Jacula Prudentum: Outlandish Proverbs, Sentences, etc.

by George Herbert (complier)

Jacula Prudentum, or “Darts of the Wise,” is a collection of almost 1200 proverbs compiled by George Herbert in the seventeenth century. This collection includes many well-known sayings such as: “Whose house is of glass must not throw stones at another,” “All is not gold that glitters,” “Help thyself, and God will help thee,” and “You may bring a horse to the river, but he will drink when and what he pleaseth.” “The collection is curious and interesting. Proverbs formed a favorite study of that age.”—Rev. Robert Willmott.

118 pages, Paperback

Published January 31, 2018

About the author

George Herbert (1593-1633) was a Welsh-born English poet and orator. Herbert's poetry is associated with the writings of the metaphysical poets, and he is recognized as "a pivotal figure: enormously popular, deeply and broadly influential, and arguably the most skillful and important British devotional lyricist."

Born into an artistic and wealthy family, Herbert received a good education that led to his admission in 1609 as a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, Herbert excelled in languages, rhetoric and music. He went to university with the intention of becoming a priest, but when eventually he became the University's Public Orator he attracted the attention of King James I and may well have seen himself as a future Secretary of State. In 1624 and briefly in 1625 he served in Parliament. Never a healthy man, he died of consumption at the early age of 39.

Reviews

[HZM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting compilation of old proverbs, where some are still relevant and in use today. I would have preferred the book to be indexed, which would have given a better overview.