French Proverbs from 1611: Starting with the letter M

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[Maille à maille on fait les haubergeons:] [Prov.] [Linke after linke the coat is made at length; peece after peece things come to full perfection.]


[Main lavé e moins levé e:] [Prov.] [The more good parts one hath the lesse he should boast of them.]


[Mal attend que ne perattend:] [Prov.] Perattendre. [To attend throughly, or seasonably; to attend vntill he haue a fit opportunitie;]


[Mal dessus mal n'est pas santé:] [Prov.] [Ayle vpon ill cannot be health.]
[Mal dessus mal n'est pas santé:] [Prov.] [Ill vpon ill is no health.]


[Mal de teste veut repaistre:] [Prov.] [(The head smarts for the stomackes emptinesse;) headach refection craues.]


[Mal est caché à qui l'on void le dos.] [Prov.] He's but ill hid whose backe is seene.
[Mal est caché à qui l'on voit le dos:] [Prov.] Hee ill conceales himselfe that shewes his backe; or as the former.


[Mal fait qui ne parfait:] [Pro.] Ill does he that all does not; discontinuance of worke dishonours the workeman.
[Mal fait qui ne parfait:] [Prov.] [He does ill that does not all; the end crownes the worke.]


[Malheur ne dure pas tousiours:] [Pro.] [Ill lucke doth not alwayes last.]


[Malheur ne vient iamais seul:] [Prov.] [Mischances neuer come single; one misfortune succeeds in the necke of another.]


[Mal iouë qui fiert la iouë:] [Prov.] [He ieasts but ill that hurts him whom he ieasts with.]
[Mal iouë qui fiert la iouë:] [Prov.] He makes but ill sport whose play tends to hurt.
[Mal iouë qui fiert la iouë:] [Prov.] [He that will ieast must doe it gently.]


[Mal pense qui ne repense:] [Prov.] [Better not thinke at all then not to weigh the thoughts.]
[Mal pense qui ne repense:] [Prov.] [He thinkes ill fauoredly that thinkes not throughly.]
[Mal pense qui ne repense:] [Prov.] [He thinks not well that thinks of all at once; or thinks not more then once.]


[Mal poise qui ne contrepoise:] [Pro.] [He weighes but ill that weighes not one with another.]
[Mal poise qui ne contrepoise:] [Prov.] He peiseth ill that counterpeiseth not; he vses not good lucke aright that thinkes not of, or prouides not for, ill lucke.


[Mal sert qui ne parsert:] [Pro.] [He's but an ill seruant thats not an all-seruant.]
[Mal sert qui ne parsert:] [Prov.] [He serues but ill that throughly serues not.]


[Mal soupe qui tout disne:] [Pro.] [Of a young spender comes an old beggar; of a riotous youth a ruinous age.]
[Mal soupe qui tout disne:] [Prov.] Hee suppes ill that dines all; after a gluttonous, and disordinat youth followes a needie, and hungrie age.


[Marchandise n'espargne nuls:] [Prov.] [The Marchants ware bids men beware, for he will gaine by his father;] or, Marchandise holds no friendship, yeelds no fauour, hath no consideration but of gaine.
[Marchandise n'espargne nuls:] [Prov.] Ware will deceiue any bodie, spares no bodie.


[Marchandise offerte est à demi venduë:] [Pro.] [Ware that is offered yeelds but halfe a price;] we say, proferred ware stinkes.


[Marchandise qui plaist est à demy venduë:] [Prov.] [Please the eye, and picke the purse;] or, content the eye, your bargaine is halfe made.
[Marchandise qui plaist est à moitié venduë:] [Prov.] [Ware that doth please, or that's in request, is alreadie halfe sold.]


[Marchand qui ne gaigne perd:] [Pro.] The marchant looses when he gaines not; and yet; [Il n'est pas marchand qui tousiours gaigne:] [Prov.] He trades not cunningly that alwaies gayneth.
[Marchand qui ne gaigne perd:] [Prov.] [The Marchant that gaines not looses;] and yet; [Il n'est pas marchand qui tousiours gaigne:] [Prov.] [He trades not well that alwayes is a gainer.]


[Marchand qui perd ne peut rire:] [Pro.] [Can any man laugh that looses? can any man take pleasure in his losses?]
[Marchand qui perd ne peut rire:] [Prov.] [A Marchant loosing cannot laugh.]
[Marchand qui perd ne peut rire:] [Prov.] We say, they laugh that win.


[Mauvais chien iamais ne veut compagnon en cuisine:] [Prov.] Greedie, or ill-natured people cannot indure competitors, or companions.


[Mauvais chien ne trouve ou mordre:] [Pro.] [The curst curre knowes not where to set his teeth.]
[Mauvais chien ne trouve ou mordre:] [Prov.] No place affoords a liuing to a curre; the slothfull knaue, or bungler, thriues no where.
[Mauvais chien ne trouve ou mordre:] [Prov.] [The currish dog in fight not bold seekes where to snatch, not where to hold.]


[Mauvais chien ne veut iamais compagnon en cuisine:] [Prov.] A churle cannot endure a companion in his gainfull imploiments.


[Mauvaise est la saison quand vn loup mange l'autre:] [Pro.] [It is a hard yeare when one Wolfe eates another; when one theefe robs, when one pyrate preyes on, another.]
[Mauvaise est la saison quand vn loup mange l'autre:] [Prov.] [Hard is the time when Wolues doe feed on Wolues;] or, tis a hard time when one Wolfe eats another.


[Mauvaise fille se mocque de sa mere:] [Prov.] [A wicked daughter flowts her (witlesse) mother.]
[Mauvaise fille se mocque de sa mere:] [Prov.] So does the filthie bird beray her neast.
[Mauvaise fille se mocque de sa mere:] [Prov.] [The illbred daughter mocks her sillie mother.]


[Mauvaise herbe croist tousiours:] [Prov.] [An ill weed growes apace.]


[Mere piteuse fait sa fille roigneuse:] [Prov.] [A tender mother breeds a scabbie daughter.]
[Mere piteuse fait sa fille rongneuse:] [Prov.] [A tender-hearted mother breeds a short-heeld daughter.]


[Meschante parole iecté e va par tout à la volé e:] [Pro.] [A bad word quickly flyes abroad; a bad report set once on foot, spreads farre.]
[Meschante parole iecté e va par tout à la volé e:] [Prov.] [A bad word blurted out (soone) roaueth all abroad.]
[Meschante parole iecté e va par tout à la volé e:] [Prov.] [A bad word cast, soone roues, abroad.]


[Meschantes paroles ont meschant lieu:] [Pro.] [Bad words doe find but bad acceptance.]
[Meschantes paroles ont meschant lieu:] [Prov.] [Bad words find bad acceptance, or are badly intertained.]


[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.]


[Mestier n'avons de pastissier roigneux:] [Prov.] [Better no pies then pies made with scabd hands.]


[Mestier n'avons d'hardi prestre:] [Prov.] [We haue no need of a couragious Priest; valour's a needlesse vertue in a Church-man.]


[Mestier n'avons d'hoste à chere marrie:] [Prov.] [A soure-fac't host (or guest) may well enough be spared.]


[Mets raison en toy, ou elle s'y mettra:] [Prov.] [Hearken to reason, or she will be heard; Let reasons rudder steere thy prow, least thou make wrecke on woes enow.]
[Mets raison en toy, ou elle s'y mettra:] [Prov.] [Let reason rule, or it will ouerrule, thee.]


[Mettez fol à par soy il pensera:] [Prov.] Leaue a foole alone, and he will bethinke himselfe (what he hath to doe.)
[Mettez fol à par soy, il pensera:] [Prov.] Leaue a foole to himselfe, and he will thinke, or (perhaps) make an end of the matter.


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


[Mieux vault glisser du pied que de la langue:] [Pro.] [Better the foot slip then the tongue trip.]
[Mieux vaut glisser du pied que de la langue:] [Pro.] [Better may a foot slip then the tongue trip.]


[Mieux vault mestier qu'esparvier:] [Prov.] Better is a good occupation then hawking; or, better it is to follow a trade then a Hawke.


[Mieux vaut avoir ami en voye qu'or n'argent en courroye:] [Prov.] A friend on the way is better than a penie in the purse.
[Mieux vaut avoir ami en voye qu'or ny argent en courroye:] [Pro.] We say (but with some difference) better a friend in court then a penny in the purse.


[Mieux vaut bon gardeur que bon amasseur:] [Pro.] A warie keeper is better than a carefull getter.


[Mieux vaut bon gardeur que bon gaigneur:] [Prov.] [(A degree beyond the Latine, [Non minor est virtus quam querere parta tueri.)] {needsdef}


[Mieux vaut coü ard que trop hardi:] [Prov.] [Better no heart then too much hardinesse.]
[Mieux vaut coü ard que trop hardi:] [Prov.] Tis better to be a coward than foole-hardie.


[Mieux vaut en paix vn oeuf qu'en guerre vn boeuf: &, Mieux vaut servitude en paix que seigneurie en guerre:] [Prov.] [Better a needie slaue in peace then a wealthie Lord in warre.]


[Mieux vaut estre seul que mal accompagné:] [Pro.] [Better alone then in ill companie.]


[Mieux vaut l'ombre d'un sage vieillard que les armes d'un ieune coquard:] [Prov.] The shadow of an aduised grandsire is better than the sword of an aduenturous goosecap.


[Mieux vaut plier que rompre:] [Prov.] [Better bow then breake; viz.] Better to yeeld vnto good aduice, or the violent sway of the time, then by following his own opinion, or humor, to draw on himselfe a certaine destruction: And of an obstinate, and incorrigible creature they say, [Il rompera plustost qu'il ne pliera;] [and yet sometimes it is applied vnto a constant looser, or hazardor, of his life, in defence of a religious, and knowne, truth.]


[Mieux vaut reigle que rente:] [Prov.] [Better be wise then wealthie, honest then rich; good rule's to be preferd 'fore great reuenues.]
[Mieux vaut reigle que rente:] [Prov.] [Good gouernement is of more worth then gold.]


[Mieux vaut se taire que mal parler:] [Prov.] [Better a silent, then a sencelesse, tongue.]
[Mieux vaut se taire que mal parler:] [Prov.] [Better no words then words vnfitly placed.]


[Mieux vaut tirer que rompre:] [Prov.] [Better to bow then to cracke, to bend then to breake.]
[Mieux vaut tirer que rompre:] [Prov.] [Better to retch then to breake; to yeeld a little then perish altogether.]


[Mieux vaut vne once de fortune qu'une livre de sagesse:] [Prov.] Better is an ounce of good fortune then a pound of good forecast.


[Mieux vaut vn pied nud que nul:] [Pro.] [A bare foot is better then none.]
[Mieux vaut vn pied nud que nul:] [Pro.] [Better a naked, then no, foot.]
[Mieux vaut vn pied nud que nul:] [Prov.] [Better halfe a loafe then no bread.]


[Mieux vaut vn pied que deux eschasses:] [Prov.] [One foot is better then two stilts.]
[Mieux vaut vn tenez que deux vous l'aurez:] [Pro.] Better is one thing in possession then two in expectancie.
[Mieux vaut vn tenez que deux vous l'aurez:] [Pro.] [Better one bird in the hand then two in the bush.]


[Monsieur vaut bien Madame:] [Prov.] [A Lord deserues (or is worth) a Ladie at all times.]


[Moustarde apres disner:] [Prov.] [After meat mustard; helpe when danger, supply when want, hath left vs.]


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