PROVERBS. 



333 



expressed by proverbial sayings, and this feudal society is faithfully repre- 

 sented in this simple enumeration : " Concile d'Apostoile," " Parliaments of 

 the King," "Assembly of Chevaliers," "Company of Clerks," "Beuverie 

 de Bourgeois," " Crowd of Villeins," &c. We see that at that time proverbs 

 were couched in a very few words, but those few expressing a great deal. 



The transition from these plain proverbs, which express some moral truth 

 or ordinary idea, to the historical proverb (Figs. 280 and 281), which mentions 

 some remarkable event to celebrate the name of any remarkable person, or 

 contains an allusion to the special characteristics of a country, a province, or 

 a town, is a very natural one. One might imagine that the people were bent 

 upon writing in this concrete and striking shape the history of the facts 

 which seemed worth remembering. 



The ancient proverbs relating to France are numerous, for there is 

 not a town or a village which has not one referring to it. In the " Dit de 

 1'Apostoile " are to be found six concerning the Flemish (Fig. 282), five about 

 the Gascons, eighteen about the Normans, twelve about Orleans, thirty 

 about Paris, and so forth. Each of these proverbs would afford matter 

 for an interesting dissertation from the double point of view of history and 

 philosophy. 



We have already (see chapter on the Science of Heraldry) spoken of the 

 heraldic devices and mottoes, but there are also a certain number of popular 

 sayings which relate to the nobility of the ancient provinces of France. For 

 Burgundy : 



" Riche de Chalons, 



Noble de Vienne, 



Preux de Vergy, 



Fin de Neuehatel, 

 Et la maison de Beaufremont 

 D'ofo sont sortis les bons barons." 



For Brittany : 



" Antiquitfi de Penhoet, 

 Vaillance de Chastel, 

 liichesse de Kennan, 

 Chevalerie de Kergournadec." 



These are allusions to the qualities of the different places and families 

 mentioned. 



The proverbs relating to the names of men of undent or modern times 



