From The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D., (1791), by James Boswell, Chapter 1:
One curious anecdote was communicated by himself to Mr. John Nichols. Mr. Wilcox, the bookseller, on being informed by [Johnson] that his intention was to get his livelihood as an authour, eyed his robust frame attentively, and with a significant look, said, “You had better buy a porter’s knot.”
From The Every-Day Book (1825-26), by William Hone, the entry for September 5:
[A porter's knot] consists of a strong fillet to encircle the head, attached to a curiously stuffed cushion of the width of the shoulders, whereon it rests, and is of height sufficient to bear thereon a box, or heavy load of any kind, which, by means of this knot, is carried on the head and shoulders; the weight thereof being borne equally by the various powers of the body capable of sustaining pressure, no muscles are distressed, but the whole are brought to the porter’s service in his labour of carrying.
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January 16th, 2007 14:43
“Had better,” not just “better.” Meaning, “had better [instead].” But I’m sure you got that.
January 17th, 2007 02:38
Very much enjoyed my stroll through your blog…as a poet and an avid reader, I found it both an enlightening and enriching stay. I thank you…
January 17th, 2007 08:31
Thanks much, L. As Swift says, these are the fruits of a very few leisure hours, stolen from the short intervals of a world of business, and of an employment quite alien from such amusements as this. ;-)
February 2nd, 2007 22:43
being a porter and realizing that it does seem that having this for a last name does entitle me as the carrier of the burdens then this knoledge should come in handy.thankyou
September 24th, 2010 18:59
Thank you for the lucid definition of “porter’s knot.” It clarified a use of the term in chapter XI of Charles Dickens’ _Pickwick Papers,_ one of my favorite novels. Tracy Tupman, a friend of the hero, Samuel Pickwick, is a middle-aged bachelor who has fallen in love with Rachel Wardle, a middle-aged spinster. Their middle-aged love affair is ended when Miss Wardle jilts Mr. Tupman for a much younger man. Tupman writes to Pickwick: “Life, my dear Pickwick, has become insupportable to me. The spirit which burns within us is a PORTER’S KNOT [my emphasis], on which to rest the heavy load of worldly cares and troubles; and when that spirit fails us, the burden is too heavy to be borne. We sink beneath it.”
Needless to say, since _Pickwick_ is a comic novel, Tupman does not commit suicide.
October 28th, 2010 20:45
Thanks, Martin – Pickwick is one of my favorite novels, but I never noticed this reference!