A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

The CAT, the rat, and Lovell the dog, rule all England under the hog
The allusion is explained in quot. 1586.
□1516 R. FABYAN New Chronicles of England & France VIII. 219^V The Catte the Ratte And Louell our dogge Rulyth all Englande under a hogge. The whiche was ment that Catisby Ratclyffe And the Lord Louell Ruled the lande under the kynge. 1586 R. HOLINSHED Chronicles III. 746 [Richard III executed] a poore gentleman called Collingborne [in 1484], for making a small rime of three of his.. councellors,.. lord Louell, sir Richard Ratcliffe.. and sir William Catesbie. .. The Cat, the Rat, and Louell our dog, Rule all England vnder an hog. Meaning by the hog, the.. wild boare, which was the Kings cognisance [coat of arms]. 1816 SCOTT Antiquary ii. ‘His name.. was Lovel.’ ‘What! the cat, the rat, and Lovel our dog? Was he descended from King Richard’s favourite?’ 1973 A. CHRISTIE Postern of Fate I. ii. The cat, the rat and Lovell, the dog, Rule all England under the hog. .. The hog was Richard the Third. ■ rulers and ruled
The CAT would eat fish, but would not wet her feet
Cf. medieval L. catus amat piscem, sed non vult tingere plantas, the cat loves a fish, but does not wish to wet its feet.
□c 1225 in Englische Studien (1902) XXXI. 7 Cat lufat visch, ac he nele his feth wete. c 1380 CHAUCER House of Fame III. 1783 For ye be lyke the sweynte [tired] cat That wolde have fissh; but wostow [do you know] what? He wolde nothing wete his clowes. c 1549 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs i. xi. B8^V But you lust not to do, that longeth therto. The cat would eate fyshe, and wold not wet her feete. 1605-6 SHAKESPEARE Macbeth I. vii. 44 Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would’, Like the poor cat i’ th’ adage. 1732 T. FULLER Gnomologia no. 6130 Fain would the Cat Fish eat, but she’s loth her Feet to wet. 1928 Sphere 7 Jan. 36 ‘The cat would fain eat fish, but would not wet his feet.’.. In modern days one might paraphrase it into ‘bad sailors would fain enjoy the sun, but would not cross the channel’. "decision and indecision; wanting and having
cat see also CARE killed the cat; CURIOSITY killed the cat; feed a DOG for three days and he will remember your kindness for three years.. ; DOGS look up to you, cats look down on you, pigs is equal; KEEP no more cats than will catch mice; WANTON kittens make sober cats; there is more than one WAY to skin a cat; there are more WAYS of killing a cat than choking it with cream; also CATS.