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 ROE. These worthies, so well known to those unfortunate wights who incur the serving of a certain process, derive their consequence from it being the custom, in former times, 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 this once moral country; now more famed for the anomalies of its statute-book, and the impure dispensation of its laws. In the year 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 produced, he was found guilty, and afterwards executed. It is 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. 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 enquiry, 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 nick-name of Charles the Second, who was famous for his amours. Old Rowley was a famous Stallion in his Majesty's stud. George the First had also his nick-name, 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 the Second for his royal amours; and the latter upon George the First, for his princely economy. SKIN-FLINT. The antiquity of certain proverbs is among the most striking singalarities 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 Skin-flint. 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: "Him too, the living leader of thy pow'rs, Great Nature! him the muse shall hail in notes 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 2d 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. "The air, a chartered libertine, was still; This most extraordinary man derived his appellation from his nu merous and wonderful endowments. He lived in the time of James the First. 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 as the other assassins, paid with their lives the forfeit of their temerity, Crichton killing every one of them. PEEPING TOM OF COVENTRY! "I, Luricke, for the love of thee, Peeping Tom, a person of nearly as much notoriety as the countess Godiva, and an auxiliary in the drama, under that denomination, derives his importance from the following historical circumstance. In the early part of the reign of Edward the Confessor, Leofric, the fifth earl of Mercia, and his countess Godiva, sister to Thorold, sheriff of Lincolnshire, founded a monastery on the ruins of St. Os burg's nunnery, for an abbot an twenty-four monks of the Benedictine order. This monastery was so liberally endowed by Leofric, that it surpassed all others in the county in splendour and magnificence; so that Malmsbury relates, that it was enriched and beautified with so much gold and silver, that the walls seemed too narrow to contain it; insomuch, that Rob de Limesie, bishop of this diocese, in the time of king William Rufus, scraped from one beam that supported the shrines, five hundred marks of silver. With the foundation of its monastic structure, commenced the prosperity of Coventry; but it seems, the city had yet to complain of the grievance of excessive tolls, which Leofric, as lord of the town, levied; and concerning the manner in which they were relieved from it, is told a romantic tale, which Dugdale thus relates: The countess Godiva, bearing an extraordinary affection to this place, often and earnestly besought her husband, that for the love of God, and the blessed Virgin, he would free it from that grievous servitude whereunto it was subject; but he, rebuking her for importuning him in a matter so inconsistent with his profit, commanded that she should thenceforth forbear to move therein; yet she, out of her womanish pertinacity, continued to solicit him; insomuch, that be told her, if she would ride on horseback, naked, from one end of the town to the other, in the sight of all the people, he would grant her request. Whereunto, she answered, but will you give me leave so to do? And he replying, yes, the noble lady, upon an appointed day, got on horseback, naked, with her hair loose, so that it covered all her body but her legs, and thus performing the journey, returned with joy to her husband, who therefore granted to the inhabitants a charter of freedom, which immunity I rather conceive to have been a kind of manumission from some such servile tenure, whereby they then held what they had under this great earl, than only a freedom from all manner of toll, except horses, as Knighton affirms. It is said by Rapin, that the countess, previous to her riding, commanded all persons to keep within doors, and from their windows, on pain of death; but, notwithstanding this severe penalty, there was one person who could not forbear giving a look, out of curiosity; but it cost him his life. From this circumstance, reader, originated the familiar epithet of " Peeping Tom of Coventry." A figure, commemorative of the peeper, has long been preserved there, and is now inserted in the niche of a new house, communicating with the High Street. JACK OF NEWBURY. This title was given to John Winchcomb, who was, in the time of Henry 8th, the greatest clothier in England. He kept one hundred looms in his own house at Newbury, and armed and clothed, at his own expense, one hundred of his men, to march in the expedition against the Scots at Flodden Field. SON OF A GUN! This is derived from Gong, an old word for the temple of Cloacina, of course, it implies bastard, or born in a necessary! CURSE OF SCOTLAND. The nine of diamonds, being termed the "Curse of Scotland," originates from a Scotch member, whose family arms is the nine of diamonds, voting for the introduction of the Malt Tax into Scotland. GOOD OLD TIMES! "The "Good Old Times," (all times when old are good)— Great things have been, and are, and greater still Want little of mere mortals but their will; A wider space, a greener field is given To those who play their tricks before high heaven. I know not if the angels weep, but men Have wept enough-for what? to weep again.—Byron. It has been supposed by many, that this phrase is of uncertain data, and that it has been made use of, as it were, from time immemorial. In Godwin's History of the Commonwealth, however, we are informed, that it first came into use at that period. The cant and hypocrisy of the day, became so disgusting, that two-thirds of the nation, began to wish in their hearts, however cautious they were with their tongues, for the restoration of the royal family Being restrained from speaking their sentiments openly, they strung together a many ambiguous terms; among others, was, wishing for a return of the "good old times," which really meant a return to the monarchial system, and the demolition of Cromwell's government; although, if required, a less objectional (to the governors) explanation might have been given. BY HOOK OR BY CROOK! Judges Crook and Hutton, were the two judges (says Butler, in his Hudibras) who dissented from their ten brethren, in the case of shipmoney, when it was argued in the Exchequer, which occasioned the wags to say, that "the king carried it by Hook, but not by Crook!" HOBSON'S CHOICE! This saying is derived from one Hobson, who let out horses at Cambridge, and obliged such as wanted one, to take that next the stable door, being the one which had had most rest. DRUNK AS A LORD! "Drunk as a Lord!" the old proverb was "Drunk as a Beggar," but this vice prevailing among the great of late years, it thus became altered. GOOD WINE NEEDS NO BUSH. Bushes of evergreen, such as ivy, cypress, &c. were anciently signs, where wine was sold, hence the proverb, or saying, “good wine needs no bush!" Commentators have been sadly puzzled to find out the meaning of this proverb, which a residence in France, during the autumn, would easily have solved. In the departments where the vine is cultivated, the peasant sells its vintage: and as a sign, a green bush is stuck in the wall over the door; this is a regulation of the police; and as long as the peasant has any wine to sell, so long must the bush remain. If one has made better wine than another, the news is soon spread abroad among the topers, and hence the proverb, "good wine needs no bush." THEY ARE SWORN BROTHERS! The term sworn brothers," arose from a custom in Morlachia, and other places, where friendship between the same sex, are like marriages ratified at the altar. Others say, from persons covenanting formerly, to share each others fortune, in any expedition to invade a country, as were Robert de Oily, and Robert de Ivery, in William the First's expedition into England; or, the three Pizarros to Peru. Hence also, the term of "brethren in iniquity," because of their dividing plunder. WHAT! YOU'RE RETURN'D TO THE OLD TRADE OF BASKET MAKING! This phrase is supposed to have originated from the ingenuity of the ancient Britons in making baskets, which they exported in large quantities, and implies, sliding back into old habits, or returning to the more primitive occupations of barbarous ages. GOD BLESS YOU! TO THE SNEEZER. The custom of saying "God bless you!" to the sneezer, originated according to Strada, among the ancients, who through an opinion of the danger attending it, after sneezing, made a short prayer to the gods, as "Jupiter help me!" Polydore Virgil says, it took its rise in the plague of 594, in which the infected fell down dead sneezing, though seemingly in good health. This custom is practised among the Jews and among the Abyssinians. When the king of Monomotapa sneezes, those who are near him loudly wish him happiness, this is catched by those farther off, and is echoed through the whole city. DINING WITH DUKE HUMPHREY! 66 Dining with duke Humphrey," is said of those who walked in Saint Paul's Church, during dinner time. Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, being a man of great hospitality, and supposed to have been buried in Saint Paul's. P |