He had need rise betimes that would please everybody.

Anyone who hopes to satisfy every person faces an impossible standard: different people want different things, and their demands may conflict. The saying stresses that universal approval cannot be won by any amount of effort, however great.

“Rise betimes” means getting up early, and here rising early stands for extra effort. “Had need” conveys strong necessity: no hour would be early enough, because however hard someone works, pleasing everybody stays out of reach.

Use this archaic saying to temper a demand for universal approval, especially when a decision will inevitably disappoint some people. It can gently acknowledge that even great effort cannot reconcile every preference.