The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (79 page)
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The CAT, the rat, and Lovell the dog, rule all England under the hog
The allusion is explained in quot. 1586.
1516
New Chronicles of England & France
viii. 219
V
The Catte the Ratte And Louell our dogge Rulyth all Englande under hogge. The whiche was ment that Catisby Ratclyffe And the Lord Louell Ruled the lande under the kynge.
1586
Chronicles
III.746
[Richard III executed] a poore gentleman called Collingborne [in 1484], for making a small rime of three of his .. councellors,.. lord Louell, sir Richard Ratcliffe .. and sir William Catesbie… The Cat, the Rat, and Louell our dog, Rule all England vnder an hog. Meaning by the hog, the .. wild boare, which was the Kings cognisance [coat of arms].
1816
Antiquary
ii,
‘His name .. was Lovel.’ ‘What! the cat, the rat and Lovel our dog? Was he descended from King Richard's favourite?’
1931
Blanket of Dark
viii.
This Francis Lovell, With Catesby and Ratcliffe he ruled the land under King Richard. You have heard the country rhyme: The Cat, the Rat, and Lovell our dog Ruled all England under the Hog.
1973
Postern of Fate
I. ii.
The cat
,
the rat and Lovell
,
the dog
,
Rule all England under the hog
. .. The hog was Richard the Third.
rulers and ruled
1516New Chronicles of England & France
viii. 219
V
The Catte the Ratte And Louell our dogge Rulyth all Englande under hogge. The whiche was ment that Catisby Ratclyffe And the Lord Louell Ruled the lande under the kynge.
1586
Chronicles
III.746
[Richard III executed] a poore gentleman called Collingborne [in 1484], for making a small rime of three of his .. councellors,.. lord Louell, sir Richard Ratcliffe .. and sir William Catesbie… The Cat, the Rat, and Louell our dog, Rule all England vnder an hog. Meaning by the hog, the .. wild boare, which was the Kings cognisance [coat of arms].
1816
Antiquary
ii,
‘His name .. was Lovel.’ ‘What! the cat, the rat and Lovel our dog? Was he descended from King Richard's favourite?’
1931
Blanket of Dark
viii.
This Francis Lovell, With Catesby and Ratcliffe he ruled the land under King Richard. You have heard the country rhyme: The Cat, the Rat, and Lovell our dog Ruled all England under the Hog.
1973
Postern of Fate
I. ii.
The cat
,
the rat and Lovell
,
the dog
,
Rule all England under the hog
. .. The hog was Richard the Third.
rulers and ruled
The CAT would eat fish, but would not wet her feet
Cf. medieval L.
catus amat piscem
,
sed non vult tingere plantas
, the cat loves a fish, but does not wish to wet its feet.
c
1225
in
Englische Studien
(1902) XXXI. 7
Cat lufat visch, ac he nele his feth wete.
c
1380
House of Fame
III. 1783
For ye be lyke the sweynte [tired] cat That wolde have fissh; but wostow [do you know] what? He wolde nothing wete his clowes.
c
1549
Dialogue of Proverbs
I. xi. B8
V
But you lust not to do, that longeth therto. The cat would eate fyshe, and wold not wet her feete.
1605
–
6
Macbeth
I. vii. 44
Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would’, Like the poor cat i' th' adage.
1732
Gnomologia
no. 6130
Fain would the Cat Fish eat, but she's loth her Feet to wet.
1928
Sphere
7 Jan. 36
‘The cat would fain eat fish, but would not wet his feet.’..In modern days one might paraphrase it into ‘bad sailors would fain enjoy the sun, but would not cross the channel’.
decision and indecision
;
wanting and having
catus amat piscem
,
sed non vult tingere plantas
, the cat loves a fish, but does not wish to wet its feet.
c1225
in
Englische Studien
(1902) XXXI. 7
Cat lufat visch, ac he nele his feth wete.
c
1380
House of Fame
III. 1783
For ye be lyke the sweynte [tired] cat That wolde have fissh; but wostow [do you know] what? He wolde nothing wete his clowes.
c
1549
Dialogue of Proverbs
I. xi. B8
V
But you lust not to do, that longeth therto. The cat would eate fyshe, and wold not wet her feete.
1605
–
6
Macbeth
I. vii. 44
Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would’, Like the poor cat i' th' adage.
1732
Gnomologia
no. 6130
Fain would the Cat Fish eat, but she's loth her Feet to wet.
1928
Sphere
7 Jan. 36
‘The cat would fain eat fish, but would not wet his feet.’..In modern days one might paraphrase it into ‘bad sailors would fain enjoy the sun, but would not cross the channel’.
decision and indecision;
wanting and having
cat
You cannot CATCH old birds with chaff
The wise and experienced are not easily fooled.
1481
Reynard the Fox
(1880) xl.
Wenest [do you think] thou thus to deceyue … I am no byrde to be locked ne take by chaf. I know wel ynowh good corn.
c
1590
Timon
(1842) iv. ii.
Tis well.—An olde birde is not caught with chaffe.
1670
English Proverbs
126
You can't catch old birds with chaff.
1853
Newcomes
II. xv.
They ogled him as they sang .. with which chaff our noble bird was by no means to be caught.
1936
Danger at Cliff House
v.
Henry Prince was too old a bird to be caught with such chaff.
1957
She died because
.. xiii.
The author begs to append translations of these several statements. The first is from
Don Quixote:
‘I am an old dog, and
tus
,
tus
, will not do for me,’ which corresponds to the English proverb that an old bird may not be caught with chaff.
experience
;
wisdom
1481Reynard the Fox
(1880) xl.
Wenest [do you think] thou thus to deceyue … I am no byrde to be locked ne take by chaf. I know wel ynowh good corn.
c
1590
Timon
(1842) iv. ii.
Tis well.—An olde birde is not caught with chaffe.
1670
English Proverbs
126
You can't catch old birds with chaff.
1853
Newcomes
II. xv.
They ogled him as they sang .. with which chaff our noble bird was by no means to be caught.
1936
Danger at Cliff House
v.
Henry Prince was too old a bird to be caught with such chaff.
1957
She died because
.. xiii.
The author begs to append translations of these several statements. The first is from
Don Quixote:
‘I am an old dog, and
tus
,
tus
, will not do for me,’ which corresponds to the English proverb that an old bird may not be caught with chaff.
experience;
wisdom
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