in the Prytaneum : — 
 An ancient proverb^ used when speaking of what is 
 abundant and lasting. It is thought that irgwru.- 
 vitov comes from truths rx t ui7ov, a storehouse of fire, 
 or of ?rvgo$, corn. Pindar JYem. Ode si, v. 1, says: 
 
 Uxi'Psx?, xyi Tt^urxviia XiXoyfcKs, 'Eirria, 
 
 where the Scholiast explains the passage well by 
 saying : Tl^vrxvt7x cp'/ict Xx%iiv rsjn 'Eo-rixv, m- 
 ootrov ffA tu'j ffoksav iffTixe Iv rot; tfovrxvuois a- 
 
 0t^OVVTXI, KXi TO IS0OV KiyofAiV09 TVO iff) TCVTUV 
 
 affOHtirxi. 
 
 452—456 D 
 
74 GREE] 
 
 M 
 
 jMss^s yioo yguppara, ruga '; ra yzgdpara, rvtpXa 
 K.ou ffx.ovbdpp.ara, — Old man, now in thy old age, 
 learn letters, (which are to thee but) blindness and 
 stumbling ,v' r Applied to what is done out of season, 
 
 MdO'/ipu ^tpd'^pa, "duo zaku pa6'/ipara. — Learning 
 and unlearning are two good lessons. 
 
 Maivopivas ®zog irigeo ®iu vri^ovrt ffa><pgoviZ,irai. — 
 A furious God is restored to reason by another sober 
 God : — Pure wine when diluted with water is pro- 
 portionally diminished in its intoxicating qualities. 
 
 Max.oov ro vrgoo'ipiov. — The preamble is long ; — To 
 those who wish to come to the main subject at 
 once, and are therefore impatient under a load of 
 introductory matter. 
 
 ]\I5? lyivv'/iffiv h x.orra '$ r r /iv ffzovQiav. — The chicken 
 has laid an egg in my cap : — Tauntingly to sig- 
 nify a trifling advantage. 
 
 M«s '/>khv sh rhv l^utpavtriv. — He has come to us at 
 the close of the web /—-That is, at the conclusion 
 of some transaction. 
 
 Maraias %vvirai ro vsgov. — The water runs in vain „• 
 — To men who waste their words on those who 
 will not hear them : for, when the ancient Greeks 
 delivered their speeches, the time they occupied 
 was measured by a water-clock. 
 
 Maria capogtyu, dvffrvp^iffpiva xfigiu. — Fair eyes, un- 
 lucky hands : — To men of genteel appearance, but 
 who are struggling with poverty in consequence of 
 their unconquerable habits of idleness. 
 
 Mavg'/iv ru%yv zi^a, uvbgu ) °—ohoi iTrviynxav ! x.a) ffv 
 457~4§5 
 
PROVERBS. 75 
 
 \yiguri$ ; — Dark has been my fortune, husband, — 
 all have perished ! and have you only returned ? — 
 Applied to the grossly wicked, denoting that they 
 deserve to be execrated even by their nearest re- 
 latives. 
 IShyao'-av o^dx^ua. — Megarensian tears .-—To those 
 who weep insincerely : — The Megarenses had men 
 eminently skilled in this kind of weeping, whose 
 business it was to bewail the dead, and hence the 
 proverb. 
 Msya to trropa, rou %oovou. — The mouth of this year 
 is large : — A productive season, like a full purse, 
 gives a man confidence in speaking. 
 Ms yuftvyv tyiv xi<paX'/,v. — With bare head: — To 
 
 those who rashly expose themselves to danger. 
 M' ixoXX'/uri V«v tyiv xoXXyiTtrida. — He sticks to me 
 like a burr : — To a person who clings to our heels 
 in spite of every expedient to get quit of him. 
 This is a common proverb in Scotland. 
 
 Ms xVttu'^zi '<rav o avxo; to (piyyd^i He looks at 
 
 me as a wolf does at the moon : — That is, with 
 malignity ; for the wolf, they say, fixes his eyes 
 fiercely on the moon as if enraged at it, because its 
 light is unfriendly to his nocturnal depredations. 
 
 Ms KVTTuZ.il 'ffUV TO 9Ta.lVl V %%lff& '$ TO. figUXid TOV. 
 
 — He looks at me like a child who has in his 
 
 breeches : — To a man who looks at another with 
 a timid and dejected air, from a consciousness of 
 having done something to offend him. 
 
 Ili/./ bi'i^vn, <pa,£f/.u,xi tTetfAaZfit. — He shows honey ; 
 he mixes poison ; — To a hypocrite. 
 
 Ms |sW xo'aauQu (taxagi^u tou; yoviovs tov. — With 
 another's boiled corn, he celebrates his father 's me- 
 mory : — To those who devote to a good purpose 
 what is not their own, or what thev have acquired 
 465—473 
 
76 GRfeEK 
 
 by unlawful means, N. B. It is customary among 
 the Greeks to hold a kind of anniversary in honour 
 of the dead, and on that day to distribute among 
 the poor a sort of pudding or bunn formed princi- 
 pally of boiled corn, but rendered palatable, especi- 
 ally among the great and wealthy, by a variety of 
 more costly ingredients. This ceremony appears to 
 be derived from similar observances among the an- 
 cients. 
 
 Ms |£voj <7TTiQu, a-Tokt^rai. — He decks himself with 
 another's wings : — To those who arrogate to them- 
 selves the merit of services performed by others. 
 
 Ml vfcruvrov a%omov va. xqt^aa&v^ 2ss> xcLTetbi^irxi. — 
 He deigns not to let himself be hanged with every 
 kind of rope : — To those who cherish feelings of 
 vanity even in circumstances of the greatest igno- 
 miny. 
 
 llt^olouXi, fjt,i^o<pdyi. — The day's work, the day's eat- 
 ing .•—To those who gain nothing by their labour 
 beyond their daily expenses. 
 
 Ml ra %tx.a. /u,ou <r« "ki&dgia, (t\ $a,g{is.—~ You pelt me 
 with my own stones : — To bad debtors, who, with 
 the money which they have borrowed, bribe judges 
 to connive at their dishonesty, that they may es- 
 cape making payment ; as if we should say, you 
 use my own money as an engine against me. 
 
 Ml rot Izarov's rhv (pvXuzyv, xa) (C% ra, x'iXiix, f/Xaa. 
 — For a hundred yon go to gaol, and for a thou- 
 sand no worse. 
 
 Mivo&p oaxrvXov xai ovu%o; ritfori %lv %agu.—~ 
 There is no space between the nail and the finger : 
 . — The malevolent strive in vain to sow discord be- 
 Ween good and virtuous relations. 
 
 Msr«|y 9rccibl&>v yigav, (j.i<ro&p oi yigovrcav Tfat^tov.—^ 
 Among children, an old man, and among old men } 
 473—480 
 
PROVERBS. 77 
 
 a child ; — To men of trifling acquirements, who 
 appear learned among the ignorant, and ignorant 
 among the learned. 
 
 Ms r u-ovtu. xov^ivsrxi. — He gets himself shorn with 
 the sheep : — To men of weak understanding and 
 childish habits. 
 
 Mera rov avytpogov xaT'/itpogo;. — After an up-hill comes 
 a down-hill : — Prosperity is generally followed by 
 adversity. This proverb resembles the saying of the 
 ancients : sulia, Wciyu vitpo;. The English use a 
 similar expression : Every height has a hollow be- 
 hind it. 
 
 Me <rhv k^aba, 'i^tToci to xauKakiov. — The jug comes 
 to us in turn : — All men have their share in the 
 enjoyments and distresses of life. 
 
 Me <ry\v a.gabu gov, a$ ncrca xai Tu^ci;. — In your 
 turn, though you be a priest : — No circumstance 
 of rank or station warrants the slightest encroach- 
 ment on another's rights. Justice throws every 
 such consideration out of the scale. 
 
 Me <77jv l-fftfxovhv to <x!k\> ti$ xu<)vtfo£clXkii. — With 
 perseverance one surmounts all difficulties : — Si- 
 milar to the saying, 
 
 Tjjj ItftftiXzias ^ouXa tfdvToz y'tyviTay 
 
 Me vi\v <ffi<r<ri xeti ™ (Zouvx, xeitfoTS avTa/AovovTai.—* 
 By faith even mountains are sometimes made to 
 meet : — That we ought never to despair of meet- 
 ing with our friends, even when circumstances ren- 
 der it highly improbable. The origin of this pro- 
 verb is well known to every body. 
 
 Me to Kitpdhuiov, xa) to ^idcpo^ov. — Along with the 
 principal, the interest too : — To those whose pu- 
 nishment, though slow in coming, overtakes them 
 at last with proportional severity. 
 480—4-87 
 
78 GREEK 
 
 Ms to HoffHivo r^ttZu, n^'o. — He draws water with a 
 sieve: — That is, he makes fruitless efforts. 
 
 Ms tov ayxuva, tripoyyi^sTai. — He wipes himself with 
 his elboiv : — To a coarse, dirty, and vulgar, person. 
 Diogenes Ldertius uses also the following phrase 
 in his Bion : o ttoctyi^ f/,\v qv aTskiuOzgo;, tm 
 
 Uy-AUVl CCffOfAUfftOfAlVOS. 
 
 Ms tov onc'ov gov <pdyi sr/s, xcu <?r(>a.y(/,c&TUa,v (//</) no.- 
 ftv/i;. — With a relation eat and drink ; but have 
 no mercantile transactions with him : — Quarrels 
 are usually the consequence. 
 
 Ms tov yjXtov tcc IzGuXXofASv, (/% tov '/jXiov tu. \[/£d).- 
 Xoftiv, ti z%ouv to\ 'ig'/ifta, x,ai •^atpovv ; — With the 
 sun we let out the sheep, and xoith the sun we 
 bring them in ; what is the matter with the crea- 
 tures that they die ? — To those who manage their 
 business carelessly, attending to it only at inter- 
 vals, so that instead of gaining they lose by it. 
 
 Ms tov xcchnTiQov cov novKiu. pM ffvrugys. — Don't 
 sow beans with your superior : — To those who, 
 though comparatively ignorant, exalt themselves 
 to a level with men of extensive learning. 
 
 Ms tov xuX'/iTzqov oov <pa,yz cr/s, xx) vqffTixos u.o"/iz.a. 
 — With your superior eat and drink, and rise 
 fasting. 
 
 Mjj fihzT'/ig to Ti xsifAvw, tXtiv ccKovi ti Xiyu. 
 
 Don't look at what I do, but listen to what I say: 
 —To those whose actions are inconsistent with 
 their words. 
 
 M'/j *oa.vii<r87is uTo ^toj^ov, k irtdgu ffi xutotiv. — 
 Don't borrow from a poor man, for he will be in- 
 cessantly at your back: — It is unwise to solicit 
 favours of inferiors, for they always make a boast of 
 them, and act as if thev had a perpetual title to ask 
 488—495 
 
PROVERBS. 79 
 
 favours in return. Phocylides also has very well 
 said : 
 
 Qivyi xt>r,irTYis xa.x.ov sfi/xivat u.v%c>o;, 
 
 Ms? ri tr avirurtn $3ov; wctoci xccigov utfouriuv. 
 
 2>ih 1uvu.fji.ivo; o n S-sAs/j, B-'iXi o ri %uva.o-a.t. — When 
 you cannot what you will; will, what you can. 
 
 yih Z'frTH ft'ovov vu, tpccvr,;, aXX« kou va y:>y;- — Seek 
 not only to appear, but also to become : — To those 
 who are content with an empty smattering of 
 knowledge, and covet more a reputation for learn- 
 ing than learning itself. This sentiment is found 
 in JCenophon's Mem. Lib. /■>'. c. 6. § 39. : <ruvro- 
 fj,UTccT'/i ti xai a,<r(pa./\i(Tru,T'/i xat ;s«aA<<?T5? obo;, 
 o n av (hou'A-si loxtTv aya6o; uvcci, tovto xxi yv/z- 
 a@u,i ayc/Jov Tru^aoSai. 
 
 M*j x.oif/.a.cai ictfo yAocv ftov/iv iXTi^a. — Do not hang 
 by one hope only : — Epictetus expresses it thus : 
 ouTi vavv \x /lcik; uyxvga;, ours fitov Ix (Ma.; IZ-tti- 
 
 %0; O^fAlffTiOV. 
 
 3I'/i ku/ryiffcti rov Ivririu,, on xps/hovtui tu. t'ooiu. -rov. — 
 Don't pity the horseman because his feet hang 
 down : — To those who speak of things useful as 
 if they were injurious. 
 M«» axou; hot, xat va x^/ivn; "%vo.< — Don't hear one, 
 and judge two : — That is, hear both sides before 
 you judge. 
 31*7 KaT/iQ-'Az ro f/AQpiyyt. — Don't trample tipon the 
 ant : — Don't insult or abuse a man because he is 
 your inferior. No man's enmity is to be despised. 
 The very circumstance of his inferiority, by'induc- 
 ing contempt, may facilitate his revenge. 
 M'/irz fioi%irai, (irir n'ktaZ,ira.i. — He neither wets 
 himself in the rain f nor scorches himself in the 
 495—502 
 
80 GREEK 
 
 sun : — To those who have nothing to vex or an- 
 noy them. 
 
 ]Ms7ts AikSoXov va aTtuvf/nr'ASy (sssiti pa<Xiff(t.a rov oeu- 
 ff'A%. — May you neither meet the Devil, nor give 
 him a slap ;•— We should avoid dangerous ren- 
 counters. 
 
 jVl^rs f&iXi, yAn ftslJffffiet. — Neither honey nor bees : 
 — To those who rather sacrifice what is useful than 
 bear a little annoyance. 
 
 ldr:?z ogyQfts 'IffiVt (/Ati fjd rtiv ukavrouv fM&kkovu. — 
 J have neither chickens, nor do I quarrel with the 
 fox ; — To those who hate scandal, and wish to live 
 at peace with their neighbours. 
 
 1s1'/>ti 6 fffivk?.o; Tguyn to a-^v^a, p,riTi <rov yaoa^ov 
 ic.Cpj.vu va. tu, (pay/,.- — The dog neither eats the straw, 
 nor -permits the ass to eat it: — To the envious who, 
 even when they cannot enjoy a thing themselves, 
 are unwilling to see it enjoyed by others, 
 
 Mrirz to ucvrgov \ivq%i, (/Art to [au,v(>ov> — He cannot 
 discern white from black .'—Used to mark extra- 
 ordinary stupidity. The same phrase is used in 
 England. 
 
 Mrin to xgta$ va xa-n, (A'atz to eov&ktov. — Neither 
 the meat nor the brush should be burnt:* — We 
 should not only avoid what is glaringly wrong, but 
 observe the proper medium in all things. 
 
 M'/iTj t owltrai fiXzvru, ft'/iTi t i/u,tfgo$ tcvttu,Z,u.- — 
 He looks neither behind nor before : — To an im- 
 prudent man who derives no benefit from past ex- 
 perience enabling him to avoid threatening evils. 
 Perhaps this proverb has its origin in the follow- 
 ing line ?f the Iliad, a. v. 16 : 
 
 O? KOH TO, T 20VTK, TO. <T IffffOf&iVtt, IfgO T loVTOt* 
 
 "hi-ATi rvtp'/.ov c^'/iyov, fifai avorivoi) ffVfiGevXov*' — Ne<- 
 
PROVERBS. 81 
 
 ther a blind guide, nor a stupid counsellor : — i. e. 
 Let me have neither, fyc. 
 
 M/«v <pooav r, aXatTou il; rriv trayidx. — The fox slip- 
 ped but once into the trap : — It is wise to take pre- 
 cautions against the recurrence of what we have 
 already suffered. 
 
 ~Miaovonrf*a rod ydrou '/itru%a>ri ra. vrowixia. — The 
 mewing of the cat has silenced the mice : — When 
 the chief is present, inferiors are kept in awe. 
 
 >L«j aviyftHs vvrofAov/i, lixct %povojv pa^dri. — A. 
 moment's patience is a ten year's comfort ; — Ex- 
 amples of this are frequent. 
 
 Tsha. rov tyiXou, ^vo tov QiXov, rpuz — za) t^v zazriv 
 rov piga. — Once to a friend, twice to a friend, 
 but thrice — and it is his fatal day : — Meaning 
 that we can pass over one or two failures in duty, 
 but a third usually exhausts our forbearance. 
 
 ftia "^v^ti, y-ou $uo ffetificaTCi. — One siul, and two 
 bodies : — To those who are strongly attached to 
 each other, and have a striking conformity of tem- 
 per and habits. 
 
 Mmpov ViXicig o^uoiov rfiavn yAycc. — A. little bait 
 catches a large fish : — To those who make small 
 presents and receive large ones in return ; and to 
 those who are easily bribed to the greatest wicked- 
 ness. 
 
 IShzoov kmXov Tvj 'zt'/iQa.; ; fAiyav ys/i foSt^iZys ! — Have 
 you not whipped a little bottom ? threaten not a 
 large one ! — To parents who do not punish their 
 children for their faults when young, and therefore 
 when older they despise their authority. A foolish 
 indulgence to children, at present too common, 
 fosters those evil propensities which, gradually ga- 
 thering strength, turn at last to the misery of those 
 510—517 d 2 
 
82 GREEK 
 
 parents who are guilty of it, when it is too late to 
 apply any remedy. 
 
 Jiiv6o? ■4'iu/^artvos Vzv uvat. — A fable is not false : — 
 That is, it does not deceive. The very title puts 
 us on our guard against deception. It may be ap- 
 plied to those whose character for falsehood is so 
 notorious that no one ever believes them. 
 
 MvXog'oo; uffai. — You are a milord : — Meaning, 
 you are a great traveller. The origin of this is 
 easily guessed. 
 
 MuXog p.1 yJriXa Tiv ylv&rau — A mill is not made 
 with apples: — Schemes of great utility cannot 
 usually be put in execution without proportional 
 expense. The Greek words p.vXo$ and pnka, pro- 
 duce a very graceful paronomasia; the u and n 
 having nearly the same sound. 
 
 TSivs yi.upfje.tvoi vletf/is. — A mouse tasting pitch : — ■ 
 To those who get into disagreeable circumstances, 
 whence they find it difficult to extricate themselves. 
 See Theocr. Idyll. t%'. v. 51, and his Scholiast. 
 
 ~Ma>£vi f&l tov ttiXixw ! uv?h fii to -^/ccXt^iov.- — So, 
 you huzzy, with the hatchet ! but she, tvith the 
 scissors : — To headstrong persons who will always 
 have their own way. 
 
 N 
 
 Itr^aroy^ov Call the lizard a buffalo, and the 
 
 ant of venerable years : — This proverb is applied 
 to those who, after haying lived to a mature old 
 517—523 
 
PROVERBS. 83 
 
 age, desire to live still longer, until, as often hap- 
 pens, they lose their faculties, and mistake one thing 
 for another in their dotage, Hke little children. 
 
 Na, — no.) la; pi, — x,u.£a, fiiya.X-/i. — Here take, — and 
 give me also, — great joy /—Mutual services sweeten 
 the enjoyment of life. 
 
 Na, x.uod yitr'oviffffu, to h»$v ftov <r b'vouu. — Take, 
 good neighbour, my name : — That is, bear my re- 
 putation. To bad women who would reduce ladies 
 of respectability to the same character with them- 
 selves. 
 
 Na {p-vcreu tojw, (prvvtu <rh f&ov(>n ftou' va (prvffca zoi- 
 ™, (prvvm <ra y'zvuu f/,ov. — If I spit high, I spit 
 upon my face ; if I spit low, I spit upon my 
 beard : — A proverb used by persons in perplexity 
 what course to pursue, when the alternative is 
 either to injure themselves, or some of their con- 
 nexions. See p. 98. 
 
 N&»£ov yat>yu,Xi£ii. — He tickles a dead man : — De- 
 noting that one's words and counsels are vain. We 
 say also : zaQov, xouSovvia x av »<ru&as> vszoov 
 »' av S-upiu^'/i;, x,a) fAt^utry.ivov av XaX*??, oXa %a,- 
 (&ivK <ra,%a$. — A. deaf man, if you strike the hell, 
 a dead man even if you fill his nostrils with in- 
 cense, and a drunk man if you speak to him, you 
 will equally lose your labour. 
 
 Nex^ev ffKor'ont. — He kills a dead man: — Meaning, 
 he boasts of gaming advantages over one who is too 
 weak to offer any resistance. It is in this sense 
 Sophocles makes Philoctetes say 3 v. 946 : 
 
 FJ ovh. oJV haigav vttigov, n zutfvav cxidv, 
 JtfibctiXov oiXXas' __________ 
 
 Ylnffr&vii o ^oukoi 7ov &iov, oti vu <pdy/i ti Tzv %x u ' — 
 The servant of God fasts because he has nothing 
 523—529 
 
to eat : — To those who endure privations from ne- 
 cessity. 
 
 T$ifAo$ <ro}.zw;, rrcXiTou zuhdSita. — The law of the 
 city, is the respect of the citizen : — The efficacy of 
 the laws depends upon the respect of those who are 
 subjected to them. 
 
 ~Kbfji.au <pb£o$, uQo&la, fj.syd.Xy,. — The fear of the law 
 is a great security : — He who fears the law and 
 acts in conformity with it has nothing else to fear. 
 
 ~Kvx.ro. yivva 'Etfiffx-oTov, x ccvyo MvrgotroXir'/iv. — 
 Night produces a bishop, and an egg a metropoli- 
 tan : — Many changes take place in a short time, 
 and according to the following two verses : 
 
 Alaiv tfdvra tpsgu' ^o/\i%o$ X(>bvo; zi%iv d/x,zi£uv 
 Ovvoy.a, xou /lco^tiv, xu) Quffiv, '/M <?v%9iv* 
 
 ~K'JZT0$ l(>yb%Sl/>0'J TO fiXilf 'A '/jfASgU KCit yiXa.il. 
 
 The day sees the loorhnanship of the night and 
 laughs : — Things cannot be done well out of sea- 
 son. 
 ~Sup<P'/i, o%i xa,6u$ yZzugzs, dXXa. xa,6ug r,u^zs. — 
 Daughter-in-laio, not as you know, but as you 
 find ; — That we should accommodate ourselves to 
 the customs of the country,- or of the family with 
 which we come to be connected. There is a pas- 
 sage very much to the same purport in Euripid* 
 Med. v. 233 : 
 
 E;? x-utvu. £' %6'/) Koi voftppg d.^nyfjtivm, 
 Ai7 ftdvriv uvea, {ayi fjt,a,6ovo-av o'/xohv, 
 " Ory (/.dXtffru. ftftfosrai %uvivvzt'a. 
 
 529—534 
 
PROVERBS. 85 
 
 Hjvs {Ztov zaXokoyuoiaa'Tov. — Another's wealth is 
 well counted : — To those who use means to ascer- 
 tain the amount of another's fortune. With re- 
 gard to the word /3/ov, I have made some remarks 
 in a Note to Lib. «. § 30, of my Edition of Hero- 
 dotus, preparing for publication. 
 
 Sjvaj <r'ov»; \uhiopu.. — Another's suffering is but skin- 
 deep : — To those who are insensible to the distresses 
 of their fellow creatures. 
 
 £;>« %Pu/u), hxoi 7ov Vovrtu,. — The bread is another 's, 
 the teeth his own :— To a parasite. 
 
 'Sigokoxxiufffitt, 'a 7rgoff6JVt$oi rou Ih to \iuoii ! — His 
 mask knows not red paintl-'-To an impudent un- 
 blushing fellow. 
 
 S$vott o Kioa.f/,u.$ tov rjjn y.«£jjv vd (hd.k'/i. — Tlie pot- 
 ter knows where to place the handle : — To men of 
 superior shrewdness and °Hnagement. 
 
 =.ivgi v u<xa.r'/t<T'/,:, >? ftriv xhraTx;. — Know how to 
 deceive, or do not deceive :■ — Those are imprudent, 
 looking merely to their own interest, who engage 
 in intrigues when they have not ability to l elude 
 detection. The ancients had a proverb to the same 
 effect : g\<xu.t'/\s a,ya.6r t $ obx a-ffoffrctrii Qia$. 
 
 ^.oiotin r uuyo, xai vtaoi to fcaXXi rov. — Shave the 
 egg, and take its hair : — Corresponding to the 
 Scotch proverb, It is ill (i. e. difficult) to shave an 
 egg : or, Ye canna tak the breeks affa Hielandman. 
 
 Zuvov xoaffioVfO-^/oioiov figeufAiov.— Sour wine, and stink- 
 ing fish : — To those who partake of no one good 
 quality. 
 
 535—542 
 
86 GREE 
 
 o 
 
 O up,u()ri$ S-gaffu?.. — The ignorant are courageous : 
 — When a man knows not danger, he is much, 
 more enterprising than when sad experience has 
 made him distrust his powers. Which is also very- 
 well expressed in Thucyd. Lib. B'. § 40 : kpuGlu. 
 fjch S-gutros, Xoyiffuos T& b'xvov (pi^u. 
 
 'O eLvfycaffos v-^ovu, »at o x.xiqo$ ffra.8f//^tu — Man 
 raises up and time levels : — i. e. All human en- 
 terprises and their monuments are lost in the lapse 
 of years. This absolute power of time is very well 
 described by an ancient poet in the following dis- 
 tich : 
 
 Qiihinrui, ukku. piy tfuvr okixu I^VoLvy. 
 
 The proverb admits of a somewhat different inter- 
 pretation : Man rais.„* up, but time weighs :—~i. e. 
 Man performs certain actions during his life, but 
 these are judged by posterity, which affixes to them 
 either the seal of approbation, or the stigma of con- 
 demnation. ' 
 
 e O ugxop&vos %6(>os <raga ru^a yUtra.i.~—The dance 
 which is beginning will take place presently : — i. e. 
 Have patience and you will soon see how the mat- 
 ter goes. 
 
 'O u,v6iv<7'Ai Xoyov fAovoffvXka.Gov Xzyu<~—The master 
 speaks a monosyllable :— -That is, yes or no, but 
 servants, in defending themselves, need many words. 
 
 "O fiXa^o? a,^x uv * a ' & v ysy»j, vroikiv sr^tiria? pvgi- 
 £u.~=-The shepherd, even when he becomes a gen- 
 543—547 
 
PROVERBS. 87 
 
 tleman, smells always of the lamb : — To proud 
 rustics who, even when they attain to riches and 
 high offices, betray, by their manners, the mean- 
 ness of their origin. H^/iria. is the bad smell of 
 those lambs which are called srgiwJifM?. 
 
 'O A/a£aXoj 'y'tha. Ih u%i, xat ru^t IvrouXn The 
 
 Devil had no goats, yet he sold cheese. 
 'O AtaZoka;, orav <ffTu>%6v'/i, riXuvr^ yivinrai. — The 
 Devil, when he grows poor, becomes an exciseman : 
 — To persons who, falling into poverty, and being 
 of a bad disposition, resort to dishonourable means 
 to procure the necessaries of life. 
 
 'O 2i\]/izcr{jt,svos -rlvu fii (ticot'/iv The ?nan that is 
 
 thirsty drinks in silence : — The prudent can never 
 be induced to reveal their secrets. 
 c O £^<wv yo^ya. ffrd/xivet, yo^yog sca,t iKiroZc&r'/!;. — - 
 He who has a swift animal is also a swift rider : 
 — To those whose wealth gives them extensive in- 
 fluence. 
 'O 'Hyipwv l-^'oQwffi, to uXoyov atfidavt. — The prince 
 has dropped down, the horse is deceased. — When 
 words are improperly applied. 'E^oQyfft is used 
 for a beast, and avi&avi for a man, but a Walla- 
 chian, who did not know the niceties of the Greek 
 language, when reporting the death of his prince, 
 employed the former, and for the death of his horse 
 he used the latter. 
 'O S-av&iy uipdov'/iTos. — The dead man is unenvied .- . — 
 For, as Pericles says, ( Thucyd. B'. § 45,) rov yug 
 oIk ovrcc vras zltti&iv iTFccivsiv' — Q6ovo$ ya^ <ro7; £*J<n 
 vrgos tov avrivraXov- which Mimnei'mus had be- 
 fore expressed thus : 
 
 Aavo) ya^ uvlioi rfuv-zs 'ifff4.lv ihxXiii 
 Zatvri (p6o'j7jffcn. kkt^uvovtu o' urAffca, 
 
88 GREEK 
 
 Lebrun also, in the same sense, says ! 
 
 " On n'aime que la gloire absente : 
 Les yeux sont ingrats et jaloux." 
 
 'O @ios vu c\ (pvXu^'/i uto xgiazovrov 'EGgulov. — ■ 
 God keep thee from a bankrupt Jew : — We should 
 avoid all pecuniary transactions with an impover- 
 ished miser. 
 
 c O B-vfiuiras %'dufisvu. — He who has been angry be- 
 comes cool again ; — Time abates the most violent 
 passion. 
 
 0/ ittiigoi 1\v xu^n^odv. — Opportunities do not wait : 
 • — In every concern, we should be careful to seize 
 the favourable moment ; for, if allowed to pass, it 
 may never return. " Time and tide," says the Eng- 
 lish proverb, " wait for no man." What Dionys. 
 Hal. Ant. 11. p. 699, expresses thus: /u,u06vrzs 
 on oh roTs vrQuyf/.uo'tv ot xuiqg) 'Sovhiuovfftv, a.K'ku 
 ro7s xutgoT; to, <ffQuyfAU.ru. 
 
 Olxofav o'tKubi. — From the house to the house: — 
 When presents are made to members of the same 
 family, as from the husband to the wife. On this 
 expression consult Pind. Olymp. vi, 167. vii, 6. 
 
 0/ (AiyuXoi x'tvovvoi, "hioovv xui ftzyuXu; npu;. — 
 Great dangers give also great honours : — A senti- 
 ment which Thucyd. (A'. § ^B'.) puts into the 
 mouth of Pericles when enlisting the Athenians in 
 the war against the Peloponnesians : sx <ri nZv pt- 
 yia-nuv xivlvvuv on xu) vroku xu) lhdr'/i fifiynrrui 
 nfAu) vzgtyiyvovrut. 
 
 Ol wofovvrie d\ (for I?) pik y/i^u y/iQutrxouv. — Those 
 who long, grow old in a day : — Meaning that their 
 impatient desire makes a day appear an age. The- 
 ocr. also, Idyll. /£'. v. 2, says : 
 
 — ol ol tfofauvrss lv rtf&un yyi^ffxavtriv. 
 
 ' 553—559 
 
PROVERBS, 89 
 
 Oi iroWo) Qikouv vro?.\a., o Movu%o; oc-vo bka, — The 
 many wish many things, the Monk a share of every 
 thing : — Denoting the avidity of the Monks. 
 0/ TokXoi x,a.ott,£oKVQOuoi w'tyouv to zaguGi. — Many 
 commanders sink the ship : — With respect to the 
 word KuguZi, see my Edition oiDem.pro Corona, 
 p. 274. 
 
 'O x,u&oit{>a.s va. og^Wa^V/? Tiv iftccfav. — The crab has 
 not learned to keep his legs straight ; — To those 
 who obstinately persist in what is wrong. 
 
 'O zeagoe Qiqii to. ^vXa, xa) o ^afjcuv <ra uyogaX^n. 
 — The season brings the wood, and the winter buys 
 it : — That we should conform to times and cir- 
 cumstances. 
 
 'O xax,o; fJt,uXo? 'i%li xeit xaxov ci'^ova. — A. bad mill 
 has also a bad pivot : — To those who have nothing 
 good or useful about them. 
 
 s xccxos %Qio)(pii7Ji<rn$, obV a^vi7rce.i, cbol vrXwgovu.— 
 The bad debtor, neither denies, nor pays. 
 
 'O xccxo; %Qovo$ 5TS£«" o §s x,uko; ysircdv f/Ava <tfu.vru, 
 — A. bad year passes ; but a bad neighbour re- 
 mains always. 
 
 •i Oxvivfjca ruv Tobuv, snJJg zciXtus iktztpgaitric .— The la- 
 ziness of the feet is the lightening of the belly .•— 
 To those who are hungry in consequence of their 
 idleness. 
 
 'Oar/i^ov o s%&>v, ^r^o<P'/;T'/iv %x, u ' — ^ e w ^° ^ ias a 
 sluggard, has a prophet: — To those who from 
 laziness invent many obstacles ; as, I cannot go out, 
 it is going to rain, &c. 
 
 'Oxvog fitx^xv v<7ru.yu, mi a.x.tt.(£u.<nrn hvrXot 2ovktvsi. 
 — A. lazy man goes far, and he who shuns labour, 
 labours doubly : — To those who are naturally of 
 an idle disposition, and in consequence choose, 
 without reflection, what appears shortest and least 
 560—569 
 
90 GREEK 
 
 troublesome, but who from tbe difficulties they 
 find in it, subject themselves to more labour. 
 ^Qxvo? vraihia Ytv xa.fjf.tii, xai uv ra xa.[/s/i Viv tfoox'o- 
 £ouv. — The lazy man begets no children, and if he 
 does, they make no progress: — What is under- 
 taken with laziness is never attended with much 
 success. 
 O y,'o(tfjbo: uv Tangos. — The world is a wheel: — 
 Applied to one who, dressed in a little brief autho- 
 rity, conducts himself haughtily : as much as to say, 
 " my turn will come." Herodotus beautifully ex- 
 presses this sentiment, Lib. A'. § 207. IxsTvo 
 "Tf^uirov (*.u.h, a; xvxXoz <rav avfycotfriim iffri Tgyy- 
 (j,a.rojv' <srzgi<pigo(Jiivo$ £e, olx \a. ceil rovg aurovs 
 zurv%Uiv. 
 O xoa-f/.os i^iovit,iro, xa.) n y^a. l%zgo%rivi'£iro. — 
 Every one was suffering from snow, and the old 
 woman kept combing her hair : — To those who, in 
 a moment of danger, occupy themselves about 
 trifles. 
 O xofffto; Toy^u (iouxaviirr'/i^ov, '/iftu$ xovtpov fJLVSTri- 
 giov. — i The world has it by sound of trumpet, and 
 we are making it a profound secret: — To those 
 who fancy they are concealing what is known to 
 every body. 
 ' OxraTooisv xiQa.'kTi. — A polypus's head : — To mix- 
 ed characters. It is said that the head of this 
 animal is very pleasant to the taste, but that it 
 causes disagreeable dreams. 
 '■ ' OxravroYiov opotorys. — A likeness of the polypus : 
 — To those who conform themselves to others in 
 vice. For that animal, when it wants to deceive 
 and take its prey, assumes the colour of the rock to 
 which it adheres. 
 "OX» pat avdvnXa, na) o yupos iau.% tjjv <«fg«o>5v» 
 569—576 
 
PROVERBS. 91 
 
 — All our affairs are crossways, and our marriage 
 is on a Wednesday : — That day is considered un- 
 lucky. See p. 33. 
 
 'OXa fjb'iaa. 'ivrurav Every thing is fallen in : — To 
 
 those who tell what is disadvantageous to persons 
 of superior merit. 
 
 "OA« to. 9fa.Xa.ia, ufjca^a, x.a.i ra. vrXouffia. tp^ovifjca. — 
 All that is ancient is beautiful, and all that is 
 rich is wise : — To those who censure the present, 
 and praise the past, and who stupidly think that 
 the rich alone are wise. 
 OA« to. <T7()a.ba. xa/u.dju,ara h vufAtpy) [tag rd xd/u.vn. 
 — Our daughter-in-law does every mischief: — 
 To those who lay their own faults upon others. 
 
 "0\n 'h 'ivvoid pa,; r uvSgo; pov 6 S-dvarot. — All our 
 concern is the death of my husband : — To the in- 
 different. 
 
 • Oktiv rhv '/iftioctv z,a.Xoyidvvyi, xa.) to fipdou xa.xoyt- 
 dvvvi. — All the day, good John, but at night, bad 
 John: — To bad masters who, by flattering ex- 
 pressions, induce their servants to work hard the 
 whole day, but in the evening depreciate their ser- 
 vices, and give them a bad supper. 
 
 t! 0>.oi ftl h fidih~iov xdfivofAZv, — We all labour with one 
 ox: — To those who are placed in the same cir- 
 cumstances, and liable to the same accidents ; cor- 
 responding to the English proverb, " we all sail in 
 the same boat. " 
 
 "OXot {At <rd <rgo%aXa, xa) av ftl rd kt0dgict.—All 
 others with pebbles, and thou with stones : — To a, 
 friend from whom we have experienced worse 
 treatment than from our enemies. 
 'OXot %ukov, ulro; lu.v'k'iov. — All the rest have a staff, 
 and he a brand : — To one who obstinately adheres 
 to antiquated customs. 
 576—584- 
 
»s GREEK 
 
 : 'Okci 01 YvQrot pid yvjsd — All the Gipsies are one 
 race : — To those who are all equally bad. 
 
 " OXot ttgoZv, xai 'yu ^taScciviu. — All pass, and I go 
 through them : — To a man of the world, who 
 makes himself equally agreeable to all, without 
 attaching himself particularly to any. What the 
 French would call : c'est un diseur de bonjour. 
 
 ' OXov re (luioiov i@dyc.fiBv, axi's rhv ov^av a.<ffo<r<ru.(?a.- 
 /u.iv. — We have eaten the whole ox, and tired at 
 the tail See p. 45. L 12. 
 
 'OXvxo? xu*i olv appaia-T'/ia-i, x.cu dv IxaXoyzgevfa, ro 
 
 ftak?Jov rov aXXa^t, rv\v yv&jfx.r,v o^t. — Although 
 
 the wolf has been sick, and although he has become 
 
 a monk ; he has changed his hair, but not his dis- 
 
 ^position. 
 
 e O >.vno; f/A fiyyvfiura, uov'tcv <Xor\ 3>h r^ayn. — A 
 wolf never eats a sheep by messengers :— —To those 
 who entrust affairs of importance to the agency of 
 others. Considering the prevalence of neglect 
 and villany in the world, the prudent never com- 
 municate to others those schemes upon whose suc- 
 cess their interest is suspended. 
 
 *0 Xvxo;, orav yygdo"/;, z,a) ruv [uzgcHv ffx.ut.Xiuv 
 tfuiyviov yivtrai. — When the wolf grows old, he 
 becomes the sport even of pups : — To those who, 
 after being distinguished in youth, are despised in 
 old age, even by the worthless. 
 O Xvzo$ rhv r^i^ dX\dZ,a, rm yvt>j{tyv o%i. — The 
 wolf changes his hair, but not his disposition : — 
 It is also thus expressed : o Xuxos k dv sytgtttrs, 
 rhv yvejft'/i rov }lv aXXa^t.-— Though the wolf is 
 grown old, yet he has not changed his disposition : 
 —Nothing is so difficult to change as a bad disposi- 
 tion. The ancients likewise said : Qvaiv tfovAgd* 
 f/Arcx,SaXz7v oh pd^iov, 
 585—591 ' 
 
PROVERBS. 93 
 
 "0>.av ra uvro07ipix,ra, il; h xaXoToiiov. — The boots 
 of all upon one last : — To ignorant quacks who 
 prescribe the same remedies for all diseases. 
 
 'O Mavo/.^j fti t« Xoyioz ari^ dveoy-a. xou xa.701- 
 yueh — Manoles in words builds high storeys and 
 low storeys „•— To those who make mighty pro- 
 mises which evaporate in mere words. 
 
 O fjt,ri i%wv vr'oSiv vd trix/rlft, Tiuvirat aal dxo yu//,vov 
 ff-7roc6iov. — He who has nothing else to catch at, 
 catches even at a naked sword: — To persons 
 driven to desperation. See p. 61. 1. 17. 
 
 'Oftfyov s%u •xa.TQpxx,. — He has the birth-place of 
 Homer : — To men of distinction whose birth- 
 place is unknown, or at least disputed, as Komer's 
 was, for which honour seven cities coutended, 
 whose names are preserved in this ancient distich : 
 
 'ETra toXus %11^'t^ovffi ki(h f't^av 'Opnoou, 
 ~2{a6()vu, 'Toons, Kokoipuv, ~2a.Xu.fjuv, ~X.io;, * ' A^yo;, 
 'A6r,vai. 
 
 "OfAOtos tov ofioio x 'h xotfgid t« Xd%ava. — Like 
 
 loves like, and dung the cabbage: — The German 
 
 say : Gleich und gleich gesellt sich gem. 
 'O pvXos X a i t; Vi g° v Sw dx'ihi — The mill does not 
 
 grind without water: —Without the necessary means 
 
 the best formed plans cannot be put in execution. 
 r O vsfyos 7ov Xiov7u. — The fawn (has got the better 
 
 of) the lion : — That is, the weaker has overcome 
 
 the stronger. 
 ' ' Ovuoivt7GU xat fih xoifMifjoiVos. — He dreams even 
 
 without sleeping : — To those who indulge in wild 
 
 fancies. 
 'O v'/]ff7ix,o$ pccrdvtoo ov-igiuzrxt. — He who is hungry 
 
 dreams of radishes : — To those who enjoy, what 
 
 they long for> in imagination, 
 592—600 
 
94 GREEK 
 
 "Ovou •xittti/.u. — The stubbornness of an ass : — To the 
 excessively obstinate. 
 
 'O 'jou% rov ffaiXiou &U <ro ns-X(>i. — The mind of the 
 bird is on the millet : — To those who, in their 
 words and actions, betray absence of mind. 
 
 c O vovg rov ffX l i u T g'% av > x &' rov "^vkXov (ZsiXXzi 
 a.va%v^ct$.—~His mind splits a hair, and he 
 puts trousers on a flea .• — To those who boast of 
 then* fitness for very nice and difficult undertak- 
 ings. 
 
 'O |s»«j avwratjiren, wkyiv T$v S-zgaTzvirat. — The 
 stranger rests, but is not cured : — i. e. He cannot be 
 quite himself till he returns home. 
 
 r O tfcifo; $iv' ixT^os.—He who has suffered is the 
 physician : — Because he knows best how to soothe 
 the afflictions of others. They say also : pr, p&>- 
 T r /)%ris rov largov, pbvov para, rov <7ru.6'ov. — Consult 
 not the physician, but him who has suffered. See 
 p. 41. 1. 10. , 
 
 c O-t' kx.ov; vroXXu, Kt^affia, QuarvAVi [/.tzgo koc.Xu.6i. — 
 When you hear of many cherries, carry but a 
 small basket : — Wben great professions are made, 
 expect but little. 
 
 c O crzivatrftivo; ydoxgo; \u\iai$ Bsy (ji.it qu.ii. — The 
 starving ass does not count the blows ; — The poor 
 man is often forced to bear much in silence for the 
 sake of getting the bare necessaries of life. 
 O vrzrzivo; Wzru^z.- — The cock has flown : — To hi 
 who comes too late, or having been absent when 
 something interesting was said, seeks in vain to 
 know what it is. 
 
 c O Uztqos siv rov UauXev, k b IIuvXo; siv rov Yiz- 
 toov. — Peter is Patd's, and Paul is Peter's : — 
 To those who love each other to excess. Two 
 
 1 persons so called, who were inseparable friends and 
 601—609 
 
PROVERBS, 95 
 
 perpetually seen together, were thus designated by 
 the neighbours. 
 
 'Ocr' 'ix,^' v^otaTf ix, u ra » * °rt° v <ra fcoGKU, rouya 
 ret. — He who has the sheep, has them, but he who 
 feeds them, eats them : — To bad debtors, who 
 keep, what they owe, for their own pleasure or ad- 
 vantage, and feed their creditors with empty hopes. 
 
 c O tfviXoe S.v §£v "bccoSr,, xioccfjco; %\v yiviTxi. — If the 
 clay is not beat, it does not become potter's clay : — 
 It is impossible to arrive at excellence without hard 
 labour aod diligence. 
 
 ' Ovoict KovipSL u3*«vo££U£<r«/, <puvsgd 7ro[/,<z'ivt<rai.—- She 
 who marries secretly is defamed openly. 
 
 "Ooretov dayx.a,<r n ^iXcuvoc, TTori f/,?iv vyiuiv/i ! — Who- 
 ever is bit by the turtle, may he never be healed ! — 
 To good men who never do serious injury to any 
 body ; the bite of the turtle being so feeble as to be 
 quite harmless. 
 Otfotov £sv ctyutfovv, tcou to. %voru. too (o^uf&ovv. — 
 Wlioever is not loved, even his breath has a bad 
 smell : — Said of one who is unjustly hated. 
 
 "Ovroiov }\v ^ioq&ovh "k'oyo$, y.v^i poiS^o;. — Whom advice 
 will not correct, the rod ivill not .• — To the incor- 
 rigible. 
 
 "Ovroio; uxovzi x'oo-uov, KcxTpov iwaigit. — He who hears 
 the world acquires elegance : — To him who hears 
 the sentiments of gentlemen ; because among the 
 other advantages which he derives from it, bis taste 
 and manners are improved. 
 
 "Ovroio; uva,you\ta,Z,ii, a.; \\i^u.ffri. — Whoever loathes, 
 let him vomit : — To repugnance. 
 
 "Otfoto; fiKgvvzroci, u; %z(pogr&>o-'/i. — Whoever is over- 
 burdened, let him throio off the load : — To those 
 who, doing a voluntary service, complain of the 
 trouble it costs them. 
 609—618 
 
96 GREEK 
 
 'Ofsrtj /3/«£sra<, y/igdgu oyX'fywoa.—He who over- 
 strains himself grows quickly old : — We ought not 
 to be too anxious about any thing, but proceed to 
 whatever we undertake with proper coolness and 
 deliberation — " the greater burry, the less speed." 
 "QcTfl/o; fiouXirou x7ro£pcc!>u;, zl; ffrt^yyid^ov fyf/.tpovzi. 
 — He who wishes in the evening, in the morning 
 finds himself in an enchantment : — To those who 
 dream of future greatness; it being natural that 
 those who think of any thing in the evening should 
 dream of it during the night. 
 
 ^'Otroios Tiv ulii <n7%o;, uhi xdfjuvov x,ui ^avrop&irs. — 
 He who has not seen a castle, looks at a furnace 
 and admires : — To green-horns. 
 
 "Qvoio$ Tzv B-iXu vd Z,vf/.a<r'/i, oX'/iyApa H,oo-4.m%,ii.-^~ 
 He who is tmwilling to knead, sifts flour the 
 whole day : — To those who do one thiDg as an 
 excuse for not doing another which they ought, 
 but are unwilling to do. 
 
 c Ocro.oj ixdri 's 70 l^it/Tov, (puffdn Ttou to xpvov. — He 
 who has been, burnt by the hot, blows even upon the 
 cold : — To those who, in consequence of having 
 suffered, ever after suspect injury even from things 
 that cannot burt them. 
 
 "Owoio? sfM&fe, Iuo-koXu. urfzpxfa. — He who has learn- 
 ed, unlearns with difficulty : — i. e. IHs difficult 
 to get rid of bad habits when once contracted. 
 
 ''Qtfotos hrgirfirat, ttoXax zukd ffrtoivzrctt. — He who 
 is faint-hearted deprives himself of many good 
 things : — English : " Faint heart never gained fair 
 lady." 
 
 "O-rotos Ipurdu, eh a'k'f.o'fjt.ovdit.-^-He who asks, does 
 not forget. 
 
 "Ovoios sWs<££, fih rd S-$giff'/i.-*-He zvho has sown, 
 may not reap: — It sometimes happens that one 
 619—627 
 
TROVERBS. 97 
 
 labours, and another reaps the fruit of his la- 
 bour. 
 
 ' Oxs/oj iboiffx.ii, %<z.iosrzi, xa) o-Toies yvcoolff'/i, irrx-.ai,. 
 — He who finds, rejoices, and he who knows, takes. 
 O-roio; tXi-i afA^riXiov, a$ pccky loydrx;. — Let hint 
 who has the vineyard send labourers to it : — He 
 who has use for any thing, is the proper person to 
 look after it. With regard to the word ioyxTVi, 
 see the learned Note of Coray in his Edit, of Xen. 
 Mem. Lib. A', c. vii, § 2. on the expression ~'{c,- 
 yov axohu^ccffduu 
 
 ''O<roios £%u yinuet, vouyu ipuota. — He who has a 
 beard, eats fish : — To those who have the means 
 and power of doing what they please. 
 
 "Ovoic; £%$! %wo ciXoyov, u.Kro^ooy,)$ TiZ.zv-t. — He 
 who has a horse not his own, goes halfway on 
 foot: — What is not our own does us but little 
 good. 
 
 ' Ottoio; s^h to/.u titioi, (~>eikXu xx) '; tu. Xx%xv<z. 
 — He who has plenty of pepper, puts it even into 
 cabbage : — To those who, abounding in money, 
 throw it away on what is not necessary. 
 
 ' Otcic; s%zt T ^ y^vna, s%axai to. %rzvix. — Hewh<> 
 has a beard, has also combs : — Applied to those 
 who give indiscreet advice ; as much as to siy, I 
 have made my calculations. 
 
 "Ovqiq; £%£* tov t'o'jov, <piou rov, 01 al yurovz; not- 
 fiai'jTxi. He icho has pain, bears it, but the neigh- 
 bours sleep: — To those who, in their sorrow, ex- 
 perience no sympathy from those around them. 
 
 "Oto/s; \n ,«' iXtfilixt;, xToSv'Affxu /&' ccvtf/,ou$. — He 
 who lives with hopes, dies with the winds : — We 
 should strive to improve our circumstances by ac- 
 tive industry, and not soothe our indolence by vi- 
 sionary hopes. 
 627—635 
 
 E 
 
rS GREEK 
 
 "Osfoms tyeu, a; Zuvirai. — Let him who shall be 
 alive, gird himself : — Tauntingly, to a selfish, per- 
 son ; as for instance, one who allows his children 
 to shift for themselves, having no care of what 
 raay happen after his death. 
 0~c:ci xivru, rov ya^ccoov, azc-jst ru.)$ iroohu.U rou.— 
 "Whoever pricks the ass, hears its revenge : — We 
 should not provoke bad people, lest they let loose 
 their foul tongue upon us. 
 
 "Othcc '$ rh %ioi (or rnv fyooiv) TiotrunT, rhv $u- 
 ?.tzGcav yv^ivzi, o AidaoXo; rev xumv rov, y.our.ta 
 rev uayit^ivu. — Whoever traverses the dry land, 
 and explores the sea, the Devil behind his bach pre~ 
 pares a dish of beans : — Or, in plain language, him 
 vrr.o quits his home, and ransacks sea and land in 
 pursuit of wealth, the Devil or his own evil desti- 
 ny spurs on to his ruin. 
 
 'O-TTCic; '$ tovs Xoyov; gov S-acft7, ra. Xoyia gov 557- 
 crivit, 's T'A'J S-xXccgguv vricivzi Xccyo x.ou 's rri'J \r.- 
 guv ■■Icicvju. — Whoever trusts to your statements, 
 . : lelieves your words, catches a hare in the 
 sea, end fishes on dry land : — To one who is un- 
 worthy of belief. 
 
 "J-Tcc; C^'cii l^i^KTO, US fO KlVaXlC'J roV TC& iVOi- 
 
 erzst. — Whoever pounds falsehoods, finds them on 
 his mate : — To those who, saying what is false, are 
 i . rid by being called liars. 
 
 "Oiretas Qrvit rev av/i<po(>ov, <prvu ro <7rooGM<7r'e-) rov. — 
 Y/hoever spits upwards, spits on his own face : — 
 i. e. Ke who despises his own relatives, dishonours 
 himself; or, o<7rov <pru rev evocevdv, <prz7 rot. (aovt^x 
 rev. — He who spits towards the sky, spits on his 
 own face. See p. 83. 
 
 "Qrcv s.akouv KoWoi Virtivo), uoyii va fypt^uGr, 
 
 When many cocks crow, the day-light is slow in 
 636—642 
 
PROVERBS. 99 
 
 appearing : — Meaning, that the counsels of a mul- 
 titude c: weak men tend to fetter and obstruct, 
 rather than to promote any desired object. Homer, 
 B. iii. v. 151, ^although intending, upon the whole, 
 to give a favourable description of the Trojan sena- 
 tors, compares them to balm-crickets, probably to 
 represent the noise and weakness of their speeches. 
 
 Tr,cui on -7TcKifJt,cio fiTuvfAVJOi, aXX' a,yo^ r /jTce,\ 
 'EffdXot, TiTTiyictv loixoTtgf oin x,u.$ vk'/iv 
 &-VS6ZUJ iy-Cic/zivsi b'vcc XugiCiMrcccv luffiv. 
 
 'Offou 'vczi aakoooiZixo;, yivva, xai o aoaorrcs rov. — 
 For him who is lucky, even the cock lays eggs. 
 
 "O<jiou o aafffMs #«J o Ko<r/u,Zs. — Wherever there is a 
 crowd, there is Cosmas : — To one who thrusts his 
 nose into every thing. 
 
 'Otou rouyu XtvoKovm, r^ayn <ro 'votLdfturcv rov. — 
 He that eats fiax-seed, eats his shirt: — To those 
 who destroy what may be the means of future ad- 
 vantage. 
 
 "Ovou QcZcs, ixti zat hr£o<#Yi. — Wherever there is 
 fear, there is also respect: — To those who, 
 through fear, pretend kindness. 
 
 "Ottcv Qtvzgvv tfoWoi, T'/iydoiov yivirat. — Where 
 many spit, there is formed a well : — The vote of 
 a multitude carries weight with it. 
 
 "Ovov <pTu>%oi, yj h pol^u. rov. — Wherever a poor 
 man is, there also is his destiny : — To him who 
 is always unfortunate. It intimates how difficult 
 it is for a poor man to rise above his condition. 
 
 "Oxa; vr^u&u xuQ'tvcts S-a xotp'/ityj. — Every one will 
 sleep as he makes his bed. 
 
 ''Oira Qoi%u c cv^avc;, 'h yrt xaraff/'vs/,— What the 
 heaven showers down, the earth drinks up : — In 
 allusion to the passive nature of the earth, which is 
 642—650 
 
100 GREEK 
 
 indebted for all its fecundity to the active influence 
 of what comes from above, namely, heat and mois- 
 ture ; but the moral lesson of the proverb looks to 
 that higher source, whence we derive all that we 
 enjoy. 
 
 ' Otrcc llv <pdu.tr 7) akwsohy r utpivu xgifAccffru. — ■ 
 What the fox cannot reach, he allows to hang : — 
 To the artfully wicked, who feign friendship, when 
 they have no hope of accomplishing their ends. 
 
 e O 2yift, 3la,ft, xu) 'la<pi6, ol vtot rou N<£=, vo7ov z't%ov 
 Sia, Trari^a ; — Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons 
 of Noah, whom had they for a father ? — Used on 
 witnessing extraordinary stupidity ; for this ques- 
 tion, put to a person who was passing his exa- 
 mination, threw him into great perplexity. 
 
 "Otrov If&vgos, unK-ro^a The more he advances, the 
 
 more he retreats : — To those who, the farther they 
 proceed, recede the farther from their purpose. 
 
 ! 'Ot?ov S-'iXtis, ftxvgz, viij/ov, xva fiiXay^ooi'A ffQay- 
 y'tffou. — Negro, wash as much as you please, and, 
 you with the tawny skin, sponge as much as you 
 please : — To impossibilities. 
 
 ' OjOV X.0C.IQ0 {/' Uf/.tXli;, IfAlTQOVlTCt, <zocrxt; /Ltuiat; SiU.- 
 fouvrav '$ rvv eloa <rov yuitou^ou. — All the time you 
 spoke to me, I was counting how many flies sat 
 on the tail of the ass : — This alludes to the case 
 of a depraved daughter, who, when admonished by 
 her mother, returned this answer as the reward of 
 her pains. 
 
 "Offcv o vov$ fjcou V *o ^w^a,<pit>7, rotrev va zvqiQovv ra, 
 Quito,. — May the oxen be found, just as much in 
 the field, as my mind is :■ — To those who take no 
 trouble for the sake of others. 
 Oiro; uffui <ra'jTU tpccivov, xui xoppian tfupc&xurw — 
 Always appear what you are, and a little below it. 
 650—65? 
 
PROVERBS. 101 
 
 "Offa h hu^u <pion>. — To possess what was in ones 
 dream: — i. e. Great riches. See Theocr. Idyll. 
 9-'. v. 16, and his Scholiast. 
 
 "Offrts }}; \vava.ynffiv, ahix,w$ x,wrnyo(>ii rov Hoffiihu- 
 va. — He who has twice suffered shipwreck, un- 
 justly accuses Neptune : — To those who repeated- 
 ly expose themselves to the same dangers. 
 
 ''Orecv fiydv/i; zai Tzv fiv-vys, -ravn^i rov vrdrov <rtd- 
 viig. — When you take out, and do not put in, ex- 
 pect to reach the bottom. 
 
 "Orav ^io'/i o Qics v a.\iv^i ) ivtaio o bsci.%o\os to trax.- 
 xi. — When God gives flour, the Devil takes the 
 sack : — To a person who ruins his natural endow- 
 ments by his immoral conduct. 
 
 "Orcev %i*\>u.'/\ h avX'/i gov, 'i\oj viqov fin x^ v V ? ' — When 
 thy own court-yard thirsts, don't pour the water 
 abroad : — If we have poor relatives, we ought 
 first to give some assistance to them. In this 
 sense, charity begins at home, and, afterwards, it 
 should, if possible, extend to others. 
 
 " Orcev \tfrpyizivis, (or, orav ffv x.ivovais^) \yu lyvgi^a. 
 — When you were going, I was returning : — To 
 an impertinent stripling, who would have his word 
 go farther, than that of a person of great experi- 
 ence. 
 
 "Orav sTgtTi, cjv %€(>£%£) xct) rov Md'i'ov, l^iovi^i.—— 
 When it ought, it rained not, and in May, it 
 snowed.: — To what is out of season. 
 
 "Orav ItuXouv, els ayogaXfis. — You should have 
 bought, when I was setting : — To those who make 
 unseasonable requests. 
 Orav 'Hr,s ugxovBetv us tov yurovos cov r ceftvriXtov, 
 %\<riffi T'/jv kou ils to Hixo ffou. — When you see a 
 bear in your neighbour's vineyard, expect it also 
 in your own .—A person should never be an idle 
 658—666 
 
102 GREEK 
 
 spectator, when his neighbour is visited by any ca- 
 lamity, for if he does not assist him in removing 
 it, he has good reason to fear that it may extend to 
 himself. 
 
 (M\ (poSyjffcu. — When they rob, partake not ; and 
 when they advertise, fear not. 
 
 'Oras- Xahauv ol zbga&zg, Qiuyovv r a'/ioovun. — When 
 the crows sing, the nightingales take wing : — or, 
 oi y/oGcix,*; ivrtcciXXovv ffiwrhv it; <r »n$Wi{h — The 
 crows impose silence on the nightingales;* — When 
 fools speak, the wise hold their tongue. 
 Orav Xiy/,£, xal 2iv v ukovovv, to&,z to, on iicui '$ 
 rov tt\)}.rj-j — When you speak, and they don't hear 
 you, suppose yourself in a mill .-—From want of 
 proper training, it often happens in social meet- 
 ings, that, when a person in the company wishes 
 to speak, and can speak well, some of the party, 
 not feeling inclined to hear him, commence a se- 
 parate conversation, and gradually every one begins 
 to speak to his neighbour, till at last nothing is 
 heard but a confused jargon of broken sentences, 
 so that no one knows either what he says or what 
 he hears. The inventor of this proverb condemns 
 very happily the rudeness of such men ; as, in a 
 mill, the rushing of the water, and the rattling of 
 the machinery, render it difficult for those who are 
 in it to make themselves heard, unless they have 
 the lungs of a Stentor. 
 
 "Crav o otxo$ r«y yi'iTows ffov xc&Urai, ^roivn^i ace) 
 <rov hy/ov osu. — When your neighbours house is on 
 fire, look to your own. 
 
 "0<r«v vr&tvd'/i '/i a>.co9Tou, xuu.o\nra,i on %,oif/-urai. — 
 When the fox is hungry, he pretends that he is 
 .•—To persons who are poor, but at the 
 666—671 
 
PROVERBS. 
 
 same time cunning, and who use many shrewd ex- 
 pedients to procure the necessaries of life : as the 
 fox counterfeits sleep, when he wants to deceive 
 and catch the chickens. 
 
 "Orav <tqZ /Ayouv iru; ^S.:, fidc-ru. rov ro7%cj, <Xv>- 
 yaiti. — When they tell you, you are drunk, hold 
 by the wall, and go on : — It is sometimes good 
 policy to yield to public opinion, and act as if it 
 were just. 
 
 'On aycc<7rci; jces, xkstsa' oti li fjtX f&itriT;, yi/.u. — JBe ■ 
 cause you love me, I weep ; because you hate mi, 
 I laugh : — The feigned love of an enemy is fa- 
 vourable to his assaults, but when his enmity is 
 declared, we are put upon our guard. 
 
 "O n liv u^'oho-*;, fin to enjxaarys. — Do not lift, what 
 you have not laid down : — To those who carry 
 off what belongs to others. The ancients also said : 
 a. (jw iSou, (A'/i unh'/i;. 
 
 "O ti iZoiZ-, nxr'iZ'/i. — What it rained, came down : 
 —To obvious consequences. 
 
 "O t< itx. VJ *> yg%& '$. r °' J vo " v ?"£j voS&strt '? ra ovBi- 
 qo'j t-/i;. — What the old woman had in her mind, 
 that she saio in her dream : — To vain hopes aris- 
 ing from meditating constantly on a desired object. 
 
 "O rt zdf&v n yila '? rov loufoov, xdfAvit x o igv0ge$ 
 's rbv y'ihm.. — Wliat the goat does to the sumach- 
 tree, that the sumach-tree does to the goat :-— They 
 say that this shrub is a favourite with the goats, 
 and at the same time useful in tanning their skins. 
 and that, when eaten down to the roots, it grows 
 up stronger than before, and forms a more power- 
 ful agent in preparing the skins of these animals- 
 
 "O n rvQXa, n o ti f&ouv'Z, a.—i. e. There is no dif- 
 ference between ttphla and mounza :— The-, 
 words are synonymous, and signify the act of thrus:- 
 671— 6T3 
 
104 GREEK 
 
 ing out the hand with the fingers extended against 
 the face of another in contempt. The proverb is 
 used to express that one person is equally vicious 
 with another. 
 
 to7%o; tx u ^tiu, * h vr&hada ftdna. — The wall 
 has ears, and the plain has eyes : — It is necessary 
 to preserve a profound silence with regard to se- 
 crets, for men are apt to found conjectures upon 
 the slightest hints, and perhaps to find their way 
 to the truth. 
 
 O to 'ffgat f/y/j yiXuv, ft'/dl to ftitrnftigtov. — He who 
 laughs not in the morning, laughs not at noon ;— 
 To those who are always unhappy. 
 
 G to tfgavav xaxos, to figccou %apoTigo$. — He who is 
 bad in the morning, is worse in the evening ;— To 
 those who are wicked from their infancy. It is 
 also turned thus : avto to tf^ai QuivtTat ri xaXvi 
 v/t/Aga. — A fine day shews itself in the morning. 
 See p. 51. 1. 3. 
 
 O Tgzkc; iio- tyiv X,a.(>iv, k l%dg'/i' o o\ (poovifAog i\u- 
 vrvifci. — The fool saw a kindness, and rejoiced ; 
 the prudent saw it, and was vexed ,° — The envi- 
 ous are worse than fools. 
 
 e O T(>i/2; xovoouvi 2h (ha.ffTu.it. — The fool holds no 
 bell : — To those who behave themselves ill so pub- 
 licly that no bell is necessary to make it known. 
 
 O T£-Xo$ TOV fioVoklfff/AvO 'ffOL'J TO, fjCO.TlCC TOV T0V%%$l, 
 
 — The fool loves the fool like his own eyes. 
 
 OuV dyicv TC/igi f/,71 tu.^'/^, ovhi <za.ihiou (/axoov xoXXou- 
 £i. — Neither promise wax to the saint, nor cakes to 
 the child : — Better not promise, than promise and 
 not fulfil. 
 
 Oub\ ffv ira.'ru, 's to. Qutci, ovV \yu '$ tov ayiaff/uov 
 ffou. — Neither thou priest at Epiphany, nor I at 
 thy purification ; — To persons who are at vari- 
 ance with one another ; as much as to say, I wish 
 67S— 6S6 
 
PROVERBS. 105 
 
 neither to benefit you, nor to be obliged to you. 
 At Epiphany the priests visit private families, car- 
 rying with them holy water ; and after blessing 
 the people, they receive in return a voluntary gift, 
 more or less, according to the circumstances of the 
 donors. Purifications are made in general at the 
 beginning of each month. 
 
 Ouo^i rhv (/.vt'/iv tou va crQoyyiffy $lv £ivg<i. — He does 
 not know how to wipe his nose : — To a simpleton. 
 
 OuTz tov A't'truTov l<ra,rr t ffi. — He has not even hand- 
 led JEsop : — To persons who are very ignorant. 
 The ancients considered those as such, who were 
 unacquainted with iEsop's Fables. 
 
 Ouol vgivos iivcu, obll tztuptoc. — He is neither third 
 nor fourth : — To a worthless person, — derived 
 from the answer which the Pythoness made to the 
 Megareans, who, proud of their nobility, went to 
 consult her : — 
 
 'T/uzT; V, u MzyxgzTf, outi tq'itoi, ourz rira^rot, 
 Ours 'ovutixccroii out iv "k'oyu out tv ag;0/&£. 
 
 These lines are found in Suidas, under vpu; u 
 Miyoiot?;, in the Scholiast of Theocr. Idyll, xiv. 
 v. 4S, and Tzetz. Chil. vs.. cap. 291, v. 890, and 
 891. This last author writes Alyn7;, referring 
 the answer to the inhabitants of iEgium in Ach- 
 aia, instead of Megara. This oracle passed into a 
 proverb, and there is found in an Epigram of 
 Callimachus, upon one Callignotus, who had de- 
 serted his mistress, ( Callim. Epig. 26. v. 5 and 6.) 
 the following lines : 
 
 Nuv §' o f/,h ciXX'/is o*k S-igirxi <xvo), rn? 6z rukatvr,; 
 ~Sufi(p'/l$, us Miyctoiuv, oh Xoyo$, out ugifaos. 
 
 Ourz yisiv (for uymgov^y to ffTgw/u.a, oud' cippaffTov, n 
 rjiehei&t — Neither the bed, the healthy, nor the 
 686—690 E 2 
 
106 GREEK 
 
 table, the sick, i. e. receives : — To those who can- 
 not feign, and who cannot keep within the house. 
 
 Oun fitXi ItpdyufAiv, oiirz h xcitdia. [*.u.s xotpru. — 
 We have neither eaten honey, nor are our hearts 
 sick with it : — He who is free from guilt, is free 
 also from the stings of conscience. 
 
 Ourt o 7r<re,j%o;, ovrs o k'oyo? rov. — Neither the beg- 
 gar, nor his word : — i. e. Are good for any thing. 
 
 Qvx) to. i\ai£xs>y.ivu,, akka. to. i%ig%oft$vc&.* — Not 
 what enters, but what comes out : — This is said to 
 those who are very scrupulous in observing Lent, 
 and who do not on that account sin less with their 
 tongue. The object of it is to remind them, that 
 it is not what one eats that constitutes a sin, but 
 what proceeds out of the mouth. In general, it 
 may be remarked, that religion ought to be in the 
 heart, and in the love which we bear to God and 
 our fellow men, and not in idle Ceremonies, which 
 are often nothing more than the mask of hypocrisy. 
 See Matth. c. 15, v. 17, and Mark, c. 7, v. 18. 
 
 'O <pisovifi.os av yiku.tr 6%, 's okiyov Tiv yzkiarm. — If 
 the wise man be deceived, it is not by a trifle. 
 
 '0%ta uTfo <ro tf^off'/ikiav. — -A. viper from basking in 
 the sun : — To those who say what is harsh or bit- 
 ter. From the ancient proverb : vrgoffnkia $%3va. 
 
 *0%i uuyov, y/ovov xoxxov.—Not an egg, only the yolk : 
 — To those who always repeat the same things. 
 
 "0%i oka t« tf&Teaf&ivet xou TouyotrifAU,. — All that 
 flies is not eatable : — To those who promise im- 
 possibilities. 
 
 'O %o/)rcL<rfASve$ rov vYiffrixov Viv rov tmirnvu. — The 
 full does not believe the hungry : — What an An- 
 cient expresses thus : 'ixatrros \x rut IViuv xgivu 
 -a. akkorgia. See X, under ^o^raa-ju.ivos, &c. 
 ''''Q-^/ipas vtas pi xvgtv Ih S-sg/^si.. — The tardy sen 
 reaps not with his father. 
 690—699 
 
PROVERBS. 107 
 
 n 
 
 II«Aaja uXentev '$ rr.v xay'ita }\v Tidv-rai. — An old 
 fox is not to be caught in a trap : — To men. of 
 prudence and experience, who are not to be easily 
 over-reached. 
 
 IlaXaio; ya.ro; ayccvcc vevrtxia, via. — An old eat 
 likes young mice : — This proverb is used with re- 
 gard to old men, who, notwithstanding their age 
 and decrepitude, attach themselves to young wo- 
 men. 
 
 UaXaio; \%6gos QtXos Sb yivirai. — An old enemy 
 becomes not a friend. 
 
 Hdv aXXou va, ra va\r,o-ri$. — Go elsewhere to sell 
 them : — To those who relate fables, in which no 
 one puts any faith, As if it was said : " You 
 must go into a distant country to make these lies 
 pass." The French say also ; a beau mentir qui 
 vient de loin. 
 
 Uavra. va. V o cr^arnyc; piv, (oya% lx.ru, ho) r^co- 
 yit Yixa. — May my general live for ever! out 
 of eight he spends ten : — Of a spendthrift who, 
 exceeding his income, and keeping no order in his 
 house, has the good wishes of those who profit by 
 his profusion. 
 
 na-rargj^aj. — Running-priest: — To a man who 
 runs right and left. See the Prolegomena, in mo- 
 dern Greek, of the second book of the Iliad ; Bo- 
 lissian edition. 
 
 TLa-ra Qayi, xai Lidxou fievxa. — Meal of a priest ; 
 mouthful of a deacon : — To an excellent dish ; 
 700—706 
 
108 GREEK 
 
 derived from a certain popular opinion, that the 
 higher orders of the priesthood are addicted to 
 good living, of which they only allow a slight par- 
 ticipation to the inferior brethren. 
 
 Tiao'/iyo/itcc '$ tov cipp&Jirrov oitco v« %ii]/u%'sio"/i. — Con- 
 solation to the sick, until he expires : — To those 
 who administer vain consolations. 
 
 Hug tov ha Kru-ffa <rov akXov. — Take the one, and 
 beat the other : — To two persons, of whom the 
 one is as bad as the other. 
 
 Vxu.'ju, yro[A<X'/i fjtX rr,v -za^yogta'j vns uvea. — Every 
 opprobrium carries with it consolation i — To those 
 who seek to justify their own faults, by glossing 
 over their motives ; or to those who find consola- 
 tion in the attainment of their object. 
 
 ttaffTgixij xaXti <dobu>ga, xai \aboffi(>z%vfi.ivyi I — Fine, 
 clean Theodora ! and oil all over ! — To slattern- 
 ly and awkward women. The word Tracr^a, 
 cleanliness, whence srawrgnsos, clean, is derived 
 from Tatrro;, synonymous with vv/uapcuv, marriage- 
 hed, it being prepared with particular attention. 
 
 TiaffTgizog V«» ftuZof&uyriko. — Clean as a pocket- 
 handkerchief: — To .one who is not neat, and fi- 
 guratively, to one who has not a clean conscience. 
 
 Huyja Xoyta.. — Big words : — To great boasters. 
 
 Uu%;ua zotXia Tzv Tifigs rnv vrvgirriv. — A fat belly did 
 not invent gun-powder : — That is, he who makes 
 a god of his belly, dulls the edge of his mental 
 powers. The ancients have said : 
 
 Taffrwo Kcty^Ciu,, Xztfrov oh rixru voov. 
 
 ni'JTi $£Bia, T^'ia Z,iuyagta. — Five oxen, three pairs: 
 — Ironically to a man of little intelligence. 
 
 Tl'ivTi fivvas, % a.o r gd%rta. — Five months ; six spin- 
 dles : — Ironically to lazy women. To the same 
 706—715 
 
PROVERBS. 109 
 
 purport as the popular Scotch song -. — The Weary 
 Pund o' Tow. 
 
 " I thought my wife would end her life 
 Before she span her tow." 
 
 The word aOoap^Ttov, or aSodxTtov, is from cctco,- 
 x<ro$. 
 
 IIs£< o'iou ex.t%;, — About the shadow of an ass : — To 
 those who raise disputes about nothing. From the 
 story of a law-suit between a muleteer and a tra- 
 veller respecting the shadow of an ass, which the 
 latter had hired of the former, who alleged that, 
 although he had let the body of the animal, he had 
 not let its shadow, and must have an extra remu- 
 neration if it was made use of ; treated in a mas- 
 terly manner, in German, by Wieland. 
 
 Ih^tffff'iTioa a^viaxa,, <xago\ wgoZial. — More lamb 
 skins, than sheep skins : — That life is exposed to 
 more dangers during the season of childhood, than 
 in maturity. 
 
 Jl'iovai \xgw t K itpiros Iftvgiffiv. — Last year it was 
 burnt, and this, it is smelt : — To things which are 
 perceived when it is too late. 
 
 Jliai KYiTu. m <rl Quyw. — Fall cake, that J may eat 
 thee : — To one who will take no trouble for any 
 thing ; or, to an easy -tempered man who permits 
 himself to be led by his wife or others. Tlr,ra, is 
 derived from kyigitu, and is also written kTittcl. 
 
 IliS jitf u,z TToiov sr«j, va ci '<t&> to t'i aZi^n;.— Tell 
 me with whom you go, that I may tell you your 
 value : — Every one ought to take care with whom 
 he associates, because it is natural to judge of per- 
 sons by the company they keep. 
 
 Ills TO, Ti? TO ! TO XOOiTPi iKd/Lti TYIV y^'AU. KBU 
 
 S-i\u. — Repeat it ! repeat it ! — the girl has made 
 715—721 
 
110 GREEK 
 
 the old lady consent : — To those who yield at last 
 to importunity. KogiTo-i, from xogierxiov. 
 
 Tl'/ira vrov olv Tguiyus, <ti c\ yvoid^u ccv xa'ir,Tai ; — . 
 Cake that you eat not, what care you that it is 
 burnt ? — That it is needless to distress ourselves 
 where we are not necessarily concerned. 
 
 Hiatrz tov Tutpkov, x 'i<ra.^i <rou to, paTta.- — Seize 
 the blind, and take from him his eyes : — From him 
 who has nothing, nothing can be taken. Accord- 
 ing to the expression which Lucian has put into 
 the mouth of Menippus, who says to Charon, when 
 he presses him to pay his fare, obx av kaSois <rugu 
 rod ph '£%ovros. — From him who has nothing, 
 you can receive nothing. An expression which is 
 also used sometimes proverbially. 
 
 YltOov 's to. xu./m$ Xzyftzya, a$ r hvai x air i%6go.-~- 
 Listen to what is icell said, let it be even from an 
 enemy : — That one ought not to be obstinate, when 
 one is conscious of being wrong ; but, on the con- 
 trary, to draw advantage even from the censures of 
 an enemy. Hesiod also says, ( Op. and D, v. 
 295.) 
 
 'E<r6kos V av xaxt7vo$, as tu iltf'ovTt vrlDnrai. 
 
 Ylkiu 'ffav to kali. — He floats like oil: — He throws 
 the blame of his own faults upon others, and al- 
 ways appears innocent himself. 
 
 Ylb$'/i{£ ocr tov rbvrov ffov, as yv xaY fttrakkufitvov.-— 
 A boot from thy own country, let it be even patch- 
 ed : — The greater number of those who have not 
 become cosmopolites will agree with this proverb. 
 
 Uofev slvai to xkcuvaooixiov ; aero tovto to Isvlguxiov. 
 —"Whence is this twig f " From this shrub :" 
 721—727 
 
PROVERBS. Ill 
 
 —To disorderly young persous, sprung from pa- 
 rents of the same habits. 
 
 Uo7o; 'itpayz to [a'iXi ; ovroiog ix, u r»jv fivlav '$ to 
 ffziultov. — " Who has eaten the honey ?" " He 
 that has the fly on his umbrella :" — To persons of 
 a suspicious appearance. 
 
 Uo7o; 'iy^ii ilg %t7gd; tou to ftiki, xoti olv yXiityu to. 
 'hu.z.Tuku tou ; — Who has honey in his hands, and 
 
 , licks not his fingers ? — To those who derive ad- 
 vantage from the trouble which they take in trans- 
 acting the business of others. 
 
 Uo7o; Tca.XohccviiZ^iTai ; oToiog x.a.Xo<zX'/io'ovu. — u . Who 
 borrows easily ?" " He who pays punctually.'" 
 
 UoXifciyJ; yiu iTrapl'Sta,. — Military for the sake of 
 epaulets .■ — To those young men who make choice 
 of the military profession, rather for the uniform 
 than for any other thing. The ancients had also 
 the adage : yXuau; aTu^oo voXi^o;. 
 
 TioXXd z\iuo 7i a.Xco'Trou, o B' dy.ccvtio^oioo; zv y.ou 7-.ct.X~ 
 Xitzqqv. — Many things knows the fox ; but the 
 porcupine one, and better : — To the most cunning; 
 because the porcupine when it sees another ani- 
 mal coming against it, shrinking within itself, e- 
 rects its quills as a rampart. 
 
 TLoXXoi cc7roda.f/,'i^ot xd.QnvTa.i '; tou uppuo-Tcu to xzQa.- 
 Xi. — Many dead are sitting at the head of the 
 sick : — Many of those who visit a sick person die 
 before him. 
 
 lloXX&i'j h rtiivu. yiviTcct liiba.iTy.aXog. — Hunger becomes 
 the teacher of many : — Want often calls into exer- 
 cise the industry and activity of the poor. 
 
 Tloo'og zW 6 xd^ou^ag, xou tf'offov to (pay! tov ! — How 
 much is the crab ! and how much his contents !-— 
 To persons who are of no great value. 
 
 Wosog o vvrvo; o-ou t net) too-ov Q'Mqo-j z'iozg l—Hozv 
 727—736 
 
112 GREEK 
 
 long thy sleep ? and what the length of thy 
 
 dream ? — To those who affect impatience upon any 
 
 subject. 
 Hon xoXoxvvQicv, <ror lirr^dSuff' 'h ol^d rou ;— When 
 
 has he become a gourd ? when has he bent his 
 
 stem ? — To those who, while still in early youtk, 
 
 perversely pursue an irregular course. 
 Efe<rs— fCTJXa, <ffori — (pvXXa. — Sometimes — apples ,- 
 
 sometimes — leaves .-—That the fortune of men is 
 
 not always the same ; for, as Simonides has said : 
 
 Ololv Iv avQauvroiffi fi.ivu xfit*' *pMf.&fov alii. 
 
 Hon — Trtra xa) (pXtztrx), vron — <7r7i?ce, (i.ova.%'/;. — 
 Sometimes — cake and bottle ; sometimes'— cake a- 
 lone : — In the same sense as the preceding. @ka- 
 crxt is derived from (pidXv. 
 
 TIou % <zdyiii 'yftu ; 'vrdyo) 's tyiv ToKiv' dv a d<P'fi- 
 ffovj, vrdyus xa) <7tu,oixu. — " Where goest thou 
 she-goat?" " I go to the city " " If they permit 
 thee, thou wilt go farther yet ;" — To persons whose 
 forwardness requires checking. Nearly to the same 
 purport as the English proverb ; — Give a rogue 
 sufficient rope, and he will hang himself. 
 
 HoZ xjTtdyia xaxh ruX'/i ; 's fou tfoXunxvov rov oJ- 
 kom. — " Where goest thou bad fortune ?" " To 
 the house of the man of many arts :" — To those 
 who exercise many arts, and, having tfearned none 
 perfectly, remain always poor. 
 
 UooTaTii'ffuv Tcv Tuyouou. — He walks as a crab :— 
 That is, His affairs go ill ; which is also expressed 
 by one word, xaoxivoSanT. 
 
 TLgotrxuva ya.p,£ei ! Yo\a, <roi a Qio;. — " Bridegroom, 
 salute !" " May God be blessed /" — To a person 
 who has been kept long in expectation, and whose 
 patience has been put to the proof. 
 736—743 
 
PROVERBS. - 113 
 
 nciffwrowpivn asixivntria. — Perpetual motion per- 
 
 sonified : — To a restless person. 
 Tlra'ni o pcicprr,;, xcu Saigcvv <rov pay n go v. — The 
 
 tailor is in fault, and they heat the cook : — To 
 
 punishments which are not inflicted on the real 
 
 offender ; or, as the English say, — The saddle is 
 
 not put on the right horse, 
 nrtgviffriguc py XuxriQus. — Kick not the spurs : — 
 
 This puts us in mind of cxXngov aoi vrgo; xUrga. 
 
 XaxriZuv in the Acts of the Apost. c. xxvi. v. 14. 
 
 JEschylus also in his Prometh. v. 321 : 
 
 Ouxovv, tftotyt ^cufjt.tvos Sio'ao'xuXco 
 Hgc; xzvrga xuXov IxraiTs, oguv on 
 l^ccftv; ftcvag%o$ ovh' v"7nC6uvo$ xgarsT. 
 
 TLtuxos xcu vtf69i(&svo$. — Poor and honest: — To a 
 man of integrity who, notwithstanding his poverty, 
 is not tempted by a thirst after riches : a poverty 
 which is often a title of honour, when the causes 
 are independent of ourselves ; for, as Antiphanes 
 has said : 
 
 KaXw; tftvzff&ai ftakXov, n tr\ovri7v xaxu;. 
 
 Pericles also says, in his funeral oration over those 
 who had fallen in the first year of the Peloponne- 
 sian war; (Thucyd. Lib. B'. § 40.) xa) ro <z'i- 
 viff&ai ov% oftokcyiTv nvt ulo"%(>ov, aXkd f/M o*ia,- 
 (ptuyuv z^yto, u'lff%iO'j. 
 
 U-u%o; o n "Svvarai, vrkovtrtos o n SjXs/. — Poor 
 what he can, rich what he will. 
 
 Tlvppmtos icrogia. — Pyrrhonic doubt : — To those 
 who doubt always, and believing nothing to be as 
 it appears, never bring their opinions to any con- 
 clusion. From Pyrrho the founder of this system 
 of sceptical philosophy. 
 744—749 
 
114 GREEK 
 
 Tlu>s vrdv zoguKu, rci trcctoiu, cov ; o<rov txv, f/,u.v^i'Covv. 
 — " Crow, how goes it with thy children 9" " The 
 more they grow, the more they blacken /" — To those 
 who advance in evil as they advance in years. 
 
 Pa<prs tyXovi, oovkuu, va, (m aoZ Kiii^y. — Sew and 
 unsew, that work may never fail you : — To a per- 
 son without method, who, before finishing one thing, 
 begins another, and then another, without bringing 
 any one of them to perfection. %yi\ovw, from e| and 
 •nko;, 
 
 'Pi%nt virgiccis* — He throivs stones: — Used when 
 one, in conversation, attempts to wound the feel- 
 ings of another indirectly. 
 
 'Puru (az va, ff\ para, va, Tfigvupiv tov tcuigov. — Ques- 
 tion me, that I may question you, in order that we 
 may put off the time : — To triflers, who spend 
 their time in asking idle questions. 
 
 ^a,v utrrgwzry) to ^'z^i rov's rou tp'iXou ro *bia<iu,xt.-—H.U 
 hand Jlies like lightning into his friend's walleb: 
 —To those who, under the pretext of friendship", 
 steal the property of their neighbours. 
 
 2av Z,ov(>Xas <ro rv/^-rccvov. — As a fool, the drum, i. e. 
 beats : — To incessant talkers. 
 
 2«i/ x'/itprivai KiXuhJi.—He ivarbles like a drone: — 
 750—756 
 
PROVERBS. 115 
 
 To braggadocios ; — fellows with bold words, but a 
 " plentiful lack of wit." 
 
 2xv o ffy.u>.ko; '; rnv '7ri~oo%o>.ia.v. — Like a dog at 
 the throwing of a stone : — To those who, instead 
 cf their real aggressors, wreak their vengeance 
 upon the innocent, as the dog attacks the stone in- 
 stead of the person who throws it at him. 
 
 2av rvs xovz.y.ouZsiiCi; to fuKtov. — Like the owl- 
 bird : — Applied to unexpected good fortune. The 
 owl, as we have said elsewhere, (See p. 70.) being 
 a bird of good omen. 
 
 2xv to yevpovvtov '; tyiv Xao-T'/iv. — As the pig, to 
 the mire : — To those who constantly relapse into 
 their old vices. 
 
 2a^dvTa t ciXcyov, x l^yjvTtx, to (rci/Ltdstov. — Forty 
 for the horse, and sixty for the saddle : — To per- 
 sons of low extraction and without education, who, 
 having acquired riches by a lucky hit, dress and 
 decorate themselves in a manner unsuitable to their 
 former condition. The author of this proverb con- 
 demns, with much humour, the gross vanity of 
 these persons, comparing them to horses of small 
 worth, while he likens their rich dresses to the 
 saddles that are wont to be put upon more valu- 
 able animals. 
 
 2l Tcc^aKaXaJ k lyco x' h ffxautpiu (tov Both I and 
 
 ray cap pray you : — Used when a person, half in 
 jest, half in earnest, insists upon one doing a thing 
 which he evinces an unwillingness to do. 
 
 2e to kiyu wdiooi, ^iu va t olkovc-' h vv$'/i. — / tell 
 it to you, mother-in-law, that the daughter -in-laio 
 may hear it : — It is sometimes best that children 
 should receive counsel from third parties, and not 
 directly from those with whom the instruction or 
 reproof originates. 
 756—762 
 
116 GREEK 
 
 2'Zi/Ai^cv Ixiv^cafitv, xa) uvoiov, — Totruig tfcoftiv',— To- 
 day we started, and to-morrow, — what day of the 
 month is it ? — To those who, having embarked in 
 any undertaking, begin thoughtlessly in the very 
 outset to talk of its completion. 
 
 2r,ftigov yA to'j avc/aov, xa.) atigtov fti rov ciyov^ov.— 
 To-day with the wind, and to-morrow with the 
 bridegroom ; — To those who, by committing ab- 
 surdities in the vain hope of attaining some desired 
 object, stupidly involve themselves in misfortune. 
 The proverb had its origin among the country 
 people in this way : A silly young woman was in 
 the habit of annoying her mother by saying to her : 
 " Mother, I want a husband, how long will you 
 keep me unmarried ?" The poor mother, wearied 
 by her folly, said to her one day : " Go to the 
 balcony, and if you sleep there all night with only 
 your shift on, to-morrow you shall have a proposal 
 from a young gallant." The simple girl, who took 
 the joke in earnest, failed not to do as she was di- 
 rected, and while trembling with cold overnight, 
 she kept muttering to herself these words : " To-day 
 with the wind, but to-morrow with the husband." 
 In consequence of this indiscretion she caught a 
 pleurisy, of which she died. The Greek word 
 ayov^ot, unseasonable, is the name by which the 
 peasants designate a bridegroom, in reference to 
 the early age at which they marry their children, 
 which is truly out of season. In the same way 
 the ancients called a young man before the age 
 of marrying, ilwoos vgos ydpov. The word ayu- 
 gtov, or uyogtov, boy, is derived from the same 
 source. 
 
 2if&ci tl; u/Avrzkiov tpvrtvi, cripa us %ut>&v xuro'ixcc.— 
 Plant near a vineyard, reside near a town .-— 
 763—765 
 
PROVERBS. 117 
 
 It is of importance, not to separate one's self from 
 
 the community. 
 2if*.x us rce. £*iXiuu.iv» xa) h xaxist. — Where there is 
 
 ought to be envied, wickedness is hard by : — To 
 
 those who speak evil of virtuous actions. 
 liwrS., Xvxo* itl-v. — He is speechless, he has seen a 
 
 wolf: To persons rendered stupid by fear. 
 
 Theocr. Idyll, to", v. 22, says also : 
 
 Ou <Qdiy*n ; Xuxov ubz;, 
 
 where his Scholiast observes : o-i »a6o ol otpHtrts 
 lityvw uto Xuxov, ^oxodffiv uQuvoi yUzffSat. 
 
 "Sxafivtou vroocioiv 'imffi' xpavinxo* '$ rov tovov. — The 
 foot of the chair has fallen ; in its place put one of 
 cornel-wood: — Used when an unpopular man has 
 quitted office, and is succeeded by another more 
 agreeable to the public. 
 
 IxuXXtoi vXaxrovv, olotfooot tt-^ovv. — The dogs are 
 barking, travellers are passing : — To certain signs. 
 
 2xvXXo; oruv xuxof^aSr, u; to ftaxz'AXuov, v\ tov 
 ffxvXXov vol ffxo-aff'A;, h to ftxXiXXuov va x&tzool- 
 tpiffy;. — When a dog has learned bad habits in the 
 shambles, either kill the dog, or throw down the 
 shambles : — Used to denote the incurable nature 
 of evil habits. 
 
 1xaotxirf4.iv/i yXutrcu,. — Rusted tongue: — To those 
 who say cutting tilings. In English : An ill- 
 scraped tongue. 
 
 ~2,<7ra.oTr,'j sXa%£$, ^ttcZot'/jv xofffjs.it. — Sparta has been 
 your lot, Sparta adorn : — This ancient proverb is 
 used to signify that we should prefer the interests 
 of our native place to those of every other, when 
 we have any thing beneficial at our disposal. 
 
 1rd% h u-ut'/i ffov yu.u.Zo'i' — u.-7to rov ^siiy.uja. — "Sen- 
 in-law, your nose drops ;" " It is from the winter :" 
 765 — 773 
 
318 
 
 GREEK 
 
 — To those who make specious excuses for then- 
 bad habits. 
 Iri^'/itri; aTraoaruv. — Privation of things not expe- 
 rienced : — To a privation which is not much felt. 
 From the sentiment of Thucyd. B'. § 44 : y.al 
 }.u<T'/i av% &iv civ ris fm <riioao-u[jt.ivos uyuGav cti- 
 oiffxvrcu, akX' cii av Ud; yi'/oyAvos -ayuizidiW,. 
 JCenoph. also, Cyr. vii, says something similar : 
 ob ydg to [An XccSuv <r uyaSu, ovtco %a,y.i-zov, Lc- 
 <zig to kaZoi/Ta a , Ti^'/i$7 l va.i ku-T'/igov. and Isidor. 
 
 Ep. 5, 144. KOU 0V% oIItOJ "kV<7f%i TO (Ml XTfjSiV, 
 
 as h Tu'j vTroc^u'jTCdv ffTioYtci;. Liban. Orat. 
 829. C. kv<zz7 ydo ob to ph yzuraffGai tuv x,i r <~ 
 
 ffTUV US V\ /Jt,iTU T'/iV WiTgWs (TTiQViffiS' 
 
 '2 TVs xvtqcis t6%viv.— To pot luck ; — i. e. To a 
 family dinner. 
 
 '2 to xaXadt oh %uou, x orav H.oifJt.a,Tat $lv Tguyu. 
 — He cannot be contained in a basket, and, when 
 he sleeps, he does not eat : — Ironically, when a per- 
 
 ' son is praised who has no real merit. 
 
 '2 Toxagvh tvv 'ix> u ' — ^ e shuts her up in a -wal- 
 nut : —Meaning, he is jealous of his wife. 
 
 '2 to <Ta,kicrd<TovTo-o (&ov to ygcitpu. — I write that 
 on my old shoe : — Meaning, I don't value what 
 you say to me. 
 
 '2 to ffvra.o'fji.ivo to aaxx), S-sXs/j /saXXs, S-s/U/j fm 
 
 Into a holed sack, it is indifferent ichether you 
 put in, or not : — It is needless to give to a spend- 
 thrift. 
 
 '2 tov xovtpov T',vj S-ugav, S-ikus ficigit, B-ikus ft*. — 
 At a deaf man's door, it is all one whether you 
 knock or not .- — Otherwise : '2 tov xeoQod tvv Bv~ 
 gzv, htvtcc TTi^Tu-xoiTia.. — At a deaf mans door, 
 knock five hundred times : — To those who are 
 constantly striving after impossibilities. 
 773—780 
 
PROVERBS. 119 
 
 -rczZ-.: Zi'/.c'^ tyv^tVt fASffU s fcv a%vgcui!z, x o xoua- 
 ?.c%ifiu; txuf&e TcaXaGt va to fixkr,. — The blind man 
 sought for a needle in a straw loft, and the man 
 with a lame hand made a basket to put it in : — 
 To men of gross stupidity. 
 
 '2 tuv uptciorcos.ojv Tr,v %agctv aoixos zoiT'/i; HotCi^n.— 
 In the land of sinners the unjust sits in judgment. 
 
 Ivyvcc^rTi fit Ki>o ayiXata.. — I beg your pardon 
 Madam Cow ; — To a person who mistakes one for 
 another. A French gentleman, of an absent turn 
 of mind, was passing along a public street, when a 
 cow came up behind him, whose shadow caught 
 his eye ; mistaking it for that of a lady, he con- 
 ceived himself acting unpolitely in walking before 
 her, and turning round he made a graceful bow, 
 saying : " Beg your pardon, Madam ;" and hence 
 the proverb. 
 
 luxir/i Wty.ovcia,. — Fig-tree help : — Assistance which 
 is feeble and of little avail ; the wood of the fig- 
 tree being weak and brittle. 
 
 1'jftTX ysr,a to fiovolavktov, hoffso vcl/J'/j to Ttrtav/.iov. 
 — With one light in all, old woman, till the cha?i- 
 delier with three lights come :— =It is proper that 
 one should be content with small tilings, until di- 
 ligence and good conduct have provided the means 
 of more ample accommodation. 
 SwoLyu toZ : 'Oxvov tt\v §<uftiy>ya, — He spins the rope 
 of Ocnus : — Speaking of one who employs him- 
 self on a work that will yield him no profit. Oc- 
 nus was a rope-maker, whose ropes were chewed 
 by an ass as fast as they were made. 
 2vv ' A&'/ivu, xat zu*a x'u/ii. — With Minerva, move 
 also thy hand: — We ought not wholly to rely 
 upon others, but ought also to exert ourselves a lit- 
 tle, to attain the object of pursuit. 
 73 1—787 
 
120 GREEK 
 
 "Swmiurt vcc. yiwirat, Sev u-royivircti. — What has he- 
 come a custom, is not easily got rid of;—It is dif- 
 ficult to change old habits. 
 
 2yvT£»vs, xu,6w$ %\iv£i$. — In your own way, God- 
 father : — To those who interpret in the wrong 
 way advice upon economy. This proverb is op- 
 posed to that which we have given p. 33, E;V ^vo 
 <7. The history of it is this : A miser entertaining 
 him who had stood god-father to his child, placed 
 olives upon the table among other eatables. The 
 guest made only one mouthful of each, notwith- 
 standing their size ; which the miser observing, 
 said : "In two or three, friend, the olive," Upon 
 which the guest, instead of cutting the olive into 
 two or three parts as the miser meant, began to 
 put them into his mouth by two and three at a 
 time. The miser seeing the rapid disappearance 
 of his olives, hastily said, ffvvnxvi, xuSus y^ivot;. 
 
 2v &£gi<ytkZ$ Iwbixa., za) a\ rgiavrai?. — You laugh 
 at a dozen, and three dozen at you ; — To those 
 who, though fit objects of laughter themselves, at- 
 tempt to turn others into ridicule. 
 
 ~!2.voii o Xayo; tov Xzovru, fjt\ y^ovirov-i pu.p(/.a.— The 
 hare draws the lion with a gold thread: — To 
 venal rulers. 
 
 2^a/w, Kovgi. — A string, a strap: — To persons of 
 interminable loquacity. 
 
 r aynifr^i x.urK<xti [a\ to y\(M.—He swallowed the 
 jisk-hook along with the bait .-—The ancients used 
 788—793 
 
PROVERBS. 121 
 
 the same proverb thus : uyxi<rrgor ftird rr,; *«. 
 gihos xaruxivuv. The French say also : Avaler 
 V amorce et Vhamecon. 
 
 Ta 2/»a pas ruiy yarovuv. — Our faults, those of our 
 neighbours : — As the English adage : To measure 
 another persons corn by our own bushel. 
 
 Ta 6ixoL <rou ocftrikia <P£«£s, xeu to. %'tva, u.n yvozCr,;. 
 — Fence your own vineyards, and covet not those 
 of others, 
 
 Ta Swa rrohia. ti; zv I'Xohny.a. — Both feet in one boot : 
 — To those who, being extremely hurried, encoun- 
 ter impediments in consequence of their eagerness. 
 
 Ta s^oooi tov yifjcov pets 'h •jvptpvi Viv <r v<X,Qi>X,ii> — 
 The bride is not worth the expense of our nup- 
 tials : — When a man has taken much trouble to 
 obtain that which, after all, is not worth his pains. 
 
 Ta/j KaXaCgs^tzi; opotaZ^u;. — You are like the Ca- 
 labrian girls : — That is, " You make your own 
 eulogy ;" because it is said that in this province of 
 Magna Grcecia, the young girls have a particular 
 propensity to boast of their beauty. 
 
 Ta xigvu; ; %ctvzi; rcc' roc %/>ia>ff7i7; ; vXn^ovn;. — 
 Do you treat ? you lose it ; do you owe ? you pay : 
 — To those who hope to mollify their creditors by 
 giving them entertainments, but who, when the 
 day of payment arrives, find their demands una- 
 bated. 
 
 T" cckcyov 'ttou %aoi?ouo-4 '; to. Vovria ph to fiX'tirr,;. 
 — A given horse, look not at his teeth. 
 
 T' akoyov to wX'/iya/uivov, a; 'ton rbv o-'i'kXa.v, rgz/xu. 
 — The wounded horse, as soon as he sees the sad- 
 dle, trembles : — To a man, who seeing an object 
 that recals to his mind the sufferings he has for- 
 merly endured, shrinks in terror. 
 793—801 F 
 
122 GREEK 
 
 Tec ftizga, $zv iihXis, ra, ptiyaXbt yvgzvt;, yvti^i tov 
 %ito6f&uXov. — You would not the little ; you sought 
 the great ; turn the hand-mill ! — To those who, 
 abandon things suitable to their capacity, and by 
 aiming at what is above it, come at last to the 
 lowest employments. 
 
 Ta.vra.Xo it }r^a. — Thirst of Tantalus : — An ancient 
 proverb, to express desires which will never be sa- 
 tisfied. It is regarding this thirst of Tantalus that 
 Homer says in the Odyssey, xi, v. 581 : 
 
 Kaw prrj Ta.vra.Xcv u<?i7$ev, %a,Xtvr ouXyi s%ovra, 
 ''EfruoT \v Xi'fivn' r> t\ <7rpo<ri'ffXttX !i i yivuM' 
 2nvrc Ti "Stipcieov, Tiinv o' ovk i'l^iv ixitrdai. 
 
 T* Tai^ia. r^uyovv ra. priXa,, sea) ei yzoovris f&oubm- 
 Zjabi The children eat the apples, and the pa- 
 rents' teeth are on edge : — That parents are often 
 punished for the disorderly conduct of their chil- 
 dren. 
 
 Ta '<T<Jvpns, to, Z^it. — You desired them; you 
 have found them .'—To a person who, having sought 
 and obtained a thing, finds it attended by evils 
 upon which he had not calculated. So says also 
 Theocr. Idyll, i. v. 17. 
 
 i%us TaXai tSv inzSupit;. 
 
 T# toXXcc rif&avv rov uvtoa., xal iXiya. ttjv yvvaTxa. 
 — Many things make the honour of the man ; feu; 
 that of the woman: — Modesty, economy, and si- 
 lence adorn a woman. If after to. -roXXa,, is un- 
 derstood the word Xoyia, instead of w^u.ypa.ra.^ 
 then the meaning is : Many zcords honour the man, 
 902— SOd 
 
PROVERBS, 123 
 
 and few the woman : — It may not be unaccept- 
 able to young ladies to introduce here the senti- 
 ment of Menander, regarding the powerful attrac- 
 tion of their silence. 
 
 (d'jya.r-AP Ivr'tyx/ao;, za.v oA&[? f&wzv XaX?, 
 
 T' uoyvgiov (or <rov <xa.^a) fx.ou i^uza, va, a\ (pi.yu 
 S-'iXnj. — My money (or my penny") I have given; 
 to eat thee I resolve : — To one who is unwilling 
 to lose the benefit of a thing for which he has 
 paid his money. The story is, that a man intend- 
 ing to buy some cheese, took by mistake soap in 
 the place of it. Having discovered his error, he 
 uttered the above words, and began coolly to de- 
 vour his purchase. 
 
 T* aff-z^a ra B-'iXa a.v6^wffo? B/« ryiv ficcvg '/lyi^a.— 
 The man wants the money for the black day : — 
 In the same sense as the English proverb : To lay 
 up stores against a rainy day. The word aW^j, 
 in the signification of white, may be derived from 
 tttrtfiXos, and the substantive, «W««v, a farthing, 
 from aff<ra.g<iv. The plural, aW^a, is used for mo- 
 ney in general. 
 
 T« ffToa,Sd ftas tfafMe&vgia, cat ^wca ipXeo^ia roe, 
 ffid^ovv. — The golden zechins straighten our crook- 
 ed windows : — Money covers many defects. 
 
 Ta ffuxa, — y.7j}.oc, xai tcc [sJr,'ku.-—ffZx.u,> — The figs — ■ 
 apples, and the apples-^figs : — To a skilful orator, 
 who can represent matters as he chooses, and 
 " make the worse appear the better reason." 
 
 Tavguo; tv^'o;. — Ox-milk cheese : — To well-meaning 
 persons who, endeavouring to discover the causes of 
 806—811 
 
124 GREEK 
 
 the repulses which they sometimes meet with, arc 
 led by their inexperience and simplicity into real 
 blunders. A peasant of Beam, having occasion to 
 visit Paris soon after the accession of Henry the 
 Fourth to the throne, brought, as a gift to his 
 royal countryman, some cow-milk cheese, of a 
 kind for which the king had in his early youth a 
 particular fondness. Being refused admittance, 
 and rudely driven from the gate by the porter, who 
 jeered at his rustic simplicity, the poor man with- 
 drew much disconcerted, and strolled about for 
 some time under the windows of the palace, ab- 
 sorbed in conjectures as to the cause of his disap- 
 pointment. The king having recognized the cos- 
 tume of his native province, sent for him, aud the 
 delighted Bearnese presenting himself, deposited his 
 simple offering, with much amiable clownisbness, 
 at his sovereign's feet, saying, that he had brought 
 his majesty some ox-milk cheese. When Henry, 
 puzzled and amused, inquired his meaning, he re- 
 lated the circumstances of his bad reception, ad- 
 ding, that as he had been derided and beaten on 
 stating his errand, he had hoped to avoid offending 
 in future by denominating his humble present, Ox- 
 milk cheese. 
 
 lot, <pi{>zi h u^a., xgevos ^sv ra (ps^s/. — An hour brings 
 what a year brings not : — An hour often brings 
 forth events, which have not been witnessed for 
 years. 
 
 Tec, u; Viv S-i\us, yivovrcci, S-s>.« t«, xa.) a>$ yivovrai. 
 — Things which happen as you do not wish ; ivish 
 them even as they happen. 
 
 Tm aXuToh Vzv rhv l^^s/sn h T^v-xa rris, i<rv(>*i xai 
 xoXokvvOiov. — The hole could not contain the fox ; 
 yet she drew along with her a gourd ; — To those 
 811— 8H 
 
PROVERBS. 125 
 
 who, while they have not sufficient for their own 
 wants, pretend to patronise others. 
 
 Trjv akdjxob tit(>etr<ra%af } xcci eclrn iTrootrrct^i <r«v ou- 
 gay Tns. — Tney have ordered the fox, and she has 
 ordered her tail : — To those servants who, by la- 
 ziness, or the assumption of consequence, transfer 
 the orders of their masters to the inferior domestics, 
 instead of executing them in person. 
 
 Tnv 'y'toccv ttiv ^cc't^u ro %a,\d^iov, u.brv\ c% t«v oii^ai 
 t>jj Toy avrrfogov. — The hail heats the goat, and 
 she keeps her tail high : — To those haughty per- 
 sons who, notwithstanding all they suffer, abate not 
 their pride. 
 
 Tr t v Tuty'Twoa rriv 'ix.a.y.ot.'i (ha,trl\i<rira,, ?J alrn to, 
 v ru X s v t oi X z. — They have made a Gipsy 
 Queen ; and she, fa I lal la : — To the invete- 
 racy of old habits. 
 
 T>jy \a6nrd m? tU to 3-ukdziov rou. — He put her 
 gown in his pocket : — To extreme absence of 
 mind. In a city of Asia Minor, (Philadelphia, 
 if I mistake not, ) a French traveller of great me- 
 rit, but well known for this absence of mind, 
 happened to be in a numerous and brilliant com- 
 pany, where he attracted the attention of every 
 one, as much by his agreeable conversation, as 
 from the curiosity which he had excited in the 
 inhabitants. A young lady, dressed in white, in 
 order that she might hear him better, took a 
 place beside him, and having moved with much 
 rapidity, the trimming of her gown brushed a- 
 gainst the worthy absent man, who perceiving 
 something white, and imagining it to be his shirt, 
 began, with much shame and confusion, by little 
 and little to draw the dress into his pocket ; until 
 at last, the young lady cried out, in alarm ; " Wha's 
 SH— 818 
 
126 GREEK 
 
 are you doing, Sir ?" This incident, which very 
 much amused the parties present, gave rise to the 
 proverb. 
 
 Tr,v vvx-Td Xtt.fjt.TT^o?, rjjv '/ifAi^av ffx-oTZiyog. — In the 
 night, brilliant ; in the day, obscure : — To those 
 who, amoag the ignorant, are considered learned, 
 and among the learned, ignorant. 
 
 TJJ? y^yias Ton sVa/vav uvriQoQOs tov oii%vu.——The 
 ascent shews the praise of the old woman : — By 
 proof, we learn the value of persons, and how far 
 the praise bestowed upon them is just. 
 
 Tjjj ikuias to (jt/itru, xat tov xa^vbtov to s%ct>.'—The 
 interior of the olive, and the exterior of the nut : 
 — To those who make presents of things which are 
 of no use to themselves. 
 
 Tyjs vuxtos to, xafiufAaTu. to. jSXsVs/ hft-iQa. xoti y$Xa. 
 — The day beholds the deeds of the night, and 
 laughs : — Every thing, in order to be perfect, 
 must be done in its proper season. 
 
 Tws UyivskoTris to troivi. — Penelope's web : — To those 
 who delude others by exciting hopes which they 
 have no intention of gratifying. The word nav), 
 is from <rwo:. 
 
 Tyi; <pax.7J; tov fjtZSov kiytt. — He relates the fable of 
 the lentil : — To those who eulogize trifles. 
 
 Ti'iduxiy &$os, xat ti vol Isragjj Xdoos ; — What 
 has God given, and what may Charon take ? — 
 To very poor persons who have nothing to lose. 
 
 Ti z%as Uavkt ; a ti u%ov 9rd,vTot ! — " What hast 
 thou, Paul?" " That which I had always I"— 
 To those who are always unhappy. 
 
 T< 9-sj toL x'i'Kiu. vrigTiga, xat xuxoiiay] yvvouxoc, ; ra 
 %i\ioi •Tr'i^Tiootr ititovv, yJ h z-azoudyi affO/AZVil ! — 
 Why choose you a thousand zechins, and an ugly 
 818—827 
 
PROVERBS. 127 
 
 wife ? the thousand zechins fiy away, and the 
 ugly wife remains /—Instead of xxxosf&ti by putting 
 x.a.KoriSr,, itt-brought-up, the sense perhaps would 
 not be the worse. To the same purport with this 
 proverb, is also the following sentence of the co- 
 mic poet Philippines : 
 
 Altr^oav yvvatz lyn/au;, ukXa ^Xo'Jffiav. 
 tLdSivl) dr,du;, rdiu; pa.ffuu.Vioc, 
 
 Ti §U to %ou<ro dyyuov, xcu yd Qrns to at pa [tig a. ! 
 — Why do you wish for the golden vessel, when it 
 is only to spit blood into it ! — To a ridiculous and 
 misplaced love of magnificence. 
 
 Tipa rov %ojf)iurnv, dia. vd iKvdXn tov Xaip'ov rov.-— 
 Honour the peasant that he may stretch out his 
 neck : — To those who, being ignorant, and without 
 knowledge of the world, have their heads turned 
 with joy when they receive even ironical praise ; 
 not being competent to judge how little it is suited 
 to their merits. 
 
 Tiva 2'3ovv, xai Viv '-rai^n ; viva Saigovv, xai Ss» Qiv- 
 yu \ — To whom give they, and he takes not 9 
 whom beat they, and he flies not ? — To those who 
 receive, as well as do, the things most advantageous 
 to themselves. 
 
 Ti\ivou o fiXd^og, ri uvai ro ffQoyydrov ! — What 
 does a Wallachian know what a sponge-cake is ! 
 — To a person who, on account of his inexperience 
 and ignorance, is an incompetent judge. 
 
 Ti ffl Xi'tTU xaffffthtd^ri ; pagyaoirapzvia ffxouipta !— 
 H What is wanting to you, man with the ring- 
 worm ?' " A pearl-cap /"—To persons who, while 
 possessed of little inherent merit, wish for brUlians 
 dresses and external ornaments. 
 
 To dyuyiov \\wxvdu rov uyuytdrni.r—The cart-load 
 827—833 
 
128 GREEK 
 
 awakes the carrier : — Every one is animated to la- 
 bour by the prospect of reward. 
 
 To aifAa vi^ov Tiv yivsrai. — Blood becomes not water ; 
 — To those who are assisted by their relations, 
 after being some time neglected. 
 
 To ayJvy,rov vi^ov (hgufiuu.< — Stagnant water stinks : 
 — To the injurious consequences of laziness. The 
 word vzgov comes from v/igov, r damp. 
 
 To akoyov vtokcctoj nrov ayuy'iox, > ,<rou ipotp&u.— The 
 horse breaks down under his load: — To persons 
 who overstrain themselves, from a sense of duty ; 
 and, to those who suffer every thing for gain. 
 
 To avrtSiov vTto rr,v urfdictv writfru. — The pear falls 
 tinder the pear-tree : — To children whose conduct 
 and manners, answer to those of their family. The 
 Germans say also : Der apfel f'dllt nicht weit vom 
 stamme. 
 
 To uvgtov %\u fitoi/xvuv. — To-morrow, out of our 
 care : — That is, one ought to content himself 
 with what he has, and not trouble himself about 
 the future ; for, in the words of Herod. Lib. r\ 
 § 65. If rn y/x.^ uv0(?ajvryi'i'/i (pvtru ohx, Ivtjy a^a. 
 <ro ftzWov yivarSai a.^or^iTuv. Matth. ch. vi, v. 
 34, says also : M*j ofiv ftigifjt.vrio'yiri it; <ryv aueiov. 
 Racine has the same sentiment in view, in this pas- 
 sage : 
 
 Tant de prudence entralne trop de soin : 
 
 Je ne sais pas prevoir les malheurs de si loin. 
 
 I cannot say, however, that I was in the same 
 humour of indifference to the future when I began, 
 in the following terms, to parody an Ode of Chres- 
 topoulos : 
 
 833—838 
 
PROVERBS. 129 
 
 'A?.?.' cifjca xai -xaff^'iZcti, 
 T?,$ 7v%r,; uXka.yr,y. 
 
 To trr,f/.$(>6V aQtvu, 
 Kai r uuotov vgoxgiyu, 
 '2 rou you //.on rhv poorr,v. 
 
 To yooyov xu) %doiv s%n. — Quickness has also its 
 grace : — In the same meaning as the English 
 say, " A favour done quickly, is twice done." 
 In an Epigram in the Anthology, the sentiment is 
 thus expressed : uxiia.1 y^agiTis y\vxvT-^a.i. 
 
 To youVi to yot3o%igi. — The mortar, the pestle: — 
 To those who repeat always the same thing. Tov- 
 lt from "yb~iov. 
 
 To Vzvb(>ov f/.\ p'iu.'i vrO.zxiiolv Tsv xotyre&ai, — The tree 
 is not felled with one stroke : — In the German : 
 Mit einem hiebe f'dllt man keinen baum. 
 
 To tbS-Avov xgiets to, oxuWiu to Tgaycvv. — Cheap 
 meat, the dogs eat it : — To misers who always 
 seek cheap articles, even though of inferior quality. 
 
 To ^ojfiiov fy/tioiv §b xa(jt.yn. — The sauce does no 
 harm : — It is better that there should be something 
 superfluous than deficient. 
 
 To S-zgos 'i-^aXki;, tov ^ii^uyu. %r,(>ivi. — In summer 
 you sung, in winter you may dance : — To those 
 who, instead of devoting their youth to intellectual 
 and moral improvement, and their prime of life to 
 honest industry, have spent both in vain and foolish 
 amusements, and find themselves, at the approach 
 of old age, beset by helpless poverty and want. 
 The proverb is borrowed from the 134th fable of 
 JEsop. 
 
 ToiouTo; <pi\at, ToiavT/i 7rriTa,—As is the friend, so 
 838—845 f 2 
 
130 GREEK 
 
 is the cake : — To those who have been rewarded 
 to the amount of their desert. 
 To xaXo agv) jhvZ.eclvu o*vo ftuvadi;, to xaxo ovt? tw 
 (lava. row. The good lamb sucks two mothers, the 
 bad not even its own ; — Addressed to good or bad 
 children. 
 To xbcaov asrioiov, yov^ovviov rotpcfyi. — A. hog has 
 eaten the fine pear : — Employed when a beautiful 
 and accomplished lady has become the wife of a low 
 and worthless husband. 
 To xaXov VivSgov, oo-ov al^ocivu, r'offov vrXura'ivsi o 
 la-xio; too. — The more the good tree grows, the 
 more shade does it afford : — To persons of a good 
 and generous disposition who, the richer they be- 
 come, diffuse more abundantly the fruits of their 
 beneficence. 
 To xaXo to vraXXixaoi, \iv^u x aXXo [tovovraTt.— 
 The brave warrior knows also another path : — 
 To a man who never wants resources. The word 
 ta.XXixa.oi comes from vraXXoj, and xcigci. 
 To xi^os Bsv ibtp^a'ivu, otrov h ^nfjuia. Xvru. — Gain 
 does not delight so much as loss grieves : — Which 
 Libanius expresses thus : UiQvxiv clvfyco-xos ob% 
 outws ivQ^aiviirHut xtfiaiycov, us aXytTv Zyfuovfttvos. 
 To xg iocs (/.& tu. xoxxctXoc, ^uXutoh. — Meat is sold 
 with bones : — To those who selfishly wish to select 
 for themselves what is best, and to leave to others 
 what is bad. The English say : " He that buys 
 meat, buys bones; and he that buys land, buys 
 . stones." In every thing there is some alloy. 
 To xftas vow iU f*'av %UT(>a,y Vtv figoi&i. — Their 
 meat docs not boil in one pot : — To persons who 
 irreconcilably hate each other. 
 To xgvlpov [taxgcoivu, xai us to (pavsgov ixQoLtvt 
 The secret grows long, and at last spri?igs vp into 
 845—853 
 
PROVERBS. 131 
 
 the light : — This comparison of a secret to a plant 
 making its way from the seed till it rise above the 
 surface of the soil, is admirable for its beauty and 
 justice. The ancients said in like manner : Oblh 
 xgvvrrov, o ob Qavigov yiv/iffirai. 
 To ftiyx xa^a&tov '£%u xa) pzyaXou; xiv^vvov;. — The 
 great ship has also great dangers : — The higher 
 in station, the more exposed to danger. 
 To fiiydko -^xgi r^ayu to [iuxqo. — The great fish 
 
 eats the little one. 
 T' efAftdriov rov votxoxvgyi rgoQh r akoyov. — The 
 master's eye is the food of the horse: — The mas- 
 ter's affairs go on more prosperously under his im- 
 mediate inspection, than when left to the manage- 
 ment of servants. 
 Toy aya^a; ; (iM ^avit^i' xa.) rov Trofai; ; y.n ffv- 
 X^ a (,''' — T)o you love him ? don't lend him ; and 
 do you long for him ? don't go too often to see 
 him : — Do not lend money to one whom you love, 
 for if he does not pay you, he will cause you much 
 pain ; and do not go too often to see one whose 
 company you desired, lest your visits become tire- 
 some to him. 
 Tov kya.Tta,? ; Ti^iuSoi^i' xa) rov fiio'tT; ; %atgira. — 
 Do you love him ? reprove him ; and do you hate 
 him ? salute him : — i. e. If you have a friend, ad- 
 monish him when in fault ; if you have an enemy, 
 treat him with outward civility. 
 Tov «to y^a/u.fz.yji xm7 \\$ov. — He moves the pawn 
 from the ( sacred j line : — hgas, sacred, being un- 
 derstood. Meaning, he makes every effort to ac- 
 complish a certain object. The proverb is found 
 also in Theocr. Idyll. ?•'. v. 18. where his Scholiast 
 observes, that it is a metaphor taken from those 
 who play at a game called Zaroixtov, in which they 
 853—859 
 
132 GREEK 
 
 move the king (placed on the sacred line) when all 
 the other resources of the game are exhausted, as 
 the only hope of victory. 
 
 Tov Siaxevocg'/iv Koppurtu,, »'«,) b'%i 9-i^a/j.— - Crumbs to 
 the beggar, and not doors. 
 
 Tov zto'tv o ©so? uirl i'rsjv xo<rxtvor^tJTa.v. — God has 
 seen him through a sieve-hole : — Tauntingly , to 
 persons of lofty expectations, who sink into insigni- 
 ficance. 
 
 Tov Ixgipcio'u.v ra %ov\icigii&. — They have hung the 
 spoons upon him : — For a person who comes too 
 late to dinner, so that, the rest having eaten up 
 every thing, he finds nothing but empty dishes. 
 
 Tov 3-zXovra fiovv 'i\uvvs. — Pursue the willing hei- 
 fer : — i. e. Love her who loves you, and do not 
 forsake her who encourages you, to pursue one who 
 shuns you. Which Theocr. Idyll, to., v. 75, makes 
 Polyphemus say, when seeking to console himself 
 for his unrequited love of Galatea, thus : 
 
 T«v <7ru,£io7fftt,v a/xtXyt' ri tov Qivyovra ^iu>xu$ ; 
 
 Tov Xi'iTii ro Xoyyiokiov. — He has lost the gusset of 
 his shirt : — To a person of a weak and shallow 
 mind. English : " He wants twopence of the 
 shilling." ' 
 
 Tov Xvxov (ZXtTTof/Av, xa.) rv)v ovkviv yvgtvofitv. — We 
 see the wolf, and we trace his footsteps : — To those 
 who feign ; also to things that are evident. 
 
 Tov Xvxov tov Izovetuuv' ah™? V 'i>.iyi, irkv to. T^d- 
 ra. — They roere clipping the wolf, and he said, 
 the sheep are gone : — To those on whose bad dis- 
 positions misfortune makes no change, Yl^dra, 
 which signified sheep of a certain age, is by the 
 peasants used for t^«™. 
 
 Tov Ma»v f/X yovvccv, net,) tov AvytvfTov [a\ xd.'Trai. — 
 859—867 
 
PROVERBS. 133 
 
 May with fur, and August with a mantis : — To 
 those who pretend that their health is delicate, in 
 order to render themselves the more interesting. 
 
 Toy \ivov 's rr,v oikiccv ffou ug //.a^rvooc rov e%ti;.—~A. 
 stranger in the house, you have him as a witness : 
 — When strangers are with you, it is wise to act 
 with studied propriety, lest they find something to 
 say to your prejudice. 
 
 Toy (rx,vkXov u%uget, y.ou rov yubotoov xoxxuXei, — To 
 the dog, straic ; and to the ass, bones : — Applied 
 to what is absurd. 
 
 Toy ffx.vXXov itdfJLi ffvvrt%vov, y,ou ro pccSo'i <rov (lutrrcc. 
 — Make the dog your companion, but hold fast 
 your staff. 
 
 Toy roil.ov xa.) ^u^idrnv, %ivoi w'ovoi rov ynoot^ouv. — 
 Care about others makes the foot and clown groio 
 old : — To those who, equally foolish and envious, 
 torment themselves on account of \ the prosperity 
 of others. 
 
 To <ru.tb"iov u.v l\v x.Xa.uo"/}, p>vZ,iov Tiv ro liaovv. — If 
 the child does not cry, they give him no suck :— 
 In like manner, if a person has need of help and 
 does not ask for it, he will probably expect it in 
 vain ; a truth which is thus expressed in Matth. 
 vii, 7. xgovirt, xcci kvoiyhcirm v(mv. 
 
 To Toclh'iov oiv ithctpiv, kou 'Iwuvvtiv r uvof/.ao'af/.iv. — 
 We have not seen the child, and we have called 
 him John : — To those who confidently speculate 
 upon uncertainties. 
 
 To vu.1ifji.atht uvea (Lozyftivo ; — Is the biscuit steeped? 
 — To a lazy person, from the fable told of one who 
 was dying of hunger, and whom they- were in the 
 act of carrying to his tomb ; some one came forward 
 and offered him a biscuit, but asking if it was 
 867—874- 
 
134 GREEK 
 
 steeped, and receiving an answer in the negative, 
 he said, " don't stop then, but carry me to my 
 tomb." 
 
 To toXu oyx.mii. — Too much blows up : — Talkative- 
 ness is tiresome. 
 
 To Toywgov •TTaXiov xa) u<ro to, %vo tfobiu. Vioivtrai. — 
 A sly bird is often caught by the two feet : — The 
 wicked, who plot against others, frequently fall 
 themselves into unavoidable calamities. 
 
 To TgoSarov oltto to xkirffiov row xgiparcti. — The 
 sheep hangs by its own taper limbs : — To those 
 who suffer by their own desire. Kkiro-'tov is the 
 name vulgarly given to that quarter of the thigh 
 of a sheep which gradually inclines or tapers into 
 the slender and bony part of the limb ; very pro- 
 bably from xkiffts, inclination. This gives a mean- 
 ing to the original which it is impossible to ex- 
 hibit in the translation, and upon which the pro- 
 verb chiefly depends. 
 
 To Tr^oSarov '{\ai tti$ xottyis, to Tguyu o kvxo;. — 
 The sheep out of the flock, the wolf eats it : — : 
 Those who separate themselves from the commu- 
 nity are exposed to much danger and suffering. 
 
 ToVov yffloL pi to figiyf/Avov, 'oaov xec.) f/X to //.ovtrxtv- 
 ftivov. — As much, old woman, with drenching as 
 with steeping : — To things indifferent. Movo-xiuat 
 from fto<r%ivar. 
 To ffra/tviov TokXaxi? us tm figviriv, xa) ftioiv o%i. — 
 The pitcher f goes J often to the fountain, and once 
 not .-—Good fortune does not always continue. 
 To o-TgaZov t,uXov h V<n« to itrid^u. — The hearth 
 straights the crooked wood .-—Punishment corrects 
 the disorderly. 
 Tov »xgi€ov to s%uv, lis %apoxoTov %zgia.— The 
 874—882 
 
PROVERBS. 135 
 
 wealth of a miser in the hands of a prodigal : — 
 The miser has often a spendthrift for his heir. 
 Tou $\oi%ov olv Bsv tou lircc^ouv to <rxia,}tov, Tiv ttXyi- 
 (>'ovu to TiXuvtTov. — If they don't take the umbrella 
 from the rustic, he will not pay toll: — To persons 
 of rude and clownish manners who do nothing they 
 are desired without compulsion. 
 Tou \k'o<7W xovtov. — He has been cut short : — To a 
 
 person of weak capacity. 
 Tou xaxou xolioou to, vitp-/], «XX' itf&vu), ccXka. xxtw. 
 — The clouds of bad weather, some are high, some 
 low : — To troubles and disorders. 
 Tou KctXou avBgoj r uXtvgiov XetkayxTrai axi xoX- 
 Xou^xi. — The four of a good husband becomes 
 pastry and cake: — To expensive wives who have 
 simple husbands. 
 Tou xXitfTou xtti tou Suvxtrrou xocOivas rob; Xi iu ~ 
 ffruu. — To the thief and the man in power, every 
 one has debts. 
 Tou ovou fjtZBov iXiyocv, xa) c&uro; r alr'ta rov er«- 
 ga£s. — They told a fable to an ass, and he shook 
 his ears : — To a stupid person. 
 Tou -zailiou xoikia xo(p'tvi, xou TgiXo; otou rou o^ivii. — 
 The child's belly is a basket, and he is a fool who 
 gives to him : — The desires of children are fre- 
 quently improper, and ought not to be satisfied 
 when they are misplaced or immoderate. 
 Tou tolt^o; i'lvcci to Troaliov. — He is a child of his 
 father : — To those who are recognised from their 
 inheriting the virtues or vices of their parents. 
 English : He is a chip of the old block. 
 To vvroBufix us to tfobiov, xou o^t to <ro}/ov si; to uto- 
 I'/ificc. — The boot to the foot, and not the foot to 
 the boot : — Applied to things that are ill adjusted. 
 Tou tfuXiou to yxka. — The milk of a bird: — To 
 882—892 
 
136 GREEK 
 
 those who are singularly fortunate j also to what- 
 ever is rare. 
 
 TauV i 
 
 v/ira x 7i xu.vu.tu., /u, zxaftuv fjt,z tztoiwi «£- 
 
 puTa. — This cake and this cask, have dressed me 
 in this costume : — i. e. Have clothed me in rags. 
 'A^ara, used here in ridicule, signifies properly 
 an elegant dress. 
 
 Tou ipgovifiov Mori/ta, x«) tou jSX«£«y tru^Hr/tcc. — A 
 sign to the wise, and a whistle to the rustic ; — 
 To persons of quick apprehension, or the reverse. 
 
 Tay Xdgov viqov xovSu.'kii, — He carries water to Cha- 
 ron : — To one who is always sickly. 
 
 Tov 'Xagiaryi to tr^oiv) ?sv cruvzi, Trkqv oWA-at/v vrzgitr- 
 fftun. — Single, the clown's rope is not long enough, 
 double, it is too long. 
 
 To tpiihi, av Tbv <pdyyi Qtih, tgdxog $h yivirai The 
 
 serpent, unless it eat a serpent, does not become a 
 dragon : — Bad men mount to a higher grade of 
 wickedness and tyranny, when they have destroyed 
 all their equals and their enemies. 
 
 Ta %o(>ra<rriKov 'J/cof&iov avrivavrt to yvwgl^u.—I 
 know the satisfying bread yonder on the opposite 
 side : — To persons of acute discernment who per- 
 ceive at a distance what is for their advantage. 
 
 T' oipdgiov octo <T'/iv xi(pu.X*iv ag%i%si va (iguptviffy, — 
 The fish begins to stink at the head : — Corruption 
 often begins at the head of a government. See 
 p. 12. 
 
 TgdGu, pz, x ai x\u.'iu .*—Draw me, though I shed 
 tears : — To those who pretend not to wish, what 
 they are very anxious for, and to which they are 
 forced with secret pleasure. 
 
 TptiS riftigas zlv to 3-u.vfAa, xua Tgi7$ to <xa.£U.6uufiu,. 
 — A wonder lasts three days, and three days a 
 miracle : — The greatest novelties soon cease to ex- 
 cite astonishment. 
 892—901 
 
PROVERBS. 137 
 
 Tgit; >.a>.ouv, xa) ^vo %ogsvovv. — Three speak, and 
 two dance: — Applied to any thing absurd. 
 
 Tgi%<x,, Xiyba,, 's rov Tuo-rov. — Run, slut, to the 
 marriage-bed: — To persons who are favoured by 
 fortune without deserving it. 
 
 Tgo%o$ otov yv^'tZ,n, ffxu^ia, £sv Tidva. — A. wheel 
 that turns, gathers no rust : — To one who, by 
 continually changing his country, gives no oppor- 
 tunity to any one to detect his faults and follies, 
 or lay them to his charge. It may apply also to 
 those who, in consequence of their instability, 
 never attain to much wealth. In this sense the 
 French say : pierre qui roule n amasse pas de 
 mousse. 
 
 TvtpXo; o*Eo&>;. — Love is blind : — That is, it ren- 
 ders those blind who are under its influence, by 
 making that appear beautiful which is often the 
 reverse. Which Theocr. Idyll, t, v. 19-20, ex- 
 presses thus : 
 
 • rvtpKo? V ohx avro; o UXovros, 
 
 AXXa. xou a) '(Pgovntrros "E^u;'- 
 
 1 
 
 Tvtpko; '; rov roi%ov axov/WTritrtj <rxoixn xorfto; Ssv 
 r vaw. — A. blind man leaned against a wall, " this 
 is the boundary of the world:" — To those who 
 consider what is easy to be impracticable. 
 
 T<£* axgiSeuv to, ffrafizvu., ff\ ^u^oxottov XH ta " — The 
 riches of the miser fall into the hands of the spend- 
 thrift. See proverb 882. 
 
 T&/v AavafSav to -Trt&d^i. — The tub of the JDana'ides : 
 — To a spendthrift who cannot keep a penny in 
 his pocket. The ancients said in like maaner : a 
 Tir^rifjt,i\ios ruv AxvatSuv <r't6os. In the same sense 
 it is also said, viS&^i rgvirio, a holed tub. 
 902—908 
 
138 GREEK 
 
 Tuv xaXut Yivh^av xau o xagvos xa.ko;.-—Of good 
 trees the fruit is also good ;-^-To the well-dis- 
 posed. 
 
 Tuv Qgovtfiuv rov; (rxovrovj to- yzi/ud t«v iZivpouv. — 
 Their beards only know the schemes of the pru- 
 dent : — The purposes of the wise are confined to 
 their own bosoms. 
 
 Yg^/j vigtv yivva. — Insult begets insult. 
 
 "lloa.? xMpaXa; xottui. — You cutoff Hydra's heads : 
 —To things impracticable. The origin of this 
 proverb is quite manifest to those who know the 
 labours of Hercules. 
 
 "TX«» x^d^us- — You call upon Hylas : — To things 
 which one loses without the hope of seeing them 
 again ; and to those who call in vain upon persons 
 who do not wish to hear them. This proverb is 
 connected with mythology ; for Hylas, the favourite 
 and friend of Hercules, going to draw water from 
 a fountain, was laid hold of and detained by the 
 Nereides who dwelt there. Hercules went in 
 search of him, and called upon him by name "With 
 all his might, but was unable to find him. 
 
 'T-rsg <r« iffxufjLpiva. vrv^aig. — You leap over tilled 
 land :—~ To those who, wishing to do more than 
 they can, injure themselves in the attempt. 
 'TTriyafitv »« ffxtd^ufAiv, xau pus \vraroiyw(ru.v. — 
 We went to startle them, and they struck us with 
 terror .--—To those who, sporting with persons 
 more powerful than themselves, find that they have 
 caught a Tartar. 
 909—915 
 
PROVERBS. 139 
 
 'TfftM5g£03£ fi.iya.Xn, fi.ix.Qov Ti'oyav — Great promise 
 but small performance : — To those who promise 
 much and do nothing. 
 
 "imoiiri ft.au yvuiei;, va c i'i^ov ToZra. — Wisdom 
 behind, if I but had thee before: — To repentance. 
 
 o 
 
 '■^xrt fi.x<ria ypeigi, xa.) xotkia, m^^oii.ov. — Eyes, eat 
 fish ; and belly, the running rope of the net :— 
 To those who are tantalized with the display of de- 
 sirable objects, of which they are permitted to have 
 no share. The proverb has its origin in the mean 
 conduct of some men who, having acquired riches 
 and at the same time being without the feelings or 
 education of gentlemen, have at their table two 
 kinds of food, one more nice and delicate for them- 
 selves and friends, and another more ordinary and 
 worse cooked for those who, sitting at their table, 
 are compelled by their poverty to submit to such 
 treatment. A parvenu of this character had, as 
 tutor to his sons, a man of reputation, who not 
 being disposed to submit to this treatment, ex- 
 pressed his feelings in a comical manner. Having 
 seen some large plump fish served up to the mas- 
 ter, and to himself and some others a tureen full of 
 soup in which were a few small fishes, he began to 
 undress himself, saying to the servant, take off my 
 clothes ; and being asked by the master, what he 
 was going to do, he replied, "lam going to plunge 
 into the soup, I may possibly catch a larger fish ;" 
 saying which, he rose and quitted the house. 
 
 •fnvyu, V«v o Aid.Zo\o; uto t« S-vfAta/uu. — He fixes 
 916—919 
 
140 GREEK 
 
 as the Devil from the incense : — To those who 
 have an aversion to the society of respectable per- 
 sons. 
 iikt ftou '$ tjjv uvayxyv (t-ou, x \x$S} ( Jbov *S T ^ v X a " 
 (>d.v f&ov. — My friend, in my need, and my enemy, 
 in my joy : — i. e. My friend, I wish to see thee in 
 my need, &c. The first from the ancient maxim : 
 
 4?/?.a< lv uvciyxai; iffTuffav xgytrifioi. 
 
 to which we may add very appositely that senti- 
 ment of Eurip. Ores. v. 725 : 
 
 Hi<rro$ lv xaxoTs uvhg 
 
 Kgsitrtrav yocXm^s vavriXotffiv ucrogxv. 
 
 The second, because envy pierces the heart. 
 
 i'tkoi va tifliSa, xa.) ra tfovyytu. pa; va fxakXovsvv.— 
 Let us be friends, but let our purses be at va- 
 riance : — A joint concern in matters of interest 
 frequently gives rise to coldness among friends and 
 relations! 
 
 &o£i7rai xa) rov 't'trxiov rov.-—He is afraid even of his 
 shadow : — To great cowards. 
 
 $v(fis <r»jv (fivffiv xvvnyu, x h yu.ru, to vrovrixi.— 'Na- 
 ture follows nature, and the cat, the mouse : — To 
 natural attachments. 
 
 $uvbv, xau o%i aXko. — A voice, and nothing more : 
 —To those who are useful for one thing only. 
 This proverb is taken from the fable which re- 
 lates, that a sparrow-hawk, hearing a nightingale 
 singing very sweetly, flew on it, and caught it. 
 On beginning to take off the feathers he saw that 
 there was very little flesh on it, on which he called 
 oat, A voice, and nothing more. 
 919—924 
 
141 
 
 X 
 
 XaS/a avaXara, xovzia, fyiyftkva. — Insipid caresses ! 
 (it is because he wishes) steeped heans : — To those 
 who decline what is offered them, but in such a 
 manner as to make it plain that they are anxious 
 to accept. With respect to the word xaSia, see 
 Appendix to my Modern Greek Grammar, Bos- 
 ton, 1828. p. 88. Note 4. 
 
 "Kafiivai vvodiffii;, orav o tij '$ tov aWov $y.i<ru.-*— 
 Affairs are lost, when one stands looking at an- 
 other : — We ought not to trust to the carefulness 
 of others, when the public good is concerned, for, 
 if every one did the same, the public interests would 
 go to ruin. Thus I&ocr. Nicocl. says : el f*h ttoX- 
 Xav x.et.ra.fjt.tXovo-iv lis a,\k'/iXau$ aTo£hi<rov7<;. The 
 French have also a proverb which corresponds to 
 this : c'est Vaffaire de tout le monde, ce n'est V af- 
 faire de personne. 
 
 Xd^iv uvr) %cigiro$.. — Favour for favour : — Soph. 
 also in his Ajax, v. 522, says : 
 
 Xdgis xccqiv yd.(> Itrriv h Ttxroutf a.u. 
 
 Which, however, does not always happen ; as Boi- 
 * leau, in an Epigram, exemplifies thus : 
 
 " Je l'assistai dans l'indigence, 
 
 II ne me rendit jamais rien. 
 
 Mais, quoiqu'il me dut tout son bien, 
 
 Sans peine il souffrait ma presence. 
 
 O la rare reconnoissance !" 
 
 Xdgtv \vht, ykvxov V«v fii^i, — Vinegar for nothing 
 925—928 
 
1 4*2 GREEK 
 
 is sweet as honey : — To those who receive with 
 gladness a present, however small it may be. 
 
 Hugos fov Taguzeiku, ecvro; $z xctftupovzL— Charon 
 invites him, and he eyes himself with pride : — To 
 a sick person, who is not aware of his dangerous 
 condition. 
 
 Xeigwios 3-ugx. — Charon's door; — i. e. The door 
 that leads to Charon. To an object of terror. 
 That name was given to the door by whioh con- 
 demned criminals were led out to execution. 
 
 Xdo-KH V«v o kdgo$ — He gapes like a sea-gull :— 
 To a great eater. 
 
 Xz7(> xuoa- U9rrii, ^dxrvXo; rz ^dxrvkov. — Hand 
 washes hand, and finger, finger ;— An ancient 
 maxim, used now in a proverbial way to express a 
 reciprocity of services. 
 
 X'ikia. va mdo-n 3-iku. — He wishes to catch eels .— 
 To those who, for their private advantage, create 
 disturbance and tumult in cities. Those who fish 
 for eels must trouble the water, otherwise they 
 cannot well succeed. 
 
 Xiktat vvf&Qui rou yttftSgov, net) %ikiot yafi^^o) rr,s 
 vvftQris. — A thousand brides to the bridegroom, 
 and a thousand bridegrooms to the bride : — To 
 those who choose many things, and enjoy none. 
 
 XiXiac x,k-/,p.ura., Vina ffroctpvkioi. — A. thousand shoots, 
 ten grapes ; — To things that produce no profit. 
 
 Xt'oTYii sto-ai. — : You are a Sciot : — In the same sense 
 as they say in France : vous etes un Gascon ,• the in- 
 habitants of the island Scio having the reputation 
 of being lively ar.d humorous, and being remarkable 
 for their repartees. 
 
 Xovu vpo^aka., xai b&G'dkXSi yidfinku.. — He planted 
 pebbles, and took up potatoes : — To those who find 
 a livelihood, where others would starve. 
 928—937 
 
PROVERBS. 143 
 
 Xiorenrfiivs? o TdTa;, ^oorccirfiW h Tuvrethict, ffTgu- 
 <xri v« Kkct.yta,ffw[Aiv. — The priest being filled, the 
 priestess being filled, prepare the bed that we may 
 go to sleep : — To those who, fortunate themselves, 
 believe and judge others to be in a prosperous 
 state. It resembles the 69Sth proverb. 
 
 Xovirw xoouvvs A golden knob: — A proverbial ex- 
 pression, borrowed from Homer's Iliad, S'. v. 11 J : 
 
 Ilav 5' ii> t.avvct;, XQveinv \'7Ti6r,tci xoga*r t v. 
 
 employed to signify the happy termination of an 
 
 affair. 
 Xii^l: \v\o)i, [jly$ u$ T'/jv 3-voa.v. — Without a staff, 
 
 not even to the door :^-A man ought not to leave 
 
 his house without reflecting maturely what he is 
 
 going to do. 
 Xtuo); -rxd>sv o\pdojov Bsv xidvirai.— -Without a bait 
 
 fish is not caught : — To those who will do nothing 
 
 without a bribe. 
 
 ■*" 
 
 ^"dXks, VzcrfoTa, <r h6%i [lov OravsTi — Sing, reverend 
 sir, " my nail pains me : " — To those who feign 
 suffering with a view to obtain some advantage. 
 
 'Vw avycv, or/ 'twice i1fAi9a Roast an egg, because 
 
 there are nine of us : — To a foolish and miserly 
 person, who invites a numerous party to a repast, 
 and regales them so poorly that they rise from table 
 half satisfied. 
 
 "i'oQneiv o f^aZooi fiou, ^^rdoto'j f&h (pvrowffy. — My 
 donkey is dead, let no more grass grow ;— To an 
 egotist. 
 
 938—944 
 
144 GREEK PROVERBS. 
 
 Vuxgori£es xai otxrgoTtgo; lu.\ipov. — More frigid 
 and dolorous than Jalemus : — Jalemus, son of 
 Calliope, was the author of 6ome cold and insipid \ 
 
 iia.ro.. — A mangy camel bears the load of many 3 
 asses : — To those who, though old, surpass in 
 every respect many young persons. 
 
 
 n 
 
 ■ :> 
 
 ±lf£0g<pi fi,ov, xat xa,\z pot), Ye; fit Titfori vcc tpdyoj. 
 — My beautiful, and fine man, give me something 
 to eat : — To men who are very handsome, but, at 
 the same time, very poor. 
 "Uftogtpos vopigii vx ^vcci. — He thinks himself hand- 
 some : — To signify that he is blinded by self-love. 
 Solon has very well observed upon this : 
 
 "AkXo; %uko; lav, a,ya.6o$ toitiilfjbu.iva.t u,vr,£, 
 
 'P.trdv o Tpdyos tl? *nv Kavviyvgiv. — As the goat to 
 the festival : — To those who come a propos; from 
 an ancient story of a goat, which having quitted 
 its flock and wandered from place to place, came 
 into a village where the inhabitants were celebrat- 
 ing a festival. They laid hold of it and offered it 
 up as a sacrifice to the gods. 
 
 *£l$ o ycctct^o; vrgos tyiv Xv^av. — As the ass to th&i 
 
 lyre : — To those who are insensible and indifferent 
 
 to what is useful and beautiful ; as in some parts of* 
 
 France they say : comme Vane qui lit la gazette. \ 
 
 9+5—950 
 
 THE END. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 027 249 708 4