Blair Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs and familiar phrases

Education.
Better he unborn than untaught. When the tivig is tender, it is
easiest bent. The child you teach not at your knee, you won't teach at
your ear (i.e., when grown up). The early learning is the pretty
learning. A child is known by his manners. The child that's left
to himself will put his mother to shame. Ignorance is a heavy
burden. Blind is the ignorant. He that knows is strong.
Kindred, Fosterhood, Clannishness.
Blood is hotter than water. Blood is stronger than breeding.
Blood will withstand the rocks. Flesh will warm to kin against
a man's will. All the water in the sea won't wash out our
kindred. Bare is shoulder without brother, bare hearth with-
out sister. Pity him who turns his back on his people. Trews
like to be among clothes, I like to be among my people. Throw
reproach on your kinsman, it loill rest on your family. The Clans
of the Gael shoulder to shoulder ! Dear is a kinsman, but the pith of
the heart is a foster-brother. Pity him xoho has few foster-friends.
Friendship.
Friendship is as it's kept. Friends are lost by calling often, and
hj calling seldom. It's poor friendship that needs to be con-
stantly bought. Tivo crossing the ford are best near each other.
A friend's eye is a good looking-glass. Better coldness of a friend
than warmth of an enemy. A silly friend is more troublesome than
a wise enemy. A friend can't be helped without trouble. He is not
m,y friend that hurts me. Pity him who has weak friends. Don' t
say you know a man till you divide a spoil with him.
Landlord and Tenant. — Some of these sayings are
remarkable, and worthy of attention, all the more, that
the people whose thoughts they express are naturally
contented, quiet, tractable, averse to innovation, agita-
tion, or violence.
Tenantry are stronger than laird. (In its original sense this
would be, Tribe is stronger than Chief. See Skene's Celtic
Scotland, Vol. Ill, chap. iv. and vi.) A farmer on his feet is
taller than a gentleman on his knees. Woe to him that for-