By the bye

As no one of your correspondents has answered the Query of J. R. N., as to the etymology and meaning of *by the bye* and *by and by*, I send you the following exposition; which I have collected from Richardson's *Dictionary*, and the authorities there referred to. Spelman informs us, that in Norfolk there were in his time thirteen villages with names ending in *by:* this *By* being a Danish word, signifying "villa." That a *bye*-law, Dan. *by-lage*, is a law *peculiar* to a villa. And thus we have the general application of *bye* to any thing; peculiar, private, indirect, as distinguished from…