Influence Of A Name

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Title:     Influence Of A Name
Author: Isaac Disraeli [More Titles by Disraeli]

What's in a NAME? That which we call a rose,
By any other name would smell as sweet.

Names, by an involuntary suggestion, produce an extraordinary illusion. Favour or disappointment has been often conceded as the _name_ of the claimant has affected us; and the accidental affinity or coincidence of a _name_, connected with ridicule or hatred, with pleasure or disgust, has operated like magic. But the facts connected with this subject will show how this prejudice has branched out.[1]

Sterne has touched on this unreasonable propensity of judging by _names_, in his humorous account of the elder Mr. Shandy's system of Christian names. And Wilkes has expressed, in Boswell's Life of Johnson, all the influence of baptismal _names_, even in matters of poetry! He said, "The last city poet was _Elkanah_ Settle. There is _something_ in _names_ which one cannot help feeling. Now _Elkanah_ Settle sounds so queer, who can expect much from _that name_? We should have no hesitation to give it for _John Dryden_ in preference to _Elkanah Settle_, from the _names only_, without knowing their different merits."

A lively critic noticing some American poets, says "There is or was a Mr. Dwight who wrote a poem in the shape of an epic; and his baptismal name was _Timothy_;" and involuntarily we infer the sort of epic that a _Timothy_ must write. Sterne humorously exhorts all godfathers not "to Nicodemus a man into nothing."

There is more truth in this observation than some may be inclined to allow; and that it affects mankind strongly, all ages and all climates may be called on to testify. Even in the barbarous age of Louis XI., they felt a delicacy respecting _names_, which produced an ordinance from his majesty. The king's barber was named _Olivier le Diable_. At first the king allowed him to got rid of the offensive part by changing it to _Le Malin_; but the improvement was not happy, and for a third time he was called _Le Mauvais_. Even this did not answer his purpose; and as he was a great racer, he finally had his majesty's ordinance to be called _Le Dain_, under penalty of law if any one should call him _Le Diable_, _Le Malin_, or _Le Mauvais_. According to Platina, Sergius the Second was the first pope who changed his name in ascending the papal throne; because his proper name was _Hog's-mouth_, very unsuitable with the pomp of the tiara. The ancients felt the same fastidiousness; and among the Romans, those who were called to the equestrian order, having low and vulgar _names_, were new named on the occasion, lest the former one should disgrace the dignity.[2]

When _Burlier_, a French wit, was chosen for the preceptor of Colbert's son, he felt his _name_ was so uncongenial to his new profession, that he assumed the more splendid one of _D'Aucour_, by which he is now known. Madame _Gomez_ had married a person named _Bonhomme_; but she would never exchange her nobler Spanish name to prefix her married one to her romances, which indicated too much of meek humility. _Guez_ (a beggar) is a French writer of great pomp of style; but he felt such extreme delicacy at so low a name, that to give some authority to the splendour of his diction, he assumed the name of his estate, and is well known as _Balzac_. A French poet of the name of Theophile _Viaut_, finding that his surname pronounced like _veau_ (calf), exposed him to the infinite jests of the minor wits, silently dropped it, by retaining the more poetical appellation of _Theophile_. Various literary artifices have been employed by some who, still preserving a natural attachment to the names of their fathers, yet blushing at the same time for their meanness, have in their Latin works attempted to obviate the ridicule which they provoked. One _Gaucher_ (left-handed) borrowed the name of _Scevola_, because Scevola, having burnt his right arm, became consequently left-handed. Thus also one _De la Borgne_ (one-eyed) called himself _Strabo_; _De Charpentier_ took that of _Fabricius_; _De Valet_ translated his _Servilius_; and an unlucky gentleman, who bore the name of _Du bout d'Homme,_ boldly assumed that of _Virulus_. Dorat, a French poet, had for his real name _Disnemandi_, which, in the dialect of the Limousins, signifies one who dines in the morning; that is, who has no other dinner than his breakfast. This degrading name he changed to _Dorat_, or gilded, a nickname which one of his ancestors had borne for his fair tresses. But by changing his _name_, his feelings were not entirely quieted, for unfortunately his daughter cherished an invincible passion for a learned man, who unluckily was named _Goulu_; that is, a shark, as gluttonous as a shark. Miss _Disnemandi_ felt naturally a strong attraction for a _goulu_; and in spite of her father's remonstrances, she once more renewed his sorrows in this alliance!

There are unfortunate names, which are very injurious to the cause in which they are engaged; for instance, the Long Parliament 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 discouraged from proceeding, merely by the roughness and asperity of the old Roman names, such as _Decius Mus_; _Lucumo_; _Vibius Caudex_. The same thing has happened to a friend who began an Epic on the subject of _Drake's_ discoveries; the name of the hero often will produce a ludicrous effect, but one of the most unlucky of his chief heroes must be _Thomas Doughty_! One of Blackmore's chief heroes in his Alfred is named _Gunter_; a printer's erratum might have been fatal to all his heroism; as it is, he makes a sorry appearance. Metastasio found himself in the same situation. In one of his letters he writes, "The title of my new opera is _Il Re Pastor_. The chief incident is the restitution of the kingdom of Sidon to the lawful heir: a prince with such a _hypochondriac name_, that he would have disgraced the title-page of any piece; who would have been able to bear an opera entitled _L'Abdolonimo_? I have contrived to name him as seldom as possible." So true is it, as the caustic Boileau exclaims of an epic poet of his days, who had shown some dexterity in cacophony, when he chose his hero--

O le plaisant projet d'un poete ignorant,
Qui de tant de heros va choisir _Childebrand_!
D'un seul nom quelquefois le son dur et bizarre
Bend un poeme entier, ou burlesque ou barbare.
_Art Poetique_, c. iii. v. 241.

In such a crowd the Poet were to blame
To choose _King Chilperic_ for his hero's name.
SIR W. SOAMES.

This epic poet perceiving the town joined in the severe raillery of the poet, published a long defence of his hero's name; but the town was inexorable, and the epic poet afterwards changed _Childebrand's_ name to _Charles Martel_, which probably was discovered to have something more humane. Corneille's _Pertharite_ was an unsuccessful tragedy, and Voltaire deduces its ill fortune partly from its barbarous _names_, such as _Garibald_ and _Edvidge_. Voltaire, in giving the _names_ of the founders of Helvetic freedom, says, the difficulty of pronouncing these respectable names is injurious to their celebrity; they are _Melchthal_, _Stawffarcher_, and _Valtherfurst_.

We almost hesitate to credit what we know to be true, that the _length_ or the _shortness_ of a _name_ can seriously influence the mind. But history records many facts of this nature. Some nations have long cherished a feeling that there is a certain elevation or abasement in proper names. Montaigne on this subject says, "A gentleman, one of my neighbours, in over-valuing the excellences of old times, never omitted noticing the pride and magnificence of the _names_ of the nobility of those days! Don _Grumedan_, _Quadragan_, _Argesilan_, when fully sounded, were evidently men of another stamp than _Peter_, _Giles_, and _Michel_." What could be hoped for from the names of Ebenezer, Malachi, and Methusalem? The Spaniards have long been known for cherishing a passion for dignified names, and are marvellously affected by long and voluminous ones; to enlarge them they often add the places of their residence. We ourselves seem affected by triple names; and the authors of certain periodical publications always assume for their _nom de guerre_ a triple name, which doubtless raises them much higher in their reader's esteem than a mere Christian and surname. Many Spaniards have given themselves _names_ from some remarkable incident in their lives. One took the name of the Royal Transport, for having conducted the Infanta in Italy. Orendayes added de la Paz, for having signed the peace in 1725. Navarro, after a naval battle off Toulon, added la Vittoria, though he had remained in safety at Cadiz while the French admiral Le Court had fought the battle, which was entirely in favour of the English. A favourite of the King of Spain, a great genius, and the friend of Farinelli, who had sprung from a very obscure origin, to express his contempt of these empty and haughty _names_ assumed, when called to the administration, that of the Marquis of _La Ensenada_ (nothing in himself).

But the influence of _long names_ is of very ancient standing. Lucian notices one _Simon_, who coming to a great fortune aggrandised his name to _Simonides_. _Dioclesian_ had once been plain _Diocles_ before he was emperor. When _Bruna_ became queen of France, it was thought proper to convey some of the regal pomp in her name by calling her _Brunehault_.

The Spaniards then must feel a most singular contempt for a _very short name_, and on this subject Fuller has recorded a pleasant fact. An opulent citizen of the name of _John Cuts_ (what name can be more unluckily short?) was ordered by Elizabeth to receive the Spanish ambassador; but the latter complained grievously, and thought he was disparaged by the _shortness_ of his _name_. He imagined that a man bearing a monosyllabic name could never, in the great alphabet of civil life, have performed anything great or honourable; but when he found that honest _John Cuts_ displayed a hospitality which had nothing monosyllabic in it, he groaned only at the utterance of the _name_ of his host.

There are _names_, indeed, which in the social circle will in spite of all due gravity awaken a harmless smile, and Shenstone solemnly thanked God that his name was not liable to a pun. There are some names which excite horror, such as Mr. Stabback; others contempt, as Mr. Twopenny; and others of vulgar or absurd signification, subject too often to the insolence of domestic witlings, which occasions irritation even in the minds of worthy, but suffering, men.

There is an association of pleasing ideas with certain _names_,--and in the literary world they produce a fine effect. _Bloomfield_ is a name apt and fortunate for a rustic bard; as _Florian_ seems to describe his sweet and flowery style. Dr. Parr derived his first acquaintance with the late Mr. _Homer_ from the aptness of his name, associating with his pursuits. Our writers of romances and novels are initiated into all the arcana of _names_, which cost them many painful inventions. It is recorded of one of the old Spanish writers of romance, that he was for many days at a loss to coin a fit name for one of his giants; he wished to hammer out one equal in magnitude to the person he conceived in imagination; and in the haughty and lofty name of _Traquitantos_, he thought he had succeeded. Richardson, the great father of our novelists, appears to have considered the _name_ of Sir _Charles Grandison_ as _perfect_ as his character, for his heroine writes, "You know his _noble name_, my Lucy." He felt the same for his _Clementina_, for Miss Byron writes, "Ah, Lucy, what a _pretty name_ is _Clementina_!" We experience a certain tenderness for _names_, and persons of refined imaginations are fond to give affectionate or lively epithets to things and persons they love. Petrarch would call one friend _Lellus_, and another _Socrates_, as descriptive of their character.

In our own country, formerly, the ladies appear to have been equally sensible to poetical or elegant _names_, such as _Alicia, Celicia, Diana, Helena_, &c. Spenser, the poet, gave to his two sons two _names_ of this kind; he called one _Silvanus_, from the woody Kilcolman, his estate; and the other _Peregrine_, from his having been born in a strange place, and his mother then travelling. The fair Eloisa gave the whimsical name of _Astrolabus_ to her boy; it bore some reference to the stars, as her own to the sun.

Whether this name of _Astrolabus_ had any scientific influence over the son, I know not; but I have no doubt that whimsical names may have a great influence over our characters. The practice of romantic names among persons, even of the lowest orders of society, has become a very general evil: and doubtless many unfortunate beauties, of the names of _Clarissa_ and _Eloisa_, might have escaped under the less dangerous appellatives of _Elizabeth_ or _Deborah_. I know a person who has not passed his life without some inconvenience from his _name_, mean talents and violent passions not according with _Antoninus_; and a certain writer of verses might have been no versifier, and less a lover of the true Falernian, had it not been for his namesake _Horace_. The Americans, by assuming _Roman_ names, produce ludicrous associations; _Romulus_ Higgs, and _Junius Brutus_ Booth. There was more sense, when the Foundling Hospital was first instituted, in baptizing the most robust boys, designed for the sea-service, by the names of Drake, Norris, or Blake, after our famous admirals.

It is no trifling misfortune in life to bear an illustrious name; and in an author it is peculiarly severe. A history now by a Mr. Hume, or a poem by a Mr. Pope, would be examined with different eyes than had they borne any other name. The relative of a great author should endeavour not to be an author. Thomas Corneille had the unfortunate honour of being brother to a great poet, and his own merits have been considerably injured by the involuntary comparison. The son of Racine has written with an amenity not unworthy of his celebrated father; amiable and candid, he had his portrait painted, with the works of his father in his hand, and his eye fixed on this verse from Phaedra,--

Et moi, fils inconnu d'un si glorieux pere!

But even his modesty only served to whet the dart of epigram. It was once bitterly said of the son of an eminent literary character,--

He tries to write because his father writ,
And shows himself a bastard by his wit.

Amongst some of the disagreeable consequences attending some _names_, is, when they are unluckily adapted to an uncommon rhyme; how can any man defend himself from this malicious ingenuity of wit? _Freret_, one of those unfortunate victims to Boileau's verse, is said not to have been deficient in the decorum of his manners, and he complained that he was represented as a drunkard, merely because his _name rhymed_ to _Cabaret_. Murphy, no doubt, felicitated himself in his literary quarrel with Dr. _Franklin_, the poet and critical reviewer, by adopting the singular rhyme of "envy rankling" to his rival's and critic's name.

Superstition has interfered even in the _choice of names_, and this solemn folly has received the name of a science, called _Onomantia_; of which the superstitious ancients discovered a hundred foolish mysteries. They cast up the numeral letters of _names_, and Achilles was therefore fated to vanquish Hector, from the numeral letters in his name amounting to a higher number than his rival's. They made many whimsical divisions and subdivisions of names, to prove them lucky or unlucky. But these follies are not those that I am now treating on. Some names have been considered as more auspicious than others. Cicero informs us that when the Romans raised troops, they were anxious that the _name_ of the first soldier who enlisted should be one of good augury. When the censors numbered the citizens, they always began by a fortunate name, such as _Salvius Valereus_. A person of the name of _Regillianus_ was chosen emperor, merely from the royal sound of his name, and _Jovian_ was elected because his name approached nearest to the beloved one of the philosophic _Julian_. This fanciful superstition was even carried so far that some were considered as auspicious, and others as unfortunate. The superstitious belief in _auspicious names_ was so strong, that Caesar, in his African expedition, gave a command to an obscure and distant relative of the Scipios, to please the popular prejudice that the Scipios were invincible in Africa. Suetonius observes that all those of the family of Caesar who bore the surname of Caius perished by the sword.

The Emperor Severus consoled himself for the licentious life of his empress Julia, from the fatality attending those of her _name_. This strange prejudice of lucky and unlucky names prevailed in modern Europe. The successor of Adrian VI. (as Guicciardini tells us) wished to preserve his own name on the papal throne; but he gave up the wish when the conclave of cardinals used the powerful argument that all the popes who had preserved their own names had died in the first year of their pontificates. Cardinal Marcel Cervin, who preserved his name when elected pope, died on the twentieth day of his pontificate, and this confirmed this superstitious opinion. La Motte le Vayer gravely asserts that all the queens of Naples of the name of _Joan_, and the kings of Scotland of the name of _James_, have been unfortunate: and we have formal treatises of the fatality of Christian names. It is a vulgar notion that every female of the name of _Agnes_ is fated to become mad. Every nation has some names labouring with this popular prejudice.

Herrera, the Spanish historian, records an anecdote in which the choice of a queen entirely arose from her _name_. When two French ambassadors negotiated a marriage between one of the Spanish princesses and Louis VIII., the names of the Royal females were _Urraca_ and _Blanche_. The former was the elder and the more beautiful, and intended by the Spanish court for the French monarch; but they resolutely preferred _Blanche_, observing that the _name_ of _Urraca_ would never do! and for the sake of a more mellifluous sound, they carried off, exulting in their own discerning ears, the happier named, but less beautiful princess.

There are _names_ indeed which are painful to the feelings, from the associations of our passions.[3] I have seen the Christian _name_ of a gentleman, the victim of the caprice of his godfather, who is called _Blast us Godly_,--which, were he designed for a bishop, must irritate religious feelings. I am not surprised that one of the Spanish monarchs refused to employ a sound catholic for his secretary, because his name (_Martin Lutero_) had an affinity to the _name_ of the reformer. Mr. Rose has recently informed us that an architect called _Malacarne_, who, I believe, had nothing against him but his _name_, was lately deprived of his place as principal architect by the Austrian government,--let us hope not for his unlucky _name_; though that government, according to Mr. Rose, acts on capricious principles! The fondness which some have felt to perpetuate their _names_, when their race has fallen extinct, is well known; and a fortune has then been bestowed for a change of name. But the affection for names has gone even farther. A _similitude of names_, Camden observes, "dothe kindle sparkes of love and liking among meere strangers." I have observed the great pleasure of persons with uncommon names meeting with another of the same name; an instant relationship appears to take place; and I have known that fortunes have been bequeathed 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.[4]

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; as Deborah, the _Bee_; Rachel, the _Sheep_. Others from their nature or other qualifications; as Tamar, the _Palm-tree_; Hadassa, the _Myrtle_; Sarah, the _Princess_; Hannah, the _Gracious_. The Indians of North America employ sublime and picturesque _names_; such are the great Eagle--the Partridge--Dawn of the Day!--Great swift Arrow!--Path-opener!--Sun-bright!

 

[Footnote 1: Lower's "English Surnames; an Essay on Family
Nomenclature," may be profitably studied in connexion with this curious
subject.]

[Footnote 2: Fortunate names, the _bona nomina_ of Cicero, were chiefly
selected in accordance with the classic maxim, _bonum nomen, bonum
omen.]

[Footnote 3: "Plautus thought it quite enough to damn a man that he
bore the name of Lyco, which is said to signify a greedy-wolf; and Livy
calls the name Atrius Umber _abominandi ominis nomen_, a name of
horrible portent."--Nares' _Heraldic Anomalies_.]

[Footnote 4: The names adopted by the Romans were very significant. The
_Nomen_ was indicative of the branch of the family distinguished by the
_Cognomen_; while the _Prenomen_ was invented to distinguish one from
the rest. Thus, a man of family had three names, and even a fourth was
added when it was won by great deeds.]

[The end]
Isaac Disraeli's essay: Influence Of A Name

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