I apprehend that the present term, "a blackguard," is of French origin; and that its importation into our language was subsequent to the Restoration of Charles II., A.D. 1660. There is a corresponding term in French, _blague_, which, like our English adaptation, is not admissible in good society. It is defined by Bescherelles, in his great _Dictionnaire National_, to mean "fanfaronnade, hâblerie, mensonge; bourde, gasconade:" and to {79} be "un mot populaire et bas, dont les personnes bien élevées évitent de se servir." From _blague_ comes the verb _blaguer_, which the same authority says means "dire des blagues; mentir pour le plaisir de mentir." And from _blaguer_ comes the substantive _blagueur_, which is, I apprehend, the original of our English word _blackguard_. It is described by Bescherelles as a "diseur de sornettes et de faussetées; hâbleur, fanfaron. Un _blagueur_ est un menteur, mais un menteur qui a moins pour but de tromper que de se faire valoir." The English term has, it will be observed, a somewhat wider and more offensive import than the French: and the latter being rarely to be found amongst educated persons, or in dictionaries, it may have escaped the etymologists who were in search of a congener for its English derivative. Its pedigree is, however, to be sought in philological rather than archæological records. Within the last two centuries, a number of words of honest origin have passed into an opprobrious sense; for example, the oppressed tenants of Ireland are spoken of by SPENSER and SIR JOHN DAVIES as "_villains_." In our version of the Scriptures, "_cunning_" implies merely skill in music and in art. SHAKSPEARE employs the word "_vagabond_" as often to express pity as reproach; and I think it will be found, that as a _knave_, prior to the reign of Elizabeth, meant merely a serving man, so a _blackguard_ was the name for a pot-boy or scullion in the reign of Queen Anne. The transition into its more modern meaning took place at a later period, on the importation of a foreign word, to which, being already interchangeable in sound, it speedily became assimilated in sense. J. EMERSON TENNENT. * * * * * PREDICTIONS OF THE FIRE AND PLAGUE OF LONDON, NO. I. "It was a trim worke indeede, and a gay world no doubt for some idle cloister-man, mad merry friers, and lusty abbey-lubbers; when themselves were well whittled, and their paunches pretily stuffed, to fall a prophesieing of the woefull dearths, famines, plagues, wars, &c. of the dangerous days imminent."--Harvey's _Discoursive Probleme_, Lond. 1588.