A toad trapped beneath a harrow complains of having too many masters, while an old woman suddenly begins to trot when necessity demands it. These 50 medieval sayings use humour, animals and everyday life to offer advice that can still feel remarkably familiar.
The sayings in this list come from a collection associated with Serlo of Wilton, a twelfth-century English scholar, poet and teacher of rhetoric. Born around 1110, Serlo studied and taught in Paris before spending time at Antibes in southern France. He later returned to England and was reportedly called by Henry II to participate in the developing centre of learning at Oxford. He eventually entered religious life and died in 1181.
Serlo probably assembled his proverbs between about 1150 and 1170. They may have formed part of his teaching materials, since proverbs were particularly useful in medieval education. Students could use a familiar vernacular saying to practise Latin vocabulary, grammar and verse composition. Proverbs also supplied memorable moral lessons and could be inserted into the opening or conclusion of a letter, speech or other composition.
The collection did not survive as a single, fixed book. Its proverbs were copied, translated and rearranged in manuscripts across medieval Europe. Some appear in Anglo-Norman alongside rhyming Latin versions, while others survive in Middle English or Latin alone. Different manuscripts preserve different selections and sometimes offer several versions of the same saying.
In his study “The Proverbs of Serlo of Wilton,” A. C. Friend compared these manuscripts and assembled more than 100 proverbs. The 50 medieval sayings selected here include practical advice, observations about power and poverty, warnings about human nature, and memorable images drawn from medieval farming and daily life.
Advice About Life and Good Judgement
1. One day may bring what an entire year cannot
Original Anglo-Norman: Un iur porte que tut lan ne pot.
Something that fails to happen over the course of an entire year may occur in a single day. Other versions of the proverb similarly state that a day can give or accomplish what a year cannot, presenting time and events as unpredictable.
2. The day should be praised in the evening
Original Anglo-Norman: Al uespre deit lum loer le ior.
A day should not be praised until evening, when its outcome is known. Friend identifies several medieval parallels expressing the same warning against judging something before it is complete, along with the later proverb “Praise a fair day at night.”
3. He who will not act when he can will not be able when he wishes
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki ne feit quant il poet, ne fert quent il uolt.
An opportunity that is neglected may not remain available. The Latin versions clarify that someone unwilling to act when circumstances permit may be unable to do what he wants later.
4. Patient deliberation is better than foolish haste
Original Anglo-Norman: Meulz ualt un bon attente que malueise haste.
Taking time to consider an action can produce better results than proceeding with foolish haste. Friend cites several related medieval sayings, including versions of “The more haste, the worse speed” and “More haste than good speed.”
5. No one has tomorrow
Original Anglo-Norman: Len n’a nul demain.
Tomorrow cannot be treated as something already possessed. The Latin versions and Friend’s cited parallels turn this observation into a warning against delay: work and good deeds that can be completed today should not be postponed until tomorrow.
6. There is a great distance between saying and doing
Original Anglo-Norman: Entre faire et dire a moult.
Words are not the same as actions. A Latin version makes the contrast explicit: “It is not words that please me, but deeds.” The proverb cautions against judging people by what they say rather than by what they accomplish.
7. Let each person do what he can
Original Anglo-Norman: Si fet ki pot.
No one should be blamed for accomplishing only what his abilities permit. Friend cites the Middle English parallel He þat dothe as kanne, blame hym no man, meaning “Let no one blame the person who does what he can.” He also connects the saying with the principle that no one can be obligated to do the impossible.
8. A person does not know what he has until it is gone
Original Anglo-Norman: Hume ne set quil ad, tresquil ne nad.
People often recognise the value of something only after losing it. The Latin version similarly states that a person does not understand what he possesses until it has disappeared. Friend summarises the meaning as “You don’t know what you have until you have lost it.”
9. A bushel of supposition does not contain a handful of knowledge
Original Anglo-Norman: En plein mine de cuider ne ad plein puin de sauer.
A large quantity of supposition is worth less than a small amount of genuine knowledge. Friend cites the related Middle English In a busshell of wynnyng, ys not a handfull of cunnyng, meaning “In a bushel of good fortune there is not a handful of knowledge.”
10. He learns easily who learns from another’s punishment
Original Anglo-Norman: Suef se chastie ki par altre se chastie.
A wise person can avoid harm by observing what happens to others. Friend cites the Middle English He is wysse, þat can beware by an oþer mannys harme, meaning “He is wise who can be warned by another man’s misfortune.”
Work, power and social status
11. For want of a wise man, a fool is set on the bench
Original Anglo-Norman: Pur suffreite de prud hume met lum fol en banc.
When no qualified person can be found, a foolish or unsuitable individual may be placed in authority. One Latin version makes the point directly: “A foolish-minded man often occupies the place of a wise man.”
12. He who enters the game agrees to its rules
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki en ieu entre, ieu consente.
Anyone who enters a game must accept the conditions under which it is played. Friend cites Chaucer’s Clerk’s Prologue: For what man that is entred in a pley / He nedes moot unto the pley assente, meaning “Whoever has entered a game must necessarily consent to the game.”
13. A man cuts a generous strap from someone else’s leather
Original Anglo-Norman: De autri cuir large corraie.
It is easy to be generous or extravagant with property belonging to someone else. One Latin version states, “A good strap is made from a hide that is not one’s own,” while Friend also cites the later English parallel “He cuts large thongs of other men’s leather.”
14. Every priest praises his own relics
Original Anglo-Norman: Chascun prestre loe ses reliques.
People are naturally inclined to praise things that belong to them or with which they are associated. Friend cites the Middle English Eche preste preyseth his awgh relikes, meaning “Each priest praises his own relics.”
15. He who serves a wicked man wastes his time
Original Anglo-Norman: Sun tens pert ki felun sert.
Service given to a wicked person will be wasted or go unrewarded. One Latin version states, “You have lost whatever you bestowed upon the wicked,” while another similarly says that service offered to wicked people is lost.
16. An agreement overcomes the law
Original Anglo-Norman: Cuuenant lai ueint.
An accepted agreement could sometimes take precedence over a general legal rule. Friend explains that although a covenant could imply a written agreement, medieval local courts might also enforce agreements that had not been put in writing. One Latin version translates as: “The law yields to an agreement; every law obeys an agreement.”
17. A neck is sometimes broken because of a good deed
Original Anglo-Norman: Pur bien fait col freint.
Doing someone a good turn does not guarantee gratitude and may even expose the helper to harm. Friend compares the proverb with the later warning, “Save a thief from the gallows and he will cut your throat.”
18. Seldom do people give land to a man who remains silent
Original Middle English: Selden gifis men dumb man land.
Here, “dumb” means silent or unwilling to speak. Friend records the related Middle English saying Who so sparyþ to speke, sparþ to spede—“Whoever holds back from speaking holds back his success.” If something must be requested, remaining silent is unlikely to secure it.
19. The law follows the king
Original Anglo-Norman: Apres le rei uait la lei.
The proverb presents royal will as a powerful source of law. Friend connects it with the Latin legal maxim Quod principi placuit, legis habet vigorem—“What pleases the prince has the force of law”—and the later saying, “What the king wills that the law wills.”
20. A poor man has no law
Original Anglo-Norman: Poure home nad lei.
The saying suggests that legal protection may be ineffective for someone who is poor. Friend compares it with the later proverb “A poor man’s tale cannot be heard,” which makes the problem particularly stark: without wealth or standing, a person may struggle even to have his case heard.
Friendship and human nature
21. Nature is stronger than upbringing
Original Anglo-Norman: Meluz uaut nature que nourreture.
Innate character may prove more powerful than education or acquired habits. Friend connects the saying with the later English proverb “Nature passes nurture,” although he notes that the opposite idea, Noureture passe nature, was also proverbial.
22. One good deed calls for another
Original Anglo-Norman: Bunte altre requert é colée sa per.
Good treatment invites good treatment in return, while an injury may be answered with another injury. Friend records the particularly direct English parallel “O good turne asket another’.”
23. One “take it” is worth two “you shall have its”
Original Anglo-Norman: Meulz ualt un “tens” que doux “tu laueras”.
Something actually received is worth more than repeated promises of a future reward. Friend connects this saying with both “A bird in hand is better than two in the bush” and “Better is one Accipe than twice to say, Dabo tibi.”
24. He who will not give what he values will not receive what he desires
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki ne dune que il aime ne prent quo desire.
Obtaining something desirable may require giving up something that is also valued. Someone unwilling to make a meaningful gift, sacrifice or exchange should not expect to receive what he wants in return.
25. The cat knows whose beard it licks
Original Anglo-Norman: Li chat set ben ki barbe il lecch(e).
Friend suggests that the saying may originally have referred to a cat licking its own whiskers. In later usage, however, it described someone whose familiarity with a powerful person allowed them to act without fear of punishment—an idea preserved in the later form “The cat knows whose lips (beard) she licks.”
26. Wash a dog and comb it; it is still a dog
Original Anglo-Norman: Laues chien, peinez chien, tuteveis est chen chen.
Washing and grooming a dog may improve its outward appearance, but it remains a dog. The saying suggests that superficial changes do not necessarily alter someone’s fundamental nature.
27. He who promises everything promises nothing
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki tut me pramet, ne me pramet.
An extravagant promise may be less trustworthy than a modest and specific commitment. Friend cites the later parallels “He that promiseth all, deceiveth all” and “He that promises too much (all) means nothing.”
28. An overly familiar master makes a foolish servant
Original Anglo-Norman: Priue seignur fait fol garcun.
A servant may become lazy or lose respect when a master grows too familiar or indulgent. Friend connects the saying with “Intimacy breeds contempt” and Chaucer’s observation that over-greet hoomlynesse engendreth dispreisynge from The Tale of Melibee.
29. A true friend always loves
Original Anglo-Norman: Len dit en reproueir que toziourz aime amis.
Genuine friendship is defined by constancy. Friend records the related medieval expressions Tous jours aime qui est ami and For who is freend, loveth evermore.
30. Do not abandon your old friend for a new one
Original Middle English: Ne let naut þin olde frende for þe newe.
An established friend should not be discarded in favour of someone new and unfamiliar. Friend cites the closely related advice “Love better a known friend than a stranger” and Cast not away thyn old for newe.
Animals, humour and strange imagery
31. “Cursed be so many masters,” said the toad at the harrow
Original Anglo-Norman: “Dehez eient tanz meistres,” dist le crapod al herce.
A harrow had numerous teeth that broke up the soil after ploughing. The proverb imagines a toad beneath it complaining that it has too many masters tormenting it at once. Friend connects it with a later saying about a frog receiving a blow from every tine of the harrow, describing someone beset by difficulties on every side.
32. To someone who loves a toad, it appears as beautiful as the moon
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki crapoud aime lune li semble.
Affection can transform the way someone sees the object of their love. Friend records the medieval English version Whoso loueth þe toode, he wenyth yt is þe mone and connects the saying with “The crow thinks her own bird fairest.”
33. Necessity makes an old woman trot
Original Anglo-Norman: Bysuinne fait ueille trotter.
Urgent need can make even someone old or slow move quickly. A person who might normally remain inactive may find new energy when circumstances require action. The saying survives in the later form “Need makes the old wife trot.”
34. The person who holds the foot is as guilty as the person who skins the animal
Original Anglo-Norman: Autant uaut qui pie tient com qui escorche.
Someone who assists another person in committing a crime shares responsibility for it. The person holding the animal’s foot makes the skinning possible and cannot claim innocence simply because someone else performs the act.
35. The silent sow eats while the other sow grunts
Original Middle English: þe stille sue aet gruniende hire mete.
While one sow makes noise, the silent sow continues eating. The comparison suggests that quiet action may accomplish more than noisy activity. Friend also cites a later interpretation in which the apparently demure person is secretly roguish.
36. The spur has not yet been made, but already it is feared
Original Anglo-Norman: Uncore nest lespurun fait é ia se testent le.
The animal struggles before the spur that might prod it has even been made. The proverb makes fun of someone who reacts to pain or punishment before it arrives. Friend compares it with “To cry out before one is hurt.”
37. He who struggles against the goad is pricked twice
Original Anglo-Norman: Qui contre aguillion rebelle deus fois se point.
An animal that struggles against a pointed goad (a type of long stick) only causes itself to be pricked again. The image warns that resisting pressure can sometimes make an already painful situation worse.
38. Carry a dog across the water, and it will bark at you when it reaches the shore
Original Anglo-Norman manuscript variant: Naige le chien, quant vendra a la rive si rabaira.
Someone may help another through a difficult situation only to be repaid with hostility afterwards. Like the dog that barks once it reaches the shore, an ungrateful recipient may turn against the person whose assistance is no longer needed.
39. A hare in the bushes is “ready food”
Original Anglo-Norman: Vyaunde preste, levre en geneste.
The description is ironic: a hare in the bushes cannot become a meal until it has been caught. Friend cites the related sayings “It is good fish if it were caught” and “God send you readier meat than running hares.”
40. He who fears the sparrow does not fear the kite
Latin: Cui passer timor est, / non milio timor est.
The saying adopts the perspective of a medieval farmer. Sparrows could eat his grain, while a kite might prey upon the sparrows. A creature dangerous to one animal may therefore be useful to someone threatened by that animal.
Medieval sayings that still sound familiar
41. He who seeks lodging late soon becomes distressed
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki tart se herberge, tost se curuce.
A traveller who waits until late to find accommodation may be left with poor lodging or none at all. The saying advises making important arrangements in good time. Friend cites the later parallel “Who cometh late lodgeth ill.”
42. Where there is no fire, there is no smoke
Original Anglo-Norman: U fu nest, nest fumee.
Smoke must have an underlying cause, even when its source cannot immediately be seen. The wording differs from the familiar “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” but its underlying reasoning is essentially the same.
43. An apple given away is better than an apple eaten
Original Anglo-Norman: Meuz ualt pume dune que mange.
Giving something to another person may be more worthwhile than consuming it oneself. Friend cites the Middle English parallel Better is appel igeuen þen ieten and connects the saying with the gift of an apple as a token of friendship.
44. A full stomach makes a person merry, not a new coat
Original Anglo-Norman manuscript variant: Uentre saoul ioiue non cotelete noue.
Having food is more valuable than possessing attractive clothing. Friend cites the related sayings “Sonner pleyeth the fulle wombe, than feyre clothis” and “Better have meat than fine clothes.”
45. What the eye does not see, the heart does not desire
Original Anglo-Norman: Que oil ne ueit quor ne desiret.
Something absent from sight may gradually cease to occupy a person’s thoughts and desires. Friend connects the saying with “Out of sight out of mind” and “Seldom seen soon forgotten,” although the Anglo-Norman version places particular emphasis on desire.
46. He who is forewarned will not be disgraced
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki est garniz nest pas huniz.
Someone warned about approaching trouble has time to prepare and is less likely to suffer harm. Friend connects the saying with the later proverb “Forwarned is forearmed.”
47. As high as a person rises, so low may he fall Original Anglo-Norman: Si halt si bas.
High status and success are never entirely secure. Fortune may cast down the same person it previously raised. Friend cites the related sayings “Who climbs high, his fall is great” and “The higher standing, the lower fall.”
48. What a colt learns when first taking the bit, it retains for life
Original Anglo-Norman: Qua prent baiart en denteure si ueut tenir les iours qui dure.
Habits established when a young horse is first trained may remain with it throughout its life. Applied more broadly, the proverb suggests that lessons and habits acquired early can have a lasting influence.
49. Opportunity makes the thief
Original Anglo-Norman: Aise fet larron.
The opportunity to steal can itself create temptation, particularly when something has been left accessible or poorly protected. Friend connects the saying with the later proverb “The back door robs the house.”
50. A guest and rain become tiresome after the third day
Original Anglo-Norman: De hoste e de pluie apres tert iur ennuie.
Rain and visitors can both become burdensome when they remain too long. Friend connects the saying with the later proverb “Fresh fish and new come guests smell by that time they be three days old.”
These medieval sayings may come from classrooms and manuscripts, but the people within them remain recognisable. They worry about ungrateful friends, careless promises, difficult masters, missed opportunities and guests who stay too long. Their world of harrows, goads, hungry sows and poorly behaved dogs may be unfamiliar, yet the behaviour being described is not.
The collection also shows why proverbs survived so easily. Short, vivid and adaptable, they could cross between Anglo-Norman, Latin and Middle English while retaining their essential lessons. More than eight centuries later, many still sound less like relics of the Middle Ages than advice we might hear today.
You can read all the sayings in the article, “The Proverbs of Serlo of Wilton,” by A. C. Friend, which is published in Mediaeval Studies, Vol. 16 (1954). You can access the article through BrepolsOnline.
A toad trapped beneath a harrow complains of having too many masters, while an old woman suddenly begins to trot when necessity demands it. These 50 medieval sayings use humour, animals and everyday life to offer advice that can still feel remarkably familiar.
The sayings in this list come from a collection associated with Serlo of Wilton, a twelfth-century English scholar, poet and teacher of rhetoric. Born around 1110, Serlo studied and taught in Paris before spending time at Antibes in southern France. He later returned to England and was reportedly called by Henry II to participate in the developing centre of learning at Oxford. He eventually entered religious life and died in 1181.
Serlo probably assembled his proverbs between about 1150 and 1170. They may have formed part of his teaching materials, since proverbs were particularly useful in medieval education. Students could use a familiar vernacular saying to practise Latin vocabulary, grammar and verse composition. Proverbs also supplied memorable moral lessons and could be inserted into the opening or conclusion of a letter, speech or other composition.
The collection did not survive as a single, fixed book. Its proverbs were copied, translated and rearranged in manuscripts across medieval Europe. Some appear in Anglo-Norman alongside rhyming Latin versions, while others survive in Middle English or Latin alone. Different manuscripts preserve different selections and sometimes offer several versions of the same saying.
In his study “The Proverbs of Serlo of Wilton,” A. C. Friend compared these manuscripts and assembled more than 100 proverbs. The 50 medieval sayings selected here include practical advice, observations about power and poverty, warnings about human nature, and memorable images drawn from medieval farming and daily life.
Advice About Life and Good Judgement
1. One day may bring what an entire year cannot
Original Anglo-Norman: Un iur porte que tut lan ne pot.
Something that fails to happen over the course of an entire year may occur in a single day. Other versions of the proverb similarly state that a day can give or accomplish what a year cannot, presenting time and events as unpredictable.
2. The day should be praised in the evening
Original Anglo-Norman: Al uespre deit lum loer le ior.
A day should not be praised until evening, when its outcome is known. Friend identifies several medieval parallels expressing the same warning against judging something before it is complete, along with the later proverb “Praise a fair day at night.”
3. He who will not act when he can will not be able when he wishes
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki ne feit quant il poet, ne fert quent il uolt.
An opportunity that is neglected may not remain available. The Latin versions clarify that someone unwilling to act when circumstances permit may be unable to do what he wants later.
4. Patient deliberation is better than foolish haste
Original Anglo-Norman: Meulz ualt un bon attente que malueise haste.
Taking time to consider an action can produce better results than proceeding with foolish haste. Friend cites several related medieval sayings, including versions of “The more haste, the worse speed” and “More haste than good speed.”
5. No one has tomorrow
Original Anglo-Norman: Len n’a nul demain.
Tomorrow cannot be treated as something already possessed. The Latin versions and Friend’s cited parallels turn this observation into a warning against delay: work and good deeds that can be completed today should not be postponed until tomorrow.
6. There is a great distance between saying and doing
Original Anglo-Norman: Entre faire et dire a moult.
Words are not the same as actions. A Latin version makes the contrast explicit: “It is not words that please me, but deeds.” The proverb cautions against judging people by what they say rather than by what they accomplish.
7. Let each person do what he can
Original Anglo-Norman: Si fet ki pot.
No one should be blamed for accomplishing only what his abilities permit. Friend cites the Middle English parallel He þat dothe as kanne, blame hym no man, meaning “Let no one blame the person who does what he can.” He also connects the saying with the principle that no one can be obligated to do the impossible.
8. A person does not know what he has until it is gone
Original Anglo-Norman: Hume ne set quil ad, tresquil ne nad.
People often recognise the value of something only after losing it. The Latin version similarly states that a person does not understand what he possesses until it has disappeared. Friend summarises the meaning as “You don’t know what you have until you have lost it.”
9. A bushel of supposition does not contain a handful of knowledge
Original Anglo-Norman: En plein mine de cuider ne ad plein puin de sauer.
A large quantity of supposition is worth less than a small amount of genuine knowledge. Friend cites the related Middle English In a busshell of wynnyng, ys not a handfull of cunnyng, meaning “In a bushel of good fortune there is not a handful of knowledge.”
10. He learns easily who learns from another’s punishment
Original Anglo-Norman: Suef se chastie ki par altre se chastie.
A wise person can avoid harm by observing what happens to others. Friend cites the Middle English He is wysse, þat can beware by an oþer mannys harme, meaning “He is wise who can be warned by another man’s misfortune.”
Work, power and social status
11. For want of a wise man, a fool is set on the bench
Original Anglo-Norman: Pur suffreite de prud hume met lum fol en banc.
When no qualified person can be found, a foolish or unsuitable individual may be placed in authority. One Latin version makes the point directly: “A foolish-minded man often occupies the place of a wise man.”
12. He who enters the game agrees to its rules
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki en ieu entre, ieu consente.
Anyone who enters a game must accept the conditions under which it is played. Friend cites Chaucer’s Clerk’s Prologue: For what man that is entred in a pley / He nedes moot unto the pley assente, meaning “Whoever has entered a game must necessarily consent to the game.”
13. A man cuts a generous strap from someone else’s leather
Original Anglo-Norman: De autri cuir large corraie.
It is easy to be generous or extravagant with property belonging to someone else. One Latin version states, “A good strap is made from a hide that is not one’s own,” while Friend also cites the later English parallel “He cuts large thongs of other men’s leather.”
14. Every priest praises his own relics
Original Anglo-Norman: Chascun prestre loe ses reliques.
People are naturally inclined to praise things that belong to them or with which they are associated. Friend cites the Middle English Eche preste preyseth his awgh relikes, meaning “Each priest praises his own relics.”
15. He who serves a wicked man wastes his time
Original Anglo-Norman: Sun tens pert ki felun sert.
Service given to a wicked person will be wasted or go unrewarded. One Latin version states, “You have lost whatever you bestowed upon the wicked,” while another similarly says that service offered to wicked people is lost.
16. An agreement overcomes the law
Original Anglo-Norman: Cuuenant lai ueint.
An accepted agreement could sometimes take precedence over a general legal rule. Friend explains that although a covenant could imply a written agreement, medieval local courts might also enforce agreements that had not been put in writing. One Latin version translates as: “The law yields to an agreement; every law obeys an agreement.”
17. A neck is sometimes broken because of a good deed
Original Anglo-Norman: Pur bien fait col freint.
Doing someone a good turn does not guarantee gratitude and may even expose the helper to harm. Friend compares the proverb with the later warning, “Save a thief from the gallows and he will cut your throat.”
18. Seldom do people give land to a man who remains silent
Original Middle English: Selden gifis men dumb man land.
Here, “dumb” means silent or unwilling to speak. Friend records the related Middle English saying Who so sparyþ to speke, sparþ to spede—“Whoever holds back from speaking holds back his success.” If something must be requested, remaining silent is unlikely to secure it.
19. The law follows the king
Original Anglo-Norman: Apres le rei uait la lei.
The proverb presents royal will as a powerful source of law. Friend connects it with the Latin legal maxim Quod principi placuit, legis habet vigorem—“What pleases the prince has the force of law”—and the later saying, “What the king wills that the law wills.”
20. A poor man has no law
Original Anglo-Norman: Poure home nad lei.
The saying suggests that legal protection may be ineffective for someone who is poor. Friend compares it with the later proverb “A poor man’s tale cannot be heard,” which makes the problem particularly stark: without wealth or standing, a person may struggle even to have his case heard.
Friendship and human nature
21. Nature is stronger than upbringing
Original Anglo-Norman: Meluz uaut nature que nourreture.
Innate character may prove more powerful than education or acquired habits. Friend connects the saying with the later English proverb “Nature passes nurture,” although he notes that the opposite idea, Noureture passe nature, was also proverbial.
22. One good deed calls for another
Original Anglo-Norman: Bunte altre requert é colée sa per.
Good treatment invites good treatment in return, while an injury may be answered with another injury. Friend records the particularly direct English parallel “O good turne asket another’.”
23. One “take it” is worth two “you shall have its”
Original Anglo-Norman: Meulz ualt un “tens” que doux “tu laueras”.
Something actually received is worth more than repeated promises of a future reward. Friend connects this saying with both “A bird in hand is better than two in the bush” and “Better is one Accipe than twice to say, Dabo tibi.”
24. He who will not give what he values will not receive what he desires
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki ne dune que il aime ne prent quo desire.
Obtaining something desirable may require giving up something that is also valued. Someone unwilling to make a meaningful gift, sacrifice or exchange should not expect to receive what he wants in return.
25. The cat knows whose beard it licks
Original Anglo-Norman: Li chat set ben ki barbe il lecch(e).
Friend suggests that the saying may originally have referred to a cat licking its own whiskers. In later usage, however, it described someone whose familiarity with a powerful person allowed them to act without fear of punishment—an idea preserved in the later form “The cat knows whose lips (beard) she licks.”
26. Wash a dog and comb it; it is still a dog
Original Anglo-Norman: Laues chien, peinez chien, tuteveis est chen chen.
Washing and grooming a dog may improve its outward appearance, but it remains a dog. The saying suggests that superficial changes do not necessarily alter someone’s fundamental nature.
27. He who promises everything promises nothing
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki tut me pramet, ne me pramet.
An extravagant promise may be less trustworthy than a modest and specific commitment. Friend cites the later parallels “He that promiseth all, deceiveth all” and “He that promises too much (all) means nothing.”
28. An overly familiar master makes a foolish servant
Original Anglo-Norman: Priue seignur fait fol garcun.
A servant may become lazy or lose respect when a master grows too familiar or indulgent. Friend connects the saying with “Intimacy breeds contempt” and Chaucer’s observation that over-greet hoomlynesse engendreth dispreisynge from The Tale of Melibee.
29. A true friend always loves
Original Anglo-Norman: Len dit en reproueir que toziourz aime amis.
Genuine friendship is defined by constancy. Friend records the related medieval expressions Tous jours aime qui est ami and For who is freend, loveth evermore.
30. Do not abandon your old friend for a new one
Original Middle English: Ne let naut þin olde frende for þe newe.
An established friend should not be discarded in favour of someone new and unfamiliar. Friend cites the closely related advice “Love better a known friend than a stranger” and Cast not away thyn old for newe.
Animals, humour and strange imagery
31. “Cursed be so many masters,” said the toad at the harrow
Original Anglo-Norman: “Dehez eient tanz meistres,” dist le crapod al herce.
A harrow had numerous teeth that broke up the soil after ploughing. The proverb imagines a toad beneath it complaining that it has too many masters tormenting it at once. Friend connects it with a later saying about a frog receiving a blow from every tine of the harrow, describing someone beset by difficulties on every side.
32. To someone who loves a toad, it appears as beautiful as the moon
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki crapoud aime lune li semble.
Affection can transform the way someone sees the object of their love. Friend records the medieval English version Whoso loueth þe toode, he wenyth yt is þe mone and connects the saying with “The crow thinks her own bird fairest.”
33. Necessity makes an old woman trot
Original Anglo-Norman: Bysuinne fait ueille trotter.
Urgent need can make even someone old or slow move quickly. A person who might normally remain inactive may find new energy when circumstances require action. The saying survives in the later form “Need makes the old wife trot.”
34. The person who holds the foot is as guilty as the person who skins the animal
Original Anglo-Norman: Autant uaut qui pie tient com qui escorche.
Someone who assists another person in committing a crime shares responsibility for it. The person holding the animal’s foot makes the skinning possible and cannot claim innocence simply because someone else performs the act.
35. The silent sow eats while the other sow grunts
Original Middle English: þe stille sue aet gruniende hire mete.
While one sow makes noise, the silent sow continues eating. The comparison suggests that quiet action may accomplish more than noisy activity. Friend also cites a later interpretation in which the apparently demure person is secretly roguish.
36. The spur has not yet been made, but already it is feared
Original Anglo-Norman: Uncore nest lespurun fait é ia se testent le.
The animal struggles before the spur that might prod it has even been made. The proverb makes fun of someone who reacts to pain or punishment before it arrives. Friend compares it with “To cry out before one is hurt.”
37. He who struggles against the goad is pricked twice
Original Anglo-Norman: Qui contre aguillion rebelle deus fois se point.
An animal that struggles against a pointed goad (a type of long stick) only causes itself to be pricked again. The image warns that resisting pressure can sometimes make an already painful situation worse.
38. Carry a dog across the water, and it will bark at you when it reaches the shore
Original Anglo-Norman manuscript variant: Naige le chien, quant vendra a la rive si rabaira.
Someone may help another through a difficult situation only to be repaid with hostility afterwards. Like the dog that barks once it reaches the shore, an ungrateful recipient may turn against the person whose assistance is no longer needed.
39. A hare in the bushes is “ready food”
Original Anglo-Norman: Vyaunde preste, levre en geneste.
The description is ironic: a hare in the bushes cannot become a meal until it has been caught. Friend cites the related sayings “It is good fish if it were caught” and “God send you readier meat than running hares.”
40. He who fears the sparrow does not fear the kite
Latin: Cui passer timor est, / non milio timor est.
The saying adopts the perspective of a medieval farmer. Sparrows could eat his grain, while a kite might prey upon the sparrows. A creature dangerous to one animal may therefore be useful to someone threatened by that animal.
Medieval sayings that still sound familiar
41. He who seeks lodging late soon becomes distressed
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki tart se herberge, tost se curuce.
A traveller who waits until late to find accommodation may be left with poor lodging or none at all. The saying advises making important arrangements in good time. Friend cites the later parallel “Who cometh late lodgeth ill.”
42. Where there is no fire, there is no smoke
Original Anglo-Norman: U fu nest, nest fumee.
Smoke must have an underlying cause, even when its source cannot immediately be seen. The wording differs from the familiar “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” but its underlying reasoning is essentially the same.
43. An apple given away is better than an apple eaten
Original Anglo-Norman: Meuz ualt pume dune que mange.
Giving something to another person may be more worthwhile than consuming it oneself. Friend cites the Middle English parallel Better is appel igeuen þen ieten and connects the saying with the gift of an apple as a token of friendship.
44. A full stomach makes a person merry, not a new coat
Original Anglo-Norman manuscript variant: Uentre saoul ioiue non cotelete noue.
Having food is more valuable than possessing attractive clothing. Friend cites the related sayings “Sonner pleyeth the fulle wombe, than feyre clothis” and “Better have meat than fine clothes.”
45. What the eye does not see, the heart does not desire
Original Anglo-Norman: Que oil ne ueit quor ne desiret.
Something absent from sight may gradually cease to occupy a person’s thoughts and desires. Friend connects the saying with “Out of sight out of mind” and “Seldom seen soon forgotten,” although the Anglo-Norman version places particular emphasis on desire.
46. He who is forewarned will not be disgraced
Original Anglo-Norman: Ki est garniz nest pas huniz.
Someone warned about approaching trouble has time to prepare and is less likely to suffer harm. Friend connects the saying with the later proverb “Forwarned is forearmed.”
47. As high as a person rises, so low may he fall
Original Anglo-Norman: Si halt si bas.
High status and success are never entirely secure. Fortune may cast down the same person it previously raised. Friend cites the related sayings “Who climbs high, his fall is great” and “The higher standing, the lower fall.”
48. What a colt learns when first taking the bit, it retains for life
Original Anglo-Norman: Qua prent baiart en denteure si ueut tenir les iours qui dure.
Habits established when a young horse is first trained may remain with it throughout its life. Applied more broadly, the proverb suggests that lessons and habits acquired early can have a lasting influence.
49. Opportunity makes the thief
Original Anglo-Norman: Aise fet larron.
The opportunity to steal can itself create temptation, particularly when something has been left accessible or poorly protected. Friend connects the saying with the later proverb “The back door robs the house.”
50. A guest and rain become tiresome after the third day
Original Anglo-Norman: De hoste e de pluie apres tert iur ennuie.
Rain and visitors can both become burdensome when they remain too long. Friend connects the saying with the later proverb “Fresh fish and new come guests smell by that time they be three days old.”
These medieval sayings may come from classrooms and manuscripts, but the people within them remain recognisable. They worry about ungrateful friends, careless promises, difficult masters, missed opportunities and guests who stay too long. Their world of harrows, goads, hungry sows and poorly behaved dogs may be unfamiliar, yet the behaviour being described is not.
The collection also shows why proverbs survived so easily. Short, vivid and adaptable, they could cross between Anglo-Norman, Latin and Middle English while retaining their essential lessons. More than eight centuries later, many still sound less like relics of the Middle Ages than advice we might hear today.
You can read all the sayings in the article, “The Proverbs of Serlo of Wilton,” by A. C. Friend, which is published in Mediaeval Studies, Vol. 16 (1954). You can access the article through BrepolsOnline.
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