: LXVII. Origin of the Mayor of Garrat, MR. URBAN, THE learned antiquary finds a pleasure in tracing the origin of ancient customs, even when time has so altered them as totally to obliterate their use. It may therefore not be unpleasing to the generality of your readers, while it is yet recent in memory, to record in your Magazine the laudable motive that gave rise to the farcical custom of electing a Mayor of Garrat, which is now become truly ridiculous. I have been told, that about thirty years ago, several persons who lived near that part of Wandsworth which adjoins to Garrat Lane, had formed a kind of club, not merely to eat and drink, but to concert measures for removing the encroachments made on that part of the common, and to prevent any others being made for the future. As the members were most of them persons in low circumstances, they agreed at every meeting to contribute some small matter, in order to make up a purse for the defence of their collective rights. When a sufficient sum of money was subscribed, they applied to a very worthy attorney in that neighbourhood, who brought an action against the encroachers in the name of the president (or, as they called him, the MAYOR) of the club. They gained their suit with costs; the encroachments were destroyed; and ever after, the president, who lived many years, was called "The Mayor of Garrat." This event happening at the time of a general election, the ceremony upon every new parliament, of choosing outdoor members for the borough of Garrat, has been constantly kept up, and is still continued, to the great emolument of all the publicans at Wandsworth, who annually subscribe to all incidental expences attending this mock election. 1781, July. M. G. LXVIII. Explanation of the Terms used in the Game of Quadrille. As this is the season for cards, and you, Mr. Urban, have no aversion, I apprehend, to a sober game at Quadrille now and then, I shall here present you with a few slight observations on that game; not to instruct you how best to play it, for as I am but a mean proficient myself, I cannot pretend to that, (I refer you to Hoyle, and the other authors) but only to explain the terms. Quadrille is founded on the noble Spanish game of Hombre, or Man, but came to us immediately from France, for which reason we find in it a mixture both of Spanish and French expressions. Matadores in Spanish are murderers, and the specifical cards so called do cut down and murder all the rest; and the names of those cards do accord perfectly well with this meaning. Spadille, in French; in Spanish, Spadilla, or espadilla, a little sword. Hence comes the name of one of our suits, Spades, though it be not marked with espadas, or swords, as in Spain it is, but with picks, after the French, who call this suit Piques. The Spanish name is here therefore retained, though the device, or picks, be altered. Manille seems to be a corruption of the Spanish malilla, a wicked woman, capable of any sort of mischief. Rasto, quasi the Club, by way of eminence, which is the meaning of it in Spanish. We, however, have changed the device of this suit into a Trefoil after the French, who therefore call it Trefle. Punto is the Spanish ace. Basted, for so it should be written, and not beasted, in Spanish means beaten. The French call it Remise from remettre, to put down again, or return a stake, as the party that is basted is obliged to do. Sans prendre is French, and means playing without taking a partner. Vole is the French word for a flam, or winning every trick. Codille. The chief difficulty lies in this word, as when we say, it is codille, for I am told that this is the proper expression, and not, you are codill'd, or we have got the Codille. Wherefore, if you, Mr. Urban, or any of your numerous correspondents, will be so good as to explain this term*, you, or he, will lay an obligation on, Sir, 1781, Suppl. Yours, &c. T. Row. * From the Spanish word caudillo, a general. See the word codille in Riche let'a French Dictionary. E. MR. URBAN, LXIX. On Apparitions. IN the six original letters you have published between the Rev. J. Hughes, of Jesus College, in Cambridge, the learned editor of St. Chrysostom on the Priesthood, and some of his friends*, is a relation of the apparition of Mr. Naylor, who had been fellow of St. John's in that university, to a fellow collegian, Mr. Shaw, then rector of Souldern, in Oxfordshire. I have since met with another account of the same story, written by the Rev. Richard Chambre, who was then a member of Sidney College, and afterwards vicar of Loppington, in Shropshire, where he died Feb. 1752, aged 70. The paper containing this account was put into my hands by his executor, who has assured me, that it is his hand-writing. It has no date, but bears visible marks of its age; and, by the beginning of it, is plainly to be referred to the date of the letters above-mentioned, that is, the year 1707. Your readers will judge as they please of the truth of the story. My business is only to transcribe the paper containing it; which, except in a few instances of spelling, I send you faithfully and exactly done, with its superscription. Yours, &c. R. M. Another Account of the Apparition of Mr. Naylor to Mr. Shaw, from a MS. of the Rev. Richard Chambre. [This account I had in these very words from the Rev. Dr. Whitfield, fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.] About the end of last summer, Mr. Grove, the public registrar of the university, was in the country at a small town near Banbury, in Oxfordshire, with his old friend Mr. Shaw, lately fellow of St. John's, and who was presented by the college to the living where he resided. While Mr. Grove tarried with him, which was about four or five days, he told him this remarkable story, viz. that some days before, as he was sitting in his study late one night, after eleven, and [* See pp. 44 and 47 of this Volume. E.] while he was smoaking tobacco and reading, the spectre of his old companion Mr. Naylor (who died five years ago in St. John's College) came into the room habited in a gown and cassock, and exactly in the same manner as he used to appear in the college when alive. Mr. Shaw remembered the figure well, and was therefore much surprised; but the spectre took a chair, and sitting down close by him, bid him not be afraid, for he came to acquaint him with something that nearly concerned him. So entering into discourse together, the spectre told him, that " their friend Mr. Orchard* was to die very suddenly, and that he himself should die soon after him, and therefore he came to forewarn him, that he might prepare himself accordingly." After this they talked of many other things (for their conference lasted two hours), and amongst the rest Mr. Shaw asked him, whether one might form some sort of a notion of the other world from any thing one saw in this? He answered, No; without giving any farther satisfaction to the question. Upon this, Mr. Shaw said to him, How is it with you? His answer was, I am very well and happy. Whereupon Mr. Shaw asked him farther, whether any of his old acquaintance were with him? His answer was, that there was not one of them: which answer, Mr. Shaw said (as told the story by Mr. Grovet), struck him to the heart. At last, after two hours conference together, the spectre took his leave; and Mr. Shaw desiring him to stay longer, he told him he could not, for he had only three days allotted him to be absent, and they were almost expired. Mr. Shaw then desired that he might see him at least once more before his death. But he told him it could not be, and so left him. After this he walked about his room a considerable time, musing upon what had happened. Mr. Grove is a person of undoubted credit, who tells this story; and (which is the greatest confirmation of it that can be desired, is that) he told it‡ several times here in college before Mr. Shaw died; who fell down dead in his desk as he was reading prayers. The other gentleman, Mr. Orchard, who was mentioned, died suddenly in his chair, while his bedmaker went from him to fetch his commons for supper. This story is farther confirmed by two country gentlemen* of Mr. Shaw's acquaintance, to whom he had likewise communicated it. And in truth it hath met with such universal credit here,† that I have found very few who made any scruple of believing it. * Spelt Auchard by Mr. Hughes. + So the MS. † Here Mr. Chambre seems to differ from Mr. Hughes, who says, "Mr: Grove kept the business secret, till, hearing of Mr. Shaw's own death, he told the whole story; unless Mr. Hughes means, that Mr. Grove suppressed the PART of the story relating to Mr. Shaw's death; till hearing he was dead, he then told the WHOLE of it. It is remarkable that Mr. Shaw was a noted enemy to the belief of apparitions, and used always in company to dispute against them. 1783, May. LXX. On swallowing Pins or Fish Bones. By W. Turnbull, M.D. THE swallowing of pins has often been the cause of many grievous and even fatal effects; for, upon dissecting patients, who have appeared, from the symptoms, to have died of the iliac passion, or colic, they have been found to have been killed by pins, &c. In April, 1777, a young woman, who had swallowed a very large pin, which stuck fast in that part of the esophagus which enters into the thorar, was brought to the hospital at Bamborough Castle, Northumberland. As I then had the honour of the principal management of that hospital, I was sent for, and found the patient in very great pain. Having, some time before, considered the nature of this accident, and concluded, that if any thing could be given that would pass easily, and, when in the stomach, coagulate into a glairy mass, it might probably bring up whatever was lodged in the passage; I immediately gave her four grains of tartar emetic dissolved in warm water, and then made her swallow the whites of six eggs; and in about three minutes she brought up the coagulated mass, with the pin, and was effectually relieved. The same method was attended with similar success, in an instance nearly resembling the above. A maid-servant to the Hon. Mr. Baillie, of Millerstain, in Scotland, went to bed with twenty-' four pins in her mouth: the consequence of which was, that in the night the family were alarmed with her cries. Mr. Baillie ordered her an emetic and the whites of eggs, as above, and the whole number of pins came up, and are * Possibly one of them was Mr. Cartwright, of Aynho. Gg |