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early to bed, early to rise (makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise)

 
Proverbs: Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise

As the olde englysshe prouerbe sayth in this wyse. Who soo woll ryse erly shall be holy helthy and zely [fortunate].
[1496 Treatise of Fishing with Angle H1]
At gramer scole I lerned a verse,‥erly rysynge maketh a man hole in body, holer in soule, and rycher in goodes.
[1523 J. Fitzherbert Husbandry (1530) 52V]
Earley to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
[1639 J. Clarke Parœmiologia Anglo-Latina 91]
Early to bed and early to rise being among Mr. Sponge's maxims, he was enjoying the view‥ shortly after daylight.
[1853 Surtees Sponge's Sporting Tour ix.]
A lot of sleep doesn't make us happier. ‥It's going to bed earlier that counts. There really is much to be said for ‘early to bed early to rise, makes one healthy, wealthy and wise.’
[2002 New Scientist 29 June 57]

Related to: diligence; health; riches

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

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Idioms: early to bed, early to rise (makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise)
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Prudent habits pay off, as in With final exams coming, you'd best remember, early to bed and early to rise. This ancient rhyming proverb, so familiar that it is often abbreviated as in the example, was long ascribed to Benjamin Franklin, who quoted it in this form in Poor Richard's Almanack. However, slightly different versions existed in English in the mid-1400s and in Latin even earlier.


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Proverbs. The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs. Copyright © 1982, 1992, 1998, 2003, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more