"The words of a saint, and the claws of a cat" (Spanish).[488] "The cat is friendly, but scratches" (Spanish).[489] "Many kiss the hands they would fain see chopped off" (Arab and Spanish).[490]
Said of a very demure person, sometimes with this addition, "And yet cheese would not choke him." Of such a person the Spaniards say, "He looks as if he would not muddy the water."[491] "Nothing is more like an honest man than a rogue" (French).[492]
They're no a' saints that get holy water.—Scotch.
"All are not saints who go to church" (Italian).[493] "Not all who go to church say their prayers" (Italian).[494] "All are not hunters who blow the horn" (French).[495] "All are not soldiers who go to the wars" (Spanish).[496] "All are not princes who ride with the emperor" (Dutch).[497]
The chamber of sickness is the chapel of devotion.
The devil was sick, the devil a monk would be;
The devil grew well, the devil a monk was he![498]
"All criminals turn preachers when they are under the gallows" (Italian).[499] "The galley is in a bad way when the corsair promises masses and candles" (Spanish).[500]
Satan rebukes sin.[501]
The friar preached against stealing when he had a pudding in his sleeve.
According to the Italian account of the affair the friar had a goose in his scapulary on that occasion.[502] "Do as the friar says, and not as he does" (Spanish).[503]
To carry two faces under one hood.