Chapter IV: Introduction (4)

The =Authorized Version= of the Bible appointed to be read in the Church of England is called =King James’s Bible=, after James I., who ordered it to be prepared, and in whose reign (in the year 1611) it was first given to the people. The =Bishops’ Bible=, published in parts between 1568 and 1572, derived its name from the seven bishops that assisted Archbishop Parker with his revision of =Cranmer’s Bible=, otherwise =The Great Bible=, so called because Archbishop Cranmer’s version of the text, published in 1539, was of large size, specially printed for the purpose of being displayed and read by the people in the churches. To the 1540 edition of this version Cranmer prefixed a lengthy Introduction. One of the earliest Latin Bibles, printed by Gutenberg between the years 1450 and 1455, and, indeed, one of the earliest perfect printed books from separate types, is known as the =Mazarin Bible=, from a copy being discovered in Cardinal Mazarin’s library. The =Pearl Bible= was so called because it was printed in pearl type by Field in 1653. The =Geneva Bible=, printed at Geneva in 1560, also bears the singular title of the =Breeches Bible=, owing to the substitution of the word “breeches” for “aprons” in _Genesis_ iii. 7. Similarly, the =Vinegar Bible= is indebted for its title to the misprinting of the word “vineyard” in the running headline to _Luke_ xx. at the Clarendon Press in 1717; the =Beer Bible=, to the substitution of the words “the beer” for “strong drink” in the twenty-fourth chapter of _Isaiah_, ninth verse; the =Treacle Bible=, to the rendering of the passage, “Is there no balm in Gilead?” into “There is no more triacle at Gilaad” (_Jeremiah_ viii. 22); the =Whig Bible=, to the misprinting of the word “peacemakers,” so that the sentence reads, “Blessed are the placemakers”; the =Wicked Bible=, from the omission of a word in _Exodus_ xx. 14, which caused the verse to read, “Thou shalt commit adultery”; and the =Bug Bible=, printed by John Daye in 1551, from the peculiar rendering of the fifth verse in _Psalm_ xci., which reads, “So thou shalt not need to be afraid for any _bugs_ by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day.” The first edition of the Authorized Version is called the =“He” Bible=, because it contains a misprint in _Ruth_ iii. 15, the passage reading, “And he went into the city.” A subsequent issue published in the same year, in which the mistake is rectified, is known as the =“She” Bible=. The =Virginia Bible= is a rare version of the Scriptures translated into the native language of the North American Indians of Virginia. The first edition of this Bible was printed in 1661-3, copies of which are said to be worth £200.

The first five books of the Old Testament written by Moses bear the collective title of the =Pentateuch= on account of the two Greek words _penta_, five, and _teuchos_, an implement, a tool, alluding to the Books being the direct instrument of communication between God and His people. The titles of these five Books themselves are as follows:--=Genesis=, which expresses the Greek for origin or production, describes the history of the world from its beginning; =Exodus=, derived from _ex_, out, and _odus_, a way, narrates the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt; =Leviticus= sets forth the regulations affecting the priests and Levites; =Numbers= contains the census of the Israelites; and =Deuteronomy=, from the Greek _deuteros_, second, and _nomos_, law, comprises the second giving of the Law by Moses.

The designation =Apocrypha=, signifying hidden or spurious, is applied to those Books whose authenticity as Inspired Writings is not admitted; in other words, to those portions of the Scriptures which, inasmuch as they do not establish any doctrine, are not held to be canonical, yet are such as, in the words of the Prayer Book, “the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners.” On the other hand, the =Apocalypse=, signifying disclosure, is synonymous with the “Book of Revelation,” and specifically applies to the concluding Book of the Bible.

_WINES._

With one or two exceptions only, the different kinds of wines owe their names to the places where they are produced. Thus, =Burgundy= and =Champagne= respectively come from the French provinces, =Pontac= from the town, and =Moselle= from the vineyards extensively cultivated on the banks of the river, so designated. Rhenish wines are popular all over Europe; yet none are probably more celebrated than the =Johannisberg=, produced at the Castle of Johannisberg (literally, John’s Rock), near Wiesbaden, and =Hock=, produced at Hockheim. Among Italian wines, =Florence= comes from the historic “City of Flowers,” whereas =Falernian=, celebrated by Martial, Horace, and other Latin authors, was made from grapes grown in the district around the ancient city of Falernum. A justly celebrated Tuscan wine is the =Montepulciano=, produced at the old city so denominated. As its name implies, =Malaga= is imported from Malaga, in Spain; =Sherry= is our English rendering of the place-name Xeres, near Cadiz; while =Port= constitutes the native wine of Oporto, the capital of Portugal. Of Mediterranean wines, =Cyprus=, brought from the now British island of that name, and =Malmsey=, an English corruption of =Malvasia=, so termed after the district in the island of Candia, where it is produced, are the chief. =Madeira= and =Canary= are imported from the islands so called, situated on the great ocean highway to the Cape of Good Hope. An excellent wine greatly sought after on the Continent, though somewhat unknown in this country, is =Tokay=, produced from white grapes cultivated in the district of Tokay, Upper Hungary. =Claret= owes its designation to the French _clair_, clear, because it is a clarified wine; whereas =Tent Wine= is a mere corruption of the Spanish _vino tinto_, signifying a white wine coloured. The sparkling champagne known as =Sillery= popularizes the name of the Marquis de Sillery, the proprietor of the vineyards where this particular species is produced; just as =Pommery= is destined to perpetuate the memory of Madame Pommery, mother to the Duchess de Polignac, and sole proprietress of the vineyards and subterranean Pommery vaults near Rheims. =Moet and Chandon= similarly denotes the champagne brewed by the well-known French firm trading under the style of “Moet et Chandon.”

Among concoctions of the vinous order we have =Hippocras=, so called because it is said to have been first made according to the recipe of Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine; =Badminton=, originally prepared at Badminton, the seat of the Duke of Beaufort; and =Negus=, named after Colonel Francis Negus, who invented it. Formerly, our countrymen set great store by =Sack=, which was simply the designation of a dry wine, derived from the French word _sec_, dry. Wine is said to be a =Dry Wine= when it is neither sweet nor sparkling. It cannot be sweet because, the fermentation being complete, the sugar contained in it is fully decomposed; moreover, it is dry because the carbonic acid has escaped. For the like reason, a certain evidence that port wine has completed the process of fermentation is the collection of tartar in the interior of the bottle, forming a crust; hence the term =Crusted Port=. A very bad wine of whatever kind usually bears the name of =Three Men Wine=, owing to the idea that it requires one man to hold the drinker, and another to pour it down his throat, while the third is the unfortunate individual himself. The derivation of the term =Wine= is the Anglo-Saxon _vin_ from the Latin _vinum_, allied to _vinea_, a vine.

_LITERARY SOBRIQUETS._

Gildas, the earliest chronicler of British history (born 511, died 570), was surnamed =The Wise= on account of his learning, which must have excited the wonder of the semi-barbarian inhabitants of these islands in the sixth century. Later, the Saxon historian Beda, incorrectly called Bede (born 673, died 735), was surnamed =The Venerable= because he was also an ecclesiastic. Approaching more modern times, we meet with John White, a Nonconformist lawyer, who, in consequence of being the author of a work entitled “The First Century of Scandalous, Malignant Priests, made and admitted into Benefices by the Prelates, &c.,” merited the popular description of =Century White=. Still nearer our own day, Matthew Gregory Lewis (born 1775, died 1818) became the recipient of the name of =Monk Lewis=, after the publication of his famous novel, “The Monk”; just as John Thomas Smith, the antiquary (born 1766, died 1833), was indebted to his chatty, albeit valuable work, “A Book for a Rainy Day,” for his sobriquet of =Rainy-Day Smith=.

Turning to the poets, John Sylvester, the translator of Du Barta’s “Divine Weeks and Works” (born 1563, died 1613), is popularly referred to as =Silver-tongued Sylvester= on account of the sweet melody of his verse. John Taylor, =The Water Poet= (born 1580, died 1654), was a Thames waterman; James Hogg, =The Ettrick Shepherd= (born 1772, died 1835), followed the employment of a shepherd in the forest of Ettrick, Selkirkshire; and Edward Capern, =The Bidëford Postman= (born 1819), was for several years a letter-carrier in the little town of Bidëford, Devonshire. Nathaniel Lee (born 1655, died 1691) received the name of =The Mad Poet= from the fact of his four years’ confinement in a mad-house. =The Quaker Poet= was Bernard Barton, the friend of Charles Lamb (born 1784, died 1849); while Samuel Rogers, =The Banker Poet= (born 1763, died 1855), divided his time pleasantly between the counting-house and the study. Thomas Moore (born 1779, died 1852) merited the style of =Anacreon Moore= by his translations from the Greek poet Anacreon, and the circumstance that his own original verses were constructed upon the same classic model. Richard Horne, the poet and critic (born 1802, died 1884), was known as =Orion Horne=, and also as =The Farthing Poet=, on account of his principal work “Orion,” published at one farthing, as a satire on the poverty of the book-buying public.

Sir Walter Scott (born 1771, died 1832) was surnamed =The Wizard of the North= owing to the magic influence which he exerted over all classes of the people, and the widespread fascination of his novels; while Henry Mackenzie, the author of “The Man of Feeling” (born 1745, died 1831), enjoyed the signal honour of being designated =The Addison of the North=, owing to the purity and excellence of his style. No more flattering recognition of the genius of William Wordsworth (born 1770, died 1850) could ever have been desired than the title of =The Minstrel of the Border=, bestowed upon him by Sir Walter Scott. =The Corn Law Rhymer= was Ebenezer Elliott (born 1781, died 1849) who, by the dedication of his numerous versified philippics to the opponents of Free Trade, indirectly, if not directly, prepared the way for the repeal of the obnoxious Corn Laws in the year 1846. Reference to the word “Philippics” carries us back in imagination to Demosthenes, who directed one of his most famous orations against Philip, King of Macedon; hence, any indignant invective or vehement denunciation is characteristically styled a PHILIPPIC.

_THE COUNTIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES._

=Northumberland= originally denoted the land north of the Humber; =Cumberland=, the land occupied by the Cymri; and =Westmoreland=, the land of the Westmorings, or people of the Western moors. =Durham= is a corruption of _Dunholm_, signifying a hill-fort on an island in the river; _dun_ being Celtic for a hill, or fort on a hill, and _holm_ the Scandinavian for an island. The Shire, or County, of =York=, in common with the majority of the Midland and Welsh counties, is named after its chief town; or rather, in this case, the ancient city described in documents as _Eurewic_, but pronounced _Yorric_, from its position on the river Eure, now known as the Ouse.

=Lancashire= indicates the Shire of =Lancaster=, the _caester_, or camp-town, on the Lune. This Anglo-Saxon word _Caester_, derived from the Latin _castra_, a camp, fortress, appears also in the names of =Cheshire=, a contraction of _Caestershire_, the Shire of =Chester=, the town built on the site of the old Roman _castra_, or camp; in =Leicestershire=, the Shire of the camp-town on the river _Leire_, now called the Soar; in =Worcestershire=, the Shire of _Hwic-ware-shire_, or fortress-town, of the Huiccii; and in =Gloucestershire=, the Shire of the camp-town in which _Gloi_, a son of the Emperor Claudius, was born during the Roman occupation of Britain.

=Lincoln= is a contraction of the Latin _Lindumcolonia_, signifying the colony formed by the Romans on the _Llyn-dun_, literally “the fortified hill by the pool,” originally occupied and so called by the ancient Britons [_see_ LONDON]. The names =Norfolk= and =Suffolk= respectively indicate those portions of the eastern coast settled by the Angles, who separated into two distinct tribes, viz., the north folk and the south folk. =Essex= is a contraction of _East-seaxe_, denoting the territory occupied by the East Saxons; =Sussex=, of _Suth-seaxe_, or South Saxons; and =Middlesex=, of _Middle-seaxe_, or the inhabitants of the district between Essex and =Wessex=, the land of the West Saxons, which, under the Heptarchy, extended to the westward as far as Devon. =Surrey= is a modification of the Anglo-Saxon _Suth-rey_, south of the river, _i.e._, the Thames. =Kent= was formerly _Cantium_, indicating the land bestowed upon Canute, one of the companions of Brute, an early King of Britain, who, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth, settled in England and eventually founded the Danish dynasty.

=Hampshire=, also written =Hants=, expresses the Shire of _Hantone_, or _Hantune_, now known as =Southampton=, the south town on the river Ant, or Southampton Water. =Dorset= was originally _Dwrset_, a compound of the Celtic _dwr_, water, and the Anglo-Saxon _set_, a settlement, alluding to the early settlement of this district by a tribe of Britons who styled themselves _Dwr-trigs_, or “water-dwellers.” =Somerset= is a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon _Suthmorset_, literally “the south-moor-settlement.” =Devon= is a modified form of _Dwfuient_, the Celtic for “the deep valleys.” An earlier name for this portion of Britain was _Damnonia_, the territory of the Damnonii, a Celtic tribe. =Cornwall= denotes the territory of the “foreigners in the horn,” agreeably to the Latin _cornu_, a horn, referring to its numerous promontories, and its inhabitants the _Wahl_, the Saxon term for “foreigners.” Like Wales, this portion of our island was never invaded by the Anglo-Saxons; consequently its people, the Cymri, a branch of the Celts, were left in undisturbed possession [_see_ WALES]. The Duchy of Cornwall is still included in the Principality of Wales. =Wiltshire= only partly expresses the Shire of =Wilton=, a contraction of _Willy-town_, or the town on the river Willy. =Berkshire= is a modern spelling of the Anglo-Saxon _Bearoc-scire_, “forest shire,” in allusion to the forest districts of Bagshot and Windsor; while =Buckingham= was originally described as _Boccenham_, the Anglo-Saxon for “beech-tree-home,” this county being especially noted for its beeches.

=Oxford= derived its name from the _Ox-ford_ over the Isis; =Hertford=, from the ford crossed by harts; =Hereford=, from the army ford; and =Stafford=, from the ford crossed by means of staves or stilts. =Bedford= is a contraction of _Bedican ford_, the Anglo-Saxon for “the protected ford.” =Cambridge= owes its name to the University town by the bridge over the _Cam_, or crooked river [_see_ CAMBERWELL]. =Huntingdon= was anciently a great deer forest, and therefore much resorted to for hunting. =Northampton= is a corruption of _North-avon-town_, alluding to its position north of the river _Neu_, in olden times known as the Avon. =Rutland= expresses the Anglo-Saxon for “red land,” referring to the colour of its soil. =Warwick= is the modern description of the Anglo-Saxon _Waer-wic_, signifying the garrison, or war town. =Nottingham= is a corruption of _Snotingaham_, “the place of caves,” so called on account of the soft sandstone which so greatly facilitated the formation of caverns during the early history of our country; as _e.g._, “Mortimer’s hole,” and the subterranean passage that led thereto from Nottingham Castle in the reign of Edward III. =Derby= is a contraction of the Saxon _Deer-by_, or “wild-beast village,” doubtless so designated from its frequent invasion by strange animals from the mountainous district of “The Peak” in search of prey. =Shropshire= denotes the Shire of _Scrobbesburgh_, the Anglo-Saxon for “shrub-town,” modified by the Normans into _Sloppesburie_ (from which the present town of =Salop= derived its name), and corrupted in modern times into =Shrewsbury=. =Monmouth= indicates the county that includes the mouth of the _Mon_, originally described as the _Mynwy_, “the border river.”

=Anglesea=, properly _Anglesey_ [_see_ CHELSEA, &c.], is one of the three counties of Wales whose names are not essentially Welsh. Thus, =Glamorgan= signifies the _Gwlad-Morgan_, or territory of Morgan, a chieftain who lived in the tenth century; =Brecknock= is the hill of Brecon, or Brychan, a Welsh prince; =Radnor= is a modern spelling of _Rhiadnwr-Gwy_, meaning “the Cataract of the Wye”; =Montgomery= refers to the fortress built on the _mont_, or height, by Roger de Montgomerie, in 1093; =Denbigh= was originally _Dinbach_, the Celtic and Cymric for “a little fort”; =Flint= was so called from the quantity of quartz found in this county; =Carnarvon= owes its origin to _Cær-yu-ar-Fon_, the _cær_, or fortress, on the _arfon_, or water; =Carmarthen= denotes the fortress erected by Merlin; =Merioneth= was named after Merion, an early British saint; =Cardigan= indicates the territory of Ceredig, a Welsh chieftain; while =Pembroke= signifies the _pen_, or head of the _broc_, the Celtic and Cymric for a district, so called because this promontory was virtually the Land’s End.

_CARRIAGES._

The =Phaeton= owes its designation to the mythological personage of that name who received permission to drive the sun-car of Helios, his father, for one day, with the result that, being overthrown, he nearly set the world on fire. The =Victoria= was introduced in the year that witnessed the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. The =Clarence= was the favourite conveyance of the Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV. The =Brougham=, invented in 1839, received its name from Lord Brougham, who was the first to permanently adopt it; and the same may be said of the =Stanhope=, so called in compliment to Lord Stanhope. The =Sociable= is an appropriate name enough for an open carriage of which the facing seats afford opportunity for pleasant conversation. The =Landau= was first made at Landau in Germany; whereas the =Tilbury= perpetuates the name of a celebrated London sportsman who introduced this particular species of carriage during the early part of the present century.

The small, light, one-horse vehicle known as a =Dog-cart= is so called because such a one was originally constructed for sportsmen to drive their pointers and setters (which they kept in a box under the seat) to the scene of the sport. The term =Buggy= is a corruption of _Bourgeois_, a French name indicating a vehicle intended for the middle classes so denominated; while =Gig= is a contraction of the Italian _giga_, a romp, and the French _gigue_, a lively dance, a jig, in allusion to its jumping and rocking motion. The like derivation applies to the long, light ship’s wherry which passes under the same name. The term =Sulky=, as applied to a light two-wheeled conveyance, owed its origin to the fact that, when it was introduced, people hazarded the opinion that none but sulky, morose, and selfish people would ride in such a carriage, because it had only accommodation for one person. The =Noddy=, peculiar to Dublin, derives its title from the jolting motion which keeps its riders continually nodding; and the =Jaunting Car=, from the jaunts and country outings for which, on the other side of the Irish Sea, these vehicles are largely employed. The English =Break= bears its name because it partakes of the character of the four-wheel vehicle used by horse-breakers; indeed, it differs from the latter only in the addition of the upper portion containing the seats.

=Stage-coaches= were originally so called on account of the different stages at which they stopped to change horses and refresh the passengers. =’Bus= is short for =Omnibus=, a Latin word signifying “for all.” The step at the back of an omnibus is facetiously styled the =Monkey-board=, in consequence of the capers usually executed thereon by the conductor. The board on either side of the roof of the vehicle, upon which theatrical and other advertisements are exhibited is known as the =Knife-board=, from its fancied resemblance to that article of domestic utility. So far from having derived its name from one of the northern suburbs of London, a =Hackney-coach= is simply an English rendering of _coche-a-haquence_, the literal French for a coach drawn by a hired horse. The word =Coach= (French, _coche_, the diminutive of the Italian _conchula_, a shell) really means a shell-like contrivance upon wheels. =Cab= is a contraction of the =Cabriolet=, from _cabriole_, a goat’s leap, in allusion to its lightness and springiness, first introduced in Paris. This vehicle, after undergoing sundry changes and improvements, was patented in the year 1883 as the “Safety Cab” by Joseph Aloysius Hansom, from which circumstance it has in more recent times come to be generally designated the =Hansom Cab=.

The term =Hearse= traces its origin through the German _hirsch_ from the Gothic _hersa_, a sepulchral mound. At a later date it implied a temporary monument, but nowadays it denotes the funeral car. The word =Funeral=, by the way, is a contraction of the Latin _funeralis_, signifying a torchlight procession, from _funis_, a torch, because interments among the Romans always took place by night. =Pantechnicon= is a Greek word, composed of _pan_, all, and _techne_, art, indicative of the place where every kind of industrial art was exhibited or exposed for sale. In modern days the term has come to be exclusively applied to a vehicle constructed for the removal of household furniture. Lastly, the cloth that covers the box-seat of a carriage of any kind is called the =Hammer-cloth=, because in the old coaching days it concealed the box which contained a hammer, nails, and other implements useful for repairs in the event of a breakdown on the journey.

_DANCES._

Dancing is styled the =Terpsichorean Art= in honour of Terpsichore, the daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, whom the ancients regarded as its inventress. The =Morris Dance=, from which our “Jack in the Green” and his fellow May-day revellers trace their origin, was the military dance of the Moors, or Moriscoes, introduced into this country by John of Gaunt on his return from Spain in the reign of Edward III. Five men and a boy took part in it, and from the fact of the boy wearing an ill-fitting helmet called a _morione_, he received the name of “Mad Morion,” which was subsequently corrupted into =Maid Marian=. The =Saraband= was invented by Zarabanda, a famous dancer of Seville in the sixteenth century. The =Gavotte= arose among the Gavots, a people who inhabited the department of the Upper Alps and the province of Dauphiny, in France. =Quadrille= is the literal French for “a little square,” so called from the position taken up by the dancers; while the Lancers derived their name from a company of =Lancers= who originally improvised this variation of the Quadrille for their own amusement while seated in their saddles. The =Polka=, of Polish origin, is so designated on account of the Bohemian word _pulka_, a half, in allusion to the half step occurring in it; the =Schottische= is a variation of the Polka; the =Mazourka= is the national dance of Poland--all of which, with the addition of the =Redowa=, are native terms. The =Waltz= is a contraction of the German =Waltzer=, derived from the verb _waltzen_, to roll, to revolve, alluding to the revolutions made by the pairs of dancers placed _vis-à-vis_. The =Country Dance=, so far from being a peasants’ dance, is nothing more than a corruption of the French _contre-danse_, signifying that the parties place themselves opposite to each other during the dance. Strictly speaking, the Contre-danse and the Quadrille are one and the same. The =Roger de Coverley= derived its name from the great-grandfather of Roger de Coverley, or rather, to be precise, of Roger of Cowley, near Oxford, who invented it. The =Minuet= (Latin _minutus_, small) is so called wholly on account of the short steps peculiar to this dance. The =Tarantella= was invented in Italy out of the supposition that the profuse perspiration which it induced was a certain cure for the poisonous bite of the TARANTULA SPIDER, named after the city of Taranto, where its baneful presence was first manifested. =Cinderella Dances= are those which terminate before midnight, in allusion to Cinderella of nursery renown.

The origin of the word =Ball=, in its application to a dancing-party, is somewhat singular. Centuries ago there was in vogue on the Continent a three-fold game, in which the players danced to the sound of their own voices while they threw to one another a ball. In all probability this arose out of the curious “Ball-Play in Church” by the Neapolitans during the Saturnalia, or “Feast of Fools,” corresponding to our Easter-tide. There is even now a statute in existence which regulated the size and character of the ball to be used on such occasions. In opening the ceremony, the Dean took the ball in his left hand, and commenced an antiphon, which the organ took up; whereupon he tossed the ball to first one and then another of the choir-boys, as they joined hands, sang, and danced around him. When, therefore, the three-fold game alluded to above divided and its three sets of dancers became independent of each other, the dance itself took the name of the article that was, as if by common consent, discarded--to wit, _the ball_; and the song was styled the _Ballata_, or, according to the modern English, a BALLAD indicative of a dancing-song; while the verb _ballare_, to dance, gave existence to the French =Ballet=, signifying a dance tune. _Apropos_ of the Ballet, the term =Coryphée=, as applied to a ballet-dancer, traces its origin from the Greek _coryphœus_, the designation of one who danced to the lute in the theatres of the ancients. _En passant_, the famous war dance of the Greeks, executed in very quick time and known as the =Phyrric Dance=, was so denominated after Pyrrichos, a celebrated Dorian flautist.

The =Hornpipe= is an inversion of _pib-gorn_, the name of the old Welsh instrument consisting of a _pib_, or pipe, with a _gorn_, or horn, at each end, to which this dance was originally stepped; the =Reel= has reference to the whirling evolutions performed by the dancer, as of winding cotton on a reel; whereas the =Jig= comes from the French _gigue_, a lively dance, and _gige_, a stringed instrument, the usual accompaniment to this rough-and-ready style of pedal exhilaration. The term =Breakdown= is an Americanism, denoting the last boisterous dance before the breaking _up_ of a dancing-party towards early morning. Appropriately enough, such a dance invariably constitutes the final item of a negro-minstrel entertainment.

_PIGMENTS AND DYES._

The word =Pigment= is a contraction of the Latin _pigmentum_, based upon the verb _pingere_, to paint. =Dye= traces its origin to the Anglo-Saxon _deag_, a colour, remotely derived from the Latin _tingere_, to stain. Several of the pigments most generally used owe their names to the places whence they are, or were originally, brought. As examples: =Umber= was first obtained in the district of =Umbria=, in Italy, and =Sienna=, properly called _Terra di Sienna_, or Sienna Earth, from Sienna; =Gamboge= comes from Cambodia, formerly known as Gambogia, in Siam; =Indigo=, from Indicus, the ancient description of India; and =Krems White=, from the city of Krems, in Austria, where it is exclusively manufactured. =Prussian Red=, =Brunswick Green=, =Brunswick Black=, =Frankfort Black=, =Hamburg Lake=, =Venetian Red=, and =Chinese Yellow=, speak for themselves. =Prussian Blue=, also called =Berlin Blue=, was first made by a native colourman of Berlin in the year 1710; whereas =Saunders Blue= is merely a corruption of _cendres-bleus_, the French for blue ashes, this pigment being obtained from calcined bluestone. Another name for the latter is =Ultramarine=, because it was originally brought from _ultra_, beyond, and _marinus_, the sea.

The deep blue known as =Mazarine= was named after Cardinal Mazarin, the Prime Minister of France (born 1602, died 1661), in whose time it was first prepared; while the puce colour known as =Pompadour= received its designation from Madame le Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV. (born 1721, died 1764), who popularized it. =Cardinal= is so called because it expresses the exact shade of the red habit worn by the cardinals of the Church; the term =Carmine= owes its origin to the Italian _carminio_, purple; while =Carnation= denotes a flesh tint, in accordance with the Latin _caro_, flesh. The colour which results from the combination of a vivid red with more or less white is styled =Pink=, owing to its resemblance to the flower so designated.

The origin of the word =Purple= must be sought in connection with the circumstance in which this dye, or colour, was discovered. It appears that one day a favourite dog belonging to Hercules of Tyre chanced to eat a species of fish known to the ancients as the _purpura_; and upon returning to his master, the latter found the lips of the animal tinged with the colour that was shortly afterwards imitated and denominated _purple_. The term =Scarlet= is a modification of _sakarlat_, the Persian description of a bright red colour; while =Crimson= traces its existence through the Old English _crimosyn_ to _garmaz_, the Arabic term for the cochineal insect, from whose dried body, found upon a species of cactus, this vivid dye-stuff is obtained. The beautiful purple obtained from chloride of gold bears the name of =Cassius= after its inventor.

=Magenta= was named in commemoration of the Battle of Magenta, fought in 1859; and =Vandyke Brown=, from its having been so frequently used by Vandyk (born 1599, died 1641) that it forms a characteristic colour in all his portraits. =Sepia= is the Greek designation of the cuttle-fish, and the pigment so called is obtained from the dark juice secreted by the glands of the Indian species of this fish. =Sap-Green= is prepared from the juice of the ripe berries of the buckthorn; whereas =Emerald Green= denotes the particular shade of green that characterizes the emerald. =Lamp Black= is so called because it was originally obtained from the burning of resinous matter over a lamp. =Ivory Black= is a pigment formerly obtained from charred ivory, but nowadays from bones. The origin of =Isabel=, a dull brownish-yellow, with a mixture of red and grey, is as follows:--When the Duke of Austria was besieging Ostend in 1601, Isabella, his wife, the daughter of Philip II. of Spain, vowed that she would not change her linen until the town had been taken. Unfortunately for her personal comfort, the town held out for two years, at the end of which period her linen assumed the characteristic hue that was afterwards imitated by the ingenious colourman who sought to honour her by perpetuating the incident.

_LONDON DISTRICTS AND SUBURBS._

At that remote period when the first rude huts were established on the banks of the Thames, the surrounding scene could have presented nothing more inviting to the eye than an extensive marsh or morass. That such was undoubtedly the case the existing names of FENCHURCH Street and FINSBURY, furnish ample evidence. The former marks the site of an ancient church situated among the fens, while the latter is an easy corruption of _Fensbury_, the Anglo-Saxon designation for “a town among the fens.” Therefore it was not surprising that the barbaric Britons, who founded what we now call =London=, should have given the name of _Llyn-dun_ [_see_ LINCOLN] to their colony beside the Thames. _Apropos_ of the =Thames=, the name of our noble river is merely a slight contraction of the Latin _Thamesis_, signifying “the broad Isis.” =Isis= is the Celtic for water.

=Westminster= was denominated after the Abbey [_see_ WESTMINSTER ABBEY]. =Belgravia= is the name given to the fashionable district of which Belgrave Square is the common centre. =Pimlico= owed its designation to an attempt on the part of the tavern-keepers of this neighbourhood to rival the celebrated nut-brown ales of one Ben Pimlico, who kept a pleasure-garden near Hoxton, the road to which was known as =Pimlico Walk= (still in existence), and the garden itself, first as “Pimlico’s,” and subsequently as “Pimlico.” The name of =Knightsbridge= carries us back to the time when two knights, on their way to receive a blessing from the Bishop of London at Fulham, engaged in a deadly combat on the bridge that spanned the Westbourne, exactly on the spot where Albert Gate now stands. Prior to this incident the bridge had borne the name of Fulham Bridge. =Mayfair= occupies the site of an annual six days’ fair held in May, originally at the instance of Edward I., for the benefit of the leper hospital of St. James the Less, Bishop of Jerusalem, now St. James’s Palace. The district of =Soho= was known by its present name as long ago as the sixteenth century; “_So ho!_” being the cry of the huntsmen when calling off their harriers in the days when the whole of London west of Drury Lane was open country. =Bloomsbury= is a corruption of “Lomesbury Village,” of which the Manor House stood on the site of Bloomsbury Square. =Smithfield= is a modern perversion of “Smoothfield,” an extensive tract of meadow land where horses were sold and tournaments were held as far back as the twelfth century. The first recorded English horse-race was witnessed in Smoothfield in the year 1154. =Clerkenwell= derived its name from an ancient well (now marked by an iron pump let into the wall at the south-east end of Ray Street) beside which the parish clerks performed their Miracle Plays. =Spa Fields=, now built over, owed their designation to a medicinal well, or Spa, discovered in 1206, and subsequently known as “The London Spa.” The proper description of =Bunhill Fields= is _Bonhill_, _i.e._, “good hill” Fields, so styled because the victims of the Great Plague were buried here in 1665. =Moorfields= was formerly a bleak moor skirting the northern portion of the marshy land known as Fensbury, now =Finsbury=, already referred to.

=Shoreditch= did not receive its name from Jane Shore, neither is the word a corruption of “Sewer Ditch,” as some writers have suggested. This district really comprised the manor of Sir John Soerditch, a wealthy London citizen and a valiant knight who fought by the side of Edward the Black Prince at Crecy and Poictiers. =Whitechapel= was designated after the White Chapel of St. Mary, built in 1673. =Goodman’s Fields= perpetuated the name of the owner of the land now known as the Minories, upon which a Priory of the Nuns of St. Clare was afterwards built. =Shadwell= is a corruption of St. Chad’s Well, discovered in this neighbourhood in ancient times. The once-notorious =Ratcliffe Highway= derived its name from the Manor of Ratcliffe, belonging to the adjoining parish of Stepney. The title has now been changed to St. George’s Street. =Stepney= was anciently described as _Stebenhithe_, signifying that it contained a wharf or haven belonging to one Steben or Steven. =Spitalfields= marks the site of the ancient Priory of St. Mary of the Spittle, dissolved in 1534. The French refugees established the silk manufacture here in 1685. =Bethnal Green= recalls the existence of the old family of the Bathons, whose history is first recorded in connection with their property situated in this neighbourhood during the reign of Edward I. =Hoxton= is a corruption of _Hogsdon_, meaning hog’s town. In proof of this statement we may add that HOG LANE still exists in the vicinity. =De Beauvoir Town= preserves the family name of the De Beauvoirs, whose original ancestor, Richard de Beauvoir, of Guernsey, resided here in princely style. =Copenhagen Fields= were so called after a tea-house opened by a Dane, about the time when the King of Denmark paid a visit to James I. =Haggerstone= is a corruption of “Hergotestan,” the literal Saxon for “Our God’s Town.” =Hackney= was originally described as _Hackoneye_, signifying an _ey_, or portion of well-watered pasture land, appropriated by a Danish chief named Hacon [_see_ CHELSEA, &c.].

=Dalston= is properly _Daleston_, or Vale-town. This was a quiet suburban village situated in a valley during the days when the northern districts of the Metropolis were more or less wooded--as witness =Stoke Newington=, or the new town in the meadow by the wood. The word _Stoke_ comes from the Anglo-Saxon _stoc_, a wood or stockade; _ton_ is the Old English for town, and _ing_ the Anglo-Saxon for a meadow, also a family settlement. =Southgate= is expressive of the southern entrance to the enclosure, anciently known as Enfield Chase; and =Kingsland= the royal domain adjacent to it. =Abney Park= owes its name to ABNEY HOUSE, recently converted into a Conservative Club, but originally the residence of Sir Thomas Abney (born 1639, died 1722), Lord Mayor and a distinguished Nonconformist, knighted by William III. Dr. Isaac Watts died at Abney House in 1748. =Green Lanes= indicates the rural character of this neighbourhood in bygone times. =Edmonton= is properly _Edmond’s-town_. The name of =Ball’s Pond= is all that remains to remind us of the one-time existence of “The Salutation” house of call which had a pond for dog and duck sports, kept by John Ball. =Mildmay Park= is so called after MILDMAY HOUSE, the family seat of Sir Henry Mildmay, who came into possession of the estate by his marriage with the daughter of William Halliday, an Alderman of the City in the time of Charles I. =Muswell Hill= is a slight corruption of _Mustwell Hill_, derived from the Latin _mustus_, new, fresh; because on this hill there was anciently discovered a well of clear, fresh water by the friars of St. John’s Priory, Clerkenwell, who had a dairy hereabouts. That portion of the hill which has been cut through for the construction of the line of railway to Enfield, Barnet, and the north, bears the name of =The Hog’s Back=, in allusion to its shape. The name of =Wood Green= is self-explanatory. =Hornsey= is a corruption of “Harringe,” or meadow of hares. =Canonbury= received its title from the residence of the Prior of the Canons of St. Bartholomew, built in this neighbourhood soon after the Conquest. _Bury_ is Saxon for a town or enclosed habitation, equivalent to the Celtic _don_, and Old English _ton_. In days of old, =Highbury= contained a Priory of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, built in 1271. The establishment was called _High-bury_, because it stood upon higher ground than their previous residence which had borne the name of _Tolentone_, or lower town. =Holloway= reminds us that this was once a miry hollow between Highgate and Islington. =Barnsbury= is a corruption of _Berners-bury_, originally a manor belonging to Lady Juliana Berners, Abbess of St. Albans. =Islington= has always been a favourite suburb in modern times, and even our mediæval ancestors must have been delighted with its situation, lying high and dry beyond the fens and the sloughy neighbourhood of the “old bourne.” Its name signifies “the settlement of the Islings.”

=King’s Cross= derived its name from a wretched statue of George IV., set up in honour of his accession in 1820, and demolished to make way for the London terminus of the Great Northern Railway in 1842. The parish of =St. Pancras= is so called after the church dedicated to the boy-saint who was martyred by Diocletian in the early days of Christianity. =Agar Town=, now entirely swept away by modern improvements, was designated after William Agar, a miserly lawyer who acquired the lease of the land for building purposes in 1840. =Somers Town= is the property of Lord Somers, and =Camden Town=, of the Earl of Camden. =Kentish Town= was formerly written “Kestestown”; but even that was a corruption of “Kantelowes Town,” erected upon the Manor of Kantelowes. The modern spelling of this family name is _Cantlowes_. =Primrose Hill= is still a pleasant eminence whereon primroses grow, despite the encroachments of bricks and mortar all around. =Highgate= is a title expressive of the elevated situation of the village that sprang up around the toll-gate established on the common highway from Barnet to Gray’s Inn Road about the year 1400. =Holly Village=, Highgate, was so called by its foundress, the Baroness Burdett-Coutts-Bartlett, after her residence, Holly Lodge, hard by. =Hampstead= signifies a farmhouse or homestead. The word is Saxon: _ham_, a home, and _stede_, a place. In its wider sense, _ham_ denotes a town. The western slope of Hampstead bears the name of =Frognal=, after Frognal Priory, an ambitious edifice built here by Memory-Corner Thompson (born 1757, died 1843), in imitation of Horace Walpole’s toy village on Strawberry Hill. =Bishop’s Wood=, Hampstead, comprised the private estate of the Bishop of London, at the time when that ecclesiastic resided at Highgate. =Gospel Oak= received its designation from the oak that marked the boundaries of Hampstead and St. Pancras, and under which, in accordance with an ancient custom, the Gospel was read once a year. John Whitfield is said to have preached under this oak. =Chalk Farm= is a corruption of “Chalcot Farm,” a picturesque farmhouse in whose vicinity duels were usually fought during the century gone by. =St. John’s Wood= was anciently a thickly wooded district sheltering an “Abbey of the Holy Virgins of St. John the Baptist.” =Kilburn= owes its name to the _Kil_, the Celtic word for a cell, occupied by “one Godwyne, a holy hermit,” beside the _bourne_, or brook. =Maida Vale= was so called in commemoration of the Battle of Maida, in which the English defeated the French, July 4, 1806. =Marylebone= does not signify “Mary the Good,” as the majority of Londoners imagine, but “St. Mary of the Bourne,” alluding to the church of St. Mary within sight of the bourne that ran from the hermit’s cell at _Kilbourne_ down to =Tyburn=, or rather _Twa-burne_; so called because two different bournes, or streams, met in the neighbourhood where the Marble Arch now stands.

The name of =Bayswater= has undergone considerable change from the original. Not so very long ago the whole of this district was known as =Bayswater Fields=; during the last century it bore the name of “Bear’s Watering,” and previously that of _Baynard’s Watering_. By the last was meant the land dotted with pools held from the Manor of Westminster, by Ralph Baynard, the favourite of William the Conqueror, who resided at BAYNARD’S CASTLE, at Blackfriars, on the north bank of the Thames. These pools, together with the Tyburn were converted into what is now styled the SERPENTINE, owing to its form, in 1733. =Paddington=, originally written _Padynton_, was the settlement or town of the Pædings, a branch of the family who originally established themselves at, and gave their name to, _Padendene_, in Surrey. =Westbourne Park= derived its name from the west bourne, or stream, that wended its way from the hermit’s cell at “Kilbourne,” in the direction of the “Baynard’s Watering,” and thence, after passing under Fulham (or Knights’) Bridge, emptied itself into the Thames. =Notting Hill= is a corruption of _Knolton Barn (Hill)_, a manor held by the De Veres, and subsequently by Robert Fenroper, an Alderman of the City, in the reign of Henry VIII. The name of =Shepherd’s Bush= once more puts us in mind of the pastoral character of the environs of London in the days gone by. =Acton= is an Anglo-Saxon name for “Oak town,” signifying the town built in the vicinity of the large Oak Forest. =Gunnersbury= denotes the town, or enclosed habitation, named after Gunylda, the niece of King Canute, who resided here during the Danish occupation of England. =Kew= was anciently described in documents as _Kay-hoo_, meaning a quay situated on a _hoo_, or _hoe_, the Scandinavian for a spit of land. =Brentford= signifies the ford over the Brent, a tributary of the Thames that takes its rise near Hendon. =Isleworth= means a manor beside the water. The first portion of the word comes from the Celtic, _Isis_, water; the second is Anglo-Saxon for a manor. =Staines= owes its name to the boundary stone (Saxon _stane_, a stone) by the river, which displays the words “God preserve the City of London.” The date of this stone is 1280. =Kingston= was designated after the King’s stone, now preserved within railings near the Town Hall, upon which the Saxon monarchs sat to be anointed. =Shepperton= is Old English for _Shepherd’s Town_, or the abode of shepherds. The name of =Twickenham= denotes a hamlet situated between two tributaries of the Thames. =Richmond= was anciently known as =Sheen=, a Saxon term for “resplendent,” in allusion to the palace erected by Edward I. When Henry VII. rebuilt the palace, after its destruction by fire in 1479, he changed the name of the village to Richmond, in perpetuation of his title of Earl of Richmond prior to ascending the throne. This king died here in 1509.

=Chiswick= is a corruption of “Cheoselwick,” derived from the Anglo-Saxon _ceosel_, sand, gravel, and the Teutonic _wick_, a reach, from the root waes, a moist meadow. =Hammersmith= was originally _Hammersmeide_, a Saxon village distinguished for the number of its smithies. The forename, _Hammer_, is Scandinavian for a village or small town. =Kensington= derived its name, or rather that of _Kynsington_, the Saxon for King’s meadow, with the Old English suffix _ton_, a town, from a royal residence erected here in very early times. =Brompton= was so called from the broom-trees that grew in the neighbourhood of this healthy _ton_ or town. =Chelsea= is described in old documents as “Chevelsey,” meaning shingle island. The first portion of the word claims the same etymology as Chiswick, viz., _ceosel_, sand, gravel; while the suffix _ey_, or _ea_, is also Anglo-Saxon, derived from _oe_, the Scandinavian for running water. These terminals always indicate water, and not unfrequently an island, properly so called; as, for example, Anglesey, the Isle of the Angles. In the case of Hackney the terminal is expressive of a well-watered pasture, as has already been seen; whereas in the cases of Chelsea and Battersea the allusion is not merely to their proximity to the Thames, but to their partial isolation in ancient times from the adjacent land on account of the creeks and inlets of the river. =Battersea=, we may here remark, is described in Domesday Book as “the Manor of Patricesy”; but even this early name was a corruption of Petersey, or St. Peter’s-ey, because it had belonged to the Abbey of St. Peter’s, Westminster, from time out of mind. To return: =Walham Green= denotes a settlement of foreigners; _wal_, being a modification of _wahl_, the Celtic for foreign, and _ham_, the Old English for a home. =Fulham= was formerly written “Fullenhame,” the Anglo-Saxon for a habitation of water-fowl. =Parson’s Green= received its name from the parsonage in connection with Fulham Church that stood here previous to 1740. =Percy Cross=, Fulham, is a corruption of “Parson’s Cross,” referring to a cross on the roof of the parsonage on Parson’s Green. =Putney= was originally “Puttaney,” the Saxon for Putta’s Isle; whereas =Wimbledon= was _Wibbandun_, a Celtic term signifying the _dun_, or hill-fort, belonging to one Wibba. The name of =Wandsworth= denotes a manor watered by the Wandle. =Lambeth= is a corruption of “Loamhithe,” the Anglo-Saxon for haven of the loamy soil. =Vauxhall= is described in a document dated 1282 as the Manor of Faukeshall. As, however, this manor was originally held by Fulke de Breante soon after the Conquest, it is highly probable that the designation was more correctly _Fulke’s Hall_, afterwards corrupted into _Faukeshall_. The present spelling of the name may be traced back to the year 1615, when the Hall, or Manor House, was occupied by Jane Vaux.

=Southwark= is a modification of the Anglo-Saxon “Suthwerk,” and the Danish _Sydrike_, literally the south fortification. During the Danish occupation of England this was a very strong position. =Bermondsey= was anciently written _Beormundsey_, signifying that the _ey_, or strip of land intersected by creeks [_see_ CHELSEA, &c.], belonged to Beormund, a prominent Anglo-Saxon lord. =Horselydown= is properly _Horsadown_, so called because this district was originally a down used for grazing horses. =Walworth= was named in honour of Sir William Walworth, Lord Mayor in 1380, who resided here. The =Borough= recalls the fact that the inhabitants of London south of the Thames were _Burghers_, and, therefore, entitled to the rights and privileges of Corporation.

=Rotherhithe= is Saxon for red haven, alluding to the colour of the soil. The name of =Deptford= indicates the deep ford over the Ravensbourne, which is now spanned by a bridge. =Greenwich= means the green town, or, more precisely, the verdant settlement beside the _wick_, or reach of the river [_see_ CHISWICK]; whereas =Woolwich= was originally _Hylwich_, _i.e._, hill town. The =Isle of Dogs= is a corruption of “Isle of Ducks,” so described in ancient documents on account of the number of wild-fowl always to be found there. =New Cross= derived its name from “The Golden Cross,” a famous old coaching-house, rebuilt and renamed “The New Cross.” =Lewisham= is properly _Leawreham_, or meadow-home. =Blackheath= is a corruption of _Bleakheath_. =Eltham= was formerly written “Ealdham,” the Anglo-Saxon for the old home or dwelling, referring to the palace occupied by the English kings down to the time of James I. =Catford= is a contraction of _Cattleford_, signifying a shallow portion of the Ravensbourne easily forded by cattle. [The University town on the Isis received its present name of OXFORD for a similar reason.] =Beckenham= denotes a home beside the beck or brook. Here again the Ravensbourne comes into notice. =Sydenham= means the home or habitation in the south. The names of =Forest Hill=, =Norwood=, a contraction of Northwood, and =Westwood= remind us that the whole of this district was formerly a large tract of wooded land. =Dulwich= is a corruption of _Dalewich_, the town in the dale. =Honor Oak= owes its designation to the boundary oak, under whose umbrageous shade Queen Elizabeth is said to have dined. =Nunhead= derived its name from “The Nuns’ Head,” a place of holiday resort for Londoners, dating back more than two hundred years. =Peckham= was originally _Beckham_, a home distinguished for its becks or brooks. =Brixton= is a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon “Brigestan,” the bridge of stone. =Camberwell= derived its name from a miraculous well discovered close by the parish church dedicated to St. Giles, the patron of cripples. _Cam_ is Celtic for crooked. In this instance the word applies to the cripples, or rather to their patron saint. [On the other hand, the University town of CAMBRIDGE was so called from the bridge over the CAM, a river distinguished for its winding course.] =Stockwell= is in allusion to the well found in the _stoc_, or wooded place, in Anglo-Saxon times. =Kennington= means a settlement in the King’s meadow. One of the palaces of Henry VIII. stood here. =Newington= denotes the new town in the meadow. Finally, the name of =St. George’s Fields= was derived from the neighbouring church of St. George the Martyr.

_BATTLES._

=The Tearless Victory= was the name given by Plutarch to the victory won by Archimadus, King of Sparta, over the Argives and Arcadians in the year 367 B.C. without the loss of a single Spartan soldier. =The Thundering Legion= is the historical designation given to the Roman legion that overthrew the Alemanni in the year 179 A.D., during a thunderstorm, which was supposed to have been sent in answer to the prayers offered up by the Christians. Not only did the storm strike terror into the minds of their enemies, but it also enabled the Romans to relieve their long-protracted thirst. =The Hallelujah Victory= received its name from the battle-cry of the newly-baptized Bretons, who were led to the attack by Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, in the year 429.

=The Battle of the Standard=, fought between the English and the Scots at Northallerton, August 29, 1138, was so called because the standard of the former consisted of a tall crucifix borne upon a wagon. From the crucifix itself there was suspended the Consecrated Host enclosed in a pyx, while floating beneath were the bannerets of SS. Peter, Wilfrid, and John of Beverley. =The Battle of the Herrings= (February 12, 1429) obtained its title from the defeat suffered by the Duc de Bourbon when attempting to intercept a convoy of salted herrings on their way to the English besieging Orleans. =The Battle of Spurs= is the more familiar designation of the Battle of Guinnegate, in which Henry VIII. defeated the Duc de Longueville (August 16, 1513), because the French were said to have used their spurs more than their swords. This event, however, must not be confounded with =The Battle of the Spurs of Gold=, which took place between the French and the Flemish at Courtray, in Belgium, July 11, 1302. In this engagement the French were completely routed, and the spurs of upwards of eight thousand of the vanquished knights were left upon the field. These were collected and preserved as trophies of war in the Church of Notre Dame de Courtray.

The Battle of Marignano (September 13, 1515) also bears the name of =The Battle of the Giants=, owing to the defeat by Francis I., King of France, of 1,200 Swiss Guards, the allies of the Milanese. The Battle of Leipsic (October 16-18, 1813) is known as =The Battle of All the Nations=, because, in addition to signalizing the overthrow of Napoleon and the deliverance of Germany, it was the champion battle of the nations of Europe.

_NOTABLE DAYS AND FESTIVALS._