Randle Cotgrave

“ You may be gone, you may depart when you will; you may goe shake your eares; the matter is dispatched, our businesse at an end, here is no more to be done. Il m'y va de. It touches, or concernes; it depends vpon, my. Aller & parler peut on, boire & manger non: Pro. One may visit a friend sometimes, but must not if hee looke to bee welcome (another time) stay long with him. Aller & venir font le chemin peler: Pro. Much trauelling makes bad wayes. C'est grand peine d'aller à cheval, & vne mort d'aller à pied: Prov. Tis a great trouble to ride, and a death to foot it. ”

“ Abonner. To compound with, or for; to agree beforehand, or be at a certaine rate, with, for a thing; to make good one thing with another; also to alien, or exchange, one thing for another.
Abonneur. An alienor, exchanger; Also, as Acquereur. Abonni: m. ie: f. Made good; Also as Aborné. Abonnir. To make good; also to doe good vnto; also as Aborner. Abord: m. An arriuall, an approach; a boording, abbording, drawing neere vnto. De doux abord. Gentle, courteous, affable: of open accesse, easie to be spoken with, or come vnto. ”

“ Il y aura icy de l'asne. We shall be troubled with some foolish coyle, or vaine businesse. I'ay beau attendre! Here's goodly tarrying sure! I stay to much purpose indeed! (Ironically) also, as in; Ils l'avoient beau flatter. They were faine to speake him faire. Assez a qui se contente: Prov. Contentment is treasure ynough; nor needs he more thats pleased with what he hath. Assez a qui bon credit a: Prov. A good report is a sufficient portion. Assez y a si trop n'y a: Prov. There is ynough where there is not too much; (a difference betweene sufficiencie, and superfluitie.) ”

“ Parens sans amis, amis sans pouvoir, pouvoir sans vouloir, vouloir sans effect, effect sans profit, profit sans vertu, ne vaut vn festu: Prov. Kinred without friends, friends without power, power without will, will without effect, effect without profit, profit without vertue, is not worth a fescue.
Qui preste à l'ami perd au double: Prov. viz. both friend and money; To which purpose wee haue a certaine (triuiall, but true-meaning) Ryme, which begins with, I lent my money to my friend, and ends
with, I lost both money, and my friend. ”

“ Growne ripe, drawn to a head, brought to an end; also, abutted, affronted, confined, come neere vnto, met at, the end.
Aboutir. To wax ripe, or draw to a head, as an impostume; also, to end; to approach, or grow, towards an end; to meet at their end; also to touch, affront, abut vpon, confine, or be neere, vnto in the head, foot, front, bottome, top, or end of; also, to approach, or make towards. Aboutir en pointe. To end sharpe, or pointed; to grow smaller, and smaller towards the toppe, head, or end. ”

“ Hee that serues a good master, hopes for a good reward. Qui fol envoye fol attend: Pro. He that imployes a foole, expects a foole. Tout est fait negligemment là où l'un à l'autre s'attend: Prov. Nothing is well done where one altogether trusts vnto, or relyes vpon, another. Tout vient à point qui peut attendre: Prov. He that can stay his time, shall compasse any thing. ”

“ Good Lord what quaint tearmes, what goodly words you vse! Ironically.
Avoir son Cardinal; ou, son cas. A woman to bee troubled with her monthly flux.
Avoir sa chemise; &, ce qu'elle doit avoir. The same.
Avoir le cœur net de. To be fully satisfied in, throughly resolued of.
Avoir son compte. To be merrie, liuely, iolly, light hearted, at ease; as one that hath past a troublesome accompt, or is cleere of a combersome reckoning, and knowes alreadie what he is to trust vnto.
Avoir les dents à machecoulis. Looke Dent.
Avoir le feu à la feste. To be hot, hastie, cholericke, fierce, furious ”

“ A loue, a lemman, a shee friend, a sweet-heart; also, a certaine skalesse fish, like the Bonito, which hauing swallowed a hooke, sheeres the line asunder with her teeth, and so escapes. Nous verrons au Ieu qui aura belle amie: viz. Who shall get the victorie; a Metaphor, from such as fight for their mistresses. Ia couard n'aura belle amie: Pro. We say, faint heart neuer woon faire ladie.
Amieller. To sweeten; intice, allure, inueagle with honied words; to delight, win, or toll on, by honie, or any sweet meanes. ”

“ To aid, helpe, assist; releeue, succour; second; support; fauour; forward, further. Bon est le dueil qui apres aide: Prov. Good is that sorrow which at length does good; happie the griefe which in the end makes vs happie. Fortuneaide à celuy qui se veut aider: Prov. Fortune helpes him that's willing to helpe himselfe.
Ajencement, & Ajencer. Looke Agencement, & Agencer. Ajetter vn oiseau. To cast, or whistle, off a hawke; to let her go, let her flie. ”

“ Looke Admortissement. Lettres d'amortissement. A licence of alienation, or of purchase, in Mortmaine, graunted vnto churchmen, corporations, guilds, fraternities, &c; and must be procured by them vpon euery new purchase (generall letters not being sufficient) otherwise th' Imposition de nouveaux Acquests is layd on them, once in euery kings time: And this is good onely from the king, of whomsoeuer the land be held; and for this, a third part of the value is to be allowed him.
Amour: com. Loue, kindnesse, charitie; good will, good liking, affection; also, the name of a certaine Italian sport ”

“ L'homme qui a de l'art possede sa part: Prov. He that hath wit, will haue a share in euery thing. Qui sçait l'art serre la boutique: Prov. Th' enuious workeman often hides his cunning. Qui ne sçait l'art serre la boutique: Pro. The bungler, to seeme cunning, makes it daintie.
Artail: m. as Orteil. Artemon: m. The mizen Maste, or sayle, of a ship.
Artere: f. An Arterie, pulse, panting veine; a skinnie, round, and hollow vessell, whereby the vitall spirit, mixed with bloud, is conueyed from the heart vnto all parts of the bodie. ”

“ We say, Loue, and the Cough cannot be hidden. Amour vainc tout fors que coeur felon: Pro. Loue ouercomes any thing but a froward, or spightfull, heart. En amour est folie, & sens: Prov. In loue there is both dotage, and discretion. Argent faict rage, & amour mariage: Pro. Money breeds rage, loue mariage. Au batre faut l'amour: Pro. By beating (the beloued) loue decayes. ”

“ A carrying; or, bringing to; also, an arriuing at, or drawing neere vnto, the hauen, or shore.
Apporter. To carie, bring, or beare vnto; also, to arriue, or approach neere to the hauen, or shore. Chasque demain apporte son pain: Prov. God so prouides for all his creatures, that they need not care much for the morrow. Qui vient est beau; qui apporte encores plus beau: Prov. Faire is he that comes, but fairer he that brings; no emptie hand lookes so well as a full one. Trop tost vient a la porte qui mauvaise nouvelle apporte: Prov. Looke Nouvelle. ”

“ Looke Bras. C'est argent qu'argent vaut: Prov. Nothing but money is money-worth. En argent soit le capital de celuy là qui le veut mal: Prov. (Belike, because the keeping of it is both sinfull, and casuall.) Quand argent faut tout faut: Prov. He that wants money wants all things. Qui a argent a des chapeaux: Prov. Most men salute the monyed man; or, he that hath money hath most things. ”

“ The hearbe, larks spurre, larks claw, larks heele, larks toes, Monks hood. Donner la bourde de l'alouette. To misse-lead, or traine along from the place he would find; (from the larke, which euer flies fromward her neast, when shee sees any bodie eyes her.) Il pense que les alouettes luy tomberont en la bouche toutes rosties; He vainely thinkes, that good fortune will come a wooing to him. ”

“ Amour de seigneur est ombre de buisson: Prov. The loue of a great man is of small continuance, and dangerous consequence.
Amour, & seigneurie ne se tindrent iamais compagnie: Prov. Loue, and lordlinesse neuer held companie together; a friend, and a lord are incompatible.
Amour apprend les asnes à danser: Prov. Looke Danser.
Amour fait beaucoup, mais argent fait tout: Prov. Loue does much, but money does all.
L'amour, la tousse, & la galle ne se peuvent celer ”

“ Affaicter. To trim, tricke, decke, dresse curiously, make neat, spruce, fine; to refine; also, to tame, reclaime, breake, make gentle, bring to ciuilitie. Affaicter vn oiseau. To man a hauke throughly.
Affaicterie: f. A trimming, tricking, decking, neat, quaint, or fine dressing; also, neatnesse, nicenesse, curiositie, quaintnesse; also, a breaking, taming, reclayming, ciuilizing, making gentle; (hence) also, the through manning of a hauke, &c.
Affaire: m. An affaire, businesse, imployment; worke, matter, somewhat to doe; also, a labour, trouble; charge. ”

“ A Priuiledge of fining, at certaine times, the ignoble Tenant that possesses, or purchases, a noble Tenement, or inheritance; Looke Droict. Il n'y a point d'acquest en luy. He is but a drie fellow, there is nought to be got by dealing with him. En grand fardeau n'est pas l'acquest; Prov. The greatest burthens are not the gainfullest; or, The goodnesse of a thing rests not in the greatnesse of it. ”

“ To the Reader.
vmanum est errare, say the Latinists, to whom verie many (too much men in their much erring) haue beene exceedingly beholden for an excuse vpon iust accusations. I (who am no God, nor Angell) either to preuent, or to profit, others, am willing ynough to accuse my selfe ”

“ Qui bon l'achete bon le boit; Pro. He that wil pay, or take pains, for good things, enioies good things. Trop achete le miel que sur espines le leche; Pro. He that lickes honnie of thornes paies too deere for it. ”

“ To put pouder into the touch-hole of a peece.
Amorti: m. ie: f. Deaded, quenched, quayled, extinguished, ceased, abolished; also, redeemed, or bought out, as a rent charge, &c; also, graunted, or passed away in Mortmaine; also, exchanged by agreement, as, one seruice for another; also, disappearing, dead, gone, or lost, as the part of a piller thats closed within a wall; or, the piece of timber that is, by mortaise, ioyned vnto another piece. Censives amorties. Which are not held by homage, and fealtie. Heritages amorties. Which owe neither homage, fealtie, rent, nor seruice ”

“ Fort est qui abbat, & plus fort qui se releue; Pro. Seeke, Releuer. Abbatu m. uë: f. felled; beaten, or broken downe; violently borne, or brought down; quelled, ruined, ouerthrowne, cast to the ground. Il a le coeur tout abbatu. his mind is vtterly deiected, courage abated, heart gone; hee is wholy crestfallen; there is no further life, no mettall, spirit, left in him. L'abbatu veut tousiours luicter; Prov. sayd of an obstinat fellow, whom no foile can make leaue a Contention, or suit, begun. Chasteau abbatu est à demy refaict; Pro. A house puld downe is half built vp againe. ”

“ Nul n'a trop pour soy de sens, d'argent, de foy: Prov. Looke Foy. Quelque sçavoir que soit on l'hommes, s'il n'a de l'argent, on s'en mocque: Prov. The skilfullest, wanting money, are but scorned. Qui combat avec les armes d'argent est asseure de vaincre: Prov. ”

“ An antient forme of Appeale vsed by such defendants as pretended disturbance in the possession of their inheritance. Fol appel. An idle, or litigious Appeale; which is finable; Seeke Amende de fol appel. Contre la mort n'y a nul appel: Prov. Death admits no Appeale; or, none can appeale from death.
Appelant: m. An Appealant, or Appealer, one that appeales; also, a caller, or crier vnto; (and hence do Fowlers name a Finch, Appelant;) also, an appeacher, or accuser. Visage d'appelant. A heauie looke, sorrowfull visage, pitifull countenance. ”

“ Anarchie: f. An Anarchie; a Commonwealth without a head, or Gouernour; a confused state, wherein one is as good as another; also, want of gouernment, libertie, licentiousnesse, dissolutenesse.
Anarchique: com. Belonging to an Anarchie; without rule, gouernment; beginning, or order; dissolute, licentious.
Anastomose: f. The communication of veines with arteries, whereby they helpe one another.
Anate. A ducke, or drake.
Anatematization. as, Anathematisation. Anathematisation: f. An anathematisation, extreame cursing; vowing, or deuoting vnto the diuell. ”

“ To arch; bow, bend; grow compasse, or crooked, like an arch.
Arcure: f. An arching, bought, or bow; compasse, or bowing.
Ardamment. Ardently, hotly, feruently; earnestly, eagrely, vehemently; with great heat; passion, or desire.
Ardans: m. S. Hermes fires; the flittering, or going fiers, flashes, or flames, which be seen by night, and neere vnto waters.
Ardant: m. ante: f. Ardent, hoat, burning; feruent; eagre, earnest, greedie, vehement, most affectionate. Chambre ardante. Looke Chambre. Eau ardant. Aqua, or Aquauitæ. Feu ardant. ”

“ Of good estate, well lined, well to liue; well furnished with all houshold prouision. Chose aisée croyable: Prov. Ordinarie things are easily beleeued.
Aise: com. Cheerefull, glad; contented, in fulnesse of delight, with great satisfaction, at much ease; whence; Ils estoyent à table aises comme Peres. (A phrase, whose Author by Peres meant Abbey-lubbers.) Ils repaissent aises comme à nopçes. They feed as freely (or cheerefully) as if they were at a wedding. Chascun n'est pas aise qui danse: Prov. ”

“ A friend; a louer, a Paramor; a louing mate, a deere companion.
Vne beauté faicte à l'ami; &, Cheveux frisotez à l'ami. Daintily, quaintly, curiously.
Il en est bien mon bel ami. He is farre in loue withall, he likes it passing well; and, he would faine haue it, or, be owner of it.
Vn ami veille pour l'autre: Prov. One friend euer watches, or cares, for another.
à rich homme n'en chaut qui ami luy soit: Prov. The rich man needs no friends; or needs not care who he takes to friend ”

“ To fall to decay, to grow bankrupt in estate, to go downe the weather. Aller de plus grande singlée. A Shippe to make the greater way, or to beare the more sayles, for speed. Aller tousjours son train. To keep alwayes one place; to hold on the old course still. Aller à travers champs. To wander; to goe roaming out of the high, out of the road, out of the right, way. Aller à la veuë. To goe lodge a Bucke, or harbour a Stagge; (mornings worke for woodmen.) Au fort, ou, au pis aller. At worst, if the worst fall out, and the worst come to the worst. ”

“ Abandon: m. bandon, free licence, full libertie for others to vse a thing; The quitting, abandonment, or prostitution of a thing vnto other; whence; Mettre sa forest en abandon; to lay it open, or make it common for all men that will gather wood, or graze their cattell, in it. Abandon fait larron; Prov. Things carelesly left, layd vp, or looked vnto, make them theeues that otherwise would be honest: we say, fast bind fast find. Qui faict nopçes, & maison, il met le sien en abandon: Prov. The building of houses and making of feasts, are vnlimitted wasters of a mans substance. ”

“ To make a man readie to doe, or speake, a thing before he know, or be aware, how he was drawne vnto it; also, to bring to reason, or persuade vnto reasonable tearmes, one, that before was froward, or vnreasonable. ”

“ An Aromaticall tree, so called. Arbre trop souvent transplanté ne porte pas fruict à planté. Looke Planté. L'arbre ne tombe pas du premer coup: Prov. Though a little man can fell a great Oke, yet falls it not at the first blow; Rome was not built on a day; nor are great matters atchieued as soone as attempted. De l'arbre d'un pressoir le manche d'un Cernoir: Prov. (We say of one that hath squandered away great wealth) hee hath thwitten a mill-post to a pudding pricke. De doux arbre douces pommes. A sweet tree yeeldeth sauourie fruit. ”