Meaning & Analysis
The proverb literally claims that three specific things—a sun that shines brightly in the morning, a child raised on wine, and a woman educated in Latin—are all indicators of a future negative outcome.
Insights
Deceptive Appearances
The proverb warns that things which appear impressive but defy natural or social conventions are deceptive and unsustainable. A bright morning sun often precedes a storm, a wine-fed child's health is built on a weak foundation, and a classically educated woman was seen as transgressing her 'natural' role, all suggesting that a promising appearance can hide a fatal flaw.
The Danger of Precociousness
Each element represents a form of precociousness or something that is out of its proper time and place. The proverb serves as a cautionary tale against premature or 'unnatural' development, suggesting that such beginnings are inherently unstable and cannot lead to a positive conclusion.
Warning Against Transgression
The proverb metaphorically champions a conservative worldview, suggesting that stability and success are found by adhering to established norms. Deviations—whether in nature, child-rearing, or a woman's education—are framed as dangerous disruptions to the proper order that will inevitably end in ruin.
Gender and Social Order
The proverb reflects deep-seated anxieties of the early modern period regarding social and natural order. The 'Latin-bred woman' specifically points to a patriarchal fear of female education, framing intellectual women as unnatural and a threat to established gender roles, a sentiment echoed in the cross-referenced proverb 'Take heed of a young wench, a prophetess, and a Latin woman'.
Folk Wisdom and Omen
The 'morning sun' draws on traditional weather lore where a bright, early sun can be a false promise of a fair day, often preceding storms. This grounds the proverb's social commentary in a familiar, naturalistic observation, lending a sense of inevitability to its warnings.
Psychology of Conformity
The proverb reveals a psychological preference for conformity and a suspicion of anything that deviates from the perceived norm. By grouping a natural phenomenon with two social transgressions, it creates a powerful, albeit biased, argument that the unconventional is inherently unstable and destined for failure.
Critique of Indulgence
The 'wine-bred child' serves as a critique of indulgent or improper parenting. In an era where child-rearing was fraught with peril, such a practice would be seen as a sign of decadence and poor judgment, inevitably leading to a corrupted and ill-fated adult.
Rhetorical Devices
Parallelism / Tricolon
The proverb lists three distinct items in a parallel structure, creating a powerful and memorable rhythm. This rhetorical device, known as a tricolon, implies an equivalence between the three elements, reinforcing the idea that they are all equally ill-omened.
Symbolism
Each of the three subjects serves as a symbol: the sun for false promise, the child for corrupt indulgence, and the woman for unnatural ambition. Together, they create a condensed allegory about the dangers of defying the established order.
Foreshadowing
The entire proverb functions as a piece of folk prophecy, using specific observations as a basis for forecasting a negative outcome. This framing gives the social commentary the weight of an inevitable, almost natural, law.
Transcription
Quotations
A glaring morne, a woman Latinist, and wine-fed child, make men crie had I wist.
A Sun glittering in the morning, a Latin woman, and a child nurs'd with wine, seldome come to a good end.
The Sun that shineth early in the morning, a Woman that speaketh lattin, and a Child that drinketh Wine, seldom make good end.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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