> as lemmas

a1325 (c1250) Prov. Hendyng (Cambr.) i, in Anglia (1881) 4 182 (MED) Wel is him þat wel ende mai.]

a1425 Dialogue Reason & Adversity (Cambr.) (1968) 25 (MED) Forȝete þou not þis olde prouerbe: Alle is wel þat endeþ wel, & rule þer affter.

a1500 (c1400) Chron. H. Knighton (1895) II. 139 (MED) If the ende be wele, than is alle wele.

1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. x. sig. Ciii^v Well aunt (quoth Ales) all is well that ends well.

a1550 in R. Dyboski Songs, Carols & Other Misc. Poems (1908) 110 ‘Alas,’ sayd þe gudman, ‘this ys an hevy lyff’; ‘And all ys well þat endyth well’, said þe gud wyff.

1600 F. L. tr. Ovid Remedy of Love To Rdr. E 3 b Yet take this old Prouerbe with a right application..All is well that endeth well. And so end I.

a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) (title) All's well, that ends well.

1650 A. Cowley Guardian ii. x. sig. C^v/1 'Tis very well, excellent well, all's well that ends well.

1705 J. Vanbrugh Confederacy i. i. 2 Well Neighbour, all's well that ends well; but Dick will be hang'd.

1761 Library June 148 With respect to the external incidents of life, doubtless all is well that ends well.

1811 S. Beazley Boarding-house ii. 43 Yes—a foolish whim, which you shall all know, has induced me to act as I have done—but all's well that ends well.

1869 H. B. Stowe Oldtown Folks xviii. 203 There's no merit in wanting your bit of cake, and maybe taking it when it is n't good for you; but let's hope all's well that ends well.

1905 ‘G. Thorne’ Lost Cause iv. 106 All's well that ends well! You won't have the services disturbed again.

1939 Boys' Life Feb. 47/1 All's well that ends well, they say, but as you can well believe there were times when we certainly did not anticipate so comparatively pleasant an ending to an adventure which thrills enough for me!

1997 J. Ryan Dismantling Mr Doyle vii. 81 ‘But, no matter. All's well that ends well,’ she said, leaving Eve speechless, a child whose parent stood between them and the world, endlessly making things right.

2010 K. Laye Positive Drinking vii. 79 My boss is much happier with the way I'm performing now so I may be due for a promotion review soon, so all's well that ends well, it seems.