John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
9259 Fran&edilois Rabelais 1490-1553 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 9259 |
| AUTHOR: | François Rabelais (c. 1490–1553) |
| QUOTATION: | What is got over the Devil’s back is spent under the belly. 1 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Works. Book v. Chap. xi. |
| Note 1. Isocrates was in the right to insinuate that what is got over the Devil’s back is spent under his belly.—Alain René Le Sage: Gil Blas, book viii. chap. ix. [back] |