e taken literally, for we find Ger. Thunichtgut, do no
good, and Fr. Trodoux (trop doux).

As a pendant to Dolittle we find a medieval Hack-little, no doubt a
lazy wood-cutter, while virtue is represented by a twelfth-century
Tire-little. Sherwin represents the medieval Schere-wynd, applied to
a swift runner; cf. Ger. Schneidewind, cut wind, and Fr. Tranchevent.
A nurseryman at Highgate has the appropriate name Cutbush, the French
equivalent of which, Taillebois, has given us Tallboys; and a famous
herbalist was named Culpepper. In Gathercole the second element may
mean cabbage or charcoal. In one case, Horniblow for horn-blow, the
verb comes after its object.

Names of this formation are very common in Mid. English as in Old
French, and often bear witness to a violent or brutal nature. Thus
Scorch-beef, which is found in the Hundred Rolls, has no connection
with careless cookery; it is Old Fr. escorche (ecorche) -buef, flay
ox, a name given to some medieval "Skin-the-goat." Catchpole (Chapter
XX) is formed in the same way, and in French we find, applied to law
officials, the surnames Baillehart, give halter, [Footnote: Bailler,
the usual Old French for to give, is still used colloquially and in
dialect.] and Baillehache, give axe, the latter still appropriately
borne, as Bailhache, by an English judge.

It has sometimes been assumed that most names of this class are due to
folk-etymology. The frequency of their occurrence in Mid. English and
in continental languages makes it certain that the contrary is the
case and that many surnames of obscure origin are perversions of this
very large and popular class. I have seen it stated somewhere that
Shakespeare is a corruption of an Old French name Sacquespee,
[Footnote: Of common occurrence in Mid. English records.] the
theorist being apparently unable to see that this latter, meaning
draw-sword, is merely an additional argument, if such were needed, for
the literal interpretation of the English name. [Footnote: In one
day's reading I came across the following Mid. English names:
Baillebien (give good), Baysedame (kiss lady), Esveillechien (wake
dog), Lievelance (raise lance), Metlefrein (put the bridle),
Tracepurcel (track hog), Turnecotel (turn coat), together with the
native Cachehare and Hoppeschort.]

Tredgold seems to have been conferred on some medieval stoic, for we
find also Spurnegold. Without pinning our faith to any particular
anecdote, we need hav