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Gotham
Wise Men of Gotham—fools. Many tales of folly have been
fathered on the Gothamites, one of which is their joining hands round a
thornbush to shut in a cuckoo. The “bush” is still shown to visitors.
It is said that King John intended to make a progress through this town
with the view of purchasing a castle and grounds. The townsmen had no
desire to be saddled with this expense, and therefore when the royal
messengers appeared, wherever they went they saw the people occupied in
some idiotic pursuit. The king being told of it, abandoned his
intention, and the “wise men” of the village cunningly remarked, “We
ween there are more fools pass through Gotham than remain in it.”
Andrew Boyde, a native of Gotham, wrote The Merrie Tales of the Wise
Men of Gotham, founded on a commission signed by Henry VIII. to the
magistrates of that town to prevent poaching. N.B. All nations have
fixed upon some locality as their limbus of fools; thus we have Phrygia
as the fools home of Asia Minor, Abdera of the Thracians, Boeotia of
the Greeks, Nazareth of the ancient Jews, Swabia of the modern Germans
and so on. (See Coggeshall.)
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894 More on Gotham from Infoplease:
- Gotham - Gotham Gotham , name for New York City first used by Washington Irving and others in the Salmagundi ...
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- Gotham - Gotham Wise Men of Gotham—fools. Many tales of folly have been fathered on the Gothamites, ...
- Wise Men of Gotham - Wise Men of Gotham (The). (See Gotham.) Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, ...
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