Better be an old man's darling, than a young man's slave

Many yeres sens, my mother seyd to me, Hyr elders wold saie, it ys better to be An olde mans derlyng, then a yong mans werlyng [object of scorn].
[1546 J. Heywood Dialogue of Proverbs ii. vii. 13^V]

Better an old Man's Darling, than a young Man's Wonderling, say the Scots, Warling, say the English.
[1721 J. Kelly Scottish Proverbs 74]

Let defeated rivals snarling, Talk of one foot in the grave. Better be an old man's darling, Than become a young man's slave.
[1859 J. R. Planché Love & Fortune 8]

Find yourself an older man. Much better to be an old man's darling, than a young man's slave.
[1980 J. Marcus Marsh Blood ix.]

[S]he had been brought up by her mother on the well-attested aphorism that it was better to be an old man's darling than a young's [sic] man's slave‥
[1992 ‘C. Aird’ ‘Man Who Rowed for Shore’ in Injury Time (1995) 14]

Related to: love; wives and husbands

Bibliography of major proverb collections and works cited from modern editions is available here.