ble operations. This has given rise to the different forms of compliments, used on like occasions among the Greeks and Romans ;

-as live:be well-may Jupiter preserve you :—and, among the English, God bless you, &c.

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 Crook-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 hereof 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 my Lord has been peculiar to such persons.

of

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 Sabines, 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.

FROM WHENCE THE SAYING AROSE, THAT 66 NINE TAILORS MAKE A MAN."

Many years ago, eight tailors having finished. a considerable piece of work at the house of a person of quality, (as at that time was customary) and receiving all the money due for the same, a spirited servant maid of the house, observing

them to be but slender-built animals, and in their mathematical postures on their shopboard appearing but so many pieces of men, resolved to encounter and pillage them on the road: the better to compass her design, she procured a very large black pudding, and, having way-laid them, she presented it at the breast of the foremost. The tailors mistaking the savoury morsel for an instrument of death, at least for a blunderbuss, readily yielded up their money; but our Amazonian, not being contented with that, severely disciplined them in the bargain with a cudgel which she carried in the other hand-all which they bore with philosophical resignation. Thus eight, not being able to deal with one woman, consequently could not make a man, on which account a ninth is added, which gave rise to the saying, "Nine Tailors make a Man."

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.

AS DRUNK AS DAVID'S SOW.

One David Lloyd, a Welchman, kept an alehouse in the town of Hereford, and had a kind of monstrous sow, with six legs, which he shewed to his customers as a valuable rarity.

This David had a wife, who used often to make herself quite drunk, and then to lie down to sleep for an hour or two, that she might qualify herself for the performance of her business. But one day, the house being full, she could find no other place to sleep in, but the hog-sty, where her husband kept the sow abovementioned on clean straw; so she very orderly went in, and fell asleep by her harmonious companion. The sow no sooner found the door upon the jar, but out she slipt, and rambled to a considerable distance from the yard, highly pleased at her deliverance.

David had that day some relations come to

see him, who had been against his marrying; and, to give them a good opinion of his prudent choice, he told them he was sorry his wife was then abroad, because he much wished them to see her ; For, says David, surely never man was better matched, or met with a more honest sober wife than I am blessed with.

His friends congratulated his good fortune, and were, after a short time, desired by David (not knowing his wife was there) to go and see the greatest wonder of a sow that had ever been heard of in the world. He then led them to the hog-sty door, and opening it as wide as he could, the first thing they saw was his good wife wallowing on the straw, who, alarmed at being discovered in such a posture and sweet condition, instantly started up, and calling David husband, gave occasion for a hearty fit of laughter, and the derivation of the proverb, As drunk as David's sow.

DERIVATION OF THE WORD PARLIAMENT.

This word is of French origin, and is derived from the word parlement, which signifies discoursing, conferring, or conversing with, and is likewise