French Proverbs from 1611: Clothing

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[`A courte chausse longue laniere:] [Prov.] (So that what wants in the one may bee supplied by the other.)
[`A courte chausse longue laniere:] [Prov.] [To short hose long points, and wide trussing;] or [(which is of harder disgestion;) let one mans store supply anothers wants.]


[`A telle forme tel soulier:] [Pro.] [Like leauen like past; such as the shooe such is the last.]
[`A telle forme tel soulier:] [Prov.] [(Of a thing fitted, or fitly suited.)]


[Aussi bien sont amourettes soubs bureau que sous brunettes:] [Prov.] Loue playes his pranks as well in Cotes as Courts.
[Aussi bien sont amourettes sous bureau que sous brunettes:] [Prov.] Loue trickes are played (loues rites performed,) as well by poore as rich, folkes; (or) as well in poore as rich, clothes.


[Dieu donne biens & boeuf, mais ce n'est pas par la corne:] [Prov.] God giues things plentifully and without perill.
[Dieu donne le froid selon le drap:] [Prov.] God sends his cooth according to their cloth; viz: such afflictions as he knowes them able to beare.


[Fille trop veuë, robbe trop vestuë, n'est pas chere tenue:] [Prov.] A maid oft seene, and a garment oft worne are meanely alike esteemed of.
[Fille trop veuë, Robbe trop vestuë, n'est pas chere tenuë:] [Prov.] A maid oft seene; owne too oft worne, are disesteem'd, and held in scorne.


[La Maison fait cognoistre le Maistre:] [Prov.] By the house one may ghesse at the owner; by the fashion, or gouernement thereof, what his abilitie, and humor is.
[La maison fait cognoistre le maistre:] [Prov.] [The house discouers the owner;] or, looke into a house, you discerne the owner.
[La maison fait cognoistre le maistre:] [Prov.] we say, the seluidge makes shew of the cloth.


[Le beau soulier blesse souvent le pied:] [Prov.] [The goodlie shooe doth often hurt the foot; (little know you where this new shooe wrings me, quoth Metellus to a friend of his.)]


[Le beau soulier devient en fin savate:] [Pro.] [(So beautie endeth in deformitie.)]
[Le beau soulier devient en fin savate:] [Prov.] [Appliable to beautie decayed, or in the wane, by age, & c.]


[Le drap, & les ciseaux luy sont delivrez:] [Prov.] The whole matter is put vnto him; all is at his owne disposition, or in his owne hand; he may now be his owne caruer; he may now both part and chuse.


[Les belles robbes pleurent sur des espaules indignes:] [Pro.] [Great pitie tis to see faire clothes an a clowns backe.]
[Les belles robbes pleurent sur des espaules indignes:] [Prov.] [Faire garments weepe vpon vnworthie shoulders.]
[Les belles robbes pleurent sur des espaules indignes:] [Prov.] Good clothes weepe on vnworthie shoulders.


[Le trou trop ouvert sous le nez fait porter souliers deschirez:] [Prov.] [Gluttonie breedes pouertie; the mouth too open makes men weare torne shooes.]
[Le trou trop ouvert sous le nez fait porter souliers deschirez:] [Prov.] [The hole too open vnder the nose, breeds tattered shooes, and ragged hose.]


[Le vin n'a point de chaussure; &, le vin va sans chausses:] [Prov.] [Wine wanteth, or goeth without, breeches; viz. bewrayeth a mans infirmities, or worst parts; layeth open his shame, or layeth him open to shame.]
[Le vin va sans chausses:] [Prov.] Wine weares no breeches; a drunkard conceales nothing.


[On croit d'un fol bien souvent qu'il soit Clerc, pour ses vestemens:] [Pro.] Graue clothes make dunces often seeme great Clarkes.
[On croit d'un fol bien souvent qu'il soit clerc pour ses vestemens:] [Prov.] [Discreet cloathes often passe a foole for a wise man.]
[On croit d'un fol bien souvent, qu'il soit Clerc pour ses vestemens:] [Prov.] Handsome, or decent apparrell makes fooles oft passe for wise men.


[On ne peut despouiller vn homme nud:] [Prov.] [A naked man cannot be stript of clothes.]
[On ne peut despouiller vn homme nud:] [Prov.] Of a naked man who can haue clothes? Where there is nothing, the King looses his rights.


[Parez l'herisson il semblera Baron:] [Prov.] [Good clothes hide much deformitie;] or, a clowne well cloathed seemes a Gentleman.
[Parez vn herisson il semblera Baron:] [Prov.] Good, (or gay) clothes will make a Monkie seeme a Monsieur.
[Parez vn herisson il semblera baron:] [Prov.] [Tricke vp an Vrchin he will seeme a Baron; good apparrell (as Loue) couers many a fault.]


[Robbe d'autruy ne fait honneur à nulluy:] [Prov.] [A borrowed gowne does well on no mans shoulders; apparell graces none but them that owe it.]
[Robbe d'autruy ne fait honneur à nulluy:] [Prov.] No apparrell can truly grace him that owes it not;


[Robbe refait moult l'homme:] [Prov.] [Good clothes doe much for a man (that would be handsome.]
[Robbe refait moult l'homme:] [Prov.] [Handsome apparell sets out a man exceedingly.]


[Selon le pain il faut le cousteau:] [Prov.] [(Like our) the coat according to the cloth.]
[Selon le pain il faut le cousteau:] [Prov.] [We must proportion our expence by our meanes.]


[Semelles, & du vin passent chemin:] [Pro.] Shooes, and wine rid way.
[Semelles, & vin passent chemin:] [Prov.] [viz. Rid way apace.]
[Semelles, & du vin passent chemin:] [Prov.] [Wine is the footmans caroche; a strong foot, and a light head rid way apace.]


[Tel le chien nourrit qui puis mange la courroye de son soulier:] [Prov.] Some breed vp those that proue their bane.


[Ventre de velours, robbe de bureau:] [Prov.] [A veluet belly clads the backe in rug.]
[Ventre de velours robbe de bureau:] [Prov.] [Choyce food, and costlie fare, doe make the backe goe bare.]
[Ventre de velours robbe de bureau:] [Prov.] [Much bellie-cheere, & daintie fare, doth make the garments poore and bare.]


[Vin pour saveur, drap pour couleur:] [Pro.] [Let wine good sauor, cloth fresh colour, haue; so wine be sauorie, no matter how it looke.]


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