on arrived at the grave, which had been
previously dug, the constables arranged themselves around it to keep
the crowd off, upon which the shell was laid on the ground, and the
body of the unfortunate deceased taken out. It had on a winding-sheet,
drawers, and stockings, and a quantity of blood was clotted about the
head, and the lining of the shell entirely stained. The body was then
wrapped in a piece of Russia matting, tied round with some cord, and
then instantly dropped into the hole, which was about five feet in
depth: it was then immediately filled up, and it was gratifying to see
that that disgusting part of the ceremony of throwing lime over the
body, and driving a stake through it, was on this occasion dispensed
with. The surrounding spectators, consisting of about two hundred
persons, amongst whom were several persons of respectable appearance,
were much disgusted at this horrid ceremony."
Imagine such scene in the "centre of civilisation" only thirty years ago!
VINCENT T. STERNBERG.
_Andrew's Edition of Freund's Latin Lexicon._--A singular plan seems to
have been pursued in this valuable lexicon in one point. Wherever the
meaning of a word in a certain passage is disputed, all reference to that
place is omitted! Here are a few examples of this "dodge" from one book,
Horace:
_Subjectus._ Car. 1. 12. 55.
_Divido._ 1. 15. 15.
_Incola._ 1. 16. 5. _Vertex._ 3. 24. 6.
_Pars._ 2. 17. 18. _Tormentum._ 3. 21. 13.
_Laudo._ Ep. 11. 19.
_Offendo._ Ep. 15. 15.
_Octonus._ S. 1. 6. 75.
_AEra._ Ib.
_Duplex._ S. 2. 4. 63.
_Vulpecula._ Epist. 1. 7. 29.
_Proprius._ A. P. 128., &c.
A. A. D.
_Slang Expressions._--It would be curious to investigate farther how some
odd forms of expression of this kind have crept into, if not the English
language, at least into every-day parlance; and by _what classes of men_
they have been introduced. I do not of course mean the vile _argot_, or St.
Giles' {618} Greek, prevalent among housebreakers and pick-pockets; though
a great deal of that is traceable to the Rommany or gipsy language, and
other sufficiently odd sources: but I allude more particularly to phrases
used by even educated men--such as "a regular mull," "bosh," "just the
cheese," &c. The first has already been proved an importation from our
Anglo-Indian friends in the pages of "N. & Q."; and I have been informed
that the other two are also e
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