
“As quoted in Aire puro para el amor y la amistad Betancourt, Luis Fernando 7a. reim., p. 165.”
Quemad viejos leños, leed viejos libros, bebed viejos vinos, tened viejos amigos.
Burn old wood, read old books, drink old wines, have old friends.
Literal translation.
Variant translations:
Old wood to burn! Old wine to drink! Old friends to trust! Old authors to read! —Alonso of Aragon was wont to say in commendation of age, that age appeared to be best in these four things.
As quoted in Floresta Española de Apothegmas o Sentencias, by Melchior de Santa Cruz (1576), ii. 1. 20.
Alonso of Aragon was wont to say in commendation of age, that age appears to be best in four things, — old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.
As quoted in Apothegms (1624) by Francis Bacon, 97.