34

Apostles-Smuggling-Firm.

postles.-In the ancient representations of the Apostles, Peter is painted with the keys; Paul with a sword; Andrew with a cross; James, the greater, with a pilgrim's staff and a gourd-bottle; James, the less, with a fuller's pole; John with a cup and winged serpent flying out of it; Bartholomew with a knife; Philip with a long staff, the upper end of which is formed into a cross; Thomas with a lance; Matthew with a hatchet; Matthias with a battle-axe; Simon with a sow; and Jude with a club. These distinctive symbols are supposed to refer to the circumstances of their life, or the manner of their death.

Smuggling.-An interesting French report was published in 1834, of the extent to which smuggling is carried on between France and England. It is calculated that in 1826, not less than about 45,000 cwt. of English manufactures were smuggled into France through the Netherlands, by means of dogs. Dogs had been taken by the Custom-house officers with burdens valued at £32 to £48 each. It appears that between 1820 and 1830, 40,278 of these smuggling dogs had been destroyed, and £4,833 had been paid as premiums for their destruction, but the trade was nevertheless on the increase.

Firm, of a mercantile house, is synonymous with "sign," being derived from the Spanish firma, a signing or subscription.

hibboleth.-From that word in the Hebrew, signifying an ear of corn. The Ephraimites, from their inability to pronounce its initials sh, suffered at the fords of Jordan,

as the Bible tell us. The Greeks would probably be as much at fault, having no character in their language to express it (sh); and in their Bible, the word Shibboleth is rendered by stachus, which indeed signifies an ear of corn, but does not express the reason why the Ephraimites were destroyed. In its modern acceptation, it is applied to designate the criterion of a party.

Dooms-day Book.-A book of the general survey of England, commenced in the reign of William I., A. D. 1080. The intent of this book was to be a register whereby to determine the right in the tenure of estates; and from it, the question whether lands be "ancient demesne" or not, is sometimes still decided. It was called Dooms-day Book, because it was intended to carry down to the latest posterity, circumstances and events thus registered.

Liberal Arts.-The term comes from the Latin liberalis, which, among the Romans, signified a freeman ; one not engaged in servile employment; but devoted to more noble pursuits, or to those pursuits which depend more on the labor of the mind than of the body; and have a reference to refined amusement rather than to the toil of necessity; such as painting, sculpture, music, &c.

36

Ambition-Aldine Editions.

mbition.-From the Latin ambitio-literally, a going about; figuratively, a desire of honor and preferment. The use of this word arises from the practice of those seeking for offices going about to canvass or solicit the suffrages of the electors. The word canvass, so used, is taken from canvass, a coarse cloth used for sifting. Suffrage, from the Latin suffrago, the joint of a beast's leg; a figurative expres

sion from the camel that bends his knees to make the ascent more easy to his rider.

Inconsistency rebuked.-Wade's Chronological History records that "on the 9th February, 1765, the peruke-makers in London being in great distress from the employment of foreigners, and from many people wearing their own hair, petitioned the king for relief. Several of the peruke-makers who attended, gave such offense by their inconsistency in wearing their own hair, that they had it cut off by the populace."

Aldine Editions.-In Bibliography, those which proceeded from the press of the family of Aldus Manutius. The first of that name established his press at Venice, about 1400, and to his industry and zeal we owe several of the first editions of the Greek authors, and many other valuable works. The Italic characters first appeared in his Virgil of 1501. Aldine editions bear the impress of the family, an anchor and dolphin, engraved on the last page.

aunter.-According to Madame Piozzi "he (Dr. Johnson) said that the verb saunter came originally from Sainte Terre, the Holy Land; for that, in cru

sading times, when a fellow was found loitering about, unable or unwilling to give an account of himself or his designs, if asked whither he was going, the usual reply was, 'á la Sainte Terre ;' and from that cause people who lingered about a house, trespassing upon that hospitality which in such days was with difficulty refused, were called, by corruption, Sainte Terrers and saunterers."

Cicerone. A name originally given by the Italians to those persons who pointed out to travellers the interesting objects with which Italy abounds; but applied universally, at present, to any individual who acts as a guide. This application of the term cicerone has probably its origin in the ironical exclamation, "E un Cicérone," (he is a Cicero,) being elicited from the traveller by the well-known garrulity of the Italian guides.

66

Gin, meaning a snare or trap; a corruption or contraction of engine. Gin, the spirit so called, from the French genièvre, juniper, by the berries of which it is flavored.

Sincere. From the Latin sine cerâ-applied to honey freed or cleansed from the mixture of wax.

38

Barter, and Cheat-Guineas.

Jarter, and Cheat.-These two words afford curious instances of the effect of time and usage upon language. Barter, which we now use to designate an exchange of commodities, is from the Spanish baratar,

(whence, also, our barratry,) to cozen, to "foist" in bargaining cheat, from escheat. Escheats were formerly a great source of revenue to the English crown; and escheatours, (sub-treasurers, as it were,) from the nature of their office, were exposed to many strong temptations; various acts of Parliament were passed to protect the people from their fraud and extortions.

Milliner. This term, supposed to be derived from Milan, is defined by Johnson as "a seller of ribands and dresses for women." There are men-milliners in England, as well as in the United States, and the adoption of such a trade by the male sex has been strongly and justly censured. Southey says, "I look upon a man-milliner not only as one of the most unworthy members of society, but as one of the most injurious. When I hear one of those persons haranguing upon the merits of muslin, or the becoming color of a riband, anger will mingle itself with the feeling of contempt; for the employment that degrades this man might have preserved a woman from prostitution."

Guineas. So named from their having been first coined of gold brought from the coast of Guinea, in 1673.