The Character "&"

This character your correspondent will at once see is only the Latin word "et", written in a flourishing form; as we find it repeated in the abbreviation "&c.," for "et cetera". Its adoption as a contraction for the English word "and", arose, no doubt, from the facility of its formation; and the name it acquired was "and-per se-and", "and by itself and," which is easily susceptible of the corruptions noticed by MR. LOWER.