Engl.

--24-25 1958

THE

PREFACE.

T

HE former Edition of this Collection of English Proverbs falling into the hands of divers ingenious Perfons, my worthy Friends, in feveral parts of this Kingdom, had (as I hoped it would) this good effect to excite them, as well to examine their own memories, and try what they could call to mind themselves that were therein wanting, as alfo more carefully

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carefully to heed what occurred in reading, or dropp'd from the mouths of others in difcourfe. Whereupon having noted many fuch, they were pleafed for the perfecting of the work frankly to communicate them to me. All which, amounted to fome hundreds, befides not a few of my own Obfervation, I present the Reader with in this fecond Edition. I dare not yet pretend it to be a compleat and perfect Catalogue of all English Proverbs: But I think I may without arrogance affirm it to be more full and comprehenfive than any Collection hitherto published. And I believe that not very many of the Proverbs generally used all England over, or far diffused over any confiderable part of it, whether the Eaft, Weft, North, or Midland Countries, have efcaped it; I having bad Communications from obfervant and inquifitive Perfons in all those parts, viz. from Francis Jeffop, Efq; of Broomhall in Sheffield Parish, Yorkshire, Mr. George Antrobus, Mafter of the Free School at Tamworth in Warwickshire,

and

and Mr. Walter Afhmore of the fame place. Michael Biddulph, Gent. of Polefworth in Warwickshire, deceased; Mr. Newton of Leicefter, Mr. Sherringham of Caius College in Cambridge; Sir Philip Skippon of Wrentham in Suffolk, Knight, Mr. Andrew Pafchall, of Chedfey in Somersetshire, and Mr. Francis Brokefby, of Rowley in the Eaft Riding of Yorkshire. As for Local Proverbs of leffer extent, proper to fome Towns or Villages, as they are very numerous, fo are they hard to be procured, and few of them, could they be had, very quaint or fignificant.

If any one fhall find fault, that I have inferted many English Phrafes that are not properly Proverbs, though that word be taken in its greatest Latitude, and according to my own definition of a Proverb, and object that I might as well have admitted all the idioms of the Englifh Tongue; I answer, that, to say the truth, I cannot warrant all thofe Phrafes to be genuine Proverbs to which I have allowed

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allowed room in this Collection; for indeed I did not fatisfy myself in many : but because they were fent me for fuch by learned and intelligent Perfons, and who I ought to prefume understand the nature of a Proverb better than myself, and because I find the like in Collections of Foreign Proverbs, both French and Italian, I chofe rather to fubmit them to the Genfure of the Reader, than myself pass fentence of rejection on them.

As for the Method I have used, in the Preface to the former Edition I have given my Reafon why I made choice of it, which to me do fill appear to be fufficient. The Method of Common-places, if any man think it useful, may easily be fupplied by an Index of Common-places, wherein to each bead the Proverbs appertaining or reducible shall be referred by the Appofition of the numeral characters of page and line.

Some Proverbs the Reader may poffibly find repeated, but I dare fay not many,