eathed for _namesakes_. An ornamental manufacturer, who bears a
name which he supposes to be very uncommon, having executed an order for
a gentleman of the _same name_, refused to send his bill, never having
met with the like, preferring to payment the honour of serving him for
_namesake_.

Among the Greeks and the Romans, beautiful and significant names were
studied. The sublime Plato himself has noticed the present topic; his
visionary ear was sensible to the delicacy of a name; and his exalted
fancy was delighted with _beautiful names_, as well as every other
species of beauty. In his Cratylus he is solicitous that persons should
have happy, harmonious, and attractive _names_. According to Aulus
Gellius, the Athenians enacted by a public decree, that no slave should
ever bear the consecrated names of their two youthful patriots,
Harmodius and Aristogiton,--names which had been devoted to the
liberties of their country, they considered would be contaminated by
servitude. The ancient Romans decreed that the surnames of infamous
patricians should not be borne by any other patrician of that family,
that their very names might be degraded and expire with them. Eutropius
gives a pleasing proof of national friendships being cemented by a
_name_; by a treaty of peace between the Romans and the Sabines, they
agreed to melt the two nations into one mass, that they should bear
their _names_ conjointly; the Roman should add his to the Sabine, and
the Sabine take a Roman name.[23]

The ancients _named_ both persons and things from some event or other
circumstance connected with the object they were to name. Chance, fancy,
superstition, fondness, and piety, have invented _names_. It was a
common and whimsical custom among the ancients, (observes Larcher) to
give as _nicknames_ the _letters_ of the alphabet. Thus a lame girl was
called _Lambda_, on account of the resemblance which her lameness made
her bear to the letter [Greek: l], or _lambda_! AEsop was called _Theta_ by his
master, from his superior acuteness. Another was called _Beta_, from his
love of beet. It was thus Scarron, with infinite good temper, alluded to
his zig-zag body, by comparing himself to the letter s or z.

The learned Calmet also notices among the Hebrews _nicknames_ and names
of raillery taken from defects of body or mind, &c. One is called Nabal,
or _fool_; another Hamor, the _Ass_; Hagab, the _Grasshopper_, &c. Women
had frequently the names of animals