1473* to 1480, and then removed to Antwerp, where he followed his business till the year 1491. From what is here said, I hope it will appear to the satisfaction of every one, that although this book has so early a date, yet that it is not that of its impression, but of the publication when in manuscript. I have thought proper to make these observations, in order to prevent the unwary from being deceived by a date ill understood; it is with deference that I submit them to the learned, and in particular to the candour of such gentlemen as have studied the antiquities of the art of printing, the invention of which has proved so beneficial to mankind. April 30, 1759. 1759, July. PHILARCHAIOS. XLVIII. Vindication of the Honour of Yeomanry. THE title of Yeoman is generally in no esteem, because its worth is not known. A yeoman that is authentically such, is, by his title, on a level with an esquire. All the difference is, that one hath precedence of the other, as a marquis hath precedence of an earl, and that one is of Norman, and the other of Old English derivation. The title yeoman is of military origin, as well as that of esquire, and other titles of honour. Esquires were so called, because in combat they carried for defence an ecu, or shield; and yeomen were so stiled, because, besides the weapons proper for close engagement, they fought with arrows and the bow, which was made of yew, a tree that hath more repelling force and elasticity than any other. * Jo. Christ. Seiz, says 1472, but notwithstanding that he gives the title of book pretended to be printed by him that year, yet there is great reason to doubt of it, as it is mentioned by no other author, nor does he say, either that he saw it himself, or in whose library it was to be found; and besides, that his blind partiality to Holland has led him into so many mistakes in his Historical Narrative of the Invention of Printing, which is little more than a revival of the old legend of Hadrian Junius, and so stuffed with forgeries and calumnies, tending to deprive both Guttemberg and Fust of the honour of being the first inventors of the art of printing, the era of which he carries as far back as the year 1428, attributing it, without the least foundation, to one Laurens Jansz, surnamed Koster of Haerlem, that it may be safely said he is not to be relied on. The name bow seems to be derived from yew, or yew. from bow, as Walter is derived from Gaulter, Wales from Gales; Gascogne was pronounced Vascogne, and vivere was pronounced bibere, by the people of that province. The proper name Eboracum, York, is an instance. that the ancients in transferring words from one language or dialect into another, sometimes changed y into b, or b into y; for by leaving out the E in Eboracum, which is done: in several other words, as in especial, special; evacuate, vacuate; estate, state; example, sample; exchange, change; engrave, grave; and then changing the b into y, the word is Yoracum, its exact etymology. The participle given was in Old English written and pronounced yiven, and Guillaume, or William is sometimes written and pronounced Billy: another instance that the letters y, g, and w, were sometimes, in the derivation of dialects one from the other, changed into b. It is probable, that Guild in Guild or Fuild hall, hath, in the same manner, a relation with the word build, or building; those public buildings being so named formerly as either house of parliament is now, sometimes by way of pre-eminence, called "the house." Many other instances may occur in reading old authors, in proof of this etymological assertion. What I have said is sufficient to prove that yeoman is originally a military title, derived from the kind of weapons with which they fought in ancient times. That bows were made of yew is certain; in modern poetry a bow is sometimes expressed by the word yew, as in Dryden's translation of the Eneid, Book 9. At the full stretch of both his hands he drew, These verses the poet animadverts as energetical and forceful, the very sound expressing the efforts of a bowman that is struggling with his bow. After the conquest the name of yeomen, as to their ori ginal office in war, was changed to that of archers. Yeomen of the crown had formerly considerable grants bestowed on them. In the fifth century "Richard Leden, yeoman of the croune, had (by a royal grant) the office of keeping of the parke called Middie-parke, in the county of Hertforde.' About the same time 'John Forde, yeoman of the croune, had the moytie of all rents of the town and hundred of Shaftsbury;' and 'Nicholas Wortley, yeoman of the chambre, was made baillieffe of the lordships of Scaresdale and Chesterfelde, within the county of Derby;" all which prove, that the title of yeoman was accounted honourable not only in remote antiquity, but in later ages. Though there were in all times yeomen to attend the persons of our kings, yet the company of those now called yeomen of the guard, is of later date, being instituted by Henry VII. whereby he did more dishonour than honour to the title of yeoman, because he did not allow them a salary suitable to their office and title. Yeomen, at least those that frequent palaces, should have their education in some academy, college, or university, in the army, or at court, or a private education that would be equivalent. Then our Latin writers would be no longer so grossly mistaken as to their notion in this respect. In Littleton's dictionary, and I believe in all our other Latin dictionaries, yeomanry is latinised plebs, and yeoman rusticus, paganus, colonus. The expressions yeoman of the crown, yeoman of the chamber, yeoman of the guard, yeoman usher, shew the impropriety of this translation; for thereby it is plain, that yeomen originally frequented courts and followed the profession of arms. Yeomen of the crown were so called, either because they were obliged to attend the king's person at court and in the field, or because they held lands from the crown, or both. Our Latinists are also mistaken as to the true Latin term for esquire; it should be scutarius, so it is translated by foreigners, or scutifer; so I find it in an order of K. Edward I. to the high sheriff of the county of York, requiring ut omnes in baliva sua milites, scutiferos, &c. præmuniri faciat ad proficiscendum, &c.' Escuage is translated even now scutagium. The title armiger, which is confounded with that of scutarius, is the proper Latin for a yeoman. In ancient times, kings, chiefs, and all princely knights were attended by esquires and yeomen, that were so stiled by virtue of their office. In battle, while the king, prince, or chief knight, was occupied in arranging the army, or battalion, and conducting the engagement, the office of the esquires of the body was to defend his person in case of a personal attack, for which purpose they bore shields; and that of the yeoman was to encounter the enemy, for which they were armed with the most proper offensive weapons; whence the Latin of the first is scutarius, as foreigners agree, and the latter, armiger, as reason sheweth. I cannot aver, that the offices of esquires and yeomen were thus categorically distinguished; but it seems certain, that yeomen had much the same honour and offices before the Norman line of our kings, that the esquires had after. I must own, indeed, the title of yeoman is now pretty much disregarded, because our gentry, by reason that the English tongue is not so universal as that of our next neighbours, prefer titles derived from their language. Moreover after the conquest, the Roman dialect was introduced, and used for many ages at court and at the bar. If some of our gentry of rank and fortune would agree to be stiled by no other than that genuine English title, it would soon appear in another light. When statutes are deficient, lawyers have recourse to ancient customs, general practices, precedent reports, authorized maxims, and evident conclusions, to decide cases at law. Customs and maxims generally approved of were entirely kept in remembrance by some poetical expressions; the title of yeoman is therefore much more considerable than is generally imagined, since it is said, A Spanish Don, a German Count, and a French Marquis, A Yeoman of Kent is worth them all three. This adagium may be of modern date, and may regard wealth only, but it can be also adapted to honours; for for merly the titles yeoman of the crown, yeoman of the chamber, and now the title yeoman usher, is in as much honour with us, as don, count, and marquis, are in their respective nations; for they are given not only to the higher nobility, but also to the gentry or chief commoners. Wherefore, to argue syllogistically, according to the mode of Aristotle and his adherents, who were undoubtedly the best logicians in the schools of Athens, though the worst natural philosophers, or rather they hardly set up for natural philosophy; let us say, Yeomen are on a level with dons, counts, and marquisses; Dons, counts, and marquisses are on a level with esquires; Therefore, yeomen are on a level with esquires. These arguments are, methinks, sufficient to revive the splendor of yeomanry in honour of Old England and the English name; yet I must observe, that it should never be more esteemed than in the present age, because it never was more gloriously signalized; it should not therefore become too common, and it is better to be a great yeoman, than a little esquire. 1759, Sept. XLIX. On the Word BUMPER.-Grace Cups. MR. URBAN, THE jolly toper is so fond of the thing we call a bumper, that he troubles not himself about the name, and so long as the liquor is but fine and clear, cares not a farthing in how deep an obscurity the etymology is involved. The sober antiquarian, on the contrary, being prone to etymology, contemplates the sparkling contents of a full glass with much less delight than he does the meaning, the occasion, and the original of the name. I, sir, who profess myself to be one of the latter tribe, am for discarding the vulgar original of the name, and for substituting something more plausible in its place. The common opinion (I call it the common opinion, because I have heard it from so many) is, that the bumper took its name from the grace-cup; our Roman Catholic ancestors, say they, after their meals, always drinking the Pope's health, in this form "au bon Pere." But there are great objections to this; as first, the Pope was not the bon Pere, but the saint Pere, amongst the elder inhabitants of this kingdom, the attribute of sanctity being in a manner appropriated to the Pope of Rome, and his see. Again, the grace-cup, which went round of course, after every repast, did not imply any thing extraordinary, or a full glass. Then 3dly, let us consider a little the nature of the grace-cup. Drinking glasses were not in use at the time here supposed, for the grace-cup was a large vessel, proportioned to the number of the society, which went round the table, the guests drinking out of the same cup one after another. Virgil describes something like it, when speaking of the entertainment Queen Dido gave to Æneas, he says, Postquam prima quies epulis, mensæque remotæ ; ** * Hic regina gravem gemmis auroque poposcit, * * * Primaque, libato, summo tenus attigit ore. Tum Bitiæ dedit increpitans; ille impiger hausit The feast was ended, the cup went round after it, and the health was, that Jupiter would shower down his |