Meaning & Analysis
A docile ewe (female sheep) will allow many lambs, not just her own, to nurse from her, depleting her milk and energy.
Insights
Exploitation of Gentleness
A person who is overly kind, generous, or non-confrontational will be taken advantage of by many, leading to their own resources and well-being being drained.
The Danger of No Boundaries
The proverb serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of setting firm personal and social boundaries. Without them, one's generosity and energy can be consumed by the endless demands of others.
Vulnerability of the Meek
It suggests that meekness and passivity can be perceived as vulnerabilities. Those who do not assert themselves are likely to attract opportunistic individuals who see an easy target for their own gain.
Gendered Social Commentary
The annotation applying the proverb to an 'ouer-kind, or too familiar, woman' reveals a gendered social anxiety, where a woman's gentleness or lack of strict social boundaries was seen as an invitation for exploitation, reflecting historical pressures on female conduct.
Psychology of Boundaries
This proverb serves as a timeless psychological warning about the perils of being a 'people-pleaser'. It illustrates how a lack of personal boundaries, driven by a desire to be agreeable or avoid conflict, inevitably attracts opportunistic individuals who deplete one's emotional, financial, or physical resources.
Economic Parallel
The cross-reference 'Where pockets are full men will borrow' explicitly links the pastoral metaphor to a universal economic principle. It demonstrates that whether the resource is milk or money, visible abundance without strong gatekeeping leads to unsustainable demands.
Rhetorical Devices
Symbolism
The 'gentle ewe' serves as a potent symbol for passivity and nurturing, while the 'lambs' collectively symbolize insatiable demand and opportunism.
Metaphor
The physical act of being 'sucked' by many lambs creates a visceral and memorable metaphor for the draining and depletion of one's personal resources, whether emotional, physical, or financial.
Hyperbole
The use of 'every lamb' is a deliberate exaggeration to underscore the overwhelming and relentless nature of the demands placed upon the gentle and accommodating individual.
Transcription
Quotations
(by too many Lambs).
A mild sheep is suckt by every lamb.
A meek sheep is suck'd by every lamb.
The English say, Where pockets are full, men will borrow.
Cross References
Annotations
- Appliable to an ouer-kind, or too familiar, woman.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.