Canterbury Tales continued.]
For out of the old fieldes, as men saithe,
Cometh all this new corne fro yere to yere,
And out of old bookes, in good faithe,
Cometh al this new science that men lere.

The Assembly of Foules. Line 22.

Nature, the vicar of the almightie Lord.

Ibid. Line 379.

Of all the floures in the mede, Than love I most these floures white and rede, Soch that men callen daisies in our toun.

The Legend of Good Women. Line 41.

That well by reason men it call may
The daisie, or els the eye of the day,
The emprise, and floure of floures all.

Ibid. Line 184.

THOMAS A KEMPIS. 1380–1471.

Man proposes, but God disposes."

Imitation of Christ. Book i. Ch. 19.

1 This expression is of much greater antiquity; it appears in the Chronicle of Battel Abbey, page 27 (Lower's Translation), and in Piers Ploughman's Vision, line 13,994.

A man's heart deviseth his way; but the Lord direct. eth his steps. Proverbs xvi. 9.

(Imitation of Christ continued. And when he is out of sight, quickly also is he out of mind."

Book i. Ch. 23. Of two evils, the less is always to be chosen.

Book iii. Ch. 12.

FRANCIS RABELAIS. 1495-1553.
I am just going to leap into the dark.?

From Motteux's Life. He left a paper sealed up, wherein were found three articles as his last will, "I owe much, I have nothing, I give the rest to the poor.”

Ibid.
To return to our wethers. 8

Works. Book i. Ch. i. note 2.
I drink no more than a sponge. Ibid. Ch. 5.
Appetite comes with eating, says Angeston.

Ibid. Hoped to catch larks if ever the heavens should fall.

Book i. Ch. 11. 1 Out of syght, out of mynd.

Googe's Eglogs, Epytaphes, and Sonettes, 1563.
And out of mind as soon as out of sight.

Lord Brooke, Sonnet lvi.
Fer from eze, fer from herte,
Quoth Hendyng.

Hendyng's Proverbs, MSS. Circa 1320. ? Je m'en vay chercher un grand peut-estre.

3 Revenons à nos moutons, a proverb taken from the old French farce of Pierre Patelin (ed. 1762, p. 90).

Then I began to think that it is very true, which is commonly said, that one half of the world knoweth not how the other half liveth.

Book ii. Ch. 32, ad fin.

I'll go his halves.

Book iv. Ch. 23.

The Devil was sick, the Devil a monk would be; The Devil was well, the Devil a monk was he.

Book iv. Ch. 24.

THOMAS TUSSER.' 1523-1580.

FIVE HUNDRED POINTS OF GOOD HUSBANDRY.

Time tries the troth in everything.

The Author's Epistle. Ch. I. God sendeth and giveth, both mouth and the meat.

Good Husbandry Lessons.

The stone that is rolling can gather no moss.

Ibid.

Better late than never.?

An Habitation Enforced. At Christmas play, and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year.

The Farmer's Daily Diet.

1 A rowling stone gathers no moss.

Gosson's Ephemerides of Phialo. 2 See Proverbial Expressions.

[Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry continued.
Except wind stands as never it stood,
It is an ill wind turns none to good.

A Description of the Properties of Winds.
All 's fish they get
That cometh to net.

February's Abstract.
Such mistress, such Nan,
Such master, such man.”

April's Abstract.
Who goeth a borrowing
Goeth a sorrowing.

June's Abstract.
'T is merry in hall
Where beards wag all.8

August's Abstract. For buying or selling of pig in a poke.

September's Abstract. Naught venture naught have.

October's Abstract. Look ere thou leap, see ere thou go.

Of Wiving and Thriving.
Dry sun, dry wind,
Safe bind, safe find. Washing.

1 See Proverbial Expressions.

2 On the authority of M. Cimber, of the Bibliothèque Royale, we owe this proverb to Chevalier Bayard,

Tel maître, tel valet. 3 Merry swithe it is in halle, When the beards waveth alle.

Adam Davie (1312), Life of Alexander. 4 See Proverbial Expressions. 5 Fast bind, fast find.

Heywood's Proverbs, 1546.

SIR EDWARD DYER. Circa 1540-1607.
My mind to me a kingdom is;

Such present joys therein I find,
That it excels all other bliss,

That earth affords or grows by kind :
Though much I want which most would have,

Yet still my mind forbids to crave. From MS. Rawl. 85, p. 17. Hannah's Courtly Poets.,

BISHOP STILL (JOHN). 1543–1607.

I cannot eat but little meat,

My stomach is not good ;
But sure I think that I can drink
With him that wears a hood.

From Gammer Gurton's Needle.? Act ii.

1 Mens regnum bona possidet.

Seneca, Thyestes, Act ii. Line 380.
My mind to me a kingdom is;

Such perfect joy therein I find,
As far exceeds all earthly bliss,

That God and Nature hath assigned.
Though much I want that most would have,
Yet still my mind forbids to crave.

From Byrd's Psalmes, Sonnets, &c., 1588.
My mind to me an empire is
While grace affordeth health.

Robert Southwell (1560-1595), Look Home. . 2 Stated by Mr. Dyce to be from a MS. in his pos. session, and of older date than Gammer Gurton's Needle. - Skelton, Works, ed. Dyce, i. vii. - X., 11.