back, and perhaps ban or curse the Bishop as the occasion of it, as much or more than he had blessed them: hence it is likely it grew into a custom to curse the Bishop when any such disaster happened, for which our author would have the mistress bless, Anglicè correct, her servant, both for her negligence and unmannerliness."(').

To an inquiry in "The British Apollo,"

vol. i. fol. Lond. 1708, No. 1, Supernumerary for the month of April, "Why, when anything is burnt to, it is said the Bishop's foot has been in it?" it is answered: "We presume 'tis a proverb that took its original from those unhappy times when every thing that went wrong was thought to have been spoiled by the Bishops." (2)

(1) Grose, in his "Provincial Glossary," in verbo, says: "The Bishop has set his foot in it, a saying in the North used for milk that is burnt to in boiling. Formerly, in days of superstition, whenever a Bishop passed through a town or village, all the inhabitants ran out in order to receive his blessing: this frequently caused the milk on the fire to be left till burnt to the vessel, and gave origin to the above allusion."

(2) It has been suggested, with greater propriety, to the editor, that "Bishops were in Tusser's time much in the habit of burning heretics. The allusion is to the episcopal

disposition to burn." This is corroborated by a singular passage in Tyndale's "Obedyence of a Chrysten Man," 4to., printed at Malborowe, in the lande of Hesse, by Hans Luft, 1528. In fol. 109 the author says: "When a thynge speadeth not well we borrow speach and saye the, Byshope hath blessed it, because that nothynge speadeth well that they medyll wythall. If the podech be burned to, or the meate ouer rosted, we saye the Byshope hath put his fote in the potte, or the Byshope hath playd the coke, BECAUSE THE BISHOPES BURN

WHO THEY LUST AND WHO SOEUER DISPLEASETH THEM.

THE meaning of the common expression "to dine with Duke Humphrey," applied to persons who, being unable either to procure a Dinner by their own money or from the favour of their friends, walk about and loiter during Dinner-time, has, after many unsuccessful attempts, been at last satisfactorily explained. It appears that in the ancient church of St. Paul, in London, to which, in the earlier part of the day, many persons used to resort for exercise, to hear news, &c., one of the aisles was called Duke Humphrey's Walk; not that there ever was in reality a cenotaph there to the Duke's memory, who, every one knows, was buried at St. Alban's, in Hertfordshire,

but because, says Stow, ignorant people mistook the fair monument of Sir John Beauchampe, son to Guy, and brother to Thomas, earl of Warwick, who died in 1358, and which was in the south side of the body of St. Paul's church, for that of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. (1) Abundance of passages in the works of our old writers tend to confirm this explanation. See Reed's edition of "Shakspeare," vol. xiv. pp. 458, 459.

Thus, in Dekker's "Gul's Hornbooke," 1609, in the chapter "How a Gallant should behave himself in Powles Walkes," we read: "By this I imagine you have walked your belly ful, and therefore being weary or (which

is rather, I believe) being most gentlemanlike hungry, it is fit that as I brought you unto the Duke, so (because he follows the fashion of great men in keeping no house, and that therefore you must go seeke your dinner) suffer me to take you by the hand and leade you unto an ordinary."

Thus, we find in "Harvey's Letters and Sonnets," 1592, "To seeke his Dinner in Poules with Duke Humphrey, to licke dishes, to be a beggar."

Thus, too, in Nash's "Return of the Knight of the Post," 1606, "In the end comming into Poules to behold the old Duke and his Guests."

Thus, too, Hall, in his "

b. iii. sat. 7:

Virgidemiarum,"

""Tis Ruffio: trow'st thou where he din'd to day?

In sooth I saw him sit with Duke Humfray :

Many good welcoms and much gratis cheere

Keeps hee for everie stragling cavaliere; An open house, haunted with great resort," &c.

And, in "A wonderful, straunge, and miraculous Prognostication for the year 1591," by Nash, we read: "Sundry fellows in their silkes shall be appointed to keepe Duke Humfrye company in Poules, because they know not where to get their Dinners abroad."

In another of Dekker's Tracts, in my possession, entitled "The Dead Tearme, or Westminster's Speech to London," &c. 4to. 1607, signat. D 4b, St. Paul's steeple is introduced as describing the company walking in the body of the church, and among other things, says: What layinge of heads is there together and sifting of the brains, still and anon, as it growes towardes eleven of the clocke, (even amongst those that wear guilt rapiers by their sides,) where for that noone they may

66

shift from Duke Humfrey, and bee furnished with a Dinner at some meaner man's table!" And afterwards observes: "What byting of the thumbs to beget quarrels!" adding that, 66 at one time, in one and the same ranke, yea, foote by foote, and elbow by elbow, shall you see walking the knight, the gull, the gallant, the upstart, the gentleman, the clowne, the captaine, the appel-squire, the lawyer, the usurer, the citizen, the bankerout, the scholler, the beggar, the doctor, the ideot, the ruffian, the cheater, the puritan, the cut-throat, the hye men, the low men, the true man, and the thiefe ; of all trades and professions some, of all countryes some. Thus whilest Devotion kneeles at her prayers, doth Profanation walke under her nose in contempt of religion."

In "Vox Graculi," 4to. 1623, p. 54, is the following passage under the month of February: "To the ninth of this month, it will be as good dining well in a matted chamber, as dialoguing with Duke Humphrey in Paule's."

In "The Burnynge of Paule's Church in London, 1561, and the 4 day of June, by Lightnynge," &c., 8vo. Lond. 1563, signat. G 5, the then well-known profanations of St. Paul's church are thus enumerated: "The south alley for usury and poperye, the north for simony, and the horse faire in the middest for all kind of bargains, metinges, brawlinges, murthers, conspiracies, and the font for ordinary paimentes of money, are so well knowen to all menne as the beggar knowes his dishe.'

In the very curious Roman Catholic book, entitled the "Life of the Reverend Father Bennet, of Canfilde" (Essex), 8vo. Douay, 1623, p. 11, is the following passage: "Theyre (the Protestants') Sundayes and feastes, how are they neglected, when on these dayes there are more idle persons walking up and downe the streetes and in St. Paule's church (which is made a walking and talking place) then there is on others!"

VOL. III.

P

In the old play styled "The Vow-breaker, or the Fayre Maid of Clifton," by William Sampson, 4to. Lond. 1636, signat. D, Miles, a Miller, is introduced, saying: "Fellow Bateman, farwell, commend me to my old windmill at Rudington. Oh the mooter dish, the Miller's Thumbe, and the maide behinde the hopper?"

In Chaucer the Miller is thus described : "Well couth he steale corne and told it thrise,

And yet he had a Thombe of gold parde. A white coate and a blew hode weared he"-&c.

Edit. fol. 1602, sign. A 5.

Tyrwhitt observes on this passage: "If the allusion be, as is most probable, to the old proverb, 'Every honest Miller has a Thumb

of gold,' this passage may mean, that our

Miller, notwithstanding his thefts, was an honest Miller, i. e. as honest as his brethren.”(1) I suspect "The Miller's Thumb" to have been the name of the Strickle used in measuring corn, the instrument with which corn is made level and struck off in measuring; in Latin called "Radius," which Ainsworth renders "a Stricklace or Strike, which they use in measuring of corn." Perhaps this Strickle had a rim of gold, to show it was standard; true, and not fraudulent. (2)

In Randle Holme's "Academy of Armory and Blazon," p.337, we read: "The Strickler is a thing that goes along with the measure, which is a straight board with a staffe fixed in the side, to draw over corn in measureing, that it exceed not the height of the measure. Which measureing is termed Wood and Wood." (3)

(1) Among Ray's "Proverbial Phrases relating to several Trades," occurs the following:

"It is good to be sure.
quoth the Miller."

Toll it again, Edit. 8vo. 1768, p. 71.

Ibid. p. 136, "An honest Miller hath a golden Thumb."

Ibid. p. 167, "Put a miller, a weaver, and a tailor in a bag, and shake them, the first that comes out will be a thief."

(2) In Ainsworth's Dictionary, "A Miller's Thumb [the fish] is rendered Capito, Cephalus fluvialis." Capito is explained, ibid. “Qui magno est capite, unde et piscis ita dictus, [1.] a Jolthead, [2.] also a kind of cod-fish, a pollard." In Cotgrave's "French Dictionary," "A Miller's Thumb," the fish, is rendered "Cabot, Teste d'Asne, Musnier."

(3) Shaw, in his "History of Staffordshire," vol. ii. pt. i., p. 20, speaking of some provincialisms of the south of Staffordshire respecting measures, quantities, &c. &c. says: "STRIKE is now the same thing with bushel, though formerly two Strikes were reckoned to a bushel; for the old custom having been to measure up grain in a half-bushel measure, each time of striking off was deemed a Strike, and thus two Strikes made one bushel; but this is now become obsolete, bushel measures being in use; or if a half-bushel be used, it is deemed a half-strike at present, therefore, STRIKE and BUSHEL are synonymous terms.

"The grosser articles are heaped, but grain is stricken off with the strait edge of a strip of board, called a STRICKLESS: this level measure of grain is here provincially termed STRIKE, and STRICKLESS."

IN Stow's "Chronicle," (edit. Howes, fol. Lond. 1631, p. 604,) we read that in the month of September 1550, "Grig, a poulter of Surrey, taken among the people for a prophet, in curing of divers diseases by words and prayers, and saying he would take no money, &c., was by commandement of the Earle of Warwick, and other of the councell, set on a scaffold, in the towne of Croydon in Surrey, with a paper on his breast, wherein was written his deceiptfull and hypocriticall dealings. And after that, on the 8 of September set on the pillorie in Southwarke, being then our Lady faire there kept; and the maior of London, with his brethren the Aldermen, riding thorow the faire, the said Grig asked them and all the citizens forgivenesse. Thus much for Grig.

"Of the like counterfeit physitian have I noted in the summary of my Chronicles, anno 1382, to be set on horse-backe, his face to the horse-taile, the same taile in his hand as a bridle, a cholar of Jordans about his necke, a WHETSTONE on his breast, and so led through the city of London, with ringing of basons, and banished."

In Lupton's "Too Good to be True," 4to. Lond. 1580, p. 80, (by way of dialogue between Omen and Sinqila, i. e. Nemo and Aliquis, concerning Mauqsun, i. e. nusquam, but meaning England,) is the following passage: Merry and pleasant lyes we take rather for a sport than for a sin. Lying with us is so loved and allowed, that there are many tymes gamings and prises therefore purposely, to encourage one to outlye another.

Omen. And

what shall he gaine that gets the victorie in lying? Siugila. He shall have a silver WHETSTONE for his labour. Omen. Surely if one be worthy to have a Whetstone of silver for telling of lyes, then one is worthy to have a Whetstone of gold for telling of truth: truly methinks a whip of whitleather were more meete for a lyar than a Whetstone of silver Siuqila. In my judgment he was eyther a notable lyar, or loved lying better than St. Paule did, that devised suche a rewarde for suche an evil desert. I marvel what moved him, that the

lewdest lyar shoulde have a silver Whetstone for his labour. Omen. I knowe not, unlesse he thoughte he was worthy for his lying to goe always with a blunte knife, whereby he should not be able to cutte his meate; and that he shoulde have no other Whetstone wherewyth to sharp his knife, but the same of sylver which he hadde wonne with lying. Siuqila. What his fond fancie was therein I know not; but I wishe that every such lyar hadde rather a sharp knife, and no meate, than to have meate enough with a blunt-edged knife, untill they left their lying."

Perhaps our author, in another passage of his work, p. 94, speaking of chesse, hints at a better reason than the above for making a Whetstone the prize in this singular contest: his words are," Gentlemen, to solace their wearied mindes by honest pastimes, playe at chesse, the astronomer's game and the philosopher's game, which whettes thyr wittes, recreates theyr minds, and hurts no body in the meane season.' The essence of a lie is well known to be an intention to deceive. The prize-fighters in this contest have no such intention-their aim is only who can raise the loudest laugh.

In "A ful and round Answer to N. D., alias Robert Parsons the Noddie his foolish and rude Warne-word,” 4to. Lond. 1604, L. 1. by Matthew Sutcliffe, p. 310, "A List of Robert Parsons his Lies, Fooleries, and Abuses," we read: "And for his witnesses he citeth Eneas Sylvius, Dubravius, Genebrard, Surius, Claudius de Sanctes, and a rabble of other lying rascals, not worth a cockle-shell. What then doth he deserve, but a crown of foxe tailes, counterpointed with Whetstones, for his labour?"

In Dekker's "Seven deadlie Sinns of London," 4to. 1606, signat. D, it is said, "the chariot then that Lying is drawne in, is made al of Whetstones."

In "Plaine Percevall the Peace-Maker of England," b. l. (relating to the affair of Martin Mar-prelate), no date, signat. C 2, is the following passage: "He put those lies into print unlawfully, which he coin'd in huggermugger: and others opposite to his humour