[26] A certain delight in arranging the favourite oaths of his contemporaries and of other historical personages is plainly to be seen in Brantome. In the 'Vies des Grands Capitaines' he throws off a whole string of these cherished devices. "On appeloit ce grand capitaine, Monsr. de la Trimouille, 'La vraye Corps Dieu' d'autant que c'estoit son serment ordinaire, ainsin que ces vieux et anciens grands capitaines en ont sceu choisir et avoir aucuns particuliers a eux; comme Monsr. de Bayard juroit, 'Feste Dieu, Bayard!' Monsr. de Bourbon, 'Saincte Barbe!' le prince d'Orange, 'Saincte Nicolas!' le bonne homme M. de la Roche du Maine juroit 'Teste de Dieu pleine de reliques!' (ou diable alla il chercher celuy la) et autres que je nommerois, plus sangreneux que ceux la." [27] Ch. Rozan, 'Petites Ignorances de la Conversation.' [28] "A shocking practice seems to have been rendered fashionable by the very reprehensible habit of the Queen, whose oaths were neither diminutive or rare, for it is said that she never spared an oath in public speech or private conversation when she thought it added energy to either,"--_Drake_, '_Shakspeare and his Times_,' ii. 160. [29] J. G. Nicholls, 'Literary Remains of Edward VI.' [30] 'Every Man out of his Humour,' i. 1. [31] 1 Henry IV., iii. 7. [32] See Capt. Basil Hall's 'Fragments of Voyages and Travels,' chap. xvi. p. 89. [33] Leigh Hunt's Journal, No. 6, for Jan. 11, 1851. [34] 'The Colonies,' by Col. C. J. Napier, 1833. [35] If any person or persons shall ... profanely swear or curse ... for every such offence the party so offending shall forfeit and pay to the use of the poor of the parish where such offence or offences shall be committed the respective sums hereinafter mentioned; that is to say, every servant, day-labourer, common soldier, or common seaman, one shilling; and every other person two shillings; and in case any of the persons aforesaid shall, after conviction, offend a second time, such person shall forfeit and pay double, and if a third time treble the sum respectively.--6 & 7 _William and Mary_, c. 11. [36] Coll. of State Papers, Domestic, 1595, p. 12. [37] Borough records of the City of Glasgow, 1573-1581. [38] Aberdeen Presbytery Records, printed by the Spalding Club. [39] Within the precincts of royal palaces regulations seem to have been made from time to time to clear the atmosphere of all impious particles. According to a work by Alexander Howell, the Dean of St. Paul's, printed in 1611, King Henry I. prescribed a scale of fines according to a table as follows:-- {a Duke 40 shillings. {a Lord 20 do. "If he were: {a Squire 10 do. {a Yeoman 3_s._ 4_d._ {a Page, to be whipt." '_A Sword against Swearers_,' 1611. [40] 21 Jac. I. c. 20. [41] 3 Jac. I. c. 21. [42] Office-book of Sir Henry Herbert. Collier's 'History of Dramatic Poetry,' ii. 58. [43] Coll. of State Papers, Domestic, 1635-6.