Dover Court.—What is the origin of the expression of a "Dover Court, where all are talkers and none are hearers?" There is a place called by this name in the vicinity of Harwich?
H. T. Riley.
[There is a legend, that Dover-Court Church in Essex once possessed a miraculous cross which spoke, thus noticed in the Collier of Croydon:
"And how the rood of Dovercot did speak,
Confirming his opinions to be true."
So that it is possible, as Nares suggests, that this church was the scene of confusion alluded to in the proverb: "Dover Court, all speakers and no hearers." Fox, in his Martyrology, vol. ii. p. 302., states, that "a rumour was spread that no man could shut the door, which therefore stood open night and day; and that the resort of people to it was much and very great.">[
Porter.—In what book is the word porter, meaning the malt liquor so called, first found? I have an impression that the earliest use of it that I have seen is in Nicholas Amherst's Terræ Filius, about 1726.
H. T. Riley.
[We doubt whether an earlier use of this word, as descriptive of a malt liquor, will be found than the one noticed by our correspondent; for it was only about 1722 that Harwood, a London brewer, commenced brewing this liquor, which he called "entire," or "entire butt," implying that it was drawn from one cask or butt. It subsequently obtained the name of porter, from its consumption by porters and labourers.]
Dr. Whitaker's Ingenious Earl.—