Our correspondent may rest easy. Tho slight
change he suggests would not effect his rights in
either a civil or criminal case. If he wishes to
make a thorough change in his name—for instance,
if he desires to change it to Smith or Jones—lie
must apply to the superior court of his county, and
not to tho legislature.
A Queen Without Legs.
Editors Constitution : How did this say
ing originate: “The queen of Spain has no legs’’’
M. A.
Tlio story ot t he origin of this proverb is thus given
in Hume's Essays: When the German princess,
Mary Anne, who became tho wife of Philip IV. of
Spain, was on her way to Madrid she passed through
a town, then in the Spanish dominions, famous for
its manufacture of gloves and stockings, whose citi
zens thought they could not better show their joy in
welcoming their new queen than by presenting her
with n sample of those commodities for which the
town was remarkable. Tho major-domo who con
ducted the princess received the gloves graciously
enough, but Indignantly rejected the stockings and
severely reprimanded the deputation for their Inde
cency, exclaiming, “Know that tho queen of Spain
has no legs.” Tl e young queen, hearing this terri
ble announcement and being unacquainted with
the etiquette and prejudices of the Spanish court,
burst into tears and begged to bo taken back to Ger
many, us she could never endure such an opt ration,
and she was only calmed with great difficulty. Tlio
recital of this adventure gave great amusement to
the royal bridegroom aud the saying lias now be
come proverbial.
Tho First Balo.
