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reading. Their version of it is "Coll' Evangelo si diventa heretico." Here there is no qualifying "sometimes;" the proposition is put absolutely, and the two English writers consider it to be a popular confession that the maintenance of the Romish system and the study of Holy Scripture cannot go together." It would certainly be "not a little remarkable,” if it were true, that such a confession should have embodied itself in the popular utterances of the nation;" but the fact is that nothing more is meant by the proverb than what the Inquisition itself might sanction. It is only a pointed way of saying that anything, however good, is liable to be used mischievously.'

1 "Con l'Evangelo talvolta si diventa eretico" is the original, as given by Toriano in his folio collection of Italian proverbs, London, 1666. In Giusti's "Raccolta," &c., Firenza, 1853, we read, "Col Vangelo si può diventar eretici," to which the editor appends this gloss, " Ogni cosa può torcersi a male."

ADVICE.

He that will not be counselled cannot be helped.

'He who will not go to heaven needs no preaching"

(German).1

(German).2

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He that will not hear must feel"

Two heads are better than one.

"Four eyes see more than two" (Spanish); and "More know the pope and a peasant than the pope alone,' as they say in Venice.

Come na to the council unca'd. - Scotch.

"Never give advice unasked" (German).

Every one thinks himself able to advise another.

"Nothing is given so freely as advice" (French). "Of judgment every one has a stock for sale" (Italian).7

1 Wer nicht in den Himmel will, braucht keine Predigt.

2 Wer nicht hören will, muss fühlen.

3 Mas veen quatro ojos que dos.

Sa più il papa e un contadino che il papa solo.

Rathe Niemand ungebeten.

• Rien ne se donne aussi libéralement que les conseils. 'Del judizio ognun ne vende.

He that kisseth his wife in the market-place shall have people enough to teach him.

"He who builds according to every man's advice will have a crooked house" (Danish).'

He that speers a' opinions comes ill speed.-Scotch. "If you want to get into the bog ask five fools the way to the wood" (Livonian). "Take help of many, counsel of few" (Danish)."

A fool may put something in a wise man's head.

It was a saying of Cato the elder, that wise men learnt more by fools than fools by wise men.

Hvo som bygger efter hver Mands Raad, hans Huser kommer kroget at staae.

3 Tag Mange til Hielp og Faa til Rad.

1

DETRACTION.

CALUMNY. COMMON

FAME. GOOD REPUTE.

The smoke follows the fairest.

The original of this is in Aristophanes it means that

"Envy doth merit like its shade pursue."

"The best bearing trees are the most beaten " (Italian). "It is only at the tree laden with fruit that people throw stones" (French). "Towers," say

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the Chinese, are measured by their shadows, and great men by their calumniators." An old French proverb compares detraction to dogs that bark only at the full moon, and never heed her in the quarter. "If the fool has a hump," say the Livonians,

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no one

notices it; if the wise man has a pimple everybody talks about it."

Slander leaves a slur.

"A blow of a fryingpan smuts, if it does not hurt "

1 I megliori alberi sono i più battuti.

? On ne jette des pierres qu'à l'arbre chargé de fruits.

M

(Spanish). The Arabs say, "Take a bit of mud, dab it against the wall: if it does not stick it will leave its mark;" and we have a similar proverb derived from the Latin: 2—

Fortunately

Throw much dirt, and some will stick.

When the dirt's dry it will rub out.

Ill-will never spoke well.

The evidence of a prejudiced witness is to be distrusted. "He that is an enemy to the bride does not speak well of the wedding" (Spanish); 3 and "A runaway monk never spoke in praise of his monastery " (Italian).*

Give a dog an ill name and hang him.

"I'll not beat thee, nor abuse thee," said the Quaker to his dog; "but I'll give thee an ill name.” — Irish.

He that hath an ill name is half hanged.

A French proverb declares, with a still bolder figure, that "Report hangs the man.' The Spaniards say, "Whoso wants to kill his dog has but to charge him with madness."6

All are not thieves that dogs bark at.

The innocent are sometimes cried down.

1 El golpe de la sarten, aunque no duele, tizna.

2 Calumniare audacter, aliquid adhærebit.

El que es enemigo de la novia no dice bien de la boda.

"An

4 Monaco vagabondo non disse mai lode del suo monastero. Le bruit pend l'homme.

• Quien á su perro quiere matas, rabia le ha de levantar.