French Proverbs from 1611: Theft and thieves

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Abandon fait larron; [Prov.] Things carelesly left, layd vp, or looked vnto, make them theeues that otherwise would be honest: we say, fast bind fast find.
[Abandon fait larron:] [Prov.] [Things left at randon cause true men turne theeues.]


[`A gros larron grosse corde:] [Prov.] A strong theefe deserues (or needs) a strong halter.
[`A grosse larron grosse corde:] [Prov.] A strong halter for a strong theefe.


[`A la fin sç aura on qui a mangé le lard:] [Prov.] [A theefe, how cunning soeuer, will at the length be discouered.]
[`A la fin sç aura on qui a mangé le lard:] [Prov.] The theefe will be at length discouered (howsoeuer he conceale, or, how cunningly soeuer he carrie, himselfe.)


[`A mauvais chien la queuë luy vient:] [Pro.] [Rakehells thriue better, battle faster, come forward sooner (after a losse) then honester men.]
[`A mauvais chien la queuë luy vient:] [Prov.] An ill weed growes apace.


[Aux bons meschet il:] [Pro.] [The best men (commonly) haue the worst fortune; whereupon we say, The honester man the worse his lucke.]
[Aux bons meschet il:] [Prov.] The honester man the worse lucke.


[Ce qu'assemble pille pille desassemble tire tire:] [Prov.] That which prowling gathers prodigalitie scatters.
[Ce qu'assemble pille pille desassemble tire tire:] [Prov.] That which rapine gathers, reuelling disperses.
[Ce qu'assemble pille pille, desassemble tire tire:] [Pro.] [What hath beene got by miserie and pillage, comes to be subiect to vnthriftie spoylage.]


[Ce qui est venu par la fleute s'en retourne avec le Tabourin:] [Prov.] What the pipe hath gathered the Taber scattereth; goods ill gotten are commonly ill spent.


[De Corsaire à Corsaire n'y pend que barriques rompuë s:] [Prov.] Nought's to be got of a roauer but trash, or blowes.


[De mal est venu l'agneau, & à mal retourne la peau:] [Pro.] [Goods badly gotten seldome come to good.]
[De mal est venu l'agneau, & à mal retourne la peau:] [Prov.] [From ill came the Lambe, and to ill goes it skinne; goods euill gotten are commonly ill spent.]
[De mal est venu l'agneau & à [mal] retourne la peau:] [Prov.] To naught it goes that came from naughtinesse.


[D'un larron priué on ne se peut garder:] [Pro.] There is no ward for a familiar theefe.
[D'un larron privé on ne se peut garder:] [Prov.] [No creature can auoid the priuie theefe.]


[Estre homme de bien c'est mestier iuré, il ne l'est pas qui veut:] [Prov.] [Euerie one cannot be honest that would (for some by ignorance, and others by necessitie, are, or must be, knaues.)]


[Grand bandon fait grand larron:] [Prov.] [Great libertie makes great theeues.]
[Grand bandon grand larron:] [Prov.] Much libertie brings men to the gallowes; or, great libertie breedes much theeuerie.


[Il est cault larron qui desrobbe à vn larron:] [Prov.] [He is a cunning theefe that robs a theefe.]


[Il semble à vn larron que chascun luy resemble:] [Prov.] [A theefe imagines euerie one bids, stand.]


[Le four appelle le moulin bruslé:] [Prov.] [The guiltie accuses the innocent.]
[Le four appelle le moulin bruslé:] [Prov.] The micher tearmes the coward couetous; [(and may be applyed to anie, that checks another for a fault whereof onely himselfe is guiltie.)]


[Le regnard cache sa queuë:] [Pro.] [The craftie knaue hides that which would bewray him.]
[Le regnard cache sa queuë:] [Prov.] [The cunning knaue conceales what would discouer him.]


[Les gros iarrons ont tousiours les manches pleins de baillons:] [Prov.] [Great theeues haue euer store of gags (viz. of gifts) about them.]


[Les larrons s'entrebatent, & les larcins se descouvrent:] [Pro.] [Theeues brabling helpes true men vnto their owne.]
[Les larrons s'entrebatent, & les larcins se descouvrent:] [Prov.] [When theeues fall out true men come to their owne.]


[Les plus rusez sont les premiers prins:] [Pro.] [He that seekes others to beguile, is ouertaken in his wile.]
[Les plus rusez sont les premiers pris:] [Prov.] [The craftiest are the soonest caught.]


[Meschante vie quiert le coing:] [Prov.] An euill-liuer would euer be lurking.
[Meschante vie quiert le coing:] [Prov.] [A wicked life affects a corner, or, creepes into corners.]
[Meschante vie quiert le coing:] [Prov.] [Lewdnesse affecteth corners.]


[Meschant ouvrier ia ne trouvera bons outils:] [Pro.] [A bungler seldome fits him with good tooles.]
[Meschant ouvrier ne trouvera ia bons outils:] [Prov.] [A bungler cannot find (or fit himselfe with) good tooles.]
[Meschant ouvrier ne trouvera ja bons outils:] [Pro.] [Nere will the bungler fit him with good tooles.]


[Mieux uaut plein poing de bonne vie qu'avoir plein muy de clergie:] [Prov.] Better a little honestie then a great deale of learning.


[Ou Marchand, ou larron:] [Prov.] [Either a marchant or a theefe; a speech verie ordinarie in the mouthes of Shop-keepers, who thereby pretend, that not comming to their wares so easily, they cannot sell them so cheape, as theeues doe.]


[Ou marchand ou larron:] [Prov.] [Either a trader, or a stealer;]


[Ou rendre, ou pendre, ou mort d'enfer attendre:] [Pro.] [Restore, or hang, or looke to be damn'd.]
[Ou rendre, ou pendre, ou mort d'enfer attendre:] [Prov.] [A thiefe must restore, or be hangd, or looke to be damd.]


[Qui a à pendre n'a pas à noyer:] [Prov.] [Hee thats borne to be hanged needs feare no drowning.]
[Qui a à pendre n'a pas à noyer:] [Prov.] He thats ordaind to be hangd will neuer be drownd (say we.)


[Qui a fait la faute si la boive:] [Prov.] [Let him that did amisse be punished.]


[Sous ombre d'asne entre le chien au moulin:] [Pro.] (So gets the knaue admittance where otherwise hee should be excluded.)
[Sous ombre d'asne entre le chien au Moulin:] [Pro.] (So many a knaue sneakes into good places in companie, or vnder the pretext, of honest men.)


[Tel larron tel cordon:] [Prov.] Such theefe, such halter; a punishment befitting th'offence.


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