Meaning & Analysis
Literally, the proverb states that a man owns and maintains a pair of merlins, which are small falcons. A 'cast' is the specific collective noun for two hawks flown together in the sport of falconry.
Insights
Promiscuity and Womanizing
The proverb is a euphemism for a man who is a womanizer or 'wencher'. The 'cast of merlins' metaphorically refers to his mistresses or lovers, whom he 'keeps' for his pleasure and sport, much like a falconer keeps birds of prey.
Predatory Conquest
The merlins, as birds of prey, symbolize the man's predatory approach to romantic and sexual pursuits. He is portrayed as a hunter who treats relationships as a sport of conquest and control.
Deceptive Respectability
The proverb highlights a deceptive appearance. It uses the respectable, aristocratic hobby of falconry to mask the socially frowned-upon practice of philandering, suggesting a veneer of nobility that conceals a hidden vice.
Historical Status and Falconry
The proverb's meaning is rooted in the historical significance of falconry as a status symbol for the gentry. A 'cast of merlins'—a pair of falcons—was a legitimate mark of a gentleman, making its use as a euphemism for keeping mistresses a sharp and witty form of social commentary.
Psychological Objectification
The metaphor reveals a psychological tendency to objectify women, reducing them to prized, predatory birds kept for 'sport'. This reflects a patriarchal worldview where sexual relationships are framed as a form of conquest and possession rather than partnership.
Coded Language and Wit
The phrase functions as a clever, coded piece of gossip or insult. By using the specialized, sophisticated language of venery (the term 'cast'), a speaker could comment on a man's promiscuity without resorting to crude or direct language.
Rhetorical Devices
Metaphor
The entire phrase is a sustained metaphor where mistresses are equated with a pair of hunting birds, transferring the attributes of sport, predation, and possession onto human relationships.
Euphemism
The proverb functions as a sophisticated euphemism, substituting the crude term 'wencher' or 'philanderer' with the refined, technical language of an aristocratic sport.
Symbolism
The merlins symbolize not just women, but a specific dynamic of conquest and control. As birds of prey, their symbolic weight casts the man's relationships in a predatory light.
Transcription
Quotations
*A Wencher.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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