Fuller,  however,  adds,  "  but,  to  return  to  Gotham,  it  doth
breed  as  wise  people  as  any  which  causelessly  laugh  at  their
simplicity.  Sure  I  am  Mr.  William  de  Gotham,  fifth  master
of  Michael  House,  Cambridge,  anno  1339,  and  twice  chancellor
of  the  university,  was  as  grave  a  governor  as  that  age  did
afford  ;  and  Gotham  is  a  goodly  large  lordship,  where  the
ancient  and  respected  family  of  St.  Andrew  have  flourished
some  hundreds  of  years,  till  of  late  the  name  is  extinct,  and
lands  divided  betwixt  female  co-heirs  matched  unto  very
worshippful  persons."  From  these  various  protests  in  favour
of  the  men  of  Gotham,  it  is  evident  that  considei'able  publicity


104  VERBA    NOMINALIA.
had  been  giveu  to  the  many  ridiculous  fables  traditionally
told ;  particularly  of  their  having  heard  the  cuckoo,  but  never
having  seen  her,  and  therefore  hedged  in  a  bush  from  whence
her  note  seemed  to  proceed,  that  being  confined  within  so  small
a  compass,  they  might  at  length  catch  her,  and  satisfy  their
curiosity.  Ii  has  been  observed  by  several  writers  in  the  last
century  that  what  gave  rise  to  the  story  is  not  now  remembered  ;
but  they  all  mention  that  there  is  at  a  place  called  Courthill  in
the  parish,  a  bush  still  designated  by  the  name  of  the  Cuckoo-
bush.  Cf.  Beauties  of  England  and  Wales,  Lond.  1813,  vol.
xii.  part.  1,  Nottinghamshire,  where  may  be  found  several
anecdoies  concerning  the  Wise  Men  of  Gotham.
GOTHAMITE.  A  term  sportively  applied  to  New  York  ;
so  called  from  Gotham.     See  Gothamist.
GOTHIC.  The  language  of,  or  pertaining  to,  the  Goths ;  as
Gothic  customs,  Gothic  barbarity ;  rude,  ancient,   barbarous.
