French Proverbs from 1611: Starting with the letter V

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[Vache de loing a laict assez:] [Pro.] [Things farre-fetcht are held most sufficient; the further a thing is brought, the better we thinke of it.]
[Vache de loing a laict assez:] [Prov.] [A forreine commoditie cannot be defectiue; we esteeme that most that comes furthest.]


[Vache en sç ait que vaut sa queuë iusques à ce qu' elle l'ait perduë:] [Prov.] [The want, more then the vse, indeares the worth of good things; we know our friends best when we want them most.]
[Vache ne sç ait que vaut sa queuë iusques à ce qu' elle l'ait perduë:] [Prov.] [We know not the worth of things till we haue lost them.]


[Va ou tu peux, meurs ou tu dois:] [Pro.] [Goe whether thou canst, but dye where thou shouldest; goe any whether so thou dye at home.]
[Va ou tu peux, meurs ou tu dois:] [Pro.] Trauel whither thou canst, but dye where thou oughtest; see as many countries as thou wilt, so thou dye in thine owne.
[Va ou tu peux, meurs ou tu doys:] [Pro.] [Goe whether thou canst, but dy where thou shouldst; yong men may trauell, but the old must rest at home.]


[Veau mal cuict, & poulets cruds font les cimitieres bossus:] [Prov.] [Young meat raw-drest makes churchyards grow hulch-backt.]
[Veau mal cuict, & poules creuds font les cemetieres bossus:] [Prov.] Raw veale, and chickens make fat churchyards.
[Veau mal cuict, & poules cruds font les cimitieres bossus:] [Pro.] Raw Veale, and Chickens make fat churchyards.
[Veau mal cuict, & poulets cruds, font les cimitieres bossus:] [Prov.] [Raw veale, and chickens, make swelling Churchyards.]
[Veau mal cuit, & poulets cruds font les cimitieres bossus:] [Prov.] [Raw veale, and chickens fill churchyards.]


[Vent au visage rend l'homme sage:] [Prov.] [Aduersities teach a man wit.]


[Ventre affamé n'a point d'oreilles:] [Prov.] [Hunger no eare to reason yeeldeth.]
[Ventre affamé n'a point d'oreilles:] [Prov.] [The hungrie bellie hath no eares.]


[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.]


[Verde busche faict chaud feu:] [Prov.] A greene log makes a hot fire.


[Vespres Siciliennes:] [Prov.] [The Sicilian Euensong; mischiefes done, or death inflicted, in a place, and time, of imagined securitie; (from a generall massacre of the French, made on a sudden, and throughout Sicilie (whereof they were ouer-insolent Maisters) by the incensed Islanders, on Easter day (Anno 1282) and about fiue of the clocke in the afternoone.)]


[Viande d'ami est bien tost preste:] [Pro.] A friends meat is soone readie; (for giuing it willingly, he prouides it quickly; or, one thinkes it not, or must not seeme to thinke it, long in comming.)
[Viande d'ami est bien tost preste:] [Prov.] [A friends repast is in a trice prepared.]
[Viande d'ami est bien tost preste:] [Prov.] [Meat in a friends house is (or is thought) soone readie;]


[Vieilles amours, & vieux tisons s'allument en toutes saisons:] [Prov.] Old loue and brands are kindled in all seasons.


[Vieilles debtes duisent:] [Prov.] [asçavoir;] helpe the creditor, (but hurt the debtor.)


[Vieil oiseau ne se prend à reths:] [Pro.] [The old (in experience) are not subiect to surprisalls.]
[Vieil oiseau ne se prend à reths:] [Pro.] [Th'old bird is not (easily) intrapped.]
[Vieil oiseau ne se prend a reths:] [Pro.] [The old birds care auoides the snare.]


[Vieil peché fait nouvelle honte:] [Prov.] [Old sinne inflicts new shame.]
[Vieux peché fait nouvelle honte:] [Prov.] [Old sinne begets new shame.]


[Vie n'est pas seur heritage:] [Prov.] [Life is no sure (no true) inheritance.]
[Vie n'est pas seur heritage:] [Prov.] [Life (though it be free-hold) is no inheritance (no sure hold;)]


[Vilain affamé demi enragé:] [Pro.] [A starued clowne is halfe a mad man; when victualls faile, all temper failes, him.]
[Vilain affamé, demy enragé:] [Prov.] Barre a clowne of his victualls, you halfe madde him.


[Vilain enrichi ne cognoist parent, ny ami:] [Pro.] [The base clowne that hath got a little pelfe, knowes neither friend, nor kinsman, (nor himselfe.)]


[Vin de grain est plus doux que n'est pas Vin de presse:] [Prov.] [The first Wine is better then the second expression; good offices willingly done are of much more worth then such as be extorted.]
[Vin de grain est plus doux que n'est pas vin de presse:] [Prov.] [Willing dueties are more gracious then such as be extorted.]
[Vin de grain est plus doux que n'est pas vin de presse:] [Pro.] [Willing seruice, though but small, is more acceptable, then much extorted dutie.]


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


[Vin sur laict c'est souhait, laict sur vin c'est venin:] [Prov.] [Milke before wine I would twere mine, milke taken after is poisons daughter.]
[Vin sur laict c'est souhait, laict sur vin c'est venin:] [Prov.] Wash thy milke off thy liuer, [(say we.)]


[Vin trouble ne brise dents:] [Pro.] Thicke wine breaks no teeth.
[Vin trouble ne brise dents:] [Prov.] [Wine though it be thicke yet breakes it no mans teeth.]


[Vin vieux, ami vieux, or vieux, sont loü ez en tous lieux:] [Pro.] [The praise of old wine, friends, and gold, is in all places often told.]


[Vn' Abeille morte ne fait plus de miel:] [Prov.] [A dead thing is good for nothing.]


[Vn ami veille pour l'autre:] [Prov.] [A friend is watchfull, and doth arme himselfe to keepe his friend from harme.]
[Vn ami veille pour l'autre:] [Prov.] One friend euer watches, or cares, for another.


[Vn asne n'entend rien en Musique:] [Pro.] [An asse is but a bad Musician; or, cannot iudge of Musicke.]


[Vn aveugle meine l'autre en la fosse:] [Prov.] {notdef}


[Vn barbier rait l'autre:] [Prov.] [One great man, rich man, cunning man, serues anothers turne.]
[Vn barbier rait l'autre:] [Prov.] [One knaue trimmes; excuses, helpes; soothes, or flatters, another.]


[Vn bien acquiert l'autre:] [Prov.] One good thing begets another.


[Vn bon pape est vn meschant homme:] [Pro.] [A good Pope is a wicked man.]


[Vn borgne est Roy au paï s des aveugles:] [Prov.] An ordinarie scholler is held a great Doctor by the ignorant multitude; and a meere swaggerer a tall souldiour by women, and children.
[Vn borgne est Roy au paï s des aveugles:] [Prov.] He that sees but little ouerrules them that see nothing.


[Vn clou sert poulser l'autre:] [Prov.] [One nayle serues to driue out another.]


[Vn conte attire l'autre:] [Prov.] [One tale drawes on another.]


[Vn dormir attrait l'autre:] [Prov.] One sleepe draws on another.


[Vne fois faut compter à l'hoste:] [Prov.] Our account must be made, our reckoning paid; (our liues examined, our vices censured) one time or other.
[Vne fois faut compter à l'hoste:] [Prov.] [Our reckoning must be made one time or other.]


[Vne fois l'anné e l'on s'appreste à boire:] [Pro.] Once in a yeare a man prepares himselfe to drinke; (viz. of his owne wine, in vintage time.)


[Vne main lave l'autre:] [Prov.] [One hand washes the other; applyable to such as giue vpon assurance, or hope, to be giuen vnto; or vnto such as any way serue one anothers turne.]
[Vne main lave l'autre:] [Prov.] [One serues anothers turne.]


[Vne partie n'est point le tout:] [Prov.] [A part is not the whole; a peecing no perfection.]


[Vne pilure formentine vne, dragme sarmentine, & la iourné e d'une geline, est la meilleure medecine:] [Prov.] [A manchet, cup of wine, and hennes dayes taske, is the best Physicke a sicke man can aske.]


[Vne science requiert tout son homme:] [Prov.] [One Art is imployment ynough for one man.]
[Vne science requiert tout son homme:] [Prov.] [One Art requires a whole man; a man that will be perfect in an Art must follow nothing else.]
[Vne science requiert tout son homme:] [Prov.] [One Art well learnt takes vp a mans whole time.]


[Vn Espagnol sans Iesuite est vne perdris sans orange:] [Prov.] A Spaniard without a Jesuite is (wee may say) cheese without mustard.


[Vne vache prend bien vn lievre:] [Prov.] [A Cow may catch a Hare]


[Vn fol advise bien vn sage:] [Pro.] [A foole may sometimes giue the wise aduise.]
[Vn fol advise bien vn sage:] [Prov.] A foole may sometimes giue a wise man counsaile.


[Vn fol cerche son malheur:] [Prov.] A foole doth seeke his owne mishap; the curious searcher finds himselfe vnfortunate.
[Vn fol cerche son malheur:] [Prov.] [The foole by prying finds himselfe vnhappie;] or, The prying foole meets with his owne mishap.


[Vn fol dessus vn pont c'est vn tambour en la Riviere:] [Prov.] [A foole on a bridge is a Drumme in the riuer; viz. makes it resound by his madde thumping, leaping, or dauncing ouer it.]


[Vn fol fait tousiours le commencement:] [Pro.] The foole begins, but neuer ends, a businesse.
[Vn fol fait tousiours le commencement:] [Prov.] The foole begins, but perfects not, a worke; when hee hath begun, he hath done.


[Vn fol vn enragé:] [Prov.] Once a foole, euer a mad man; or, he that hath played the foole once, will, ere he leaue, play the mad man.
[Vn fol vn enragé:] [Prov.] Once a foole euer madde; or there's little difference between a foole & a madde man.


[Vn homme de paille vaut vne femme d'or:] [Prov.] A man of straw is worth a woman of gold (for rude, or violent purposes will some say.)


[Vn homme ne vaut sinon qu'il se fait valoir:] [Pro.] [As thou of thine owne selfe doest deeme, so other men will thee esteeme.]


[Vn iour iuge de l'autre, & le dernier iuge de tous:] [Prov.] One day rules another, but the last ouerrules all.
[Vn iour iuge de l'autre, & le dernier iuge de tous:] [Prov.] [One day another, and the last all, iudges.]


[Vn loup ne devore iamais vn autre loup:] [Prov.] [Those that are like doe seldome disagree; one knaue will euer beare with another.]


[Vn meschant vaisseau iamais ne tombe de la main:] [Pro.] [That oft proues best which we loue least; a course glasse neuer falls vnto the ground.]
[Vn meschant vaisseau iamais ne tombe de la main:] [Pro.] [The best things runne more hazard then the worst; ill vessells neuer, good ones often, fall.]


[Vn mesme cousteau me coupe le pain, & le doigt:] [Pro.] One knife both cuts me bread, and my finger; [(said of any thing that one while helpes, and another while hurts.)]
[Vn mesme cousteau me coupe le pain, & le doigt:] [Prov.] [From one thing I receiue both good, and hurt.]


[vn piteux medecin fait vne mortelle playe:] [Prov.] [A pitifull Chirurgian makes a pitifull sore.]
[Vn piteux medecin fait vne playe mortelle:] [Prov.] [A pitifull Surgeon spoileth a sore.]


[Vn poil fait ombre:] [Prov.] [A haire makes a shadow; the smallest things haue their shadowes; viz. their vse, or some ornament.]


[Vn quartier fait l'autre vendre:] [Prov.] [One peece doth helpe to passe away th'other.]
[Vn quartier fait l'autre vendre:] [Prov.] [One quarter makes th'other to be sold.]


[Vn sac percé ne peut tenir le grain:] [Prov.] [A sacke thats full of holes can hold no corne.]
[Vn sac percé ne peut tenir le grain:] [Prov.] [A sacke thats torne doth shed it corne; a broken or crackt heart can hold no good thing in it; applyable also to a heart, that pierced with griefe, cannot hold but must vtter it.]


[Vn seigneur de beurre (de feurre, ou de paille) combat, (vainc, ou mange) bien vn vassal d'acier:] [Prov.] [(So great oddes hath a Lord of his tenant, or a Prince of his subiect.)]


[Vn seigneur de paille mange vn vassal d'acier:] [Pro.] [A Lord of straw deuoures a vassall of steele.]


[Vn vieil chien iamais ne iappe en vain:] [Pro.] [An old dog barketh (we say biteth) sure.]
[Vn vieil chien iamais ne iappe en vain:] [Prov.] [An old dog neuer barkes in vaine; the warning, or aduise of an old man is euer to some purpose.]
[Vn vieil chien iamais ne jappe en vain:] [Prov.] The old dog neuer barketh (aged experience neuer aduiseth,) in vaine.


[Vuides chambres font les Dames folles:] [Pro.] The roome once voided, farewell modestie.
[Vuides chambres font les Dames folles:] [Pro.] [Womens freedome breeds their follie; when they are left alone all modestie is gone.]


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