Notes and Events.

Manawatu Herald, 2 January 1897, Page 3

Notes and Events.

The English language is hard to be understood by English born subjects, how much more so by foreigners. We have a pretty wortt in " garbelled." In ancient times the Grocers' Company of London had power of search and no grocer could sell any wares that had not been " garbelled " and approved. The usual use of garbel or garble, in referring to a report or conversation, I 'm being garbled, intimates thai; it i has been mutilated, especially for a li: liter purpose, so as to give a false impression. Tbe real meaning of the word however is that as was used of oldi To examine precisely, so j that the Grocers could not sell goods that were not well inspected. A quotation from an old work helps to farther explain its use. " All sorties of spices be garbled after the bargaine is made."

Passing laws to forbid the intro-, dnotion of anything which is popular/ appears always to be a failure; It. is a fact that carnages were unknown in London until 1555. It was then considered the height of effiminacy for men to ride in them, and in the 48rd year of Elizabeth's reign a Bill was actually brought into Parliament to prevent 'men riding in coaches — " as thereby they neglected the study of horseman- ■ ship." In Germany too, stringent laws were forbidding their use. ■<■■■■:■>