Proverbs bear age and he who should do well may view himself in them as in a looking-glass.

This saying is presented as an Italian proverb in English translation, reflecting a long-standing Renaissance and early modern habit of treating proverbs as repositories of collective experience (“age” meaning the wisdom of ages). In Italian and broader European moral literature, proverbs were often gathered in commonplace books and used for instruction, self-governance, and rhetoric. The “looking-glass” (mirror) image aligns with a common didactic trope: brief maxims are not merely decorative sayings but tools for self-scrutiny, inviting the hearer to compare conduct against inherited standards of prudence and virtue.

The proverb argues that traditional sayings endure because they have been validated by long experience (“bear age”). Their longevity is presented as evidence of reliability: they distill repeated human situations into memorable guidance. The second clause turns proverbs into a moral “mirror.” Someone who wants to live well can compare their behavior to these compact standards, recognizing faults and aspirations as if seeing their reflection. The significance lies in its defense of inherited wisdom: proverbs are not just descriptive of life but prescriptive, inviting self-knowledge and reform through comparison with communal, time-honored judgments.