us as a first, or Christian name. It is somewhat curious, however, that the corresponding sobriquet "Jack," unlike its continental brethren Gianni, Zanni, and Hans, is not derived from John at all. It is another word altogether,—a foreigner pressed into our service, the French word Jaques, (Jacobus, James) "requisitioned," transnationalized, and made to do hack-work, instead of the more sedate and dignified John. From these two words arose by degrees a series of derivatives strange and manifold. I am not now speaking of surnames, though they form a numerous group.-St. John, Johns, Youngjohns, Johnes, Jones, Johnson, Jonson, Johnstone, Johnston, and Jackson,-but of the multitudinous compound or corrupted forms which the word in question were made to assume in the language of every-day life, of popular superstition, and of quaint folklore. And I suppose that this may be accounted for in the simplest way possible. The popular John, with his "familiar" Jack, would be largely represented wherever a number of Englishmen were found in company. A group of workmen, for instance, would be certain to include several Johns; and a stranger who wished to "hail" one of the group by name, would have many chances in favour of his hitting upon the right word if he called out John, or Jack. Again, in the case of any workman who might confine himself to a particular branch of labour, it would very frequently happen that the individual would bear this same hackneyed name. Hence in course of time the name of the man or boy would come to be associated with the office itself, so that the man who was known to be best at a stiff lift; and the boy who turned the spit, or pulled off the boots, would be the "Jack," although his real name might be Patrick, or Peter, or Percival Plantagenet. And when machines were afterwards invented to relieve him of this special function, the name would pass on by the most natural transition to the machine that performed the work which hitherto had been done by Jack. Hence we get Boot-jack, Smoke-jack, Bottlejack, Screw-jack, Hoisting-jack, and Clock-jack or Jack o'the Clock. The two names thus acquired a sort of capacity for indiscriminate application to all kinds of incongruous things. Our forefathers had not only a Demijohn, but a Black-jack for a spirit bottle, whilst the miner applied the latter name to the much-dreaded Hornblende. They also bequeathed to us the Jack o' Lantern, Springheeled Jack, and three fingered Jack. Our American relative became 'brother Jonathan' our celestial' friend John Chinaman. We have a John o' dreams, a John o' Groats, and a Jack o' the breadroom; a professional rider is called a Jockey, and the gullible gaping rustic a Regular Johnny, or Johnny Raw. Johnny Cake is made from Indian Meal. We hear also of a John-apple, a Jack-at-a-pinch, a Jack-in-office, a Jack-guardant, a Jack-slave, a Jack-a-dandy, a Jackanapes, a Jackalent, a Jack-pudding, and a Jack-sauce. We know also of the Jack-at-bowls, the Jack-of-clubs, hearts, spades, and diamonds, the cheap Jack, and the Jack of all trades; and moreover we are informed that Jack 's alive and Jack's the lad, by a jolly Jack Tar flourishing a Union Jack. The lawyers have tender memories of John Doe, John-a-Nokes, and John-a-Stiles; the children have their Jack in the box and Jack-jumper, who spring in and out, here and there, before one can say Jack Robinson; they stand in awe of Jack Frost, they recount the doughty deeds of Little John, and they cherish fond traditions of the house that Jack built, of Jack Sprat, Jackand-Gill, Jack 'o the beanstalk, Jack the giant-killer, and little Jack Horner who sat in a corner! The mineral world supplies us with Johnite and Johannite; the plant world with John's wort, Jackwood, and Jack-by-the-hedge; the bird tribe, with the Jacksnipe, Jackstraw, and Jackdaw; the fish, with the Jack-pike, the John Dory,* and the magnificent Jack-bannel of the mighty River Rea; the quadrumana afford us only the grinning Jocks of the barrel organ; while the quadrupeds can boast not only of the children's Jacky-pig, but of the Jackal,† the Jack-hare, and the Jacka.... ahem! donkey. Lastly follows in droll procession a miscellaneous string of Jacks,-Jacktowel, Jacksmith, Jackknife, Jackstaff, Jackback, Jackflay, Jackribs, Jacktimber, Jackarch, Jackblock, Jackchain, Jackboots, Jackplane, and, at an appropriate distance, the Jack that we want to have least to do with, the legal finisher, Jack Ketch. In spite of all this, however, the native dignity of the word is such that not even this multiplication of familiarities could bring it into contempt. So far indeed from dimming its lustre, they have only served to make it shine forth with redoubled brilliancy. For is it not borne by the present President of the C.L.A.? And is it not also the name of the grandest personage in both the Hemispheres, who is universally acknowledged to be the embodiment of all that is honourable, worthy, and substantial, the wellmeaning, plainspoken, straightforward, strongwilled, longheaded, bigfisted, warmhearted, solid, earnest, upright, JOHN BULL. * EL DZHE. John Dory is a corruption of the French jaune dorée, i.e. gilded yellow; THE WORK OF THE SESSION. The seventeenth Annual Meeting of the Association was held at "The Hen and Chickens" Hotel on Friday Evening, October 3rd, 1873, seventy-five members being present. After Tea the address of the retiring President (Mr. T. B. Thomson) was in his absence, through illness, read by Mr. W. Baylis, the subject of the address being "Some of the Great Englishmen who have died during the past year." Mr. A. Holden (Secretary), afterwards read the Report of the Committee, and Mr. C. C. Smith (Treasurer,) the balance sheet; both Reports were unanimously adopted. A Vote of thanks was passed to the Retiring Officers, and the following Gentlemen were subsequently elected for the present Session, viz.— Mr. J. E. HARTLEY ... ... ... ... ... ... PRESIDENT. HON. SECRETARY. TREASURER. AUDITOR. Messrs. C. Lean, H. S. Pearson, F. Schnadhōrst, J. W. Tonks, and G. Zair, were elected Members of the Committee. The following Meetings have been since held. October 17.-DEBATE: "That the establishment of a Conservative Government would at the present juucture prove a National Advantage." Opened in the affirmative by Mr. H. S. Pearson, and supported by Mr. Rawlings. Opened in the negative by Mr. T. H. Smith, and supported by Mr. Charles Lean. On the motion of Mr. Edwin Smith the debate was adjourned until the 31st October. The meeting was semi-public, and the attendance of members and friends was 93. October 31.-ADJOURNED DEBATE: Affirmative, Messrs. Edwin Smith, F. R. Heath, & L. Brierley. Negative, Messrs. R. D. Kneebone, November 14th.-DEBATE: "That the system of Imprisonment for County Court Debts is under present circumstances just and necessary." Affirmative, Messrs. Alfred Canning, H. J. Harding, and Springthorpe. Negative, Mr. A. Davenport. VotesAffirmative, 15; negative, nil. Attendance 30. November 28.-DEBATE: "That Woman in the Pulpit or on the Platform is out her place, and that her presence there is to be deprecated." Affirmative, Messrs. B. Mc.Evoy, A. D. Burton, C. Lean, and H. Parry; Negative, Messrs. C. C. Smith, R. Richards, and R. D. Kneebone. On the motion of Mr. John Crane, the Debate was adjourned. December 12th.-ADJOURNED DEBATE: Affirmative, Messrs. John Crane, and Neville S. Heeley. Negative, Mr. W. E. Jeff, and Dr. T. Dixon Miller. Votes-Affirmative, 17. Negative, 9. Members present, 50. At this Meeting a resolution was passed on the motion of the President, after some discussion, limiting the number of Members of the Association to 250. OUR CONFIDENTIAL CORNER. "J. S. JUNR.”—Many thanks—as well for the M.S., as for the courteous note accompanying it. We hope, with your assistance, to make the former available for our next issue. "PELHAM."-Your article reached us some days too late. We must impress on our contributors the absolute necessity of being punctual with their papers. "FILIUS."-Nothing can appear in the Magazine that has been previously used for other periodicals. "L. S. D."-Very good-too good, indeed, to be true. "FRATER."—You will see that the subject is discussed by another writer. "SGANERELLE."-No objection whatever. We shall always be glad to receive good original translations." NOTICE TO INTENDING CONTRIBUTORS. Papers intended for insertion in the next number must be sent to Mr. L. Brierley, Pakenham Road, Edgbaston, on or before March 1st. NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS. The subscriptions for the New Series of the Magazine are now due, and may be paid either to Mr. GEORGE ZAIR, Trafalgar Road, Moseley, or to the Treasurer, Mr. ALFRED ASH, 37, Cannon Street. |