Punch (44.1863)

136

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[March 28, 1863,

’Tis something to have dared the blow,
Though not a friend was near
To have called out on God and Man—
God, in his time, will hear.

A NEW REBECCA WANTED.

CCUSTOMED as we
are to public writ-
ing, it is with feel-
ings of no ordi-
nary pride and
satisfaction that
we seize on every
chance of taking
up our pen, to
dwell upon the
fact that this is a
free country, and
that Britons never,
never, never will
be slaves. Huzza!
\ dear fellow coun-
trymen. Ho con-
tinental tyrannies
afflict our island
home. Britannia
has no heel of
tyrant on her
neck; and no de-
spotic bar is there,
her onward march
to check.. Her
sons may journey
to and fro in
safety and at ease;
and never need a
passport show, the
Government to
please. Ho bar-
riers oppose them,
no octroi dues
they pay; of all the sons of freedom, who so truly free as they?
Huzza! then, for Old England! the Mistress of the Sea! the Defier
of all Despots, and the Home of Brave and Free!

But stop a little bit. All this hip-hip-hurrahing is very nice to
listen to.; but have we quite considered it there be proper grounds for
it ? This is a free country, is it ? And we may travel without pass-
ports, may we? Don’t be quite so quick, dear friends, in jumping to
conclusions. Pray, where’s the place in England that is free—from
turnpike gates? And how far can you travel without purchasing that
passport for the road—a turnpike ticket ? We have no annoying octroi
here in London, it is true: but the nuisance of our toll-bars is hardly
less offensive. Mr. Bubbs can’t drive his wife out in his one-horse
shay without having to pull up and pay a toll at twenty turnpikes.
And just conceive the misery of stopping in the teeth of adust-laden
Hor’-Easter, with a skittish nag to manage and a pettish wife to soothe,
while one fumbles in one’s pocket for a latent three penny bit!

All success, therefore, cry we, to the Toll Reform Committee, and
their untiring Secretary, Mr J. E. Bradfield, who at present is
directing their valuable exertions to remove all London toll-bars on the
north side of the Thames. For that purpose a Bill is now before the
Commons: and, as Mr. Punch has given his approval of it, we may
expect to see it passed without unnecessary delay. But there are
Yestry influences at work in opposition, and it is whispered that our
old friend Cox has some notion of appearing as the member for All
Yestrydom, and of doing his small possible against the passing of the
Bill. If so, Cox, look out: Punch will have a word to say to you.
Meanwhile, Punch would call on all true friends of Progress to help in
the removal of those needless bars to progress, the London turnpike
bars.

A Pretty Prospect

The prettiest prospect in the world—a spot that the French would
call quite nant — such as any devoted admirer of the beauties of nature
would run any distance to see—is in Hyde Park; for what more
enchanting sight would any one with a heart in his bosom ever desire to
see than the Ladies (s)Mile ?

We never Doubted it-Cardinal Antonelli still clings to his
post. .He is about the last man we should ever suspect of being of
a retiring disposition.

HERALDIC AND GENEALOGICAL NOTES.

Bx Sir Punard Quirke.

DE BOOTS.

Arms.—Argent, Three spurs, sans leathers, or, on a Chevron sable,
between Three Boots tawny.

Crest.—Two Boot-hooks argent, Saltire-wise, on a Double-barrelled
Bootjack proper.

Motto.— Ou arriere pour fete.

Seat.—Booton Castle, Horfolk.

This ancient family traces its origin to Ceres, the goddess of harvests
and Iasion, the son of Jupiter and Electra.* The son of Iasion and
Ceres having been transferred to the Heavens and called Bootes, the
family he left behind him took the name, which it has retained with but
little alteration down to the present day. The Coat of Arms was
adopted by the Norman branch of the family, which, of course, “came
over with the Conqueror,” and still retains the name in its French form
of De Boots. Some genealogists assert that the founder of the
English House, was merely one of William’s Shoe-black Brigade, and
that he took his name from his occupation, as many other great families
have done. There is, however, a record in the Conqueror’s own private
diary which demolishes this theory; for he mentions a De Boots as
acting as his Marshal in taking the oaths which he enforced on his
subjugated people. “Thys Oathe,” says the King, “ wass admynistred
by Balmorralle de Bootes, ye Mareschal, and bee didde itte on thys
wyse. Hee gathyred togedder a lotte of menu all atte won tyme, and
after hee had red the oathe to them, hee wold say, ‘ Is thys the oathe
of alle ye gents ? ’ from which saying it came to bee called the Oath of
Allegiance.” This is a curious record of the origin of the name given
to such oaths, and also proves that De Boots occupied a prominent and
responsible post on the Conqueror’s staff. During succeeding genera-
tions this family showed extraordinary aptitude in acquiring great
power and possessions. Their fame in this respect, during the wars
of the Barons, gave the name of Booty to anything seized by force of
arms; and hence robbers came to be called freebooters. Moreover,
such was their universal success, that any undertaking ending in defeat
was called a bootless one: indicating a strong belief that had a De
Boots been at its head, it would not have failed. They were also the
inventors of that portion of a coach called after them the Boot, which
they found an addition to “ the carriage of the period,” very necessary
to hold their booty. It is considered by learned antiquarians that the
boots of ordinary life must have originally taken their name from this
family: it is certain that one of them gave his Christian name as well
as his surname to one particular sort still known as Jack Boots.

It is a singular fact that this house has given to England some of its
vernacular sayings. The common expression “ like old Boots,” is so
generally applied to every occurrence, that it shows the universality of
the faith in the extraordinary powers and genius of the family. Another
expression has arisen, curiously enough, from an English form being
given to their French motto, For pronounced in English,

Ou arriere pour fete, reads as
’Ow are ye’re poor feet; or, properly,

How are your poor feet,

a cox populi with which all are familiar. The real meaning of the motto
is somewhat obscure, but it probably signifies Backward, or unwilling
to feast; and implies that the bearer is more inclined for the fray than
the feast, which indeed, in early times, appears to have been a cha-
racteristic of the family. The crest is also curious as representing
that frequently heard of and never seen article of domestic use, a
“ double barrelled boot-jack.” It will be observed that it possesses
at each end the necessary openings for the reception of the heel, so
that both boots could be pulled off at once. This might be a difficult
operation to modern powers, but old paintings show that the mediaeval
gent possessed resources in the management of his limbs, the attain-
ment of which appears to have become one of the lost arts.

There is little more remarkable in the annals of this family, except
that in the middle ages, the daughters of the house made such a sensa-
tion when “ brought out,” that this process, which all young ladies
still have to go through, was called, making their De Boots, written in
modern style, Debut.

* This lady is celebrated in scientific circles as the inventor of electricity, which
was named after her ; and, in conjunction with Plato, of electro-plating, so called
after their combined names.

In consequence of numerous applications for the Cartoon
in Punch, “ AT HOME AND ABROAD,” the Number
containing it (March 7) has been reprinted on fine paper,
and may be had at the Ojfice, Price Qd.