derived from a parler le mente, to speak one's mind; because in conferences 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 enter. tainment; 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 oat-stealer; a name given to those gentry from their great propensity to defraud those useful quadrupeds, horses, of their fair allowance. ORIGIN OF THE LATE BUILDING COMMONLY CALLED BEDLAM, IN MOORFIELDS. The hospital, termed Bedlam, or Bethlem, for insane persons, originated in the dissolved priory of enthusiasts, called Bethlemites, 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 pencé, á 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 to the whole and, therefore, the meaning of the expression is, no money no prayers. ORIGIN OF THE PROVERB-" YOU ARE LIKE HUNT'S DOG, NEITHER GO TO CHURCH, NOR STAY AT HOME." One Hunt, a labouring man, at a small town in Shropshire, kept a mastiff, who was very fond of following his master up and down. This Hunt was a religious man, and every Sunday, in the afternoon, went to church with all his family, and locked his mastiff up in the house till he came back again. The dog, it seems, unwilling to be left alone, complained in such melancholy notes and dismal whinings, that all the village was disturbed at his incessant howling. This made Hunt resolve to take his dog to church with him the next Sunday. The dog, however, who perhaps had formerly been beaten by the sexton for disturbing the congregation, could be brought no further than the church door; for there he hung behind, and pulled the string by which his master held him. Hunt grew angry at the obstinacy of his mastiff, and, after having beat him soundly, let him go, and with uplifted hands, and zealous accent, cried out half weeping," Oh! what will this world come to? my very dog has learned to practise wickedness, and is neither contented to go to church, nor to stay at home. Good Lord deliver us." The people, pleased to see a man so serious upon such an occasion, laughed poor Hunt and his dog into the well-known proverb before recited. ORIGIN OF SHROVE-TIDE. Shrove-tide is from the Saxon; it comes from the word shrive, shrift, or shrove, or the tide or time when they shrove or confessed their sins (as was customary with the Catholics), and received the blessed sacrament, to the end that they might more religiously observe the holy time of Lent, immediately ensuing. ORIGIN AND ANTIQUITY OF SURPLICES. The word surplice comes from sursum, or supra, 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. ANCIENT PRECEDENT OF EPITAPHS. Many instances of epitaphs in prose and verse may be collected from the old Greek poets and historians, who yet were but children compared to the Chaldeans and Egyptians. But the most ancient precedent of epitaphs must be that recorded in the ancient history, viz. the Old Testament, 1 Samuel vi. 18.; where it is recorded, that the great stone, erected as a memorial unto Abel, by his father Adam, remained unto that day in being, and its name was called the stone of Abel: and its elegy was, Here was shed the blood of righteous Abel: as it is also called four thousand years after, Matthew xxiii. 25.; and this is the original of monumental memorials and elegies. WHY LOW SUNDAY IS CALLED Dominica Easter and Whitsuntide, in the ancient church, were the stated times of baptism. And it was the custom for the persons baptized to wear albas vestes, i. e. white garments, as an emblem of spotless innocence: which is thus translated from the Latin of Venantius Honor, an old Christian poet:- "A splendid vest refulgent souls denotes, While on his milk-white lambs the shepherd dotes." And it was the custom to wear the white garments a whole week after baptism. So they who were baptized at Easter left these garments off |