Culprit, Origin of the Word (Vol. ii., p. 475.).—See Stephen's Commentaries on the Laws of England, iv. 408. note (p).
C.H. COOPER.
Cambridge, Dec. 14. 1850.
Passage in Bishop Butler (Vol. ii., p. 464.).—The "peculiar term" referred to by Bishop Butler is evidently the verb "to Blackguard." It is for this reason that he inserts the condition, "when the person it respects is present." We may abuse, revile, vituperate an absent person; but we can only "blackguard" a man when he is present. The word "blackguard" is not recognised by Johnson. Richardson inserts it as a noun, but not as a verb.
L.
Wat the Hare (Vol. ii., p. 315.).—Your correspondent K. asks what other instances there are of Wat as the name of a hare? I know of one. On the market-house at Watton the spandrils of an Elizabethan doorway have been placed, taken from some old building in the town. This has a hare on one side, a ton on the other,—a rebus of the town name Watton.
H.H.
The Letter
(Vol. ii., p. 492.).—Yerl for Earl, and yirth for earth, &c., are, to this day, quite common in Scottish orthoëpy among many of the lower classes.