In fact, some are mere translations of proverbs adopted by many nations; some of universal adoption.

Thus we have-- _A burnt bairn fire dreads.
Ae swallow makes nae simmer.
Faint heart ne'er wan fair lady.
Ill weeds wax weel.
Mony sma's mak a muckle.
O' twa ills chuse the least.
Set a knave to grip a knave.
Twa wits are better than ane.
There's nae fule like an auld fule.
Ye canna mak a silk purse o' a sow's lug.
Ae bird i' the hand is worth twa fleeing.
Mony cooks ne'er made gude kail_.
Of numerous proverbs such as these, some may or may not be original in the Scottish.

Sir William remarks that many of the best and oldest proverbs may be common to all people--may have occurred to all.

In our national collections, therefore, some of the proverbs recorded may be simply translations into Scotch of what have been long considered the property of other nations.

Still, I hope it is not a mere national partiality to say that many of the common proverbs _gain_ much by such translation from other tongues.