A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.
A whip belongs to a horse to drive it forward when the way demands it, as on a rough road or at a dangerous pass. Even then it is to be applied with wisdom and restraint, not with reckless severity. As whip and bridle govern beasts, so a sharp rebuke governs the fool, checking and correcting him.
The proverb itself does that work, striking the fool's back by laying bare his folly and pressing him toward correction. The mention of a whip for a horse does not reduce man to the level of a horse. Nor does it prove wine to be a rightful spur or stimulant for human beings.
A whip belongs to a horse to drive it forward when the way demands it, as on a rough road or at a dangerous pass. Even then it is to be applied with wisdom and restraint, not with reckless severity. As whip and bridle govern beasts, so a sharp rebuke governs the fool, checking and correcting him.
The proverb itself does that work, striking the fool's back by laying bare his folly and pressing him toward correction. The mention of a whip for a horse does not reduce man to the level of a horse. Nor does it prove wine to be a rightful spur or stimulant for human beings.