Chapter Bambocciades to Banner of B by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

trade with the interior of Asia, but being a caste of the Vaisya, abstained from the use of meat. (Sanskrit, banij, a merchant.)

Bank A money-changer's bench or table. (Italian banco or banca.)

Bank of a River Stand with your back to the source, and face to the sea or outlet: the left bank is on your left, and right bank on your right hand.

Sisters of the Bank, i.e. of the bankside, "the brothel quarter" of London. Now removed to a different quarter, and divided into "North" and "South."

"On this side of the Banke was sometimes the bordello or stewes." - Stow: Survey.

Bankrupt Money- lenders in Italy used to display the money they had to lend out on a banco or bench. When one of these money-lenders was unable to continue business, his bench or counter was broken up, and he himself was spoken of as a bancorotto - i.e. a bankrupt.

Bankside Part of the borough of Southwark, noted in the time of Shakespeare for its theatres and retreats of the demi - monde, called "Sisters of the Bank."

"Come, I will send for a whole coach or two of Bankside ladies, and we will be jovial." - Randolph: The Muses' Looking Glass.

Banks's Horse A learned horse, called Marocco, belonging to one Banks, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It is said that his shoes were of silver. One of his exploits was "the ascent of St. Paul's steeple."

Bannatyne Club A literary club which takes its name from George Bannatyne, to whose industry we owe the preservation of very much of the early Scotch poetry. It was instituted in 1823 by Sir Walter Scott, and had for its object the publication of rare works illustrative of Scotch history, poetry, and general literature. The club was dissolved in 1859.

Banner means a piece of cloth. (Anglor-Saxon, fana; Latin, pannus; Welsh, baner; Italian, bandiera; French, bannière.)

"An emperor's banner should be sixe foote longe, and the same in breath; a king's banner five foote; a prince's and a duke's banner, four foote; a marquy's, an erle's, a viscount's, a baron's, and a banneret's banner shall be but three foote square." - Park.

The banner of the Prophet is called Sanjek-sherif, and is kept in the Eyab mosque of Constantinople.

The two black banners borne before the Califs of the house of Abbas were called Night and Shadow.

The sacred banner of France is the Oriflamme (q.v.).

Banners in churches. These are suspended as thank-offerings to God. Those in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, Henry VII's Chapel, Westminster, etc., are to indicate that the knight whose banner is hung up, avows himself devoted to God's service.