Chapter Motley to Moussa of M by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

the “Wiggentree.” It was greatly venerated by the Druids, and was called the “Witchen” by the early Britons, because it was supposed to ward off witches.

“Their spells were vain. The hags returned
To their queen in sorrowful mood,
Crying that witches have no power
Where thrives the Rowan-tree wood.”
Laidley Worm of Spindleston Heughs (a ballad)

Mountain- dew Whisky.

Mountains of Mole-hills To make mountains of mole-hills. To make a great fuss about trifles. “Ex cloaca arcem facere” (Cicero.)

Mountebank The bank or bench was the counter on which shopkeepers of yore displayed their goods. Street-vendors used to mount on their bank to patter to the public. The French word is “saltim banque; ” and the Italian word “Cantambanco ” (i.e. canta in banco, one who patters from his bank).
    In Italian, montambanco (a quack-doctor) is also in use.

“... Se disant estre quelque trabe. ou quelque Juif convert, il se feignoit medecin du roi de Perse, et comme tel il montoit la banque. C'estoit la que, pour debiter ses drogues, il etourdissoit de son babil toute l'assemblée.”- Histoire Generale des Larrons, book i. chap. xxix.

   There were temporary mountebanks as well as more regular merchants. In Attica, the names of Dolon and Susarion of Icaria are distinguished. In France, Tabaria, Tabarin, Turlupin, Gauthier-Garguille, Gros-Guillaume, Guillot-Gorju, Bobêche, Galimaufré, and Gringalet (a marvellous number of G's). In England, Andrew Borde, and some few others of inferior note.

Mourning
   Black. To express the privation of light and joy, the midnight gloom of sorrow for the loss sustained. The colour of mourning in Europe. It was also the colour of mourning in ancient Greece and in the Roman Empire.
   Black and white striped. To express sorrow and hope. The mourning of the South-Sea Islanders.
   Greyish brown. The colour of the earth, to which the dead return. The colour of mourning in Ethiopia.
   Pale brown. The colour of withered leaves. The mourning of Persia.
   Sky-blue. To express the assured hope that the deceased has gone to heaven. The colour of mourning in Syria, Cappadocia, and Armenia.
   Deep blue, in Bokhara, is the colour of mourning (Hanway). The Romans in the Republic wore dark blue for mourning.
   Purple and violet. To express royalty, “kings and priests to God.” The colour of mourning for cardinals and the kings of France. The colour of mourning in Turkey is violet.
   White. Emblem of “white- handed hope.” The colour of mourning in China. Henry VIII. wore white for Anne Boleyn. The ladies of ancient Rome and Sparta wore white for mourning. It was the colour of mourning in Spain till 1498. In England it is still customary in some of the provinces to wear white silk hat-bands and white gloves for the unmarried.
   Yellow. The sear and yellow leaf. The colour of mourning in Egypt and in Burmah, where also it is the colour of the monastic order. In Brittany, widows' caps among the paysannes are yellow. Anne Boleyn wore yellow mourning for Catherine of Aragon. Some say yellow is in token of exaltation.

Mournival Four cards all alike, as four aces, four kings, etc., in a game of cards called Gleek. Gleek is three cards alike.

“A mournival of aces, gleek of knaves,
Just nine a-piece.”
Albumazar, iii. 5.

Poole in his English Parnassus called the four elements Nature's first mournival.

Mouse The soul or spirit was often supposed in olden times to assume a zoömorphic form, and to make its way at death through the mouth of man in a visible form, sometimes as a pigeon, sometimes as a mouse or rat. A red mouse indicated a pure soul; a black mouse, a soul blackened by pollution; a pigeon or dove, a saintly soul.
   Exorcists used to drive out evil spirits from the human body, and Harsnet gives several instances of such expulsions in his Popular Impositions (1604).
    No doubt pigeons were at one time trained to represent the departing soul, and also to represent the Holy Ghost.

Mouse, Mousie terms of endearment. Other terms of endearment from animals are, bird or birdie (as “My bonnie bird”); puss, pussy; lamb, lambkin; “You little monkey” is an endearing reproof to a child. Dog and pig are used in a bad sense, as “You dirty dog;” “You filthy pig.” Brave as a lion, surly as a