ed
"Fig-Sunday."

Can you give any authentic information as to the origin of this name? It
most probably alludes to our Saviour's desire to eat fruit of the fig-tree
on his way from Bethany on the _Monday_ following.

Hone mentions that at a village in Hertfordshire, more figs are sold in
that week than at any other period of the year; but assigns no reason for
the custom. If you have met with any satisfactory explanation of this name,
I shall feel obliged by your making it public.

B. D.

* * * * *

NOTE ON A PASSAGE IN HUDIBRAS.

Butler, in his description of Hudibras, says (Part I. c. i. line 453.) that
the knight

"----wore but one Spur,
As wisely knowing, cou'd he stir
To active Foot one side of 's Horse,
The other wou'd not hang an A----."

Gray, the most copious annotator on the poem, passes these lines in
silence; and it is probable, therefore, that the description is taken by
readers {69} in general as an original sketch. I find, however, in a volume
entitled _Gratiae Ludentes: Jests from the Universitie_, by H. L., Oxen.
[sic], London, 1638, the following, which may have been in Butler's mind:--

"_One that wore but one Spurre._

"A scholler being jeer'd on the way for wearing but one Spurre, said,
that if one side of his horse went on, it was not likely that the other
would stay behinde."

As compilers of jest-books do nothing but copy from their predecessors, it
is likely that this joke may be found elsewhere, though I have not met with
it in any other collection. At all events, the date of the vol. from which
I quote is in favour of Butler's intimacy with its contents; and as it is
interesting, even in so trivial a matter, to trace the resources of our
popular authors, you may perhaps think it worth while to include the above
in a number of the "NOTES."

DESCONOCIDO.

* * * * *

COFFEE, BLACK BROTH.

The idea has been suggested in the "NOTES AND QUERIES," but I do not know
how to refer to the places[3], or recollect what authorities were given.
Probably that of Howell was not, as it occurs in a very scarce volume; and,
on the chance of its not having been met with by your readers, I send it.
It is contained in a letter addressed "To his highly esteemed Friend and
Compatriot, Judge Rumsey, upon his _Provang_, or rare pectorall Instrument,
and his rare experiments of Cophie and Tobacco." This let