Meaning & Analysis
One must provide the necessary financial resources, such as legal fees, to support a legal case or any significant undertaking to ensure its success.
Insights
Resource Allocation for Success
The proverb is a broader metaphor for the principle that any important goal, project, or ambition requires adequate resources—be it money, time, or effort—to succeed. Withholding necessary support ensures failure.
Ambition vs. Action
It illustrates that ambition without material investment is merely a wish. The 'cause' represents a desired outcome, and 'starving' it symbolizes the failure to take the practical, necessary steps to make it a reality.
Nurturing Growth
A 'cause' can be viewed as a living entity that needs nourishment to grow and thrive. This metaphor emphasizes that ventures, relationships, and movements require continuous care and support to prevent them from withering away.
Historical Legal Context
Rooted in the 17th-century legal world, the proverb reflects a pragmatic, even cynical, understanding that justice and success require financial backing. The historical quotations about lawyers' fees and bribing juries show that victory in a 'cause' was seen as something that had to be purchased, not just earned on merit.
Critique of False Economy
The proverb serves as a timeless warning against the folly of 'false economy'—the act of saving small amounts of money on critical components, thereby jeopardizing the entire endeavor. It highlights a common psychological pitfall where the pain of short-term cost outweighs the rational need for long-term investment.
Psychology of Commitment
Beyond legal or financial matters, the proverb speaks to the nature of conviction. It implies that true commitment to a goal, belief, or project is demonstrated through tangible support. A failure to provide resources is a sign of weak conviction, dooming the 'cause' from the outset.
Rhetorical Devices
Metaphor
The proverb's central power comes from the metaphor of 'starving' an abstract 'cause', personifying it as a living thing that requires sustenance. This makes the advice feel urgent and visceral.
Imperative Mood
The use of the imperative 'You must not' frames the proverb as a direct, forceful command, turning it from a mere observation into a crucial rule for conduct.
Synecdoche
The word 'Cause' functions as a synecdoche, where a single term represents the entire complex machinery of a legal battle, a political campaign, or any major project.
Transcription
Quotations
Starve not thy cause for want of fees, nor thy horse to save a bottle of hay.
(As the English commonly say of Clyents towards their Lawyers; You).
John did not starve the Cause; there wanted not Yel-low-boys to fee Counsel, hire Witnesses, and bribe Juries.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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