In the south, if we except THE OLD ENGLISH GENTLEMAN, who occurs everywhere, the great JIM CROW is almost the only instance of the hero of a song promoted to the signboard. ROBINSON CRUSOE is common to all the seaports of the kingdom, whilst UNCLE TOM, or UNCLE TOM’S CABIN, is to be found everywhere, not only in England, but also on the Continent. Any little underground place of refreshment or beer-house difficult of access, is considered as fittingly named by Mrs Beecher Stowe’s novel. A very appropriate, and not uncommon public-house sign is the TOBY PHILPOTT. That he well deserves this honour, appears from the following obituary notice, (in the _Gent. Mag._, Dec. 1810:)-- “At the Ewes farm-house, Yorkshire, aged 76, Mr Paul Parnell, farmer, grazier, and maltster, who, during his lifetime, drank out of one silver pint cup upwards of £2000 sterling worth of Yorkshire Stingo, being remarkably attached to Stingo tipple of the home-brewed best quality. The calculation is taken at 2d. per cupful. He was the _bon-vivant_ whom O’Keefe celebrated in more than one of his Bacchanalian songs under the appellation of Toby Philpott.” Between St Albans and Harpenden, there was, some years ago, and perhaps there is still, a public-house called the OLD ROSON. This name also appears to be borrowed from the well-known song, “_Old Rosin_ the Beau,” beginning thus:-- “I have travell’d this wide world over, And now to another I’ll go, I know that good quarters are waiting To welcome old Rosin the Beau (ter.) When I am dead and laid out on the counter, A voice you will hear from below, Singing out brandy and water To drink to old Rosin the Beau (ter.) You must get some dozen good fellows, And stand them all round in a row, And drink out of half-gallon bottles, To the name of old Rosin the Beau,” &c. These stanzas, and one or two more to the same import, were quite sufficient to make the old Beau a fit subject for the signboard, irrespective of his other amiable qualities held forth in the song. The very common OLD HOUSE AT HOME, too, is borrowed from a once-popular ballad, the verse of which is too well known to need quotation here. The equally common HEARTY GOOD FELLOW is adopted from a Seven Dials ballad:-- “I am a hearty good fellow, I live at my ease, I work when I am willing, I play when I please. * * * * * With my bottle and my glass, Many hours I pass, Sometimes with a friend, And sometimes with a lass,” &c.