liament in Cromwell's
time, called by derision the _Rump_, was headed by one _Barebones_, a
leather-seller. It was afterwards called by his unlucky name, which
served to heighten the ridicule cast over it by the nation.

Formerly a custom prevailed with learned men to change their names. They
showed at once their contempt for vulgar denominations and their
ingenious erudition. They christened themselves with Latin and Greek.
This disguising of names came, at length, to be considered to have a
political tendency, and so much alarmed Pope Paul the Second, that he
imprisoned several persons for their using certain affected names, and
some, indeed, which they could not give a reason why they assumed.
_Desiderius Erasmus_ was a name formed out of his family name _Gerard_,
which in Dutch signifies amiable; or GAR _all_, AERD _nature_. He first
changed it to a Latin word of much the same signification, _desiderius_,
which afterwards he refined into the Greek _Erasmus_, by which name he
is now known. The celebrated _Reuchlin_, which in German signifies
_smoke_, considered it more dignified to smoke in Greek by the name of
_Capnio_. An Italian physician of the name of _Senza Malizia_, prided
himself as much on his translating it into the Greek _Akakia_, as on the
works which he published under that name. One of the most amiable of the
reformers was originally named _Hertz Schwartz_ (black earth), which he
elegantly turned into the Greek name _Melancthon_. The vulgar name of a
great Italian poet was _Trapasso_; but when the learned Gravius resolved
to devote the youth to the muses, he gave him a mellifluous name, which
they have long known and cherished--_Metastasio_.

Harsh names will have, in spite of all our philosophy, a painful and
ludicrous effect on our ears and our associations: it is vexatious that
the softness of delicious vowels, or the ruggedness of inexorable
consonants, should at all be connected with a man's happiness, or even
have an influence on his fortune.

The actor _Macklin_ was softened down by taking in the first and last
syllables of the name of _Macklaughlin_, as _Malloch_ was polished to
_Mallet_; and even our sublime Milton, in a moment of humour and hatred
to the Scots, condescends to insinuate that their barbarous names are
symbolical of their natures,--and from a man of the name of _Mac
Collkittok_, he expects no mercy. Virgil, when young, formed a design of
a national poem, but was soon discourage