Notes and Queries, Number 05, December 1, 1849 by Various
page 36 of 63 (57%)
page 36 of 63 (57%)
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house for the meeting of all _marchants_, at noone and evening:
which house was called the _Burse_, of the houses of the _extinct families Bursa_, bearing _three purses for their armes_, ingraven upon their houses, from whence these meeting places to this day are called _Burses_ in many countries, which in _London_ wee know by the name of the _Royall Exchange_ and of _Britaines Burse_." BOLTON CORNEY. I think it probably that the expression "Flemish Account" may have been derived from the fact that the Flemish ell measures only three quarters of our yard, while the English ell measures five quarters, and that thence the epithet Flemish was adopted as denoting something _deficient_. Q.Q. When commerce was young, the Flemings were the great merchants of Western Europe; but these worthies were notorious, when furnishing their accounts current, for always having the balance at the right side (for themselves), and hence arose the term. I am not at this moment able to say where this information is to be had, but have met it somewhere. JUNIOR. I wonder that some better scholar than myself should not have explained the phrase "Flemish account;" but though I cannot quote authority for the precise expression, I may show whence it is derived. To _flem_, in old Scotch (and in old English too, I believe), is to "run away;" in modern slang, to "make oneself scarce," "to levant." _Flemen_ is an |
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