Q: Selling the skin before the bear was caught

[Joel S. Berson]

I am interested in the earliest appearance in English of the
expression "selling the skin before the bear was caught".  Google
Books tells me it's in Grose's _Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue_ in
1785, and that's my only hit for 1500-1785.  I may be able to turn up
a use from 1767.

Joel

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