Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 10.djvu/386

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��Origin and Meaning of Prober Names.

��were rightly named and properly em- ployed.

Dr. Mountain, chaplain to Charles II, was asked by that monarch to whom he should present a certain bishopric then vacant. If you had but faith, sire, replied he, I could tell you who. Hovv so, said Charles, if I had faith? Why yes, said the witty cleric, 3'our Majesty might then say to this INIountain, Be thou removed into that See." This same " mutton- eating Tsiug," " who never said a silly thing and never did a wise one," ycleped Carolus, Charles, Teutonic, " Karl," strong, English, "churl" perhaps, once knighted a favorite piece of roast beef which, ever since, has borne the name of " sirloin." Possibly Carolus Magnus, Charle- magne, may be simply " karl mann" or strong man, and not the more majesterial Roman, "•Charles the Great."

Many p]nglish surnames indicate the place of residence of the owners, as Wood. Hill, Tree, Rivers, Stiles, and Forest ; others indicate occupa- tions, as Cooper, Baker, Brewer, and Cartel' ; others are otHcial or profes- sional titles, as King, Duke, Lord, Dean, Priest, Constable, and Squire. Mr. Lower gives us the following true copy of a jury taken before Judge Doddridge at the assizes holden at Huntingdon, A. D. 1G19. The judge had in a former circuit censured the sheriff for empanelling men of infe- rior rank. The humorous sheriff re- turned the names of Maximilian, King of Toseland ; Henry, Prince of Godmanchester ; George, Duke of Somersham ; William, Marquis of Stukeley ; Edmund, Earl of Hartford ; Richard, Baron of Bythorn ; Stei)hen,

��Pope of Newton ; Humphrey, Bishop of Buckden ; Steplien, Cardinal of Kimbolton ; Robeit, Lord of Wares- ley ; Robert, Knight of Wiuwick ; AVilliam, Abbot of Stukeley ; Will- iam, Dean of Old Weston ; Jolm, Archdeacon of Paxton ; Peter, Esquire of Easton ; Edward, Friar of Elling- ton ; Henry, Monk of Stukeley ; George, Gentleman of Spaldwick ; George, Priest of Graffham ; Richard, Deacon of Catworth. These, doubt- less, were all "true men," but were named above their station or deserts. This custom of naming men fiom their trades or offices is not peculiar to the English. Varro, in his treatise on agriculture savs, — " We have many of our names from the herd and the flock ; from the flock, Porcius, Ovinius, Caprilius ; from the herd, the sur- names of Equitius and Taurus, for persons are called Annii, Caprje, Sta- tilii, Tauri, Pomponii, Vituli ; and there are many other names derived from the same source." The mighty Fabii could trace their pedigree to '" faba," a bean ; and the nol)ility of Lentuliis was procured by "• a mess of pottage" made of "lens," a kind of pulse ; and pulse is that which is pulled or plucked. The literal trans- lation of ancient proper names, some- times, leads to very ludicrous results. Mr. Blackwell, in his "Court of Au- gustus," says that Marc Antony, travelling in a post-chaise, lay the first night at " Red Stones." The original is " Saxa Rubra." He also alludes to Antony's favorite poet, " Mr. Gosling," which is " Anser " in tile original, and should be turned into " Goose " in English. He also remaiks that Virijil, in his vouth, wrote an e[)igram on "Crossbow,'

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