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Names of Inns in London.

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QUESTIONS FROM THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

OUR attention has lately been drawn to so many other subjects, that we had almost forgotten our promise of supplying our young readers with some questions for practice, from the history of England. If they are not able to answer all the following questions, they must refresh their memories by turning to p. 206, Vol. II.

How many English kings were there of the name of Henry?

Whose son was Henry the First ?

In what year did he begin to reign? (See p. 156, 'Vol. II.)

Who ought to have been King?

Why was not Robert King?

On his return from the Holy Land, did Robert claim his right to the crown of England?

How was it that he did not succeed?

What agreement was made between Robert and Henry?

How did Robert go on in Normandy?
What became of him?

Had Henry any children?

What happened to Henry's son ?

Did any other persons perish with the young Prince?

How many were saved?

How did the King bear his loss?

NAMES OF INNS IN LONDON.

To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor. SIR,

WHAT I have now to suggest to you may really be of no great consequence; but, as I am sure you must wish for as much accuracy as possible in what you admit into your useful little miscellany, I take

the liberty of correcting a very common error, which you have repeated at p. 430 of your present volume. You there state that the Bell Savage Inn derives its name from a corruption of " la Belle Sauvage." This is the interpretation first suggested by Addison in the Spectator; and it is there given in so conjectural a form, and so clearly without any evidence which bears upon this particular application of it, that we may wonder at its general currency. This is only to be accounted for by the readiness with which we admit any sense sooner than remain without any ideas connected with our expressions. If you refer to the + 18th Vol. of the Archæologia, you will find that the late Mr. Samuel Lysons clearly proved that this (which is one of the oldest Inns in London) had originally the sign of "A Bell in a Hoop;" that, in the time of Henry the VIth, it had been kept by a man of the name of "Savage," and had acquired the name of "The Bell," or "Savage's Inn. How these two names were afterwards united can be easily conceived.

It is singular that our coach-inns should in so many instances retain ancient and extraordinary names. "The Bull and Mouth" you have explained. "The Green Man and Still" was not a savage bound round with a girdle of green leaves, as I think I can remember to have seen him painted when I was a boy; but the man who carried the green herbs to the distillery. "The Bolt in Tun" derived its name from our ancestors shooting at a But. We have Newington Buts, 'Brentford Buts, &c., from those being the places where the Buts were set up to be shot at. Now a bolt, in the language of those times, meant an arrow or a dart shot from a crossbow. "The Bolt in Tun" was there

*No. 28.

+ Page 197.

Hence we have the common expression of "making a

But of any one.

Natural History.

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fore the sign of the successful archer, who had hit the mark, and shot his bolt into the But. "The Swan and two Necks" was long a cause of puzzle, till Sir Joseph Bankes brought forward an old record of the marks, by which each proprietor knew his own swan in the fen country. This curious instrument is published in the XVIth Volume of the Archæologia, and the Rev. Stephen Weston points out *, in an appendix to it, that as these marks consisted in "nicks" made on the bills of the birds, the sign, we are now speaking of, must originally have been ઃ The Swan with two Nicks." It is not connected, indeed, with the names of Inns, but Mr. Weston takes occasion at the same time to point out another corruption in common language. The Lord Mayor was, as he still is, in the practice of going every year to take up the young swans, and to mark them. This was called "swan-upping;' but, as Mr. Weston says, by an unlucky introduction of the aspirate, it has been transformed into "swan-hopping," a word to which it would be very hard to attach any meaning.

AN OLD FELlow.

NATURAL HISTORY.

THE DEATH-WATCH.

THIS is a little dusky insect, about a quarter of an inch long. Some very silly people have got a notion that the noise which this little creature makes forebodes a death in the family. We know very well, however, that nobody will die a moment sooner or later for any thing that this little harmless creature can do, except those indeed who suffer

* Page 163.

themselves to be frightened to death by their foolish fears. A true sense of religion is the best gift of God to man. Superstition only fills the mind with idle and false notions; and the sooner it is rooted out of the mind the better. The issues of life and death are in the hands of Him who formed us. Let us wait his appointed time; and let us seek and pray that we may be found ready.

The following account of the Death-Watch is taken from Bingley's Animal Biography :-" The noise which this creature makes, at a certain season of the year, resembles the ticking of a watch. From this it has its name. It is generally in the advanced state of spring that these insects commence their noise. This is nothing more than a call or signal, by which they are brought together; it is for the same purpose as the call of birds. It is not, however, made by the voice, but by the insect beating on any hard substance with the shield or forepart of its head. The general number of distinct strokes is from seven to eleven at a time. These are given in tolerably quick succession. Then, after an uncertain interval of time, the sound will be repeated. In old houses, where the insects are numerous, the noise may be heard almost every hour in the day. The noise exactly resembles that made by beating with a nail on the table. This insect, from its colour, being very like decayed wood, is difficult to be seen; it is consequently not always easy to say from what spot the sound proceeds." Mr. Stackhouse observed carefully the manner of its beating. He says, "the insect raises itself on its hind legs, and, with the body somewhat inclined, beats its head with great force and agility against the place on which it stands. One of them, on a sedge-bottomed chair, exerted so much force, that its strokes were impressed and visible in the sedge for a space equal to the size of a silver penny." Mr. S. took this insect, and put it into

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The insect seemed

a box, and set it in the sun. very brisk, and crept about with great activity on the bits of sedge and rotten wood, till at last getting to the end of the pieces, it extended its wings, and was about to take flight. He then shut down the lid, when the animal drew in its wings, and remained quiet. He kept it about a fortnight. This animal may be so far tamed, that, if you beat with the nail, or the point of a pen on a table or board, it will answer the beats very regularly.

There is another little creature, without wings, about the tenth part of an inch long, not very unlike a louse, which makes a ticking noise like a watch, but which, instead of beating at intervals, continues its noise for a considerable length of time without stopping. This belongs to a different tribe of insects.

VERSES.

To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor.

SIR,

I HAVE lately met with the following verses, written by a young man, a native of Cirencester, which may perhaps be of use, if you should judge them worthy of a place in your" Visitor." The young man is the son of poor, but very worthy and sensible parents, and has lately completed his apprenticeship to a tailor.

THE Soul, immortal and divine,
Is by th' Almighty sent,

To inhabit, for a space of time,
A clayey tenement.

T. K.

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