> as lemmas

1540 J. Palsgrave in tr. G. Gnapheus Comedye of Acolastus Prol. sig. Biij We wolde..seme to see farther in a myllstone than excellent auctours have done before us.

1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. x. sig. Civ She thought Ales, she had sene far in a mylstone, Whan she gat a husband.

1580 J. Lyly Euphues & his Eng. (new ed.) f. 34 Your eyes are so sharpe, that you cannot onely looke through a Milstone, but cleane through the minde.

1625 J. Hart Anat. Urines ii. vii. 92 They..could see as farre into a milstone as any of our..Physitians.

a1698 F. Sheppard Cal. Reform'd in Duke of Buckingham et al. Misc. Wks. (1704) 234 I can dive as far into a Millstone as any of my Neighbour Princes.

a1704 T. Brown Lett. to Gentlemen & Ladies in 3rd Vol. Wks. (1708) ii. 92 Thou..can'st see as far into a Mill-stone, as the oldest Match-maker in Town.

1770 S. Neville Diary 16 Oct. (1950) iv. 82 He says I can see further into a millstone than most people; an odd expression.

1836 T. C. Haliburton Clockmaker (1837) 1st Ser. xv. 139 I guess I can see as far into a mill-stone as the best on 'em.

1858 P. J. Bailey Age 20 An air acquired, to speak of it amusively, By looking into millstones too exclusively.

1871 C. Gibbon For Lack of Gold ii That's all the length your learning helps you to see through a mill-stane.

1971 D. Shannon Ringer (1972) 38 You look as if you can see further through a millstone than most, as they say.