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on a nail, into which he threw a little stone when any corpse was carried by; and at the end of every moon he counted the contents of his pot, in order to ascertain the number of the deceased. At length the tailor died himself; and some time after one that was unacquainted with his death, observing his shop to be deserted, inquired what was become of him. One of the neighbours answered, "The tailor is gone to the Pot as well as the rest."

AS DRUNK AS DAVID'S SOW !

A common saying, which took its rise from the following circumstance:-David Lloyd, a Welshman, who kept an alehouse at Hereford, had a living sow with six legs, which was greatly resorted to by the curious: he had also a wife much addicted to drunkenness, for which he used sometimes to give her due correction. One day, David's wife having taken a cup too much, and being fearful of the consequence, turned out the sow, and laid down to sleep herself sober. Company coming to see the sow, David ushered them into the stye, saying, "There is a sow for you! Did any of you ever see such another?"-all the while supposing the sow to have been there. To which some of the company, seeing the state the woman was in, replied, "That it was the drunkennest sow that had ever been beheld;"-whence the woman was ever after called "David's Sow."

MIND YOUR P'S AND Q'S.

This expression arose from the ancient custom of hanging a slate behind the alehouse door, on which was written P or Q (i. e., Pint or Quart) against the name of each customer, according to the quantity which he had drunk, and which was not expected to be paid for till the Saturday evening, when the wages were settled.

The expression so similar to schoolboys of "going tick," may perhaps be traced to this, a tick or mark being put for every glass of ale.

GIVE US A TOAST!

It happened on a public day at Bath, that a celebrated beauty of those times was in the cross-bath, and one of the crowd of her admirers took a glass of the water in which the fair one stood, and drank health to the company. There was in the place a gay fellow, half-fuddled, who offered to jump in, and swore, "Tho' he liked not the liquor, he would have the Toast!" He was opposed in his resolution; yet this whim gave foundation to the present honour, which is done to the lady or gentleman we mention in our liquors, and has ever since been called a Toast.

CHRIST-CROSSE A.

In Tatham's Fancie's Theater, 12mo, 1640, is a poem in praise of sack, wherein the following lines occur:

"The very children, ere they scarce can say
Their Pater Noster, or their Christ crosse A,
Will to their Parents prattle and desire

To taste that Drinke which Gods doe so admire."

The alphabet was so designated, because in the old primers a cross was prefixed to it. Nares tells us that in French it was called Croix de par Dieu: and upon reference to Cotgrave for an expression for that term, we find, "The Christ's-cross-row; or the hornbook wherein a child learns it."

LADY IN THE STRAW.

The situation of a "Lady in the Straw" has something in it pleasing and dignified; she commands at once our admiration and respect. It has puzzled many to know from whence this expression took its rise; others have attributed it to, and which is most probably correct, the state of the blessed Mary when she brought forward the child Jesus in the stable.

So late as Henry the Eighth's time, there were directions for certain persons to examine every night the Straw of the king's bed, "that no daggers might be concealed therein." Againformerly, when the kings of France quitted Paris to reside elsewhere, the straw of their beds and their chamber belonged to the poor of the hospital, Hotel Dieu. This anecdote proves that former kings of France were no better bedded than felons in the dungeons of our days.

SHE IS IN HER WILLOWS.

"The Willow," old Fuller says, "is a sad tree, whereof such who have lost their love make their mourning garlands; and we know that exiles hung up their harps upon such doleful supporters. The twigs hereof are physic to drive out the folly of children. This tree delighteth in most places, and is triumphant in the Isle of Ely, where the roots strengthen their banks, and the top affords fuel for their fire. It groweth incredibly fast, it being a bye-word in this county (Cambridge), that 'the profit by willows will buy the owner a horse before that by other trees will pay for his saddle.' Let me add, that if greene ashe may burn before a queen, withered willows may be allowed to burne before a lady." The old saying, "She is in her willows," is here illustrated; it implies the mourning of a female for her love.

MERRY WAKEFIELD.

What peculiar cause of mirth the town of Wakefield hath above others, Fuller certainly confesses he cannot tell, unless that it may be entitled to that epithet from its cheapness, and the plenty of good cheer. Grose, however, adds, "Might it not be mirrie, that is, faithful Wakefield? and allude to some event in the disputes between the houses of York and Lancaster. Mirriemen is a term that frequently occurs in old ballads, signifying true or faithful men.' While again it has been suggested, that it derives this complimentary epithet from the reputation of that "merry" man, the Pindar of the town

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"Of Wakefield, George a Green, whose fames so far are blown;" for Brathwaite, in his Strappado for the Divell, applies it to both of them, when he speaks of

'Merry Wakefield and her Pindar too.""

NEVER LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH!

This very familiar, and often repeated saying, takes its origin from a circumstance which occurred many years ago in the vicinity of Carlisle. "Two farmers, who had been neighbours for many years, and who had lived upon very friendly terms, mutually agreed, that which ever died first should leave to the other a valuable consideration, not specifying, however, what it was to be. The one was called Martin Timson, and the other David Dean. David was called away first, and bequeathed to Martin a favourite horse. When it was communicated to the latter, he manifested a great deal of disappointment, and observed, that "He did expect something better than an old horse." "Not so old, neither," said the party who had brought him the information. A dispute now arose about the age, and it was agreed to go to the stable and examine it. Martin went up to the horse's head, and, in the act of opening its mouth to look at its teeth, the horse made a snatch and bit his nose off! A mortification in a few hours ensued, and strange to say, Martin followed David to the grave. Hence came the saying, "Never look a Gift Horse in the Mouth."

GIVE HIM A BONE TO PICK!

This saying probably took its rise from a custom at marriage

feasts among the poor in Sicily, when, after dinner, the bride's

father gives the bridegroom a bone, saying, "Pick this bone, for you have undertaken to pick one more difficult."

I'LL SET YOU DOWN IN MY BLACK BOOK!

The Black Book was a book kept by the English monasteries, in which a detail of the scandalous enormities practised were

entered, for the inspection of visiters under Henry VIII., in order to blacken them, and hasten their dissolution. Hence the vulgar phrase, “I'll set you down in my Black-book."

"ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL."

This proverb had its origin in the time of Edward VI., when much of the lands of Saint Peter, at Westminster, were invaded by the great men of the Court, who therefore allowed somewhat out of them towards the repair of St. Paul's Church. -Blount's Dictionary.

NO GREAT SHAKES.

Shakes, as used in the following passage by Byron, is a vulgarism, which probably may be traced to the custom of shaking hands, the shake being estimated according to the value set upon the person giving it, and hence applied to the person. Byron writing to Murray, Sept. 28, 1820, says, "I had my hands full, and my head too just then (when he wrote Marino Faliero); so it can be no great shakes."

BANYAN-DAY.

A marine term for those days in which the sailors have no fresh meat; and is probably derived from the practice of the Banians, a caste of Hindoos, who entirely abstained from all animal food.

TOPOGRAPHICAL RHYMES.

Most of the following Rhymes upon places have been contributed to Notes and Queries, vols. v. and vi., and are here distributed under their respective counties.

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BERWICKSHIRE.

I stood upon Eyemouth Fort,
And guess ye what I saw?
Fairmiside and Furmintong,
Neuhouses and Cocklaw,
The fairy fouk o' Fosterland,
The witches o' Edincran,
The bly-rigs o' Reston;
But Dunse dings a.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE,

Tring, Wing, and Ivinghoe,
Three dirty villages all in a row,
And never without a rogue or two.
Would you know the reason why?
Leighton Buzzard is hard by.

Tring, Wing, and Ivinghoe, all these three did go,
For striking the Black Prince a blow.

CORNWALL.

Pars Corinea datur Corineo, de duce nomen
Patria; deque viro gens Corinensis habet.

DERBYSHIRE.

Derbyshire born, and Derbyshire bred,
Strong i' the arm, and weak i' the head.

EDINBURGH,

Cain, in disgrace with heaven, retired to Nod,

A place, undoubtedly, as far from God

As Cain could wish; which makes some think he went
As far as Scotland, ere he pitch'd his tent;

And there a city built of ancient fame,

Which he, from Eden, Edinburgh did name.

ESSEX.

A village called Ugley, possesses the unfortunate saying:

Ugley church, ugley steeple;
Ugley parson, ugley people.

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