The printer, in his address "to the merrie, judicious, and discreet reader," refers in the following quaint expressions to the author:--"Therefore manie in this realme that hath hard of David Fergusson, sometime minister at Dunfermline, and of his quick answers and speeches, both to great persons and others inferiours, and hath hard of his proverbs which hee gathered together in his time, and now we put downe according to the order of the alphabet; and manie, of all ranks of persons, being verie desirous to have the said proverbs, I have thought good to put them to the presse for thy better satisfaction.... I know that there may be some that will say and marvell that a minister should have taken pains to gather such proverbs together; but they that knew his forme of powerfull preaching the word, and his ordinar talking, ever almost using proverbiall speeches, will not finde fault with this that he hath done. And whereas there are some old Scottish words not in use now, bear with that, because if ye alter those words, the proverb will have no grace; and so, recommending these proverbs to thy good use, I bid thee farewell." I now subjoin a few of Fergusson's Proverbs, verbatim, which are of a more obsolete character, and have appended explanations, of the correctness of which, however, I am not quite confident:-- _A year a nurish[86], seven year a da[87]_. Refers, I presume, to fulfilling the maternal office. _Anes payit never cravit_. Debts once paid give no more trouble. _All wald[88] have all, all wald forgie[89]_. Those who exact much should be ready to concede. _A gangang[90] fit[91] is aye[92] gettin (gin[93] it were but a thorn),_ or, as it sometimes runs, _gin it were but a broken tae, i.e. toe_. A man of industry will certainly get a living; though the proverb is often applied to those who went abroad and got a mischief when they might safely have stayed at home--(Kelly). _All crakes[94], all bears[95]_. Spoken against bullies who kept a great hectoring, and yet, when put to it, tamely pocket an affront--(Kelly). _Bourd[96] not wi' bawtie[97] (lest he bite you_). Do not jest too familiarly with your superiors (Kelly), or with dangerous characters. _Bread's house skailed never[98]_ While people have bread they need not give up housekeeping. Spoken when one has bread and wishes something better--(Kelly). _Crabbit[99] was and cause had_. Spoken ironically of persons put out of temper without adequate cause. _Dame, deem[100] warily, (ye watna[101] wha wytes[102] yersell_).--Spoken to remind those who pass hard censures on others that they may themselves be censured. _Efter lang mint[103] never dint[104]_. Spoken of long and painful labour producing little effect. Kelly's reading is "_Lang mint little dint_." Spoken when men threaten much and dare not execute--(Kelly). _Fill fou[105] and hand[106] fou maks a stark[107] man_. In Border language a _stark_ man was one who takes and keeps boldly.