Marry in haste, repent at leisure

Marry in haste, repent at leisure is a warning against rushing into marriage and facing the consequences later. In the exchange between Siegfried Farnon and James Herriot, it becomes more than general advice: Siegfried uses it to question the timing of James’s wedding, while James points out that Siegfried had been the one to urge it forward.

The Proverb as Advice

Siegfried argues that marriage is too serious a step to undertake without prolonged thought. He questions why the wedding must happen the following week, suggests that the next year would have been soon enough, and says a long engagement would have given the couple time. The proverb condenses that argument into a familiar warning: haste now may mean regret later.

A Warning Reversed

The advice carries an immediate irony. Before Siegfried can finish, James objects that Siegfried knows perfectly well he had been the one to press the arrangements. James adds that he had been willing to leave the wedding for a while, but Siegfried had urged otherwise. The proverb therefore turns back on its speaker: Siegfried cautions against a haste he had helped create.

The Exchange’s Significance

Siegfried’s warning is not simply a rejection of James’s marriage. He acknowledges that the arrangements will cause him considerable trouble, wishes James well, and hopes matters turn out for the best, even as he criticizes James’s lack of foresight. The proverb gives that mixture of concern and reproach a pointed form; James’s protest exposes the gap between Siegfried’s present counsel and his earlier role in setting the pace.