Part 15

A sailor is called a =Jack Tar= because he puts on _tarpaulin_ “overalls” in “dirty weather.” =Longshoreman= is a corruption of _alongshoreman_, _i.e._, a wharfinger, &c. =Navvy= is a contraction of _Navigator_, which name was first given to the labourers employed in the construction of canals for inland navigation. A cabman is popularly styled a =Jehu= in allusion to one of the kings of Israel noted for his furious driving. A =Jerry Builder= is so called after one Jeremiah, a London builder who amassed a fortune by putting up houses with inferior materials in order to sell them at a large profit. A =Journeyman= is properly one who hires himself out to work by the day, agreeably to the first portion of the word _Jour_, the French for day. A debt-collector is known as a =Dun=, and his persistence is styled “Dunning,” in memory of Joe Dun, a famous bailiff of Lincoln, who was so successful in the discharge of his duties that it became quite customary when an individual refused to pay his debts to exclaim, “Why don’t you _Dun_ him for it?” which was tantamount to saying, “Why don’t you send _Dun_ to arrest him?” Whilst on the subject of law, we may here add that the expression =A Man of Straw=, employed to denote a person without capital or means, originated in the days when a certain class of men, chiefly ruined tradesmen, found it a profitable occupation to hire themselves out as witnesses in the law courts. The recognized mark of these persons was a wisp of straw protruding from their shoes; and as often as a lawyer stood in need of a convenient witness to prove his case, he knew by the presence of “a pair of straw shoes” in court that the owner of the said shoes would recollect and swear to any incident in consideration of a fee.

=Costermonger= is a corruption of _Costardmonger_, a seller of the famous costard apple introduced into this country by the Dutch in 1736. Both these terms are used by Shakespeare; nevertheless, they bore a totally different signification in his time. The word =Monger= comes from the Anglo-Saxon _mongere_, one who trades. An itinerant salesman in the olden time was styled a =Pedlar=, in accordance with the Latin _pedes_, the feet, because he travelled on foot; whereas =Hawker= comes from the German _hoken_, to carry on the back, to retail. Hawkers and Pedlars were first licensed in England in 1698. An itinerant salesman of another kind is known as a =Cheap Jack= on account of the word “cheap” which is Saxon for market, derived from _ceapan_, to buy. A travelling medicine-vendor originally received the nickname of =Quack-doctor=, or =Quack=, from _Quacksalber_, the German term for quicksilver, because, differing from the regular practitioners, he resorted to mercury and other dangerous ingredients. At times a Quack, or any other individual gifted with humorous colloquial powers, is dubbed a =Merry Andrew=, in allusion to Andrew Borde, a physician of the time of Henry VIII., noted for his facetious manners and sayings. =Juggler= is a corruption of _jongleur_, the French designation of one of the companions of the troubadours, whose business it was to supplement the lyrical accomplishments of the latter with feats of sleight-of-hand and other tricks for the amusement of the company. A =Stump Orator= is properly one who delivers a speech from the stump of a tree; the literal meaning of a STUMP SPEECH being thus explained.

The now approbrious name of =Blackguard= was formerly given to the scullions or dirty dependants of the English Court who washed out the saucepans, carried coals up to the kitchens, and performed other menial duties. As the “Guards of Honour” in the Royal Household were distinguished by their fine appearance, so these kitchen-men were equally distinguished by their grimy appearance; consequently the latter were styled “Black Guards.” The origin of the word =Scullion= was the Norman-French _esculle_, a porringer or dish. The place where the dishes are cleansed is still called a SCULLERY, while the domestic who performs such work bears the name of =Scullery Maid=. A rascal or sharper is designated a =Blackleg=, because such a one was generally to be found among the lower orders of turf and sporting men at the time these were especially characterized by the wearing of black top-boots. A =Plunger= is one who bets heavily either on the turf or at the gaming-table, without consideration for the risks he incurs. A =Bookmaker= is so called because he arranges his book, _i.e._, his bets, in such a manner that his losses and gains upon each day’s racing must balance themselves. The Bookmaker who absconds after a race in order to avoid paying those who have entered bets with him and won is styled a =Welsher=, in allusion to the thieving propensities of a certain race of people, as set forth in the old song, which begins, “Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief,” &c. The word =Burglar= is made up of the Old English _burgh_, a borough, derived from the German _burg_, a fortified place, and the French _lair_, a thief; the allusion being that such a one breaks into a private dwelling for purposes of theft. Down to a comparatively recent date the common hangman in this country bore the nickname of =Jack Ketch=, really a corruption of Richard Jacquett, to whom the manor of Tyburn, where our malefactors were executed prior to the year 1783, belonged.

A native of London is popularly styled a =Cockney=, pursuant to the Old English _cockeney_, an effeminate person, or rather one who has been rendered effeminate by the luxuries of the table; this term tracing its origin directly from the Latin verb _coquere_, to cook, whence we have the Italian _cuchina_, the French _cuisine_, the German _küche_, and the English _kitchen_. A popular satiric poem of the thirteenth century, entitled “The Land of Cockaygne,”--_i.e._, Kitchen Land, draws a picture of an imaginary Fool’s Paradise, where there is nothing but eating and drinking, where care, trouble, and toil find no place--a desirable country for those monks of the Church who delight in the pleasures of the table rather than the observance of their spiritual exercises. After this performance the term =Cockaigne= or =Cockaygne= gradually came to be applied to our capital city, where _cockenies_, or kitchen-servants, abounded, and where the luxury of good living was supposed to attain its highest development.

A raw youth, or a countryman new to the ways of the world, is dubbed a =Greenhorn=, in reference to the undeveloped horns of a young ox; the word “Green” being derived from the Anglo-Saxon _grêne_, that which is in process of growing. =Nincompoop= is a corruption of the Latin phrase _non compos [mentis]_, not in sound mind. A person of defective mind is called a =Lunatic=, from the Latin _luna_, the moon, in accordance with the Roman idea that the mind was affected by the changes of the moon. A person addicted to making foolish mistakes is styled a =Dutchman=, in allusion to the dull comprehensions supposed to be possessed by the inhabitants of the Low Countries. The term first came into use as an epithet of derision during the wars with Holland. A =Humbug= is one whose representations, though sounding plausible enough, are not to be relied upon. The origin of this word is as follows: In olden times there resided in the neighbourhood of the Mearns, in Scotland, a gentleman of landed property whose name was Hume, and whose estate was known as “The Bogue.” Owing to the great falsehoods which this “Hume of the Bogue” was in the habit of relating about himself, his family, and everything connected with his affairs, it became customary, as often as the people of that district heard anything at all remarkable or absurd to exclaim, “That is a Hume of the Bogue.” The word spelt in its present form first appeared on the title-page of “The Universal Jester: a choice collection of _bonmots_ and _humbugs_,” published by Fernando Killigrew about the year 1736. The assurance that Humbug is of such old date can scarcely tend to our satisfaction.

_MALT LIQUORS._

At the present day the terms =Ale= and =Beer= are used somewhat confusedly. The former, derived from the Gaelic and Irish _ól_, drink, is the real name of our national beverage, which, to judge from its intoxicating effects, must, in the days of our forefathers, have been a very strong drink indeed. The latter, on the other hand, is essentially a Saxon word, from the same root as _barm_, signifying “fermented drink,” and used to denominate the lighter kinds of fermented liquors generally, as well as other drinks obtained from the roots or leaves of plants, such as GINGER-BEER, SPRUCE-BEER, &c. We still speak of =Old Ales=; whereas =Small Beer= indicates a liquor of very poor quality.

In former times the only varieties of malt liquor in this country were =Ale= and =Beer=, the one strong, the other comparatively weak. To these a third, popularly described as =Twopenny=, was eventually added. However, it was rare that any one of these three was demanded singly; it being the custom, particularly in London, for the working-classes to call either for =Half-and-Half= or =Three Thirds=, meaning a tankard filled with equal portions of ale and beer, or of ale, beer, and twopenny. This custom remained in vogue until the year 1730, when it occurred to Mr. Harwood, a brewer of East London, to prepare a liquor analogous to the mixture of ale, beer, and twopenny; and thus save the time of the tavern-keepers, who were compelled to serve each customer from three different casks. Almost immediately, therefore, he introduced the malt liquor known as =Entire=, because it was drawn _entire_ from one cask. It was first retailed at the sign of “The Blue Last,” in Curtain Road, Shoreditch, where it soon came to be in active demand by the City porters, who made this house their regular resort, whereupon the enterprising publican adroitly called it =Porter=. The word “Entire” still appears upon the facia-boards of numerous taverns throughout the Metropolis; but who thinks of calling for _Entire_ at the present day? By the term =Stout= is implied a malt liquor of the stoutest quality, _i.e._, having the most body in it.

=Stingo= expresses an old beer of particular sharpness, in allusion to its _stinging_ properties; while =Yorkshire Stingo= is, of course, peculiar to the county of York. Originally the single X displayed on beer-barrels denoted that the liquor had paid a ten shillings’ duty. The additional X’s are merely brewers’ trade-marks, indicating various degrees of strength over and above that of the single X ale.

Concerning German beers, we need only allude to =Mum=, or =Mumm=, which is peculiar to Brunswick, and named after Christoph Mumme, who first brewed it in 1492; =Lager-Bier=, so called because it is kept in a lager or cellar; and =Bock-bier=, a liquor which causes the inconsiderate tippler to caper about like a bock, or goat.

_DIAMONDS AND PRECIOUS STONES._

The word =Diamond= is a corruption of, and synonymous with, =Adamant=, derived from the Greek _adamas_, untamable, infrangible, not to be subdued, in accordance with the prefix _a_, without, and _damas_, to tame, to subdue. As every one must be aware, the diamond is capable of resisting fire.

The great diamonds of the world are the following:--=The Kohinoor=, or “Mountain of Light,” weighing 106 carats, came into the possession of Queen Victoria on the annexation of the Punjaub in 1849; the =Mattan= (367 carats) belongs to the Rajah of Mattan; the =Orloff= (194 carats) preserves the family name of Catherine II. of Russia, who purchased it in 1775; the =Shah= (86 carats), presented by Chosroes I., Shah of Persia, who died in the year 579, to the Czar of Russia; the =Star of the South= (254 carats), discovered in Brazil by a poor negress in 1853; the =Sauci= (106 carats), originally the property of a French gentleman of this name, and bought by the Russian Czar for half a million roubles in 1835; the =Regent=, also known as the =Pitt= (137 carats), first acquired by Mr. Pitt, the grandfather of the Earl of Chatham, and subsequently sold to the Duc d’Orleans, Regent of France, for £135,000; the =Pigott= (82¼ carats), brought from India by Lord Pigott sometime previous to 1818, when it came into the possession of Messrs. Rundell and Bridge; the =Dudley= (44½ carats), found at the Cape by a black shepherd in 1868, and, after various changes of ownership, bought by the Earl of Dudley for £30,000; and the =Twin Diamonds=, both found in the bed of the river Vaal at the Cape in 1872.

With regard to precious stones:--the =Turquois= derived its name from Turkey, where it was first found; the =Topaz=, from Topazos, an island in the Red Sea; and the =Agate=, from the Greek _Achates_, a river in Sicily, in the bed of which it was anciently discovered. The term =Amethyst= comes from the Greek _amethustos_, a precious stone, and =Opal=, through the Latin _opalus_, from the Sanskrit _opula_, a precious stone. =Emerald= traces its origin through the French _emerande_ to the Latin and Greek _omaragdus_; =Garnet=, through the French _grenat_, from the Latin _granatus_; and =Ruby=, from the Latin _ruber_, red. =Pearl= is an Anglo-Saxon word derived from the Latin _pirula_, a diminutive of pear.

We may conveniently add that the weight of precious stones, as well as that of gold, is regulated by =Carats=, because formerly carat seeds, or the seed of the Abyssinian coral flower were employed for this purpose.

_NAVAL AND MILITARY SOBRIQUETS._

The Roman Manlius (appointed Consul in the year 224 B.C.) received the name of =Torquatus= from the incident of having torn the golden torque or collar from the neck of his adversary in the field. Charles, the son of Pepin d’Heristal, was surnamed =Martel= in recognition of his victory over the Saracens, who attempted the invasion of France in the year 732. According to the chronicler, “he knocked down the foe and crushed them between his axe, as a martel or hammer crushes what it strikes.” Robert, Duke of Normandy, the father of William the Conqueror (died 1035), bore the name of =Robert le Diable=, or =Robert the Devil=, on account of his courageous cruelty in war. The Scottish outlaw, Sir William Wallace (born 1270, beheaded 1305), was styled =The Hammer and Scourge of England= by reason of his patriotism. William Douglas, Lord of Nithsdale (died 1390), was known as =Black Douglas= because his frame was tall, strong, and well-built, while his hair was dark and his complexion swarthy. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus (died 1514), merited the sobriquet of =Bell the Cat= for having put to death the upstart favourites of James III., and so prevented the creation of nobles out of architects and masons whom the king particularly patronized. At a meeting convened in the Church of Lauder by the Scottish nobles for the purpose of taking measures to obtain the removal of these persons, Lord Gray had put the question, “But who will bell the cat?” “That will I!” answered Douglas on the instant; and he kept his word, for in the very presence of the king he slew the obnoxious minions with his own hand.

Richard Nevil, Earl of Warwick (born 1420, died 1471), was surnamed =The King Maker= for the reason that while he espoused the cause of the Yorkists, Edward IV. succeeded in his efforts to gain the English Crown; and when, subsequently, he transferred his influence to the Lancastrians, Henry VI. was restored and the usurper deposed. Harry Percy (born 1364, died 1403) was styled =Hotspur=, and Prince Rupert (born 1619, died 1682) =The Mad Cavalier= because they found it impossible to restrain their rash courage in time of war. The soldiers of Cromwell, after the Battle of Marston Moor, received the popular name of =Ironsides= on account of their armour and their iron resolution. The sobriquet of =The Almighty Nose= was bestowed upon Oliver Cromwell (born 1599, died 1658), in allusion to his nasal enormity. Strange, indeed, that he who had attained to the highest position in the land by the sheer force of arms should have been so continually taunted with the length and colour of his nose! Yet so it was. Nevertheless, there have been others whose peace of mind was daily threatened by popular malice in this selfsame respect. Even the great Roman poet Ovid suffered a lifelong martyrdom, and became the recipient of the sobriquet of =Naso=, owing to the possession of an unusually large nose; just as in modern times Wilson, the painter, and Cervetto, the violincellist of Drury Lane Theatre, never succeeded in putting their heads out of their own doors without being greeted with shouts of “=Nosey!=” from the mob.

The Duke of Cumberland (born 1721, died 1765) rightly deserved the opprobrious surname of =The Bloody Butcher= on account of his merciless slaughter of the vanquished adherents of the Young Pretender after the Battle of Culloden. The soldiers of the Duke of Marlborough (born 1650, died 1722) familiarly styled their leader =Corporal John= because he had risen from the rank of Corporal; while General Bonaparte, afterwards Emperor of the French (born 1769, died 1821), bore the name of =The Little Corporal=, in allusion to his original rank, his low stature, youthful appearance, and extraordinary courage. As most readers are aware, Wellington (born 1769, died 1852) earned the name of =The Iron Duke= by his iron will and resolution; and Blucher (born 1742, died 1819) that of =Marshal Forward=, by his dash and readiness to attack the enemy in the campaign which terminated in the Battle of Waterloo. Prince Bismarck, the late Chancellor of the German Empire (born 1815) owed his surname of =The Iron Chancellor= to his extraordinary vigour and indomitable will. Helmuth, Count von Moltke, Field-Marshal of the German armies (born 1800, died 1891), was popularly surnamed =Helmuth the Taciturn=, because though a master of half a dozen languages, he was never known to betray himself in one of them. The sobriquet of =Stonewall Jackson=, possessed by Thomas Jonathan Jackson, the Confederate General in the American War of 1861 to 1865, originated with General Lee, who, after rallying his troops at the Battle of Bull Run, exclaimed, “There is Jackson, standing like a stone wall!” A less complimentary sobriquet bestowed upon General Andrew Jackson, President of the United States (born 1767, died 1845), by his own soldiers, was that of =Old Hickory=, in allusion to his tough, unyielding disposition. The circumstance is thus commented upon by Parton, the author of Jackson’s Life:--“The name of _Old Hickory_ was not an instantaneous inspiration, but a growth. First of all, the remark was made by some soldier, who was struck with his commander’s pedestrian powers, that the General was tough. Next, it was observed that he was as tough as hickory. Then he was called _Hickory_. Lastly, the affectionate adjective ‘old’ was prefixed, and the General thenceforth rejoiced in the completed nickname, usually the first-won honour of a great commander.”

Of naval sobriquets we shall mention only three. Commodore John Byron, the circumnavigator (born 1723, died 1786), was popularly known as =Foul Weather Jack= because, it was said, he never enjoyed a fine passage throughout the whole of his experience. Admiral Edward Vernon (born 1684, died 1757), to whom reference is made in our article on “Spirits,” was called =Old Grog=, because he wore a “Grogram” coat in “dirty weather” [_see_ GROGRAM]. Admiral Sir Henry Digby received his well-known sobriquet of =The Silver Captain= under the following interesting circumstances:--On the October 14, 1799, when commanding the frigate _Alcmene_, on a cruise off the Spanish coast, he shaped his course for Cape St. Vincent, and was running to the southward, in the latitude of Cape Finisterre. Twice during the night he rang his bell to summon the officer on the watch, and asked him if any person had been in the cabin. “No, sir; nobody,” was the answer. “Very odd,” rejoined Sir Henry. “Every time I dropped asleep I heard somebody shouting in my ear, ‘Digby! Digby! go to the northward; Digby! Digby! go to the northward!’ I shall certainly do so. Take another reef in your topsails, haul your wind, tack every hour till daybreak, and then call me.” These orders were strictly carried out, and the frigate was tacked at four, at five, at six, and at seven o’clock. She had just come round for the last time when the man at the masthead called out, “Large ship on the weather-bow, sir!” On nearing her a musket was discharged to bring her to. She was quickly boarded, when she proved to be a Spanish vessel laden with dollars, in addition to a large cargo of cochineal and spices. By this capture therefore, the fortunate dreamer secured, as his (Captain’s) share of the prize-money, the sum of £40,730 18s.; the lieutenants each £5,091 7s. 3d.; the warrant officers each £2,468 10s. 9½d.; the midshipmen each £791 17s. 0¼d.; and the seamen and marines each £182 14s. 9½d. The captured treasure was said to have been so weighty that sixty-three artillery tumbrils had to be requisitioned for the purpose of transporting it from the vessel to Plymouth Citadel.

_MONEY._

The word =Money= owes its existence to _Moneta_, one of the surnames of Juno, in whose temple the first coinage of the Romans took place. =Mint= claims the same etymology, being a contraction of the Latin _moneta_, brought about through the Anglo-Saxon _mynet_. By =Sterling Money= is meant the standard coin of Great Britain, and for this reason:--During the reign of King John the merchants of the Hansa Towns, of which the inhabitants were commonly described as Esterlings, because they resided in the eastern portions of Germany, having long been noted for the purity of their coinage, the king invited a number of them over to this country for the purpose of reforming and perfecting our coinage. The invitation was accepted; and ever afterwards good English money received the name of Esterling or sterling money.

A =Guinea= was an English gold piece first struck in 1663 out of gold brought from the coast of Guinea, West Africa. Its value has been subject to fluctuations at different periods. Thus, in 1663 it was worth 20s.; in 1695, 30s.; in 1717, 21s.; in 1810, 22s. 6d.; and in 1816, 26s. The coinage of guineas was discontinued July 1, 1817. A =Sovereign= is so called because when originally coined, during the reign of Henry VIII., it bore a representation of that sovereign in his royal robes. A =Crown-piece= when first introduced displayed a crown on its reverse side. The =Florin= took its name from Florence, in which city it was struck as long ago as the thirteenth century. Its reverse side has always borne a representation of a lily, emblematical of “The City of Flowers.” The term =Shilling= traces its origin in the Anglo-Saxon _scilling_, the Icelandic _skillinge_, and the Gothic _skilliggs_, in each case denoting the twentieth part of a pound, as at present. A =Penny=, so called from the Anglo-Saxon _penig_, and Danish _pennig_ (whence the modern German =Pfennig= has been derived), originally denoted a copper coin of full value; a =Halfpenny=, the half of a penny; and a =Farthing=, a corruption of the Old English _fourthling_, denotes a penny divided into four parts. We must not omit to mention that in olden times only penny-pieces were struck; and these were deeply indented in the form of a cross--exactly, in fact, after the manner of our Good Friday buns; so that when half-pennies or farthings were required the pennies could be broken into two or four portions without difficulty.