Cf. SENECA De Ira II. xiv. nemo regere potest nisi qui et regi, no one can rule unless he
can also be ruled.
a 1500 tr. T.à Kempis’ De Imitatione Christi (1893) xxiv. No man surely comaun-
dith but he that hath lerned to obeye. 1581 G. PETTIE tr. S. Guazzo’s Civil Conversation
III. 48V Those onely knowe well how to commaund, which know well howe to obaye.
1734 B. FRANKLIN Poor Richard’s Almanack (Aug.) He that cannot obey, cannot
command. 1850 H. MELVILLE White Jacket vi. As the only way to learn to command, is
to learn to obey, the usage of a ship of war is such that midshipmen are constantly being
ordered about by the Lieutenants. 1972 S. CLOETE Victorian Son ix. I did not mind the
army because I knew I must learn to obey before I could command. obedience; rulers
and ruledOBEY orders, if you break ownersA nautical proverb; for the meaning see quot. 1924.1782 W. GORDON Letter 30 Nov. in Proceedings of Massachusetts Hist. Society
(1930) LXIII. 476 You will be safe, though you break orders that would break your
owners. 1823 J. F. COOPER Pilot vii. The old rule runs, ‘Obey orders, if you break
owners.’ 1924 R. CLEMENTS Gipsy of Horn iii. What could be sounder than ‘Obey
orders, if you break owners’—meaning, do as you’re told, even if you know it’s wrong.
1976 J. R. L. ANDERSON Death on North Sea iv. I was brought up on the old sea maxim,
‘Obey orders if you break owners.’ obedienceodd see there is LUCK in odd numbers.odious see COMPARISONS are odious.It is best to be OFF with the old love before you are on with the new1801 M. EDGEWORTH Belinda I. x. I can give you my advice gratis, in the formula
of an old Scotch song. ..‘’Tis good to be off with the old love, Before you be on with the
new.’ 1819 SCOTT Bride of Lammermoor III. ii. It is best to be off wi’ the old love
Before you be on wi’ the new. 1891 A. LANG Essays in Little 6 Dumas.. met the great
man at Marseilles, where. .Alexandre chanced to be ‘on with the new love’ before being