A SUMMARY OF ANCIENT PASTIMES,
HOLIDAYS AND CUSTOMS.

WITH

AN ANALYSIS OF THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS, AND
OF THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH.

ADVERTISEMENT.

IN making the present Selection of Proverbs, the first object has been to glean the wisest and best in the Sayings of all Nations; collecting not merely their ethical maxims, but whatever is characteristic of national manners, bumour, and intelligence.

With respect to arrangement, I have not exactly followed the plan of any of my predecessors, but have endeavoured to combine the double advantages of alphabetic order, with facility for referring to any particular description of proverbs, according to its subject.

The authors to whom I have chiefly resorted, are, Ray's English Proverbs, Kelly's Scottish Proverbs, Mackintosh's Gaelic Proverbs, the French and Italian Proverbs of Dubois and Veneroni, Collins' Spanish Proverbs, the Glossary of Archdeacon Nares, Grose's Provincial Glossary, D'Israeli's Curiosities of Literature, Todd's Johnson; with seveial minor works, too numerous to mention.

It is necessary to bear in mind, our's is only a SELECTION to have given the entire proverbs of any people, would have far exceeded the limits of the present plan, and consequently I have gleaned from each nation what seemed worthy of modern taste and refinement. Where a proverb appeared curious or important, the original or parallel proverb in other languages has been retained : this can be attended with little inconvenience to the English reader, and may be interesting to the scholar, and those who wish to be accurately acquainted with the spirit and origin of the Old Sayings. Besides, there are persons so fastidious as to refrain from quoting a proverb in plain English, who would not scruple to use it in the Latin, Italian, French, or Spanish languages.