Meaning & Analysis
A dishonest person whose faults are known is no worse, and therefore preferable, to an unknown person who might have even greater hidden flaws.
Insights
Preference for the Familiar
The proverb champions choosing a known, predictable negative entity (person, situation, or system) over an unknown alternative whose risks are uncertain and potentially greater.
Pragmatism over Idealism
It advocates for a practical, risk-averse choice between two imperfect options, accepting a manageable flaw rather than gambling on an unknown that could be worse.
Cynicism and Trust
It reflects a cynical worldview, suggesting that an unknown person is likely to be as untrustworthy as a known scoundrel, thus making the predictable choice the safer one.
Psychological Basis
The proverb illustrates the cognitive bias of loss aversion, where people prefer avoiding unknown risks over acquiring equivalent gains. The fear of a potentially worse, unknown 'knave' outweighs the certainty of a familiar one's faults.
Historical Employment Context
The 1576 quotation by Pettie grounds the proverb in the master-servant relationship, where retaining a flawed but understood servant was seen as more practical than hiring a new one with unknown, and possibly more severe, deficiencies.
Enduring Modern Relevance
This logic persists in the modern adage 'Better the devil you know than the devil you don't' and is applied in politics and business, where sticking with a known, flawed system or leader is often preferred to embracing an unknown challenger.
Rhetorical Devices
Juxtaposition
The proverb's power comes from the direct contrast between the 'knave I know' and the 'knave I know not', starkly framing the choice between a known and an unknown evil.
Ironic Phrasing
The use of the word 'good' is deeply ironic, as it describes a 'knave'. This highlights that the choice is not about virtue but about relative disadvantage.
Parallelism
The balanced grammatical structure ('a knave I know' / 'a knave I know not') creates a memorable rhythm and reinforces the comparative nature of the statement.
Transcription
Quotations
And your own saying is, that of your servants you had rather keep those whom you know, though with some faults, than take those whom you know not, perchance with more faults.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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