THE FLYING HORSE.

The Flying Horse was originally intended to represent the Pegasus of the ancients; consequently it is not so unmeaning a sign as it has been thought to be.

THE HAT AND TUN.

A house so named in the vicinity of Hatton Garden was evidently intended to allude to the family of the Hattons, whose mansion formerly stood near the spot. This sign is obviously a Rebus.

SIMON THE TANNER OF JOPPA.

In Long Lane, Southwark, there is a house so named, probably having its origin in the times when Scripture names were adopted for men and things. In Acts x. 32, we read, that the apostle Peter dwelt for some time at the house of Simon a tanner.

THE BEAR AND RAGGED STAFF.

This, being part of the armorial bearings of the Earls of Warwick, has been set up in honour of that noble house; while others bear the name of the "Earl of Warwick," and "Guy, Earl of Warwick." The arms were, doubtless, the original sign, but latterly only the name has been used.

BRACE, KING'S BENCH.

This place was originally kept by two brothers of the name of Partridge, from whom it obtained the present title, being a pun upon their name, they being a Brace of Partridges.

THE GRAVE MORRIS.

A house so named, stands opposite the London Hospital. A painter was commissioned to embody the inscription; but this knight of the brush was not possessed of a poet's eye, and therefore could not depict the form of things unknown or imaginary. The sign is in consequence written up, "The Grave Morris."

In Junius's Etymologicon, Grave is explained to be Comes, or Count, as Palsgrave is Palatine Count; of which we have an instance in Palsgrave-head Court, Strand, so called in memory of the Palsgrave Count, or Elector Palatine, who married Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I. Their issue was, the Palsgrave Charles Louis, the Grave Count, or Prince Palatine Rupert, and the Grave Count, or Prince Maurice.

THE SWAN WITH TWO NECKS.

This sign has long been an object of mystery to the curious; but this mystery has been explained by the alteration of a single

letter. The sign was originally written "The Swan with two Nicks;" the meaning of which we find to be thus fully explained, in a communication to the Antiquarian Society, by the late Sir Joseph Banks.

At a meeting of the Antiquarian Society, held in the year 1810, Sir Joseph Banks presented a curious roll of parchment, exhibiting the marks or nicks made on the beaks of the swans and cygnets in the rivers and lakes in Lincolnshire; accompanied with an account of the privileges of certain persons for keeping swans in these waters, and the duties of the king's swan-herd in guarding these fowls against depredators; also, for regulating their marks, and for preventing any two persons from adopting the same figures and marks on the bills of their swans. Thus, from the circumtance of marking these swans with nicks, originated the sign of the "Swan with two Nicks," now corrupted into the "Swan with two Necks."

GOAT AND COMPASSES.

This sign, so well known to those who visit Chelsea, is derived from the days of the Commonwealth, when it was the fashion of the enthusiasts of that period to append scriptural quotations to the names given them by their parents, or to adopt them entirely instead. This rage for sacred titles, induced them also to coin new names for places and things. The corruption "God encompasseth us," to "Goat and Compasses," is obvious, and seems quite natural. The house is now called the "Compasses."

BAG OF NAILS.

The Bag of Nails, at Chelsea, is claimed by the smiths and carpenters in its neighbourhood as a house originally intended for their peculiar accommodation; but had it not been for the corruption of the times, it still would have belonged to the Bacchanals, who, in the days of the rare Ben Jonson, were accustomed to make a holiday excursion to that pleasant part of the environs of London. One age has contrived to convert Bacchanals into Bag o' Nails; may not a future age take the liberty of converting Bacchanalians into that of Bag o'-Nailians?

JOHN O' GROAT'S HOUSE.

James IV. of Scotland sent Malcolm Gavin, and John de Groat, two brothers, into Caithness, with a letter written in Latin, recommending them to the kind regards of the people of that county. -They became possessed of lands in the parish of Anisley, on the banks of the Pentland Firth, which was equally divided between them. In course of time there were eight families of the same name, who shared alike, and lived comfortably and peaceably for

T

many years. These were accustomed to meet, to celebrate the anniversary of the arrival of their progenitors. At one of these meetings it became a matter of dispute which of them was entitled to enter first, and take the head of the table, which had like to have terminated fatally, but for the presence of mind of John de Groat, proprietor of the ferry, who remonstrated with them; pointed out the necessity of unanimity as regarded their own happiness, their respectability among their neighbours, and general safety from the inroads of those clans who might envy them, and take advantage of their dissensions. He then proposed the building of a house, to which they should contribute equally; and he promised at their next meeting he should so order matters, as to prevent any dispute about precedency. Having gained their assent, he proceeded to build a house, with a distinct room of an octagonal form, having eight doors and eight windows, in which he placed a table of oak, with eight sides. At the next annual meeting he desired each to enter singly at different doors, and take the head of the table, himself entering the last, and taking the remaining unoccupied seat. By this ingenious manœuvre they were all placed on an equal footing, and good-humour and harmony were restored and established. Such was the origin of the sign of "John o' Groat's house."

VALENTINE AND ORSON.

There is a house so named in Long Lane, Bermondsey. It would appear to have originated with some romantic reader, who had been affected with the tale of these two brothers, who were sons of the Emperor of Constantinople, Alexander, who married the beautiful sister of Pepin, king of France, named Bellisant; who being banished by the Emperor during her pregnancy, having been falsely accused by his prime minister, she took refuge in the forest of Orleans, in France, where she was delivered of male twins: one of which was taken from her by a she-bear, and suckled by it for some time, hence called Orson. The other being discovered by the king, Pepin her brother, during her search after Orson, was brought up at the court of his uncle. Orson being a terror to the neighbourhood when he grew up, was overcome by his brother, and tamed so far as to be brought to court. Shortly after overcoming the Green Knight, he received the hand of the Lady Fezon, previous to which he had attained the power of speech; and Valentine married Eglantine, the king's daughter, when they discovered they were cousins.

THE GUY'S HEAD.

This sign was intended to do honour to the philanthropy of Mr. Thomas Guy, who founded the hospital in the Borough which bears his name, and which cost the sum of £18,793: 16:1; and the sum left for its endowment was £219,499 :0:4.

BLACK DOLL AT RAG SHOPS.

The Black Doll, used as a sign by the dealers in rags, is by some supposed to have originated with a person who kept a house for the sale of toys and rags in Norton Flogate, about eighty years ago. An old woman brought him a large bundle for sale, but desired it might remain unopened until she called again to see it weighed. Several weeks elapsed without her appearing, which induced the master of the shop to open the bundle, when he found a black doll, neatly dressed, with a pair of gold earrings appended. This he hung up over his door, for the purpose of being owned by the woman who left it. Shortly after this she called, and presented the doll to the shopkeeper, as a mark of gratitude for his having, by its means, enabled her to find out her bundle. The story having gained circulation, this figure has been generally used by dealers in rags, ever since this original instance of honesty in this class of merchants. Such is the romance of the black doll; the reality will be found, we believe, in the fact, that cast off clothes having formerly been purchased by dealers in large quantities, for the purpose of being resold to merchants, to be exchanged by them in traffic with the uncivilised tribes, who it is known will barter any thing for articles of finery; a black doll gaily dressed out, was adopted as the sign of such dealers in old apparel.

PUBLIC-HOUSE CHEQUERS.

Few people, it is presumed, are aware of the origin of the Chequers, which are seen on the sides of the doors or window shutters of public-houses. By some it is said, that they represent the arms of a nobleman in whom the right of licensing was formerly invested. By others, they have been regarded as an intimation that the game of tables might be played therein by the customers. But whatever be its origin, this mark of a house of entertainment boasts of a very high antiquity; for on the sides of the doorway of one of the houses at Pompeii, the Chequers are still seen, and which is supposed to have been an inn.

THE BELL SAVAGE.

The etymology of the Bell Savage on Ludgate Hill, has been variously, but very incorrectly given; the following, however, may be relied on as correct. The Bell Savage, now called le belle Sauvage, took its name from those premises once being the property of lady Arabella Savage, who made a deed of gift of them to the Cutlers' Company; corroborative of which, a painting may be seen in Cutlers' Hall, representing her ladyship, accompanied by her conveyancer, presenting the said deed of gift to the Master and Wardens of the aforesaid company.

THE BOLT-IN-TUN.

A game the Roman and Grecian youth were wont to exercise themselves in. The bolt was a short javelin, and the tun was placed as a kind of target; he who threw the bolt through a small hole in the tun, being declared victor. The origin of this sign is given by authors, as being the monogram of the Abbot Bolton, who bore for his device a Bolt in a Tun, as may be seen in the Abbot's window in the church of Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield.

THE BULL AND MOUTH, AND BULL AND GATE.

The two inns here named, are a strong specimen of the corruption so prevalent in the designation of public resorts in and about the city of London, indeed throughout the whole country. The original names were Boulogne-Mouth and Boulogne-Gate, in commemoration of the destruction of the French flotilla at the mouth of Boulogne harbour, and of the capitulation of the town being signed at the gate of Boulogne in the reign of Henry VIII. The Bull and Mouth is now called the Queen's Hotel.

DOG AND DUCK TAVERN.

The sign of this once very popular tavern, took its name from a famous dog which hunted ducks in a sheet of water on this spot. Over a low small-gabled-end fronted house, was seen, in an oblong square place, moulded in a kind of red composition, the dog and duck.

SPREAD EAGLE.

The Spread Eagle, which constitutes with some variations the arms of Austria and Prussia, originated with Charlemagne, the first Emperor of Germany, who added the second head to the Eagle, to denote that the empires of Rome and Germany were in him united. This was A.D. 802.

NONESUCH HOUSE!

We have seen in the neighbourhood of London, and in various parts of the country," Nonesuch House," or " Nonesuch Cottage," &c. This term originated from the residence of Hans Holbein, the celebrated painter to Henry VIII., which stood on London Bridge. It was entirely framed of wood, was made in Holland, and when placed on the bridge was completed without a single nail; in consequence of which, Sir Thomas More christened it, "Nonesuch House!" and which has since become a cognomen for various residences and villas throughout the country.

COAL-HOLE TAVERN.

A tavern so called in Fountain Court, Strand, a well-known site for midnight gossiping. Here the most celebrated comedians