A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

c 1450 Proverbs of Good Counsel in Book of Precedence (EETS) 68 The beste

wysdom that I Can [know], Ys to doe well, and drede no man. 1721 J. KELLY Scottish

Proverbs 89 Do well and doubt [fear] no Man. But rest satisfied in the Testimony of a

good Conscience. 1979 Guardian 31 Mar. 10 It used to be, ‘Do right and fear no man.

Don’t write and fear no women.’ action and consequence; conscience

DO unto others as you would they should do unto you

See DO as you would be done by above. With allusion to LUKE vi. 31 (AV) As ye would
that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

a 901 Laws of Alfred in F. Liebermann Gesetze Angelsachsen (1903) I. 44 Thœt ge

willen, thœt othre men eow ne don, ne doth ge thœt othrum monnum [What you do not

wish others to do to you, do not to other men]. 1477 A. WYDEVILLE Dicts. of

Philosophers 62 Do to other as thou woldest they should do to the, and do to noon other

but as thou woldest be doon to. 1790 W. HAZLITT Letter 9 July (1979) 48 He wished to

have him out, merely because ‘he would do to others as he would be done to’. 1880

TROLLOPE Life of Cicero II. xii. The lesson which had governed his [Cicero’s] life: ‘I

will do unto others as I would they should do unto me.’ 1903 G. B. SHAW Man &

Superman 227 Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their

tastes may not be the same. 2000 Washington Post 27 Nov. A21 Maybe all I’m doing is

overcomplicating a lesson first taught two millennia ago: Do unto others as you would

have others do unto you. 2002 Times 22 June 23 But the secret of service is the same as it

was in medieval court or Gosford Park. It is the Golden Rule: treat others as you would

like to be treated yourself. reciprocity; society

do see also never do EVIL that good may come of it; the KING can do no wrong; whatever
MAN has done, man may do; when in ROME, do as the Romans do; if you WANT a thing
done well, do it yourself; also DOES, DOING, DONE.

doctor see an APPLE a day keeps the doctor away.

The best DOCTORS are Dr Diet, Dr Quiet, and Dr Merryman

Cf. a 1449 LYDGATE Minor Poems (EETS) 704 Thre lechees [doctors] consarue a
mannys myht, First a glad hert.. Temperat diet.. And best of all, for no thyng take no thouht.
Cf. LAUGHTER is the best medicine.