Meaning & Analysis
To travel the world safely, a person must adopt a collection of specific animal-like qualities: the keen sight of a falcon to be observant, the long ears of a donkey to hear everything without reacting, the imitative face of an ape to appear agreeable, the persuasive speech of a charlatan, the strong shoulders of a camel to bear any burden, the indiscriminate appetite of a pig, and the swift feet of a deer to escape danger.
Insights
Social Adaptation and Deception
The proverb is a guide to social chameleonism. It advises that to navigate diverse and potentially hostile social landscapes, one must be adaptable, using flattery (ape's countenance, mountebank's tongue) and careful observation (falcon's eye, ass's ears) to blend in and avoid conflict.
Resilience and Endurance
It underscores the necessity of extreme physical and mental fortitude. The camel's shoulders and hog's mouth symbolize the traveler's need to endure immense hardship, carry heavy burdens without complaint, and accept whatever sustenance is available, highlighting resilience as a core survival trait.
Vigilance and Prudence
The proverb champions a state of hyper-vigilance and strategic prudence. The falcon's eye for observation, the ass's ears for listening patiently, and the hind's feet for a quick escape collectively argue for a cautious and perceptive approach, where one must be constantly aware of opportunities and threats.
Historical Context of Travel
Originating in an era of perilous travel, the proverb serves as a cynical but practical guide to survival. It reflects the anxieties of navigating unfamiliar cultures and treacherous environments, where social adaptability and physical resilience were paramount. The variations in quotations, sometimes adding the need for money and patience, underscore the immense practical and psychological burdens faced by early modern travelers.
Psychology of Survival
The proverb advocates for a form of strategic self-suppression. To survive, one must adopt a persona—observant but silent, agreeable but deceptive, enduring but ready to flee. This suggests a deep-seated psychological awareness that authenticity can be a liability in unfamiliar or hostile settings, prioritizing survival over self-expression.
Pragmatism over Romanticism
This 'survival kit' of animal traits contrasts sharply with romanticized notions of travel as a purely enlightening experience. It presents a world where the traveler is not a passive observer but an active strategist, employing a range of morally ambiguous skills to manage risk and ensure safe passage through a potentially hostile world.
Rhetorical Devices
Extended Metaphor
The proverb functions as an extended metaphor, constructing the ideal traveler as a composite being made of symbolic animal parts, each representing a necessary survival skill.
Catalogue
The proverb uses a rhetorical catalogue or list of attributes. This structure makes the advice feel comprehensive and authoritative, creating a memorable checklist for survival.
Animal Symbolism
Each animal is chosen for its powerful and universally understood symbolic trait (e.g., falcon for sight, camel for endurance), making the advice vivid and easily digestible.
Transcription
Quotations
Recorde with thy selfe the inconueniences that come by trauailing .. when at all times thou must haue the back of an Asse to beare all, and the snowt of a swine to say nothing.
If you will be a traueller .. haue alwayes the eies of a Faulcon .. the eares of an Asse .. the face of an Ape .. the mouth of a Hog .. the shoulder of a Camell .. the legges of a Stagg .. and see that you neuer want two bagges very full, that is one of paciencs .. and another of money.
A traueller must haue the backe of an asse to beare all, a tung like the taile of a dog to flatter all, the mouth of a hogge to eate what is set before him, the eare of a merchant to heare all and say nothing.
Note reader that a traueller must haue the backe of an asse, the mouth of a sow, the eye of a hawke, a merchants eare, etc.
We in England vulgarly say, that a Traueller to Rome must haue the back of an Asse, the belly of a Hogge, and a conscience as broad as the Kings highway.
To travel through the World, it is necessary to have the mouth of a Hog, the legs of a Stagg, the eyes of a Faulcon, the ears of an Asse, shoulders of a Camel, and the face of an Ape, and over-plus, a satchell full of money and patience.
Men that travel must be very cautious both of speech and demeanour. The Italian proverb saith, For a man to travel safely through the world, it behoueth him to have a falcon's eye, an ass's ears, a monkey's face, a merchant's words, a camel's back, a hog's mouth, and a deer's feet.
To travell safely through the world a man must have a Falcons eye, an Asses eares, an Apes face, a Merchants words, a camells back, a hogs mouth, and a Harts legs.
A traueller should have a hog's nose, deer's legs, and an ass's back.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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