He which that nothing undertaketh, Nothing n'acheveth, be hym looth or deere [be it hateful or pleasing to him].
[c 1385 Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde ii. 807]
Noght venter noght haue.
[1546 J. Heywood Dialogue of Proverbs i. xi. E1]
s.v. Fortis, Fortune foretherethe [furthers] bolde aduenturers, nothyng venture, nothyng haue.
[1559 T. Cooper Bibliotheca (ed. 3)]
I am, however, generally for trying ‘Nothing venture, nothing have’.
[1791 J. Boswell Life of Johnson II. 166]
I'm sorry the gentleman's daunted—nothing venture, nothing have—but the gentleman knows best.
[1841 Dickens Old Curiosity Shop I. xxix.]
‘Jonah, aren't you taking a hell of a risk?’ ‘Of course. We all are. But then “nothing venture nothing have.”’
[1957 R. Downing All Change Here v. 36]
Related to: boldness; wanting and having; risk
Bibliography of major proverb collections and works cited from modern editions is available here.
