Spittle Sermons
Preserved but no longer current.
Sermons preached formerly on Easter Monday and Tuesday at St. Mary Spital, Spitalfields, in a pulpit erected expressly for the purpose. Subsequently they were given at St. Bride's, and later at Christchurch, New- gate Street. Ben Jonson alludes to them in his Underwoods, Ix.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Spittle Sermons” mean?
Sermons preached formerly on Easter Monday and Tuesday at St. Mary Spital, Spitalfields, in a pulpit erected expressly for the purpose. Subsequently they were given at St. Bride's, and later at Christchurch, New- gate Street. Ben Jonson alludes to them in his Underwoods, Ix.
Is “Spittle Sermons” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.