Mr. Wilkes and his friends; and the forty-fifth number of which was so obnoxious that it was ordered by law to be publicly burnt by the common hangman, before the Royal Exchange, which was the cause of much popular clamour for a season. John Wilkes was elected Lord Mayor of London in 1774. Foote used to relate, that on the day for celebrating Wilkes' liberation, an old fish-salesman at Billingsgate, well known by the appellation of King Cole, invited forty-five male and female friends to dine at the Gun. Everything that bore on that number gave the possessor a local importance: the devil was in the number forty-five! On the occasion, there was a gigantic plum-pudding, with 45lbs. of flour and 45 of fruit, which was boiled the same number of hours, and paraded from Wapping with flags, and 45 butchers with marrow-bones and cleavers: 45 pigeons in pies, and 45 apple dumplings. Each bowl of punch, said the player, as he smacked his lips—each had 45 Seville oranges, and lemons in due proportions. At night there was a well-regulated riot. The watchmen and police interfered, and (continued the wag) 45 of the noisy politicians were committed to the Compter. The commencement of this Billingsgate row arose from 45 sailors, each with a wooden leg, bearing about an old besotted captain, who had crossed the Atlantic 45 times, who chose to quarrel with another drunken ass, a bankrupt stock broker, who went roaring about (such was the general infatuation), "I don't care who knows it, but I'm the man who stopped for five-and-forty thousand pounds!" This same old fishmonger afterwards lost a son, whom he used to call the staff of his old age; he consoled himself, however, in the mystical number, inviting 45 fishmongers to attend the funeral, had him interred at Queenborough (smelling strong of fish), being 45 miles from town, paid two pounds five shillings to the sexton, which was the best day's work he ever had, for 45 tolls of the tenor bell at one shilling per toll, and to eke out the last consolation from the memorable 45, they mourned ninety days, namely in deep mourning five-and-forty, and in half mourning, 45. TO SLEEP ON IT! "To sleep on it," or, "go to bed and sleep on it," derives its origin from the following circumstance :—A French soldier who, having lost all his money at play, wished to fight with any of his companions that would come out. No one accepting the challenge, he threw himself down by the side of a tent, and went to sleep. Two or three hours after, it happened that another soldier who had met with the same fortune, was passing by the tent and heard the other snoringwaking him, he cried, "Get up, comrade, I have lost my money as well as you: quick, draw your sword, and let us fight!" "Fight? we fight?" cried the other, rubbing his eyes; "no, not yet, lay down a bit, and take a nap as I have done, and then we'll fight as much as you please." O, YES! O, YES! O, YES! This cry, sometimes used by the bellmen of country towns, is a corruption of the old Norman French oyez! oyez ! oyez ! signifying, hear! hear! hear! When the French language was discontinued in our courts of law this portion of it remained. ENGLAND AND ST. GEORGE. This ancient battle cry of the English was first used by Henry II. in Ireland. Nares, in his "Glossary," observes, there is also this injunction to the English in an old art of war: "Item, that all souldiers entering into battaile, assault, skirmish, or other fraction of armes, shall have for their common crye and word, 'St. George, forward!' or, 'Upon them, St. George !' whereby the souldier is much comforted, and the enemie dismaied, by calling to minde the ancient valour of England, which with that name has so often. been victorious." Shakespeare so uses it in his "Richard III.;” he makes Richmond conclude his address to his soldiery with, "Sound, drums and trumpets, boldly and cheerfully, God, and Saint George, Richmond and victory!" So also, Richard, after he receives the news of Stanley's defection, exclaims, "Advance our standards, set upon our foes! Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George, MERRY IN THE HALL, WHEN BEARDS WAG ALL! Mr. Brand says: "In Christmas holidays the tables were all spread from the first to the last; the sirloins of beef, the minced pies, the plumb porridge, the capons, turkies, geese, and plumb puddings were all brought upon the board; every one ate heartily, and was welcome, which gave rise to the proverb, 'merry in the hall when beards wag all!'" NINE TAILORS MAKE A MAN! This saying, we believe, had its origin in the following manner :-In 1742, an orphan boy applied for alms at a fashionable tailor's shop in London, in which nine journeymen were employed. His interesting appearance opened the hearts of the benevolent gentle men of the cloth, who immediately contributed nine shillings for the relief of this little stranger. With this capital our youthful hero purchased fruit, which he retailed at a profit. Time passes on, and wealth and honour smile upon our young tradesman, so that, when he set up his carriage, instead of troubling the Heralds' College for his crest, he painted the above motto on his carriage, "Nine tailors make a man !"—" Notes and Queries." NOT FIT TO HOLD A CANDLE TO HIM! Candle-bearers preceded candle-sticks, and so did (however strange it may appear) chandeliers. Candlesticks did not come into general use until the latter end of the reign of Edward VI. Prior to that period, candles were held to, borne, or carried before, by youths expressly for that purpose. It was a situation which required tact, independent of a steady hand; hence there arose a question as to the candidates' fitness, and out of that the saying, "Not fit to hold a candle to him!" SEND HIM TO COVENTRY! The phrase of "sending to Coventry!" is by some said to have originated in the fact, that if a soldier was found to be a coward he was sent to Coventry as being |