Jamaica Proverbial Philosophy. 4^ 



" immoderate expe6lations. And they take," continues 

 the good Archbishop, " a yet higher range than this ; 

 " they have their ethics, their theology, their views of 

 '• man in his highest relations of all, as man with his 

 •* fellow man, and man with his Maker. Be these views," 

 says he, " always corre6l or not, and I should be very 

 " far from affirming that they always are so, the student 

 " of humanity, he who because he is a man, counts 

 " nothing human to be alien to him, can never without 

 " wilfully foregoing an important document and one 

 " which would have helped him in his studies, altogether 

 *' negle6l or pass them by." 



This is just our standpoint in relation to our Jamaica 

 Proverbs, and it is because we thus regard them that we 

 have made it our business and our pleasure too, to colled 

 and study them for many years past. 



The result of that study has been the convi6lion, that 

 there is no country which can boast of a colle6lion of 

 secular proverbs more pithy and instru6live, more 

 replete with wit and humour, or more terse and compa6l, 

 than those which are associated with our beautiful " Isle 

 " of Springs." 



From our colle6lion we now submit a seleflion of some 

 of the most striking and piquant, giving generally their 

 English equivalents, and in a few casesequivalents in other 

 countries, from which it will be seen they are not inferior 

 in all those essential features which go to make a good 

 proverb, to those with which they are compared. 



1. When snake bite you ; you see lizard, you run. 

 The burnt child dreads the fire. 



2. Bowl go, calabash come, or Hand go, hand come. 

 One good turn deserves another. 



G 



