Though the SAUCE be good yet you need not for-sake the meat for it

Insights

Substance over Style

The proverb warns against prioritizing superficial attractiveness or presentation (the sauce) over core value and essential quality (the meat). It argues that while style has its place, it should not overshadow or replace the fundamental substance.

Maintaining Priorities

This is a lesson in maintaining focus on primary objectives. The 'sauce' represents secondary benefits, minor details, or pleasant distractions that, while good, should not divert one from the main goal or the most critical component of a task.

Means Versus Ends

The 'sauce' can be seen as the means to an end, while the 'meat' is the end itself. The proverb cautions against becoming so enamored with the process, tools, or methods that the ultimate purpose of the endeavor is forgotten.

Proportionality and Balance

The proverb advocates for a sense of proportion. It suggests that while accessory elements can and should be enjoyed, they must be kept in their proper, subordinate place relative to what is truly important.

Culinary and Social Symbolism

In Elizabethan England, elaborate sauces could signify culinary sophistication but also sometimes served to mask the poor quality of the main ingredients. The proverb thus carries a subtle warning against being deceived by ornate presentations that may conceal a lack of substance, a theme highly relevant to the era's complex courtly and political life.

Rhetorical and Literary Resonance

John Lyly, known for his highly ornate and influential prose style called 'Euphuism', uses this proverb. It serves as a meta-commentary on rhetoric itself: while eloquent language (the sauce) is appealing, it must serve a core argument (the meat). The proverb advocates for a balance where style enhances, rather than overpowers, substance.

Psychological Insight

The proverb taps into the psychological tendency to be distracted by immediate, sensory pleasures (the flavorful sauce) at the expense of more essential, nourishing, but perhaps plainer, truths (the meat). It is a call for discernment and a caution against prioritizing superficial gratification over fundamental value.

Rhetorical Devices

Metaphor

The proverb's core power comes from the clear and effective metaphor of 'meat' as substance and 'sauce' as embellishment, creating an easily understandable analogy for complex ideas about value and priority.

Antithesis

A distinct contrast is drawn between the primary 'meat' and the secondary 'sauce', highlighting the choice and potential error in judgment. This opposition makes the proverb's advice clear and memorable.

Admonition

Phrased as a piece of cautionary advice ('you need not for-sake'), the proverb adopts a didactic or admonitory tone, framing its wisdom as a practical guideline for behavior.