> as lemmas

a1400 tr. Lanfranc Sci. Cirurgie (Ashm.) (1894) 331 (MED) Sum medicyne is for peter þat is not good for poul.

c1450 Jacob's Well (1900) 305 (MED) Þei robbyn seynt petyr & ȝeuyn it seynt Poule.

c1450 Jacob's Well (1900) 138 (MED) To robbe Petyr & ȝeue it Poule, it were non almesse but gret synne.

a1500 (?1382) J. Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1871) III. 174 (MED) Lord, hou schulde God approve þat þou robbe Petur and gif þis robbere to Poule in þe name of Crist?

c1530 A. Barclay Egloges i. sig. Fij ^v Fewe prynces gyue that, which to themselfe attayne... They robbe saint Peter, therwith to clothe saint powle.

1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. xi. sig. Dii Lyke a pyckpurs pilgrym, ye prie and ye proule At rouers, to robbe Peter and paie Poule.

1596 T. Nashe Haue with you to Saffron-Walden Ep. Ded. sig. B2^v Thou shalt not finde many powling pence about him neither, except he rob Peter to pay Powle.

1661 P. Heylyn Ecclesia Restavrata (1674) 121 The Lands of Westminster so dilapidated by Bishop Thirlby..the rest laid out for Reparation to the Church of St. Paul; pared almost to the very quick in those days of Rapine. From hence first came that significant By-word (as is said by some) of Robbing Peter to pay Paul.

1693 T. Urquhart & P. A. Motteux tr. F. Rabelais 3rd Bk. Wks. iii. 35 You may make a shift by borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.

1737 Gentleman's Mag. Mar. 172/1 This Scheme is..calculated..to Rob Peter to pay Paul, or, to remove y^e Burthen from one Part of the Community, and lay it upon another.

1836 J. F. Davis Chinese I. viii 287 Many will borrow, at a ruinous rate, of Peter, in order to satisfy the demands of Paul.

1855 J. L. Motley Rise Dutch Republic II. iii. v. 288 It was not desirable to rob Saint Peter's altar in order to build one to Saint Paul.

1926 Times 7 Jan. 9/6 Martin and Martin had been in low water for a long time and had recourse to the method of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

1992 J. Dominguez & V. Robin Your Money or your Life iii. 78 They refuse to open anything that looks like a bill, charge their whole array of credit cards to the limit,..rob Peter but fail to pay Paul, and on and on.