Chapter King Petaud to Kitty Willis of K by Brewer's Readers Handbook

“Whoever…hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. For whatsoever…hath a blemish, he shall not approach: [as] a blind man,…he that hath a flat nose, or anything superfluous, or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed, or crookbacked, or a dwarf,” etc.—Lev. xxi. 17-21.

Kinmont Willie. William Armstrong of Kinmonth. This notorious freebooter, who lived in the latter part of the sixteenth century, is the hero of a famous Scotch ballad.

Kinocetus, a precious stone, which will enable the possessor to cast out devils.—Mirror of Stones.

Kirk (Mr. John), foreman of the jury on Effie Deans’s trial.—Sir W. Scott: Heart of Midlothian (time, George II.).

Kirkcaldy (Scotland), a corruption of Kirk-Culdee, one of the churches founded in 563 by St. Columb and his twelve brethren, when they established the Culdee institutions. The doctrines, discipline, and government of the Culdees resembled presbyterianism.

Kirkrapine, a sturdy thief, “wont to rob churches o f their ornaments, and poor men’s boxes.” All he could lay hands on the brought to the hut of Abessa, d aughter of Corceca. While Una was in the hut, Kirkrapine knocked at the door, and, as it was not immediately opened, knocked it down; whereupon the lion sprang upon him, “under his lordly foot did him suppress,” and then “rent him in thousand pieces small.”

The meaning is that popery was reformed by the British lion, which slew Kirkrapine, or put a stop to the traffic in spiritual matters. Una represents truth or the Reformed Church.—Spenser: Faërie Queen, i. 3 (1590).

Kiss the Scavenger’s Daughter (To), to be put to the torture. Strictly speaking, “the scavenger’s daughter” was an instrument of torture invented by William Skevington, lieutenant of the Tower in the reign of Henry VIII. Skevington became corrupted into scavenger, and the invention was termed his daughter or offspring.

Kit [Nubbles], the lad employed to wait on little Nell, and do all sorts of odd jobs at the “curiosity shop” for her grandfather. He generally begins his sentences with “Why then.” Thus, “’Twas a long way, wasn’t it, Kit?” “Why then, it was a goodish stretch,” returned Kit. “Did you find the house easily?” “Why then, not over and above,” said Kit. “Of course you have come back hungry?” “Why then, I do think I am rather so.” When the “curiosity shop” was broken up by Quilp, Kit took service under Mr. Garland, Abel Cottage, Finchley.

Kit was a shock-headed, shambling, awkward lad, with an uncommonly wide mouth, very red cheeks, a turned-up nose, and a most comical expression of face. He stopped short at the door on seeing a stranger, twirled in his hand an old round hat without a vestige of brim, resting himself now on one leg, and now on the other, and looking with a most extraordinary leer. He was evidently the comedy of little Nell’s life.—Dickens: The Old Curiosity Shop, i. (1840).

Kit-Cat Club, held in Shire Lane, now called Lower Serle’s Place (London). The members were whig “patriots,” who, at the end of William III.’s reign, met to secure the protestant succession. Addison, Steele, Congreve, Garth, Vanbrugh, Mainwaring, Walpole, Pulteney, etc., were members.

Kit-Cat Pictures, forty-two portraits, painted by sir Godfrey Kneller, three-quarter size, to suit the walls of Tonson’s villa at Barn Elms, where, in its latter days, the Kit-Cat Club was held.

(“Kit-Cat” derives its name from Christopher Cat, a pastry-cook, who served the club with mutton-pies.)

Kite (Sergeant), the “recruiting officer.” He describes his own character thus.—

“I was born a gipsy, and bred among that crew till I was 10 years old; there I learnt canting and lying, I was bought from my mother by a certain nobleman for three pistoles, who…made me his page; there I learnt impudence and pimping. Being turned off for wearing my lord’s linen, and drinking my lady’s