he has the care, and in which he executes the King's writs. There are likewise Bailiffs to whom the king's castles are committed, as the Bailiff of Dover Castle. Lastly, the chief magistrates in divers ancient corporations, as Ipswich, Yarmouth, Colchester, Scarborough, and other places, are termed Bailiffs.

The term Bailiff is no doubt derived from the word bail, implying responsibility, or a responsible person, as a Bailiff most assuredly is.

ANTHONY PIG!

The officers who had the inspection of the city markets in former times, were very diligent in detecting persons that brought bad provisions to sell; and pigs being then sold alive, they seized all that were found unmarketable, and bestowed the same upon St. Anthony's hospital, which the proctors or overseers thereof no sooner received, than they hung a bell round each of their necks, as so many testimonials of their belonging to them, and sent them abroad into the world to shift for themselves. These pigs, by frequenting the several parts of the city, soon became acquainted with their benefactors, whom they followed with a continual whining (which gave birth to a proverb, that "you follow and whine like a St. Anthony's pig"), till they received a benevolence; whereby in a short time they became so fat, that they were taken up for the use of the fraternity. Another pleasant observer says, "This was a common nickname for a dangler, among our old writers."

Tanthony, is a corruption of St. Anthony. In Hampshire the small pig of the litter (in Essex called 'the cad') is, or once was, called 'the Tanthony pig.' Pigs were especially under this saint's care. The ensign of the order of St. Anthony of Hainault was a collar of gold made like a hermit's girdle; at the centre thereof hung a crutch and a small bell of gold. St. Anthony is styled, among his numerous titles, membrorum restitutor,' and 'Dæmonis fugator:' hence the bell. The Egyptians have none but wooden bells, except one brought by the Franks into the monastery of St. Anthony.-Rees' Cyclopædia, art. Bell. The custom of making particular Saints tutelars and protectors of one or another species of cattle, is still kept up in Spain, and other places. They pray to the tutelar when the beast is sick. Thus St. Anthony is for hogs, and we call a poor starved creature a Tanthony pig.-Salmon's History of Hertfordshire, 1728.

RIBALD.

"It was," says Verstegan, "the proper name of. Rabod, a heathen king of Friesland, who, being instructed in the faith of Christ by the godly Bishop Ulfran, faythfully promised to be

baptized, and appointed the tyme and place: where being come, and standing in the water, he asked of the bishop where all his forefathers were, that in former ages were deceased? The bishop answered, "That, dying without the knowledge of the true God, &c., they were in hell!' Then,' quoth Rabod, 'I hold it better, and more praiseworthy, to go with the multitude to hell, than with your few Christians to heaven!' and therewith he went out of the water unchristened, and returned both to his wonted idolatry and his evil life, notwithstanding the good admonitions of the bishop, and an evident miracle which (through the power of God) the said bishop wrought even in his own presence. He was afterwards surprised with a sudden and unprovided death, about the yeere of our Lord 720, and his very name became so odious through his wickedness, that it grew to be a title of reproach and shame, and hath so continued ever since."

BEEFEATER.

Beefeater is a corruption of the French le buffet, which is now used for the apartment in which refreshments are supplied to the guests at royal balls or concerts in France. The final syllable is like that of charretier, added to charrette, or layetier to layette, &c. Dr. Ash (English Dictionary) has BEAUFET, a corrupt spelling for a buffet. Boiste (Dictionnaire Universel) has BUFFETER (le verbe), and BUFFETEUR (le substantif); with a signification as regards drinking, and not eating. The buffeteur is described as a carrier who uses a gimlet, "percer les tonneaux en route, pour voler le vin." It is curious, however, that Boyer, in his French Dictionary, translates Beefeater, Mangeur de Boeuf, and subjoins, by way of remark, that this is a nickname given to the guards of England, because while on duty they are fed upon beef; that otherwise, their true name is Yeoman of the Guard.

MAN OF STRAW!

It is a notorious fact, that many years ago wretches sold themselves to give any evidence, upon oath, that might be required; and some of these openly walked Westminster Hall with a straw in their shoe, to signify they wanted employ as witnesses; such was one of the customs of the "good old times," which some of us regret we were not born in. From this custom originated the saying, "he is a Man of Straw." An article in the Quarterly Review (vol. xxxiii. p. 344), in which the Greek courts of justice are treated of, there notices the custom.-" We have all heard of a race of men who used, in former days, to ply about our own courts of law, and who, from their manner of making known their occupation, were recognised by the name of Strawshoes. An advocate, or lawyer, who wanted a convenient witness,

knew by these signs where to find one, and the colloquy between the parties was brief. 'Don't you remember?" said the advocate-(the party looked at the fee and gave no sign; but the fee increased, and the powers of memory increased with it). To be sure I do.' 'Then come into the court and swear it.' And Straw-shoes went into the court and swore it. Athens abounded in Straw-shoes."

LUNATIC!

The term Lunatic is derived from Luna, the moon, from the belief which formerly prevailed that all who are mentally deranged are more or less affected by the change in that luminary.

POLTROON!

According to Suetonius, in Vit. August. c. 24, a Roman knight, who had cut off the thumb of his two sons to prevent them being called to a military life, was by order of Augustus publicly sold, both he and his property. Calmet remarks, that the Italian language has preserved a term poltrone, which signifies one whose thumb is cut off, to designate a soldier destitute of courage and valour. We use poltroon to signify a dastardly fellow, without considering the import of the original.

BIGOT!

The word Bigot is derived by that judicious antiquary, Camden, from the following circumstance: When Rollo, Duke of Normandy, received Gisla, the daughter of Charles the Simple, King of France, in marriage, together with the investiture of that dukedom, he would not submit to kiss Charles's feet; and when his friends urged him by all means to comply with that ceremony, he made answer in the English tongue, "Ne se, by God!" i. e., "Not so, by God." Upon which, the king and his courtiers deriding him, and corruptly repeating his answer, called him Bigot, from whence the Normans were called Bigodi, or Bigots.

TURN-COAT!

The Duke of Savoy took, indifferently, sometimes part with France, and sometimes with Spain; for that purpose he had a justeau corps, white on one side and scarlet on the other, so that when he meant to declare for France he wore the white outside, and when for Spain the red. This is the origin of the proverb, tourner casaque, or turn coat."

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YANKEE !

Notwithstanding the various derivations which have been given, there never was any difference of opinion among those

who have ever paid any attention to the subject, concerning the origin of this word. It is believed to have been derived from the manner in which the Indians endeavoured te pronounce the word English, which they rendered Yenghees, whence the word Yankee. The term Yankee was a cant or favourite word with one Jonathan Hastings, a settler at Cambridge, North America, about the year 1713. The inventor used it to express excellency. For instance, a "Yankee good horse," or "Yankee cider," meant an excellent horse, and excellent cider. The students of a neighbouring college were accustomed to hire horses of Jonathan; their intercourse with him, and his use of the word upon all occasions, led them to adopt it, and they gave him the name of "Yankee Jonathan." It was dispersed by the collegians throughout New England, until it became a settled term of reproach to all New Englanders, and eventually to all North Americans.

BROTHER JONATHAN.

The origin of this term, as applied to the United States, is as follows:-"When General Washington, after being appointed commander of the army of the revolutionary war, came to Massachusetts to organize it, and make preparations for the defence of the country, he found a great want of ammunition and other means necessary to meet the powerful foe he had to contend with, and great difficulty to obtain them. If attacked in such condition, the cause at once might be hopeless. On one occasion, at that anxious period, a consultation of the officers and others was held, when it seemed no way could be devised to make such preparations as were necessary. His excellency Jonathan Trumbull the elder was then governor of the State of Connecticut, on whose judgment and aid the general placed the greatest reliance, and remarked, 'We must consult Brother Jonathan on the subject.' The general did so, and the governor was successful in supplying many of the wants of the army. When difficulties afterwards arose, and the army was spread over the country, it became a byword, 'We must consult Brother Jonathan.' The term Yankee is still applied to a portion, but Brother Jonathan' has now become a designation of the whole country, as John Bull has for England."-Dictionary of Americanisms, by John Russell Bartlett.

BROKER.

The origin of this word is contested; some derive it from the French broyer, to grind; others from brocader, to cavil or wriggle; others deduce broker from a trader broken, and that from the Saxon broc, misfortune, which is often the true reason of a man's breaking. In which view, a broker is a broken trader by misfortune; and it is said, that none but such were formerly admitted to that employment.

BANKRUPT.

The term Bankrupt (formerly spelt Bankrout, and Banquerout) is derived from the Italian Banka or Banch, bench, and rupta, broken. The Italian money-lenders in the various cities of Italy, had a place of assembly of their own, and everyone had a bench or table, at which they stood and transacted their business. When any of them failed in their covenants, it was the custom to break up the bench of the individual, and hence came the term banca-rupta, or the bench is broken, and from whence also came our term bankrupt, as applied to a man whose name is published in the Gazette. In former times, if not even now, it was the custom in our corn-market, in Mark Lane, to break up the table or bench of any salesman who could not meet his payments.

CAT'S PAW!

The term Cat's Paw, or the phrase, "he is the Cat's Paw of the party," took its origin from the following anecdote: "A monkey and a turnspit, a kind of dog between the lurcher and the terrier, were at one period considered indispensable requisites in the culinary department, yclept the kitchen. Our readers will recollect the story of the roasted chestnuts in Don Saltero's kitchen, where the monkey, taking a fancy to them as they were crackling within the bars of the fireplace, catched hold of the cat as she lay sleeping before the fire, and made use of her paw to withdraw some of the chestnuts from the scorching situation in which they were placed. From this circumstance, when one person pushes forward another to do that which he himself is either afraid to do, or ashamed to appear in, originated the saying, "he is the Cat's Paw of such a one," or "he is the Cat's Paw of the party."

JACK KETCH.

It is now about one hundred and ninety years ago, since one Dun, the then finisher of the law, departed this life, when one Jack Ketch was advanced to the office, and who has left his name to his successors ever since. This appears from Butler's Ghost, published in 1682. When the author wrote the first part of it, it is plain that Dun was the executioner's name, or nick

name:

"For you yourself to act 'Squire Dun-
Such ignominy ne'er saw the sun;"

But before he had printed off his poem, Jack Ketch was in office;

"Till Ketch observing he was chous'd,

And in his profits much abus'd,

In open hall the tribunes dunn'd

To do his office, or refund."