To go upon the FRANCISCANS' hackney

Insights

Embracing Poverty

Represents the acceptance or even the virtue of poverty and simplicity—doing without luxuries or conveniences, as the Franciscans did as a matter of principle.

Resourcefulness

Suggests making do with what one has, finding value or dignity in self-reliance and humble means rather than depending on material possessions.

Historical Symbolism

The Franciscans, an order founded by St. Francis of Assisi, were known for their vows of poverty and their refusal of personal or collective wealth—including horses. The phrase humorously elevates walking to a 'hackney' (a hired horse), subverting expectations.

Social Satire

By calling walking a 'hackney,' the proverb pokes gentle fun at the language of privilege and the attempts of the poor to dignify their lack of means, while also highlighting society’s distinctions between the wealthy and the humble.

Psychological Reframing

Encourages a positive or light-hearted attitude toward necessity or deprivation—transforming what might be seen as a disadvantage into a badge of humility, piety, or even wit.

Rhetorical Devices

Irony

The phrase’s humor arises from the ironic description of walking as riding, highlighting the gap between appearance and reality.

Metonymy

Uses 'Franciscans' hackney' as a stand-in for walking, showing how an object (hackney) comes to represent a broader experience (poverty, humility).

Allusion

References the Franciscans’ well-known commitment to poverty, making the saying intelligible and evocative to those familiar with monastic culture.