pogated at Alicant, the Canaries, and Maderia. How crooked men came originally to have the title of My Lord. In the first year of the reign of King Richard the Third, commonly known by the name of Crooked-back, six persons, unhappily deformed in that part of their bodies, were made lords, as a reward for several services they had formerly done the king; the novelty whereof occasioned the whole nation to make merry with those sort of people, by advising them to go to court, and receive an honour which nature seemed to have designed them for from that time the mock title of my Lord has been peculiar to such persons. : Origin of the Custom of making April Fools. This absurd custom is supposed to be derived from a memorable transaction happening between the Romans and Subines, mentioned by Dionysius, to the following effect: The Romans, about the infancy of the city, wanting wives, and finding they could not obtain the neighbouring women by their peaceable addresses, resolved to make use of a stratagem; and accordingly, Romulus instituted certain games to be performed in the beginning of April (according to the Roman Calendar) in honour of Neptune. Upon notice hereof, the bordering inhabitants, with their whole families, flocked to Rome, to see this mighty celebration; when the Romans seized upon a great number of the Sabine virgins, and ravished them; which wicked imposition is supposed to be the foundation of this foolish custom. How absurd for a people professing Christianity to keep in memory the day. Origin of the word Dun. The true origin of this expression owes its birth to one Joe Dun, a famous bailiff of the town of Lincoln: so extremely active, and so very dexterous was this man, at the management of his rough business, that it became a proverb, when a man refused to pay his debts,-Why don't you Dun him? That is, why don't you send Dun to arrest him; hence it grew into a custom, and is now as old as since the days of King Henry the Seventh. Derivation of the word Parliament. This word is of French origin, and is derived from the word parlement, wkich signifies discoursing, conferring, or conversing with, and is likewise derived from a parler le mente, to speak one's mind; because in conferrences we declare our sentiments. Ostler. The word Ostler, which now signifies solely an attendant on horses, is derived from the French word hosteller, a person who kept a house of entertainment; which houses were denominated hostels, and by us at this day hotels. Though some persons maintained that the word Ostler is purely English, and only an abridgement of oatstealer; a name given to those gentry from their great propensity to defraud those useful quadrupeds, horses, of their fair allow. ance. Origin of the late building commonly called The hospital, termed Bedlam, or Bethlem, for insane persons, originated in the dissolved priory of enthusiasts, called Beth lemites, in Moorfields, who wore red stars on their breasts, in commemoration of the star that directed the Magi to a stable in Bethlehem. No Penny no Paternoster. No penny, refers to the Peter's pence, a tribute which our ancestors, before the Reformation, paid to the pope of Rome; and, as pater noster are the two first words of the Lord's Prayer, in Latin, so they are used for the title of the whole; and, therefore, the meaning of the expression is, no money no prayers. Origin and antiquity of Surplices. The word surplice comes from sursum, or supara, and plica, to fold, and signifies a garment plaited in the upper part of the neck. We read that the Egyptian priests of Isis, had such garments long before the Levitical priesthood; then the Levites wore them and breeches as transient shadows of the priesthood of Melchizedeck, which requires righteousness as a robe, and to be made white in the blood of the Lamb-a more spiritual worship. Colours and clothes are indifferent; some countries mourn in white, and others in different colours. Pope Adrian the First got it decreed, in a council held under him, anno 769, at Frankfort, that the very sexton should officiate in the church with a surplice. Antiquity of the saying, "That's a Canterbury Story." The frequent pilgrimages which in popish times were made to Canterbury, gave this ancient saying birth, by reason of the tedious stories which were told by pilgrims with design to divert each other as they walked along, and thereby lessen the fatigue of their journey. Origin of the word Cockney. Cockney is the distinguishing appellation by which those gentlenen are honoured, who, being natives of the metropolis, are supposed never to have very far exceeded the vibrative limits of St. Paul's clock or Bow bell. A citizen of London making an excursion with his son to the neighbourhood of Highgate, the lad (who had never before taken a |