Oct. 25. 1851.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



313 



plainly showed that amusement was their only 

 object, turned his discourse, and addressed himself 

 particularly to them as follows : — 



" Young men, I know you are come to hear a story, 

 and I will tell you one. Tiiere was once a man, a 

 cock, and a bull, who, being intimnte, agreed to travel 

 together. They had not gone for on their journey 

 when they found themselves on the brink of a river, 

 which they had determined to cross, but could dis- 

 cover neither bridge nor ferry. After a consultation it 

 was agreed the cock should first make the attempt of 

 crossing the water, which he did without much diffi- 

 culty ; the bull afterwards plunged into the stream, 

 and by mere strength waded through. Tiie man, not 

 being able to swmi, was afraid to follow his com- 

 panions ; and while they were encouraging him from 

 the other side to get over, he was obsetved to cut some 

 osiers which grew by the water^side. Perhaps you 

 imagine these were intended to form a vehicle for con- 

 veying him across the river? ^jo such thing, 1 assure 

 you. What other purpose could he design them for? 

 I will tell you, young men; it was to lisli t!ie backs of 

 those fools who chose to hear a story of a cock and a 

 bull, rather than the word of God." 



Philip S. King. 



"jlfuUa renascentur" &;c. — To show how stories 

 are made standing dishes with what we may call 

 current sauce (no pun intended), take the fullow- 

 ing : — If Ave believe anythin;jf to have happened 

 in our own day, that is, in Liverpool or Castle- 

 reagh time, it is the anecdote of the borough- 

 monger who would answer nothing to the excuses 

 of the minister, e.\cept " There are five of us." 

 This story was told as an old one in the Telegraph 

 in 1798 ; and a long dialogue was given between 

 Lord Falmouth, who wanted the Captaincy of the 

 Yeomen of tlie Guard, and Henry Peiham, who 

 had promised it elsewhere. To all the poor 

 minister could say, the peer could only answer, 

 " There are seven of us." I hope that, in an age 

 when coincidences are sought for, AVordsworth 

 will not be suspected of plagiarism. 



Again, what reaiier of gossip does not know 

 that when George III. went to Weymouth, the 

 Mayor, in making his address, mistook the private 

 directions of his prompter for parts of his address, 

 and gave it the King as follows : — " Ilohl vip 

 your Iiead, and look like a man — what the 



do 



you mean ( 



B\ 



Sir, you'll ruiu us all." 



The parliamentary phrases of "catching the 

 speaker's eye," "being upon Iiis legs," "meeting 

 the ideas of the house," "committing himself," 

 " taking shame to himself," " being free to confess," 

 "putting a question roundly," "answering it 

 fairly," "pushing an investigation," are all noted 

 as then worthy of remark. And, if we are to trust 

 the article cited, the word truism was born and 

 bred in tlie House of Commons, in the sense of a 

 forcible and undeniable truth. And the same 

 oriu'in is given to the idiom "in my own mind" 

 as in " I feel no doubt, in my own mind, ..." M. 



Corruptions recognised as acknowledged Words. 

 — I recollect two curious historical instances of 

 mere vulgar mis-pronunciation, which have es- 

 tablished themselves in use ; perhaps others of 

 your readers may mention more, which it would 

 be interesting to trace to thaiv onsrin. 



Massaniello is universally recognised as the name 

 of the celebrated Neapolitan insurrectionist, who 

 at one time nearly overturned the government of 

 that kingdom. How few who use the word are 

 aware that " JNIas-Aniello " is but a corruption of 

 Thomas Aniello, so pronounced by his vulgar com- 

 panions, and now raised to the dignity of an his- 

 torical name. 



Hougoumont is a conspicuous feature of the great 

 field of Waterloo, and a name familiarly used 

 in speaking of the famous battle ; in course of time 

 it will be forgotten that this is a mere mistake, 

 said to have originated with the great general who 

 achieved the victory, catching up from the pea- 

 santry around, the sound of Chateau Goumont, 

 the real name of the little rural demesne in 

 question. Nobody doubts, however, the right of 

 the "Great Duke" to call a place he has made so 

 famous by any name he might please to apply, and 

 so Hougoumont it will remain while history lasts. 



A. B. R. 



Tiiis story was told in a newspaper in 1797, as 

 having happened between James II. and the 

 Mayor of Winchester. 



In tiie Monthly Magazine in 1708, is a paper 

 on peculiarities of expression, among which are 

 several whicli we Hatter ourselves behjng to our 

 own time. For instance, "to cut a person," whicli 

 was then current : some tried to change it into 

 spear, but failed. Also, to vote, as in " lie voted 

 it a bad lounge ;" ami the words bore, done up, 

 dished, &c. ; not Ibrgetling spilt for " ujjset" in a 

 carriajte. 



caiiriic^. 



MAUV QUEEN OF SCOTS AND B0THWEI.L S CON- 

 FESSION. 



Althou2;h Mr. Cosh, at p. 248. of his admirable 

 work on The Method ofDicine Government, observes 

 on the rapidity with which fiiuiales descend to the 

 depths of sin, the old apothegm, "Nemorepenti 

 turpissimus fiiit," recurs when thinlcing of ^lary 

 Queen of Scots, and leads me to ask the following 

 question. Permit me to prelaee it with a remark. 

 iVlary is represented by all contomparary and sub- 

 sequent writers tu have been, from, her earliest 

 years to the deati of Darnley, worthily beloved 

 for her amial4o> qualities, o.f lieart Oiud her supe- 

 riority of iuLyllcct, and llien to have fallen sud- 

 denly inta ;in. Vjbvss of sin' and wickedness, cam- 

 prising iloiuestic treason, murder, perjury, the 

 subornation of purjurers, adultery, the conniving 



