Page:Elizabeth Elstob - An English-Saxon homily on the birth-day of St. Gregory.djvu/100

 ^ hine halfo&e -] myce- andearneftlydefiredandbe- lum hxb. -f he n^ppe fecch'd him, that he would J>ani poke ne ^e^Sapobe never fufFer the People to 'p he mib ]>xx pup^S- exalt him to the Glory of mynter pulbpe geupe- that high Promotion, be- po5 p^pe. pop^an J)e he caufe he fear'd, that he, onbpeb -f he jpuph J>one through the greatnefs of the micclan ha& on popul- Charge and the worldly Glo- ticum pulbpe J>e he ^p ' ry which lie had fome time apeapp aer xumum yxh before renounced, might a- bep^hr pupbe:- Kc ]>^j- gain be enfnared. But the fuch relation between Mturkm and Greg-Yy. One would rather ima- gine, that it was fometimes ufed to fignifie what is eKpreft by the Latin Word Computer^ a reciprocal Term between the Father of the Child, and thofe that ftand Godfathers to ir. This manner of fpeak- ing IS well enough known at this Day in the North of England by the Word ©offi'p, from another Saxon Word IjOb-pbbe, Cognatm, Lu- ftrkus, Sponfor^ a dpDffip, a Cofm before God -, one that in Baptifm (lands forth in the Infant's behalf, and undertaking for ir, makes its Peace with God, as Mr. Somner interprets it. Which may yet be bet- ter underflood by thcfe and the like Phrafes, which are (Ull ufed in the North. My (0c!llp Thmas flood Godfather to my Child : Harry and I are (Bofiips, for I flood Godfather to his Child : John and I are (I5offip0, for we both flood Godfathers to George —'s Child. And the Word Commotljer fignifies the fame relation that Womea have to each other, and to the Father and Godfathers : For whoever ftands Godmother to a Child, flie is the Father's Commott)Cr and the Mother's, and the Godfather's and the Godmother's. And there is no doubt but the common and ordinary Compellacion of (Kaffer and (Kammet, that are now fo ufual in the Southern Parrs, hxd the fame Original ^ (Bl^ZV being only a Contraftion of Godfather, (Botfv^ and dEfatnmer of Godmother, ©OBmr. which tho' Mr. Somner has not fo exaftly obferved in the Word Fa^bepa, applying it only to a natural Relation, while he explains it Uncle : Yet he is not much out of the way, if he had explain'd it in a fpiritual Senfe^ the Godfa- ther, in a fpiritual capacity, being as it were the Father's Brother, or kind of fpiritual Uncle. The Diftioaary of the French Academy fliews us