George forward,' or, ' Upon them, St. George,' whereby the souldier is much comforted, and the enemie dismaied, by calling to minde the ancient valour of England, which with that name has so often been victorious."

Shakspeare so uses it in his " Richard III.;" he makes Richmond conclude his address to his soldiery with,

"Sound, drums and trumpets, bold and cheerfully,

God and St. George, Richmond and victory."

So also, Richard, after he receives the news of Stanley's defection, exclaims,

"Advance our standards, set upon our foes!

Our ancient word of courage, fair St. George,
Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons!
Upon them!"

MERRY IN THE HALL, WHEN BEARDS WAG ALL!

Mr. Brand says, "in Christmas holidays the tables were all spread from the first to the last; the sirloins of beef, the minced pies, the plumb porridge, the capons, turkies, geese, and plumbpuddings, were all brought upon the board; every one eat heartily, and was welcome, which gave rise to the proverb, 'merry in the hall when beards wag all.""

NINE TAILORS MAKE A MAN!

This saying, we believe, had its origin in the following manner: In 1742, an orphan boy applied for alms at a fashionable tailor's shop in London, in which nine journeymen were employed. His interesting appearance opened the hearts of the benevolent gentlemen of the cloth, who immediately contributed nine shillings for the relief of this little stranger. With this capital our youthful hero purchased fruit, which he retailed at a profit. Time passes on, and wealth and honour smile upon our young tradesman, so that, when he set up his carriage, instead of troubling the Heralds' College for his crest, he painted the above motto on his carriage, "Nine tailors make a man.”—Notes and Queries, vol. vi.

NOT FIT TO HOLD A CANDLE TO HIM!

Candle-bearers preceded candle-sticks, and so did (however strange it may appear) chandeliers. Candlesticks did not come into general use until the latter end of the reign of Edward VI. Prior to that period, candles were held to, borne, or carried before, by youths expressly for that purpose. It was a situation which required a tact, independent of a steady hand; hence there arose a question as to the candidates' fitness, and out of that the saying, "Not fit to hold a candle to him."

SEND HIM TO COVENTRY!

The phrase of "sending to Coventry!" is by some said to have originated in the fact, that if a soldier was found to be a coward, he was sent to Coventry as being a central town of England, and a place where he was least likely to be exposed to the terrors of an unfriendly army. Hutton, in his History of Birmingham, gives a different origin to this expression, which he says arose as follows:-The day after Charles I. left Birmingham, on his march from Shrewsbury in 1642, the Parliamentary party seized his carriages, containing the royal plate and furniture, which they conveyed for security to Warwick Castle. They apprehended all messengers and suspected persons, and frequently attacked small parties of the Royalists, whom they sent prisoners to Coventry. Hence the expression respecting a refractory person, "Send him to Coventry."-Notes and Queries, vol. vi.

IT'S AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NO ONE GOOD!

Antiquaries generally agree, that this phrase has a Cornish origin. The coast of Cornwall is, perhaps, the most disastrous to the mariner of any, and what makes it still more lamentable, the Cornish people (not even excepting the more intelligent classes) look upon the plunder of a wreck as a birthright. If the wind blows hard, thousands are immediately on the look-out, impatient for their prey, and if any one makes the common-place remark, of "It's boisterous weather, neighbour," or, "It's a boisterous morning;" the very general reply is," It's an ill wind that blows Cornwall no luck!" and from hence arose the common saying, "It's an ill wind that blows no one good."

WE'LL NOT CARRY COALS!

This saying, so common in the northern counties, takes its origin from the following anecdote :-"Three soldiers in the 15th century, a German, a Scot, and an Englishman, being condemned to be hanged in the Low Countries for plunder, their lives were begged-the "benefit of clergy" in that part of the world-by persons who had occasion for their services. A brickmaker saved the German's life, that he might help him in his business; and the culprit thanked his stars. The Scot was taken by a brewer; and he only covenanted that he should not be compelled to make small beer. When the Englishman's turn came, a collier appeared to demand him, dressed in the costume of the minegrim, black, and sooty: the Briton looking at him for a time, coolly observed, that he had not been used to carry coals, and that the law had better take its course! hence came the saying,

*See benefit of Clergy.

"We'll not carry coals," half-proverbially used by Shakspeare, and others, to signify the utterer would not put up with indignity.

NE SUTOR ULTRA CREPIDAM.

"Ne sutor ultra crepidam," owes its origin to this practice of Apelles. A shoemaker having found fault with a slipper, Apelles corrected the fault, which the shoemaker observing the next time he saw the picture, proceeded to remark upon the leg; when Apelles, springing from behind the canvass, desired him in wrath "to stick to his last."

THOSE WHO HAVE GLASS HOUSES SHOULD BE CAREFUL HOW THEY

THROW STONES.

A great many of our phrases and sayings take their data from the reign of our James I., and some of them originated from that sapient monarch himself: this is one of them. On that monarch's accession to the English throne, London swarmed with Scotch adventurers, who were continually hovering about the court, and very generally succeeded (maugre the obstacles that were opposed to them by the English courtiers) in gaining the monarch's favour, as well as employ. This gave great umbrage to the chevaliers of the court, and particularly to the gay and sprightly Buckingham himself, the principal favourite of the king. His mansion, which was in St. Martin's Fields, was famed for its multiplicity of windows, and was denominated by the wags of the day the Glass House. Buckingham, with others of his fraternity, took every opportunity of annoying, in the most mischievous manner, the poor Scotchmen; indeed, it was not confined to the court: they were considered intruders, consequently fair game. Missiles were even resorted to; among the rest, was a tin tube of a portable size, through which the assailants could propel with their mouths a small pebble or stone; it was somewhat similar to what the boys of the present day call a Pea-shooter. Buckingham not only winked at this annoyance, but with others of his grade adopted it; whether from want of dexterity or otherwise, it is not said, but the persecuted Caledonians found him out, and by the way of retribution broke his windows! The favourite complained to his royal master, but the wary Scot had been beforehand with him, and on stating his complaint, the monarch replied, "Those who live in glass-houses, Steenie,* should be careful how they throw stones." Hence originated the common saying, "Those who have glass-houses should be careful how they throw stones."

HUMBUG!

The derivation of this word, now in such common use, is not generally known; but it is of Scotch origin. There was in former

* A familiar name by which he invariably addressed Buckingham.

years residing in the neighbourhood of the Mearns, in Scotland, a gentleman of landed property, whose name was Hume or Home; and his estate was known as the Bogue. From the great falsehoods that "Hume of the Bogue" was in the habit of relating about himself, his family, and every thing connected with him, it soon became customary, when persons heard any thing that was remarkably extravagant or absurd, to say, "That is a Hume o' the Bogue." The expression spread like wildfire over the whole country; and by those who did not understand the origin of the phrase, and applied it only to any extravagant action or saying, contracted it into one word, and corrupted it to Humbug.'

We must define humbug. It is not naked untruth. A draper's assistant, who tells a lady that a dress will wash when it will not, does not humbug her, he merely cheats her. But, if he persuades her to buy a good-for-nothing muslin, by telling her that he has sold such another to a duchess, he humbugs her, whether he speaks truly or not, He imposes an inference in favour of his commodity, through her large vanity upon her small mind. Humbug thus consists in making people deceive themselves, by supplying them with premises, true or false, from which by reason of their ignorance, weakness, or prejudice, they draw wrong conclusion.

TO PAY A SHIP'S SIDE.

From pix, pitch, distorted into poix, and pronounced pay; hence the expression, "Here's the devil to pay, and no pitch hot!"

WHEN ROGUES FALL OUT, HONEST MEN COME BY THEIR OWN!

This saying originated with the great Sir Matthew Hale. A plaintiff and a defendant, who previous to assuming those characters had rowed in the same boat, had a matter at issue tried before that upright judge; when it came out in evidence that the property they were contending for, had originally come into their possession by unjust means, and that the real owner had been ruined by their joint concurrence. It was then Sir Matthew made use of the saying, "When rogues fall out, honest men come by their own." The trial was quashed, and the right owner was put in possession of his property.

THE BITER'S BIT!

This saying originated from Bishop Tonstall, in the reign of Henry VIII., who was far fonder of burning books than men, having employed an agent on the continent, where the bishop was travelling, to buy up the works of Tindal the sectarist. This agent was secretly a Tindalist, and communicated the circum

stance to Tindal himself, who was at that period residing at Geneva. Tindal was highly pleased at the circumstance, for he had long been desirous of printing a corrected edition, but his poverty prevented him: he had also a quantity of the first edition by him, which he had now an opportunity of turning into cash. The agent was very industrious, and furnished the bishop with an immense quantity; the latter was highly pleased, paid the money, and had the books burnt in Cheapside. Tindal brought out his second edition, sent his agents to London, where he had many secret followers, and consequently sold many of his books. One of these agents was detected, and taken before the chancellor, who promised him a pardon on condition of his giving up the principal in the transaction. The man agreed, and named Bishop Tonstall! that in consequence of the latter having bought up all that he could lay his hands on of the first edition, they had been able to distribute a second; and which they could not possibly have effected without the assistance of the bishop. "I'faith," exclaimed the chancellor, turning round to some of the council," I must confess the biter's bit." The man was pardoned, and the saying has continued to this day.

A BIRD IN HAND'S WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH!

This originated from the following circumstance: Will Somers, the celebrated jester to Henry VIII., happening to call at my Lord Surrey's, whom he had often, by a well-timed jest, saved from the displeasure of his royal master, and who consequently was always glad to see him, was on this occasion ushered into the aviary, where he found my lord amusing himself with his birds. Will, happening to admire the plumage of a kingfisher "By my Lady," said Surrey, "my prince of wits, I will give it you." Will skipped about with delight, and swore by the great Harry he was a most noble gentleman. Away went Will with his kingfisher, telling all his acquaintance whom he met, that his friend Surrey had just presented him with it. Now it so happened that my Lord Northampton, who had seen this bird the day previous, just arrived at my Lord Surrey's as Will Somers had left, with the intention of asking it of Surrey for a present to his (Northampton's) mistress. Great was his chagrin on finding the bird gone. Surrey, however, consoled him with saying, that "He knew Somers would restore it him, on he (Surrey) promising him two another day." Away went a messenger to the prince of wits, whom he found in raptures with his bird, and to whom he deli-` vered his lord's message. Great was Will's surprise, but he was not to be bamboozled by even the monarch himself. "Sirrah," says he, "tell your master that I am obliged for his liberal offer of two for one; but that I prefer one bird in the hand to two in the bush!" Hence originated this much repeated saying.