infancy, always found in the company of the lowest and most vulgar of the royal household, made him so often frequent this place, that at last it became the general rendezvous of his friends. Here assembled a swarm of ambitious intriguers, monks, spies, inquisitors, sycophant military, and various other vagabonds. These were the elements with which the secret society, called by some "The anchor of the faith and of the king," began their labours.

MEN OF KENT.

It is recorded when Harold, or rather England, was invaded by William, a portion of the inhabitants of Kent went out to meet him, covered with oak boughs, in order to deceive him as to their numbers. They were headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Upon arriving at Hastings, which was just at the crisis of the battle, they only agreed to lay down their arms on condition that their ancient privileges of Gavel-kind law, and the exemption of tithes, were secured to them. This William readily granted, foreseeing that men who fought for their ancient privileges and liberties were far more 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, formerly so well known to those unfortunate wights who incur the serving of a certain process, derived their consequence from the custom 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 our criminal courts.

In 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. However, on the 24th October, 1852, these two celebrated characters ceased legally to exist any longer. By the Act 15th and 16th Vict., cap. 76, sect. 168, it is enacted, that "instead of the present proceeding by ejectment, a writ shall be issued, directed to the persons by name in possession of the property claimed, which property shall be described in the writ with reasonable certainty."

JOHN AUDLEY.

When theatrical 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 inquiry,

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 nickname of Charles II., who was famous for his amours. Old Rowley was a famous stallion of his Majesty's stud. George I. had also his nickname, 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 singing of two songs-the one was Old Rowley, and the other the Turnip Hoer; the former a lampoon upon Charles II. for his royal amours; and the latter upon George I. for his princely economy.

SKINFLINT.

"The antiquity of certain proverbs is among the most striking singularities 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 skinflint."-" Universal Magazine," 1796.

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 MunchHausen was a Hanoverian nobleman, and even so late as the end of the last century he was alive and lying. It is true that the travels published as his, though not by him, were intended as a satire or a 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.

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

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