but, in the 18th century, of a society named
after the "tutelar saint" of Pennsylvania. The original Tammany was an
Indian chief with whom William Penn negotiated for grants of land about
the end of the 17th century. _Littoral_ first became familiar in
connection with Italy's ill-starred Abyssinian adventure, and
_hinterland_ marked the appearance of Germany as a colonial power--

"'Let us glance a moment,' said Mr Queed, 'at Man, as we see him
first emerging from the dark _hinterlands_ of history.'"
(H. S. HARRISON, _Queed_, Ch. 17.)

[Page Heading: BLUNDERS]

Sometimes the blunder of a great writer has enriched the language.
Scott's _bartisan_--

"Its varying circle did combine
Bulwark, and _bartisan_, and line
And bastion, tower ..."
(_Marmion_, vi. 2.)

is a mistake for _bratticing_, timber-work, a word of obscure origin of
which several corruptions are found in early Scottish. It is rather a
favourite with writers of "sword and feather" novels. Other sham
antiques are _slug-horn_, Chatterton's absurd perversion of the Gaelic
_slogan_, war-cry, copied by Browning--

"Dauntless the _slug-horn_ to my lips I set,
And blew 'Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came.'"

and Scott's extraordinary misuse of _warison_, security, a doublet of
_garrison_, as though it meant "war sound"--

"Or straight they sound their _warison_,
And storm and spoil thy garrison."
(_Lay_, iv. 21.)

Scott also gave currency to _niddering_, a coward--

"Faithless, mansworn,[13] and _niddering_."
(_Ivanhoe_, Ch. 42.)

which has been copied by Lytton and Kingsley, and elaborated into
_nidderling_ by Mr Crockett. It is a misprint in an early edition of
William of Malmesbury for _niding_ or _nithing_, cognate with Ger.
_Neid_, envy. This word, says Camden, is mightier than _Abracadabra_,[14]
since--

"It hath levied armies and subdued rebellious enemies. For when
there was a dangerous rebellion against King William Rufus, and
Rochester Castle, then the most important and strongest fort of this
realm, was stoutly kept against him, after that he had but
proclaimed that his subjects should repair thither to his camp, upon
no other penalty, but that whosoever should refuse to come should be