William the Conqueror's Surname.—Had William a surname? If so, what was it? By surname I mean such as is transmitted from father to son, not the epithets he used to bestow on himself in documents, as "I, William the Bastard," "I, William the Conqueror," &c.
Tee Bee.
Old Saying.—
"Merry be the first
And merry be the last,
And merry be the first of August."
Having frequently heard this old saying, I take the liberty of asking, through your much valued paper, it any of your readers are able to tell me its origin?
Edm. L. Bagshawe.
Bath Literary Institution.
To pluck a Crow with One.—It is a common expression in all ranks, I believe, of this country, to speak of "plucking a crow" with such a one; meaning to call him to account for some delinquency. Can any of your correspondents inform me of the origin of the phrase?