Chapter I: Front Matter

_WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR_

JULES SANDEAU. LA ROCHE AUX MOUETTES (Extracts). [_Nutt’s Short
French Readers, 6d._]

THÉOPHILE GAUTIER. VOYAGE EN ITALIE. [_Cambridge University
Press, 3s._]

ÉMILE SOUVESTRE. LE PHILOSOPHE SOUS LES TOITS (Extracts).
[_Blackie’s Little French Classics, 4d._]

PIERRE CŒUR. L’ÂME DE BEETHOVEN. [_Siepmann’s French Series.
Macmillan, 2s._]

FRENCH IDIOMS AND PROVERBS

“_Omne epigramma sit instar apis; sit aculeus illi,
Sint sua mella, sit et corporis exigui._”
MARTIAL.

[Thus Englished by Archbishop Trench:

“_Three things must epigrams, like bees, have all;
Its sting, its honey, and its body small._”]

[And thus by my friend, Mr. F. Storr:

“_An epigram’s a bee: ’tis small, has wings
Of wit, a heavy bag of humour, and it stings._”]

“_Celebre dictum, scita quapiam novitate insigne._”
ERASMUS.

“_The genius, wit, and spirit of a nation are discovered in its proverbs._”--BACON.

“_The people’s voice the voice of God we call;
And what are proverbs but the people’s voice?_”
JAMES HOWELL.

“_What oft was thought, but ne’er so well expressed._”
POPE, _Essay on Criticism_.

“_The wit of one man, the wisdom of many._”--Lord JOHN RUSSELL (_Quarterly Review_, Sept. 1850).

FRENCH IDIOMS AND PROVERBS

A COMPANION TO DESHUMBERT’S

“DICTIONARY OF DIFFICULTIES”

BY

DE V. PAYEN-PAYNE

PRINCIPAL OF KENSINGTON COACHING COLLEGE
ASSISTANT EXAMINER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

_FOURTH REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION_

[Fifth Thousand]

LONDON
DAVID NUTT, 57-59 LONG ACRE
1905

“_Tant ayme on chien qu’on le nourrist,
Tant court chanson qu’elle est aprise,
Tant garde on fruit qu’il se pourrist,
Tant bat on place qu’elle est prise.
Tant tarde on que faut entreprise,
Tant se haste on que mal advient,
Tant embrasse on que chet la prise,
Tant crie l’on Noel qu’il vient._”
VILLON, _Ballade des Proverbes_.