vant during life, and devisable as chattels, in the feudal times. In 1572, Queen Elizabeth ordered her bondmen to be set free at very easy rates. VICAR OF BRAY! Bray is a village in Berkshire. The vivacious Vicar hereof, says Fuller, living under Henry VIII., Edward VI., Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, was first a Papist, then a Protestant, then a Papist, then a Protestant again. He had seen some martyrs burnt (two miles off) at Windsor, and found this fire too hot for his tender temper. This Vicar being taxed by one for being a turncoat and inconstant changeling," Not so," said he, “for I always kept my principle, which is this, to live and die the Vicar of Bray." BUGG-A-BO! Bugg-a-bo, or Buggan-bo, was originally no more than mothers frightening their children with the "bull-bo," which the little one, not rightly pronouncing, called Bugg-a-bo. It is properly bogle-bo,-bogle signifying a malevolent spirit; the Shropshire term, buggan-bo, meaning the same thing. If a horse takes fright, they say, he spies a buggan! COWARD. A feudal expression, implying Cow-herd, for which office a man void of courage was deemed only fit for. APRIL FOOL! It has been very often inquired, whence this custom was derived. The Editor believes it to be a custom of great antiquity. -The ancients had many rites and ceremonies in honour of their gods. The Romans kept their Saturnalia in honour of Saturn, beginning on the 17th December, which lasted during five days. Bocharius is of opinion they took their origin from Noah's drunkenness. These were times when all business ceased except cooking; when servants might command their masters, and slaves become unruly without fear of punishment. The Bacchanalia, or feasts in honour of Bacchus, lasted three days, and commenced after the vine harvests, and then drunkenness was the privilege of all. The Stultinaria were confined to one day, the 1st of April, when the idiots had their annual holiday, and when children were encouraged to make derision of them, and send them on needless errands, &c. Some writers are of opinion, that the Romans had much policy in allowing these feasts, or holidays. By the first (Saturnalia), they saw how servants and slaves would act had they power. By the second (Bacchanalia), they were able to discover the natural inclinations and vices of all that inebriated themselves. And the encouragement they gave to children, in the third instance (Stultinaria), to deride fools, would, they hoped, make them desirous to receive their education, lest they might, in time, become themselves objects of derision and contempt. WHIGS AND TORIES. In the year 1680, two parties were formed, called the Addressers and Abhorrers; out of which arose the after-party appellations of Whigs and Tories. The Whigs were directed by the Earl of Shaftesbury, and the Tories by Sir Roger L'Estrange and others. Another writer gives the following derivation:-" Whig and Tory, the epoch of 1680. The first was a name of reproach, given by the court party to their antagonists, for resembling the principles of the whigs, or fanatical conventiclers in Scotland; and the other was given by the country party to that of the court, comparing them to the Tories, or Popish robbers in Ireland. They formerly were called Whigs from Whiggamors, a name given to the Scots in the South-west, who, for want of corn in that quarter, used annually to repair to Leith, to buy stores that came from the North, and all that drove were called Whiggamors or Whiggs, from the term Whiggam, which they used in driving their horses. In the year 1638, the Presbyterian ministers incited an insurrection against the court, and marched with the people to Edinburgh; this was called 'the Whiggamors' Inroad,' and after this, all who opposed administration were called Whigs; hence the term was adopted in England." Malone says, that the term Tory is derived from an Irish word toree, give me (your money). The character of the Tories is thus noticed by Glanville, in one of his sermons, long before the political distinction existed. "Let such men quit all pretences to civility and breeding: they are ruder than Toryes and wild Americans.” Tory hunting was almost viewed in the light of a pastime. An old rhyme, in allusion to this sport, is still orally current in the south of Ireland, and a decided favourite in the nursery collection: "Ho! Master Teague, what is your story? "I hunted him in, and I hunted him out, Three times through the bog, about and about; When out of a bush I saw his head, So I fired my gun, and I shot him dead." CAMARILL. The party thus termed in Spain, take their name from a small room in the king's apartments, formerly destined as a sitting room for the attendants of the second class, whose office was to answer the king's bell. The pleasure which Ferdinand, even from his infancy, always found in the company of the lowest and most vulgar of the royal household, made him so often frequent this place, that at last it became the general rendezvous of his friends. Here assembled a swarm of ambitious intriguers, monks, spies, inquisitors, sycophant military, and various other vagabonds. These were the elements with which the secret society, called by some "The anchor of the faith and of the king," began their labours. MEN OF KENT. It is recorded when Harold, or rather England, was invaded by William, a portion of the inhabitants of Kent went out to meet him, covered with oak boughs, in order to deceive him as to their numbers. They were headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Upon arriving at Hastings, which was just at the crisis of the battle, they only agreed to lay down their arms on condition that their ancient privileges of Gavel-kind law, and the exemption of tithes, was secured to them. This William readily granted, foreseeing that men who fought for their ancient privileges and liberties, were far more dangerous opponents than those who merely fought for their pay. On reference to Hasted's History of Kent, the boundary lines which distinguish the men of Kent from the Kentish men, will be seen. The principal features of the Law of Gavel-kind is, that on a person dying intestate, the property is equally divided among the children; likewise, that a person is of age to convey property at sixteen, and his receipt also is valid. JOHN DOE AND RICHARD ROF. These worthies, formerly so well known to those unfortunate wights who incur the serving of a certain process, derived their consequence from the custom, to find two sureties on arresting a man, who were bound over in heavy penalties, that the Pursuer should prove the justice and the legality of his claim; otherwise, that the pursued should receive indemnity from the parties thus bound over. This good old custom, however, in process of time, degenerated into the mere nominal recognizances or sureties of "John Doe and Richard Roe," and from which have arisen all those false arrests and false imprisonments which have so long disgraced our criminal courts. In 1724, a Frenchman of the name of Louissart Houssart, was tried at the Old Bailey for the murder of his wife, and acquitted, but detained in custody on a charge of bigamy. An appeal was brought against him by the brother of the deceased, and he was brought to a second trial, when some new evidence being pro It is duced, he was found guilty, and afterwards executed. remarkable, that in this case the prisoner made some objections to the plea, which were referred to the jury, who decided against him on them all. One of the prisoner's objections was, that "there were no such persons as John Doe and Richard Roe," who are mentioned as pledges in the appeal; but a witness deposed, that there were two such persons living in Middlesex, one a weaver and the other a soldier. However, on the 24th October, 1852, these two celebrated characters ceased legally to exist any longer. By the Act 15th and 16th Vict. cap. 76, sect. 168, it is enacted, that "instead of the present proceeding by ejectment, a writ shall be issued, directed to the persons by name in possession of the property claimed, which property shall be described in the writ with reasonable certainty." JOHN AUDLEY. "When theatric performers intend to abridge an act or play, they are accustomed to say, " We will John Audley it!" It originated thus:-In the year 1749, Shuter was master of a droll at Bartholomew fair, and it was his mode to lengthen the exhibition until a sufficient number of persons were gathered at the door to fill the house. This event was signified by a fellow popping his head in at the gallery door and bellowing out "John Audley," as if in act of inquiry, though the intention was to let Shuter know that a fresh audience were in high expectation below. The consequence of this notification was, that the entertainments were immediately concluded, and the gates of the booth thrown open for a new auditory. OLD ROWLEY. This was the nickname of Charles II., who was famous for his amours. Old Rowley was a famous stallion in his Majesty's stud. George I. had also his nickname, viz., the Turnip Hoer: it is said, when his Majesty first came to England, he talked of turning St. James's park into a turnip ground. The old Jacobites and old Whigs used to annoy each other by the singing of two songs, the one was Old Rowley, and the other the Turnip Hoer; the former a lampoon upon Charles II. for his royal amours; and the latter upon George I. for his princely economy. SKINFLINT. "The antiquity of certain proverbs is among the most striking singularities in the annals of the human mind. Abdalmalek, one of the khaliffs of the race of Ommiades, was surnamed Raschal Hegiarah, that is, 'the skinner of a flint;' and to this day we call an avaricious man a Skinflint.”—Universal Magazine, 1796. BARON MUNCHAUSEN! It is generally believed (says the "New Monthly Magazine") that Munch-Hausen is only a nom de guerre. Such, however, is not the fact. Baron Munch-Hausen was a Hanoverian nobleman, and even so late as five-and-forty years ago he was alive and lying. It is true that the Travels published as his, though not by him, were intended as a satire or parody on the travels of the famous Baron de Tott; but Munch-Hausen was really in the habit of relating the adventures, now sanctioned by the authority of his mendacious name, as having positively occurred to him; and from the frequency of the repetition of the same stories, without the slightest variation even in their most minute points, he at length believed the narratives he had himself invented, and delivered them with as much sang-froid as if they had described nothing but so many probable events. There was nothing of the fanfaron, or braggart, in his manner; on the contrary, he was distinguished by the peculiar modesty of his manner and demeanour. CAPABILITY BROWN. Launcelot Brown, called " Capability Brown," from his constant usage of the term, as well as for his genius for making sterile grounds fruitful, and naked and unseeming, beautiful and enchanting. He was employed by Lord Cobham in improving the grounds at Stowe, and afterwards at Richmond, Blenheim, Luton, Wimbledon, &c. He successfully exploded the old, stiff, unnatural Dutch style of gardening, and introduced an improved fashion that prevailed for nearly half a century. His works discover a highly cultivated taste, and have commanded the admiration both of Englishmen and foreigners. He associated familiarly with many of his noble and opulent employers, and realized a handsome fortune. In 1759, he was appointed head gardener to King George II., at Hampton Court. In 1770, he served the office of High Sheriff for the counties of Huntingdon and Cambridge; and died suddenly in Hertford Street, May-fair, February 6, 1783. ADMIRABLE CRICHTON. This most extraordinary man derived his appellation from his numerous and wonderful endowments. He lived in the time of James I. He spoke fluently every known language; he was versed in every science, and skilled in every accomplishment. He challenged to disputation the whole College of Cardinals, and almost every public and learned body in Europe, and bore off the palm! The Duke of Mantua was his patron, and appointed him preceptor to his son, who, envious of his merits, waylaid (with some others) and mortally wounded him. He, however, as well |