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| A bird in a cage is worth a hundred at large. Italian. | 1 |
| A crown in pocket doth you more good than an angel spent. | 2 |
| A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. | 3 |
| A sparrow in hand is worth a pheasant that flieth by. | 4 |
| A thousand cranes in the air are not worth one sparrow in the fist. Egyptian. | 5 |
| Better a feather in the hand than a bird in the air. German. | 6 |
| Better a finch in the hand than a parrot in the Indies. | 7 |
| Better a leveret in the kitchen than a wild boar in the forest. Livonian. | 8 |
| Better a mouse in the pot than no flesh at all. | 9 |
| Him that is in possession God helps. Italian. | 10 |
| I’ll not change a cottage in possession for a kingdom in reversion. | 11 |
| One bird in the net is better than a hundred flying. | 12 |
| One quill is better in the hand, than geese upon the strand. Dutch. | 13 |
| Possession and good right with lance in hand. Spanish. | 14 |
| Possession is as good as a title. French. | 15 |
| Possession is eleven points in the law and they say there are but twelve. | 16 |
| Possession is nine points of the law. | 17 |
| Possession is the grave of pleasure. | 18 |
| Prospect is often better than possession. | 19 |
| Rather possess a freehold though but a cottage than live in a palace belonging to another. | 20 |
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