England, and suffered attaint under Henry 8th, and did not recover his property till the 4th of Edward 6th. The Earl of Darnley owes the first elevation of his family to John Bligh, a London citizen, who was employed as agent to the speculations in the Irish estates forfeited in the rebellion in 1641. John Cowper, an alderman of Bridge Ward, and sheriff in 1551, was ancestor of Earl Cowper. The Earl of Romney is descended from Thomas Marsham, alderman, who died 1624. Lord Dacres' ancestor, Sir Robert Dacres, was banker to Charles 1st, and although he lost 80,000l. by that monarch, left a princely fortune to his descendants. Lord Dormer is descended from Sir Michael Dormer, lord mayor in 1541. Viscount Dudley and Ward's ancestor was William Ward, a goldsmith in London, and jeweller to the consort of Charles 1st. Sir Rowland Hill, who was lord mayor in the reign of Edward 6th, was ancestor of Lord Berwick, Lord Hill, and "all the Hills in Shropshire!" LITERAL SIGNIFICATION OF THE PRINCIPAL MALE AND FEMALE CHRISTIAN NAMES; Andrew, Gr. courageous Charles, Ger. noble spirited Christopher, Gr. bearing Christ Andronicus, Gr. a conqueror of Conrade, Ger. able counsel Apelles, Gr. not black at all Constantine, Lat. resolute Crispin, Lat. having curled locks Denis, Gr. belonging to the god of Dunstan, Sax. most high Eleazer, Heb. the God of help Ephraim, Heb. fruitful John, Heb. the grace of the Lord Jonah, Heb. a dove Jonathan, Heb. the gift of the Lord Joscelin, Ger. just Joseph, Heb. addition Joslas, Heb. the fire of the Lord Erasmus, Gr. lovely, worthy to be Israel, Heb. prevailing with God loved Ernest, Gr. earnest, serious Esau, Heb. completed Ethelbad, Sax. nobly bold Ethelbert, Sax. nobly bright Ethelfred, Sax, noble peace Ethelfred, Sax. noble in counsel Ethelstan, Sax. a noble jewel Ethelwald, Sax. a noble keeper Ethelwold, Sax. a noble governor Evan or Ivon, Brit. the same as John Everard, Ger. well reported Eusebius, Gr. religious Judah, Heb. confession Kenard, Sax. of a kind nature Kenelm, Sax. a defence of his kindred Lambert, Sax. a fair lamb Lazarus, Heb. destitute of help Ger. defending the Lewellin, Brit, like a lion Lewis, Fr. the defender of the people Lionel, Lat. a little lion Ezekiel, Heb. the strength of God Lodowic, Sax. the defence of the Eugene, Gr. nobly descended Eustace, Gr. standing firm Ezra, Heb. a helper Felix, Lat. happy Fortunatus, Lat. happy Ferdinand, Ger. pure peace Francis, Ger. free Frederic, Ger. rich peace Gabriel, Heb. the strength of God Hezekiah, Heb. cleaving to the Lord Hilary, Lat. merry, cheerful people Lucius, Lat. shining Luke, Gr, a wood or grove Malachi, Heb. my messenger Marmaduke, Ger. a mighty duke or lord Martin, Lat. martial Matthew, Heb. a gift or present Maurice, Lat. sprung of a Moor Meredith, Brit. the roaring of the sea Michael, Heb. who is like God? Narcissus, Gr. a daffodil Nathaniel, Heb. the gift of God Nicolas, Gr. victorious over the people Noel, Fr. belonging to one's nativity Norman, Fr. one born in Normandy Obadiah, Heb. the servant of the Oliver, Lat. an olive Phineas, He). of bold countenance Ptolemy, Gr. mighty in war Quintin, Lat belonging to five Ralph, contracted from Radolph, Sebastian, Gr. to be reverenced Theodore, Gr. the gift of God Bona, Lat_good Bridget, Irish, shining bright Diana, Gr. Jupiter's daughter Eliza, Elizabeth, Heb. the oath of Emily, corrupted from Amelia Eudola, Gr. prospering in the way Lois, Gr, better Lucretia, Lat. a chaste Roman lady Lucy, Lat. feminine of Lucius Lydia, Gr. descended from Lud Mabel, Lat. lovely Magdalene or Maudlin, Syr. magnificent Margaret, Ger. a pearl Maud or Matilda, Gr. a lady of honour Melicent, Fr. sweet as honey Olympia, Gr. heavenly Orabilis, Lat. to be entreated Parnel, or Petronilla, little Peter Patience, Lat. bearing patiently Rosamund, Sax. rose of peace Sabina, Lat. sprung from the Sabines Salome, Heb. perfect Sapphira, Gr. like a sapphire stone Sibylla, Gr. the counsel of God Soppronia, Gr. of a sound mind Temperance, Lat. moderation SECTION VIII. ANCIENT AND MODERN GAMES, FIELD SPORTS, AND OTHER AMUSEMENTS. PLAYING CARDS. It is generally believed, that Cards were invented for the amusement of one of the early kings of the line of Bourbon; but this belief is erroneous. Who the man was that invented these instruments of amusement and folly is not known, neither can we tell in what age they were invented. Our knowledge is limited to the country whence they come, viz. Egypt. The colours are two, red and black, which answer to the equinox. The suits are four, answering to the four seasons. Their emblems formerly were, and still are in Spain: -for the heart, a cup, the emblem of winter-the spade, an acorn, the emblem of autumn-a club, the trefoil, the emblem of summerthe diamond, a rose, the emblem of spring. The twelve court cards answer to the twelve months, and were formerly depicted as the signs of the zodiac. The fifty-two cards answer to the fifty-two weeks in the year. The thirteen cards in each suite to the number of weeks in a lunar quarter. The aggregate of the pips calculated in the following manner, amount to the number of days in a year :55 Amount in each suite 220 4 Suites 120 Court cards multiplied by 10 12 Number of court cards 13 Number of each suite Total 365 GAME OF WHIST. "Stand further, girl, or get you gone I wish some folk would pare their nails! Swift. Playing cards have been termed by the rigid moralist the Devil's Books! No doubt, the mis-use of them has been creative of much misery and mischief. As an amusement, however, they have cheered the captive, enlivened the sick room, and have given life and buoyancy to the domestic circle. The Christmas holidays are plentifully supplied with round games for the diversion of the young, while the old grandmothers are deeply interested in the pegs of a cribbage-board by a chimney corner. All-fours belong to the grocer's back parlour; cassino to the drawing room; while sober whist is the every-day and every-body's amusement who understand, or even mis-understand it. This game is of Spanish origin, and was first introduced into this country at the marriage of Philip 2d and Mary. The name carries with it its own derivation, being a game that requires a strict silence, for, as its Requisite, is a nice calculation, and an undisturbed memory, so the least talking or disturbance distracts the attention, and consequently, produces bad play, and to those whose memories are the weakest, the loss of the game.Hence it has been termed whist! i. e. be silent. POPE JOAN. The Pope Joan Board makes its appearance on Christmas Eve, and continues for some time after, to amuse the domestic circle, old and young. But what the origin of the term is, few it is presumed know, it therefore, is here given. Pope Joan was called John 8th. Platina saith, she was of English extraction, but born at Mentz; who, having disguised herself like a man, travelled with her paramour to Atheus, where she made such progress in learning, that coming to Rome, she met with few that could equal her, so that on the death of pope Leo 4th, she was chosen to succeed him; but being got with child by one of her domestics, her travel came upon her, between the Colossian Theatre and St. Clements, as she was going to the Lateran church, and died upon the place, having sat 2 years, 1 month, and 4 days, and was buried there without any pomp. He owns, that for shame of this, the popes decline going through this street to the Lateran; and that to avoid the like error, when any pope is placed in the Porphyry Chair, his genitals are felt by the youngest deacon, through a hole made for that purpose; but he supposes the reason of that to be, to put him in mind that he is a man, and obnoxious to the necessities of nature; and he calls the seat, Sedes Stercoraria. "So Cardinals they say do grope At t'other end the new made Pope."-Hudibras. |