that is to die by the gallows may dance on the river (Italian).1 "He'll be hang'd yet, Though every drop of water swear against it, Give a thief rope enough and he'll hang himself. Every fox must pay his own skin to the flayer. Air day or late day, the tod's [fox's] hide finds aye the flaying knife. -Scotch. In spite of all his cunning the rogue will soon or late come to a bad end. "Foxes find themselves at last at the furrier's" (French).2 "No mad dog runs seven years" (Dutch). Hanging goes by hap. If a man is hanged it is a sign that he was pre destined to that end. unlucky" (Spanish). "The gallows was made for the It is not always a man's fault so much as his misfortune that he dies of a hempen fever. As Captain Macheath sings,— "Since laws were made for every degree, 1 Chi ha da morir di forca, può ballar sul fiume. 2 Enfin les renards se trouvent chez le pelletier. 3 Er liep geen dolle hond zeven jaar. ▲ Para los desdichados se hizo la horca. But "Money does not get hanged" (German).1 It sits on the judgment-seat, and sends poor rogues to the hulks or to Jack Ketch. As it was in the days of Diogenes the cynic, so it is now: "Great thieves hang petty thieves" (French); and, whilst "Petty thieves are hanged, people take off their hats to great ones" (German). First hang and draw, Then hear the cause by Lidford law Ray informs us that "Lidford is a little and poor but ancient corporation in Devonshire, with very large privileges, where a Court of Stannaries was formerly kept." The same sort of expeditious justice was practised in Scotland and in Spain, as testified by proverbs of both countries. At Peralvillo the Holy Brotherhood used to execute in this manner robbers taken in the fact, or "red-hand," as the Scotch forcibly expressed it. Hence the Spanish saying, "Peralvillo justice after the man is hanged try him."4 The Scotch equivalent for this figures with dramatic effect in that scene of The Fair Maid of Perth where 1 Geld wird nicht gehenkt. 2 Les grands voleurs font pendre les petits. • Kleine Diebe henkt man, vor grossen zieht man den Hut ab, La justicia de Peralvillo, que ahorcado el hombre le hace la pe quisa. Black Douglas has just discovered the murder of the Prince of Rothsay, and exclaims,— 666 Away with the murderers! hang them over the battlements!' 66 6 'But, my lord, some trial may be fitting,' answered Balveny. "To what purpose?' answered Douglas. 'I have taken them red-hand; my authority will stretch to instant execution. Yet stay: have we not some Jedwood men in our troop?' "Plenty of Turnbulls, Rutherfords, Ainslies, and so forth,' said Balveny. 656 Call me an inquest of these together; they are all good men and true, save a little shifting for their living. Do you see to the execution of these felons, while I hold a court in the great hall, and we'll try whether the jury or the provost-martial shall do their work first: we will have Jedwood justice-hang in haste, and try at leisure.”” He that invented the "maiden " first hanselled it. - Scotch. This was the Regent Morton, who was the first man beheaded by an instrument of his own invention, called the "maiden." His enemies thought it was "Sport To see the engineer hoist by his own petard;" and even those who pitied him felt that "no law was juster than that the artificers of death should perish by their own art.”1 If he has no gear to tine, he has shins to pine. -Scotch. That is, if he has not wealth to lose, or means to pay a fine, he must be clapped in the stocks or in fetters. He that has no money must pay with his skin' (German). 'Where there is no money there is no forgiveness of sins" (German). 66 1 Nec lex est justior ulla Quam necis artifices arte perire sua. ? Wer kein Geld hat, mussmit der Haut bezahlen. 3 Wo kein Geld ist, da ist auch keine Vergebung der Sünden. WEALTH. POVERTY. PLENTY. WANT. Happy is the son whose father went to the devil. On the other hand, the Portuguese say, "Alas for the son whose father goes to heaven!" the presumption being that a man does not go that way whilst amassing great wealth; for "He that is afraid of the devil does not grow rich" (Italian).2 "To do so one has only to turn one's back on God" (French).3 Audley, a noted lawyer and usurer in the reigns of James I. and Charles I., was asked what might be the value of his newly-obtained office in the Court of Wards. He replied, "It may be worth some thousands of pounds to him who after his death would instantly go to heaven; twice as much to him who would go to purgatory; and nobody knows how much to him who would adventure to go to hell." Audley's biographer hints that he did adventure that way for 1 Guay do filho que o pai vai a paraiso. 2 Chi ha paura del diavolo non fa roba. Il ne faut que tourner le dos à Dieu pour devenir riche. |