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1816.] Oedipus Jocularis-Spick and Span-Culprii-A Clincher, 321

allege this, and to pretend on this account to forbid a Christian to read and act comedies"."

There is another kind of pleasures which must be enjoyed by my patients with great moderation, I mean those of the palate. Rigid temperance, which is one of the chief rules to be observed at a watering-place, will not admit of any exceptions on the part of those who expect benefit from the water. Cards, on the other hand, partly engage the attention too strongly, and partly

militate against another principal rule, that which enjoins exercise,

The other general advantages of mineral waters consist in this, that the ferruginous particles in some of them strengthen the solids; the saline contents cleanse the body from impurities; and that new energy is imparted to the system by the volatile spirit which mineral waters contain, and which is so peculiar to them, that they cannot be perfectly initated by any artificial mixture.

Oedipus Jocularis :

OR, ILLUSTRATIONS OF REMARKABLE PROVERBS, OBSCURE SAYINGS, AND PECULIAR CUSTOMS.

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SPICK AND SPAN.

THIS is a very common expression, applied to any thing quite new, but the words appear to want explanation. The most obvious derivation is froin the Italian, spicata de la spanna, fresh from the hand, or, as we say in another proverbial phrase of our own, "fresh from the mint." There are numerous Italian words in our language, which were brought in before the Reformation, when it was not only customary for our young men of family to complete their studies in that country, but many Italians resided here as collectors of the papal imposts, or as holders of our best benefices. This certainly is a more rational etymology than that which derives the phrase from a spear, because the head of that weapon was formerly called a spike, and the staff a span; thereby meaning that every part is new.

CULPRIT.

It is universally known that our ancient proceedings in the courts were ma

Lest the religious reader should suspect me of having taken some unwarrantable liberty with the words of the Apostle of the Reformation, I subjoin this passage in the original language: "Christen sollen Comedien nicht ganz und gar fliehen, darumb dass bissweilen grobe Zoten und Bulerey daringen sey, da man doch umb derselben wil len auch die Bibel nicht dürfte lesen. Darumbist nichts, dass sie solches fürwenden und umb der Ursach willen verbieten wollen dass em Christ nicht sollte. Comedien mögen lesen und spielen.

NEW MONTHLY MAC.-No. 98.

MARTIAL.

naged in the French language; and this will lead to an explanation of the word culprit, about which there has been a strange difference of opinion among law writers.

After reading the indictment, the prisoner at the bar is asked whether he is guilty or not guilty of the matter charged against him: if he answers not guilty, the clerk of arraigns replies culprit; which is said by some to be derived from culp prist, and culp prist from culpabilist and presto, signifying guilty already. This far-fetched interpretation is out of all character, and contrary to the spirit of the law, which supposes a prisoner innocent till his guilt is proved by the evidence of others, or his own confession. The word is clearly a corruption of the French Qu'il paroit? The officer of the court says, "Guilty or not guilty?" Now if the prisoner replies guilty," and persists in so doing, his confession is recorded; but if he answers "not guilty," the officer says "Culprit," when he should rather say "Qu'il paroit?" i. e. make it appear, or let it appear; and it amounts to no more than this, that the prisoner has an opportunity and full liberty of manifesting his innocence.

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822 Blarney-Dab-Tale of a Tub-My Eye Betty Martin. [May 1,

men mechanics were one day contending for superiority in the art of invention, and at length laid a wager which of them could coin the greatest lie. When the stakes were deposited, he that was to begin swore vehemently that one moonlight night he threw a tenpenny nail with such force, that it went quite through the body of the lunar orb, which was then at full. "That's true," said his opponent; for I was on the other side at the very moment, and with my claw hammer I clinched the nail." The last fellow was adjudged the prize, and from that time every outrageous falsehood has been termed a clincher.

HE HAS BEEN AT BLARNEY.

Blarney Castle, the ancient seat of the Macarty family, is situated about three miles from Cork; and adjoining to it is an old ruinous tower on an eminence, with winding stone steps up to the summit. Formerly it was a singular custom for all strangers who ascended to the top of this tower to creep on their hands and knees to the corner stone of the highest pinnacle, and kiss the same, by virtue of which it was pretended that they acquired the singular power of pleasing in conversation. Hence came the expression, in speaking of a fawning, wheedling fellow, that he had been at Blarney.

HE IS A DAB AT IT.

This is very commonly said of a clever person in any profession: but the word dab is neither Saxon nor British; whence then does it come? The answer is, that it is nothing more than a corruption of adept, which in former times denoted a professor of the occult sciences, especially alchemy. The Rosicrucians, who affected the art of making gold and of prolonging life, maintained that there were twelve enlightened brethren of that mystical community who possessed the highest secrets of the order; these select members were called adepts; and when any one of them died, his place was filled up by another to keep the body perfect. To be an adept, therefore, denotes that the person so complimented is extraordinarily qualified.

A TALE OF A TUB.

When Sir Thomas More held the seals, he made it his principal object to correct the abuses that prevailed in the practice of his court, and to put an end to frivolous suits. One of his biographers says, "that he took order with all the attornies that no subpoenas should go out, whereof in general his lordship had not previous notice, with the solicitor's hand

subscribed to the bill; declaring also that he would cancel the same if there appeared not sufficient cause of complaint." It happened that one of the most troublesome attorneys in his court was called TUB, and this man bringing up a paper for the consideration and signature of the chancellor, the latter, seeing it to be a trifling case, took his pen, and instead of subscribing his name, wrote under it, "A Tale of a Tub."

MY EYE BETTY MARTIN.

This is a vulgarisin to be met with only in law companies, though it has sometimes been transplanted from thence, and introduced into noble and even princely mansions. It is an expression of contempt and defiance, when a person is not to be convinced or satisfied with any thing that is said in the way of explanation, in opposition to which the indignant sceptic is apt to exclaim: "Tis all my eye Betty Martin." Of these strange and apparently unmeaning words the following appears to be a correct definition. A man going once into a church or chapel of the Romish persuas sion on St. Martin's day, heard the Latin Litany chaunted, when the words "Mihi Beate Martin," occurred so often, that upon being asked how he liked the service, he replied it was nothing but nonsense or something worse, as from beginning to end" it was all my eye Betty Martin."

MERRY ANDREW.

Formerly every itinerant quack doctor, who made a practice of haranguing the people at fairs and markets, was at tended by a buffoon, dressed in a motley garb, and whose business lay in playing tricks for the amusement of the specta tors, while his master cheated them out of their money. The servant was inva riably named "Merry Andrew;" but it is singular enough that the original Andrew was the doctor himself, being no less a man than Andrew Borde, a native of Pevensey in Sussex, and bred at Oxford, where he took a degree and then became a Carthusian in London: but disliking the severity of that order, he quitted it and studied physic, for which purpose, and being of a rambling dispo sition, he travelled over the greatest part of Europe, and even into Africa. On his return he settled first at Winches ter, but in 1541 he went to Montpelier, where he took his doctor's degree, which was confirmed to him afterwards by the University of Oxford. Bishop Bale charges him with the offence of keeping three concubines at the same time in

1816.]

Merry Andrew-Proceedings of Universities,

Oxford, whose names he mentions, though Wood says, by way of excuse, that they were Borde's patients. In this, however, the last author is probably wrong, for the doctor was certainly a man of licentious manners, and after many vicissitudes finished his course in the Fleet prison in 1549. The practice of Andrew Borde, notwithstanding his education and the honour which he enjoyed of being physician to Henry the Eighth, ill became the gravity of his profession; for it was his custom to travel about from town to town, enter taining the populace in public with witty stories, while he administered to their complaints. On this account he obtained the name of "Merry Andrew," and when he died, several empirics arose, who, having neither his knowledge nor his humour, endeavoured to make up for both by hiring some lively and agile fellows, whose business it was to play tricks and put the crowd into good humour.

Dr. Borde published some books that were very popular in their day, the best of which is entituled, The Breviary of Health, wherein are remedies for all manner of sicknesses and diseases, 4to. 1547. This work, which is a kind of body of domestic medicine, passed through several editions. Another of his performances is called A Book of the

323

Introduction of Knowledge, the which
doth teach a Man to speak part of all
munner of Languages, and to know the
usage and fashion of all manner of Couns
tries, and for to know the most part of
all manner of Coins of Money, 4to. 1542,
This book is dedicated to the Princess,
afterwards Queen Mary, and it is writ-
ten partly in verse and partly in prose,
in 39 chapters, to each of which is pre-
fixed a wood-cut, exhibiting the figure
of a man, and sometimes two or three.
Before the first chapter, which treats of
the natural disposition of an English-
man, is the representation of a naked
figure holding a piece of cloth in one
hand, and a pair of shears in the other,
with these verses underneath :
I am an Englishman, and naked I stand here,
Musing in my mind what garment I shall

wear.

Before the seventh chapter is the picture of the author, standing in a pew with a canopy over it, having a gown on, and sleeves a little wider than an ordinary coat, a laurel on his head, and a book open on a desk bearing this inscription: "The VII Chapyter sheweth how the Auctor of this Boke had dwelt in Scotland and other Ilands, and did go thorow and round about Christendom, and out of Christendom, declaring the properties of all the Regions, Countries, and Provinces, the which he did travel thorow."

INTELLIGENCE IN LITERATURE AND THE ARTS AND SCIENCES.

PROCEEDINGS OF UNIVERSITIES.

CAMBRIDGE, March 22.-The Chancellar's gold medals for the best proficients in classical learning amongst the Commencing Bachelors of Arts, are adjudged to Mr. JOHN GRAHAM, of Christ College, and Mr. MARMADUKE LAWSON, of Magdalen College, and their merits were declared by the examiners to be equal. The subject proposed was a passage of a play of Aristophanes, to be turned into English verse in two hours. We subjoin the passage, first literally translated into prose, and the poetical version or rather parody of Mr. LawSON.

THE ATHENIAN OFFICER.

We wish to eulogize our forefathers, because they were men worthy of their country and their standard, who, in battles by land and sea, always conquering in all places, adorned this state; and none of them when he saw the enemy ever stopped

to count them, but his heart was at once for fighting, and if perchance any one fell on his shoulder, he would wipe off the dirt, and deny that he had fallen, and fight again; nor would a single officer petition Cleænetus don't obtain precedence and a pension, they for a public maintenance: but now if they declare they will not fight. Now we, for our part, think it right to fight like men for our state and the gods of our country, and we petition for nothing only just this, that if peace should come, and we have a respite from our labours, you do not grudge our wearing fine heads of hair and scraping our skins clean.

A BRITISH OFFICER.

Let's chaunt the days of good Queen Betty,
When folks look'd down on actions petty;'
Lads then were lads, nor wanted bounties-
A credit to their cloth and counties.
Amphibious rogues-by land and water
They left the French small scope for laughter;

324

Intelligence in Literature, and the Arts and Sciences.

Prescribed steel for all diseases

Steel opes the pores and quickly eases.

Some count their foes as drovers cattle,
A sort of grace before a battle;
Now these were poor arithmeticians,
Nor from the Muses held commissions,
No Cambridge troops, militia local,
Nor their Horse-guards, Parnassus vocal.
So this they deem'd a paltry shuffle,
And straight at sight commenc'd the scuffle;
Nor if knock'd down would they complain,
But rise and cut and come again;
Nor would a single serjeant-major
Dun Harry Calvert for half-pay, Sir.

But now, without their carnal leaven,
Their K. C. Bs. and first-cuts given,
Their stars and clubs, that root of evil,
They'll see the fighting at the devil.

Now we, without such idle prattle,
For church and state will stoutly battle;
Nor pen we threatening long petitions,
In peace to better our conditions;
Give Windsor soap, Macassar oil,
Let curly locks reward our toil,
We'll all be beaus, and share between us
The conquests, not of Mars, but Venus.

April 16, at a convocation, a grace passed the Senate that Mr. Vice-chancellor, Dr. Davy, Dr. Thackeray, Sir Isaac Pennington, Dr. Clarke, Professor Hailstone, Professor Jackson, Mr. Sedgwick of Trinity, and Mr. French of Pembroke, be appointed syndics to provide a place for the temporary reception of the paintings and books bequeathed to the University by the late Viscount Fitzwilliam, and to consult and report to the Senate upon a plan for carrying into effect that part of the will which relates to the erection of a museum. Four waggons, laden with these valuable articles, have arrived in Cambridge. The books are valued at 24,000l., and the paintings, prints, &c. at a much larger sum.

OXFORD.-The number of Determiners in Lent was 177. The number of degrees was:-D. D. 4; D. C. L. 1; B. D. 4; B.C.L. 1; M.A. 27; B.A. 19; Matriculations, 55.

Sir CUTHBERT SHARP, F. S. A. will publish in the course of the present month a History of Hartlepool, in the County of Durham.

Mr. GLENIE is preparing for the press a Brief Statement of his Case with the Prince Regent, and of the truly reprehensible and unconstitutional doctrine that is now both held and acted upon, in consequence (it is asserted) of commands from his Royal Highness himself to the Secretary of the Home Department with respect to the right of petitioning.

[May I,

Mr. COLBURN has become the purchaser of the FRANKLIN Manuscripts, and they will immediately be brought before the public. They consist of the Doctor's Life, written by himself to a late period, and continued by his grandson and legatee, WM. TEMPLE FRANKLIN, esq. to the time of his death; his private and familiar Correspondence, Posthumous Essays, &c. &c.

The Dictionary of Living Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, &c. forming a Companion to the Dictionary of Living Aathors, will appear in the course of a few weeks.

The Narrative of a Ten Years' Residence at the Court of Tripoli, from the Original Correspondence in the possession of the Family of the late RICHARD TULLY, esq. the British Consul, is nearly ready for publication.

A novel, entitled Glenarvon, the pro duction of a lady of high rank, will shortly appear.

A Memoir of the late gallant General GILLESPIE, who fell in an attack upon Kalunga, in Nepaul, is in the press, drawn from original documents, and illustrated by a Portrait of the General, and a plan of the fort and country where he lost his valuable life.

The Rev. Dr. WHITAKER, whose abilities for the task are amply proved by his History of Craven and his republication of Thoresby's Ducatus Leodiensis, is engaged upon a General History of the County of York, more than onefourth of which is already embraced in the two above-mentioned works. It is expected to extend to seven folio volumes, of about 500 pages each, which will be embellished by engravings of the most eminent artists, from drawings by Turner and Buckler. The printing of the work will commence as soon as 500 copies, or so many as will cover the expenses, are subscribed for. The whole of the genealogical matter will be prepared by WM. RADCLYFFE, esq. Ronge Croix, of the Heralds' College.

Mr. BAGSTER has published the prospectus of a Polyglott Bible, to consist of Six Languages in Four distinct Pocket Volumes; one of which displays the Hebrew, Samaritan, and Syriac; the other three, the Greek, Latin, and Eng lish. The whole will be also comprised in one quarto volume, every opening of which will exhibit the same as the seve ral small volumes combined, viz. Hebrew (or Syriac) and Greek on the left-hand page, English and Latin on the opposite, and the Samaritan in an appendix. The

1816.] Intelligence in Literature, and the Arts and Sciences.

prospectus contains the publisher's general preface, the particular preface to each language, a specimen page of each, with the terins, mode, and time of publication, printed with the type and on the paper used in the work itself, Each volume will be published in five parts; the New Testament forming the last. Each separate department has an editor of talent, especially adapted for the undertaking. Besides the Polyglott Bible, this prospectus details the plan of another work, intended to accompany the Polyglott or any other Bible, entitled Scripture Harmony, or a Concordance of Parallel Passages, being a commentary drawn from its own resources; exhibiting the concentrated labours of Canne, Brown, Scott, Blayney, and other celebrated authors who have employed their time and talents in this important department.

The fourth volume of the Antiquities of Athens, &c. by STUART and REVEIT, imperial folio, containing 88 plates of the architectural antiquities at Pola, the sculpture of the celebrated Temple of Minerva at Athens by Phidias, &c., besides 15 vignettes, edited by Mr. JOSEPH WOODS, is now completed, and will be delivered to the subscribers in the course of the present month.

A new edition of HARMER'S Observations on Divers Passages of Scripture, drawn up by the help of Books of Voyages and Travels to the East; carefully revised by Dr. ADAM CLARKE; in 4 vols. 8vo. is nearly ready for publication.

An elegant work on Scripture Genea logy, consisting of 35 engraved tables, exhibiting the correct genealogy of Scripture from Adam to Christ, is in the press. It will be accompanied with descriptive letter-press, and comprised in 1 vol. royal 4to.

Mr. JOHN BROWN, author of the genealogical Tree of the Royal House of Stuart, has now nearly ready for publication the long-expected Tree of the Macdonells or Macdonalds, formerly Lords of the Isles. To render this work as correct as possible, the author has travelled through the north of Scotland to obtain information from the most authentic source.

Mr. MITFORD is preparing an edition of Gray's Works, in which the public will be presented with many letters from the originals, hitherto unpublished, highly interesting from their number and for ~their intrinsic merit, as well as with the originals, for the first time, of many of the letters very incorrectly published,

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and much altered by Mason. This edition will also possess many curious variations to the principal poems of Gray from his own hand-writing.

Mr. W. BAYNES, of Paternoster-row, will speedily publish a new edition, beautifully printed, of the Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain, with their Lives and Characters by Thomas Birch, F. R. S. The whole of the portraits, 108 in number, were originally engraved by the celebrated Houbraken and Vertue, artists whose superior excellence in' this line is well known, and has been duly appreciated. The scarcity of the original edition, published nearly a cen tury ago, and the high price it now bears, together with the increasing avidity with which copies that occasionally occur for sale are sought after, demanded a new edition, in the execution of which no expence has been spared. The plates have undergone a strict, careful, and minute revision by a celebrated engraver, who has spent upwards of three years in restoring them to their original splendour, at an expense of upwards of 2000l. The greatest care has also been paid to the typographical part, which will be printed in royal folio.

Mr. BAYNES has also ready his Select Catalogue of Old Books, including many curious, rare, and valuable articles in History, Antiquities, Miscellanies, Voyages and Travels, Biography, Arts and Sciences, Translations of the Classics, Poetry, &c. mostly in good condition; the second part including Divinity, English and Foreign Classics, &c. will be published in July.

RICHARDSON'S English Portraits from scarce prints, to illustrate Granger's Biographical History of England, in No. 307, will appear in a few days.

Mr. REPTON has nearly completed his Fragments on Landscape Gardening and Architecture, as conpected with Rural Scenery, which will be accompanied with many coloured engravings.

The engraving of Mr. LAING's Plans, Elevations, and Sections, including those of the New Custom House, now erecting, is in considerable forwardness.

Speedily will be published, Letters of a Nobleman, proving a late prime minister to have been JUNIUS, and developing the secret motives which induced him to write under that and other signatures.

A Translation of the Memoirs of the Marquise DE LA ROCHE JAQUELIN, is in the press.

Mr. ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL has in the

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