Tom Long no longer a carrier; and Big Ben, in spite of inveterate prejudice, might be a respectable member of society.

Many years ago, I remember a street in the vicinity of London, but now, by the incessant labours of masons, carpenters, and ground-landlords, buried in and forming a part of our enormous metropolis. Two of the houses in it were occupied by surgeons, Mr. Bigg, and Mr. Little; the name of each was Alexander. As any passenger approached, A. Bigg, surgeon, first caught his eye, and a few paces further, A. Little, surgeon: this accidental assemblage was thought ludicrous, and produced a laugh, but it also produced wisdom; for the professional men soon removed the plates from their doors, as they found that the circumstance, though trifling, injured their practice; and for this reason-him whom we are long in the habit of laughing at, from whatever cause, we shall soon cease to respect.

Nick-names have exercised the talents of commentators and critics; from these singular efforts of humour, malice, envy, or revenge, the most powerful monarchs, legislators, heroes, conquerors, and statesmen, have not escaped.

Justice and common sense should seem to impel us to bestow undiminished praise on Sergius, a Roman pontiff, and the fourth of that name, at the commencement of the eleventh century: he was eminent for learning, considering the period at which he lived, of correct manners, zealous in the cause of religion, and remarkable for charitable benevolence to the poor. But the Pope's countenance exhibited an unfortunate combination of features, which could not escape the mockery of those who were fed by his bounty; while eating his bread, these worthy characters could not resist the preponderating impulse of humour. They observed that "old hog's-snout," to which the lower part of the pontiff's face bore a striking resemblance, "was a good sort of fellow."

It is impossible to doubt that the soldiers of Julius Cæsar were warmly attached to their commander; yet

when the victor entered Rome in triumphant procession, they were heard to say as they marched along, and in the dictator's hearing," Romans, take care of your wives and daughters; Bald-pate is come again."

The Emperor Frederic the First, from the colour of his beard, was distinguished by the word Barbarossa. On many of our English kings these additions have been bestowed: on Alfred, the well-earned and appropriate epithet of Great. Edgar was the Peaceable; his successor, the Martyr; and Edmund, from his matchless courage, his muscular form, or constantly wearing armour in his unceasing battles with Canute, was called Ironside.

Harold the First was Harefoot; our third Edward, the Confessor; William the First, before conquest had effaced illegitimacy, was styled the Bastard; and his unfortunate son, who fell by Tyrrell's arrow in the New Forest, Rufus, from his red hair; of his brothers, Henry bore an epithet for his learning, and Robert, from the shortness of his small-clothes.

On Henry the Second, and a considerable number of noble personages, the singular appellation of Plantagenet was bestowed; this literally means a broom-stick, and is said to have derived its origin from one of their ancestors, an Earl of Anjou, who doing penance for his crimes by a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, was scourged with a rod of broom twigs at the holy sepulchre.

Why Richard the First was called Coeur de Lion is obvious to every general reader; to John his brother the name of Lackland was given by his own father, in his will, in which, bequeathing him neither lands nor hereditaments, he meant him to remain dependent on the bounty of his eldest son.

The military glory of Edward the First, King of England, Lord of Ireland, &c. could not shelter him from the coarse nick-name of Long-shanks; Henry the Fourth, that canker Bolingbroke, was so called fro man obscure village in Lincolnshire, the place of his birth; for the same reason his truant son, but afterwards that illustrious warrior our fifth Henry, the pride of Eng

land and the scourge of France, was surnamed Monmouth.

The life and reign of Richard the Third, however plausibly defended by Buck, and ingeniously handled by the pleasant Horace Walpole, seem to afford abundant materials for abusive epithet and declamatory invective; but his enemies could not be content, unless the arrow of hostility was poisoned by the bitterness of gross personality: they called him crook-back, a malformation in which the tyrant could not be instrumental, but for which he was probably indebted to his mother's fondness for a slender waist, to a rash impatient accoucheur, or to an hereditary scrophula.

CURIOUS CUSTOMS AND CEREMONIES OF VARIOUS NATIONS.

THE various methods of salutation, modes of ceremony, and singular customs, observed in the different nations of the world, afford an interesting subject for a speculative mind. In the earlier ages we find that modesty, simplicity, and perhaps sensibility, were the happiest characteristics, and manual labour was not thought unworthy of the most respectable persons. In sacred history, it is said, that Abraham took a calf, ordered his young man to dress it, and served it himself with milk and butter to the three angels who had visited him in human forms. Jacob tended the flocks of Laban, which multiplied under his care. Moses was the shepherd of Jethro, his father-in-law, when God appeared to him in the burning bush; and David was feeding sheep when the prophet Samuel sent for him to consecrate him King of Israel.

In profane history, the manners and customs of the ancient heathen world correspond exactly with those of the Jews. In the Iliad of Homer, kings and princes are supported by their flocks and herds. Achilles re

ceives the deputies of the different districts of Greece without being attended by a numerous retinue. He introduced and seated them himself; then turning to Patroclus, commanded him to bring one of the largest vases, fill it with the best wine, and present a goblet to each of them. Patroclus obeyed his order. He next takes a large vessel, and fills it with the half of a sheep, half of a goat, and the chine of a fat hog. Automedon holds the vessel, and Achilles himself cuts the meat into pieces, which he puts on several spits, whilst Patroclus kindles a fire, upon which, when the flame is extinct, the ashes are spread to roast the meat. When the pieces are well roasted, and laid on different dishes, Patroclus takes bread from the basket in which it was kept, and places it on the table. The portions are divided by Achilles, who orders Patroclus to make the usual sacrifice. He obeys his friend, and throws into the fire the first slices of the meat. This offering being made, they begin the repast, and each guest eats what is set before him.

No people were more religious observers of an oath than the Arabians, and thus they took one:-When they were going to swear friendship, or make an alliance, a man stood betwixt the parties, holding a sharp stone with which he cut the palm of their hand. He then pulled a tuft from the garment of each of them, and dipped it in the blood that issued from the wounds. He rubbed this blood on seven stones, which were placed betwixt them, invoking, at the same time, Bacchus and Urania.

The Babylonians had a sensible custom, which is worthy of relation. They were accustomed to bring their sick into the forum, to consult those who passed on their diseases; for they had no regular physicians. All who approached the sick were asked if they ever had the same distemper? if they knew any one who had been afflicted with it, and how he had been cured? Hence, every one who saw a sick person was obliged to go to him, and inquire the nature of his disorder.

Of all nations perhaps the Chinese are most singu

larly affected in their personal civilities. It arises from national affectation. They invariably substitute artificial ceremonies for natural actions. Their actions, nay, even their words, are prescribed by the Chinese ritual, or academy of compliments. The number of bows, and expressions to be used; the genuflexions; and the inclinations which are to be made to the right or left hand; the salutations of the master before the chair where the visitor is to be seated (for he salutes it most profoundly, and wipes the dust away with the skirts of his robe), are all limited. The learned Dr. Morrison has lately favoured the world with a description of the ceremonies used in the celestial empire, from which it appears that the Chinese have eight different methods of showing their respect.

The lowest is Kung-show, which is expressed by joining both hands, and elevating them before the breast. The next is Iso-yih, bowing low with the hands joined. The third is Ta-tseen, bending the knee, as if about to kneel. The fourth is Kwei, to kneel. The fifth Kotow, kneeling, and striking the head against the ground. The sixth San-kow, striking the head three times against the earth, before, rising from the knees. The seventh Luh-kow, kneeling, and striking the head again three times, rising on the feet, kneeling down again, and striking the head again three times against the earth. The eighth is the San-kwei-kew-kow, kneeling three different times, and at each time knocking the head thrice against the ground.

The governors of the Scythian provinces annually gave a feast to those who had valiantly slain their enemies with their own hands. The skulls of the vanquished served them for cups; and the quantity of wine they were allowed to drink was proportioned to the number of skulls they possessed. The youth who could not yet boast of such martial exploits contemplated distantly the solemn festival, without being admitted to approach it. That this institution produced courageous warriors cannot be doubted; but it may be questioned whether it made them better men. War