The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-21 00:00:00

WHAT'S IN A NAME ?

With the Romans auspicious names were ever in the
ascendant. Amongst innumerable examples we need only
instance here Regalianus, elected emperor by the Roman
soldiers solely on account of the royalty suggested by his
name. But lightly won, alas I lightly lost—he did not long
wear the crown of the Caesars. On an equally sudden im-
pulse the troops put their newly-elected emperor to death.
His name gave him a crown, but could not preserve to him
his life.

A still more singular instance of a name, and a Christian
name, influencing the iestiny of an individual, is told by
Herrera, the Spanish historian. Louis VIII. of France,
surnamed °' Coeur de Lion," desiring a Spanish princess for
his bride, ambassadors were sent to the court of Madrid.
The eldest and the most beautiful of the royal sisters was
the one destined by her own family to share the diadem of
France. But where was the wise fairy godmother who in
all nursery tales presides at the naming of beautiful prin-
cesses ? At the cradle of the unfortunate eldest daughter
of Spain, it would seem, there was no fairy godmother, nor
even an earthly sponsor gifted with musical ear or aesthetic
tastes—her name Urraca, harsh in sound, was in its signi-
fication yet more objectionable, for in Spanish it signified a
magpie.
A magpie queen, and to mate with a lion-heart. Im-
possible I The dismayed ambassadors felt themselves com-
pelled to reject the young beauty. Her name had deprived
her of a noble husband and of a crown. The lovely Urraca
saw her younger sister (less fair than herself,
name) preferred before her, and Blanche the Fair of Castile
was carried in triumph to France to become tetherof .st.
wife of Louis the Lion-heart, and the proud m
Louis. except in
Here is a graceful exposition of
favourite theory— the writer's
NAUES•
but we may lose all on
CHRISTIAN
Darlings of fortune we maY b. el),
ut ono thing., we
which we are priding ourselves, cannot
lose—our little-regarded Christian names. Bestowed on
they will still be
us in our sinless infancy, , ours, unchanged
through all the changing they
a I life—aye I passing with us
doffertines
into the very portals of the grave. That first and individual
name of ours, to which for good or evil we shall have
times—the
purposese
ol eft
evilter e
or
respondedwhi
ov, hundredsBhail often o f
haveth thousands starna de
es
of good—that Christian name, alas I how often desecrated
in our daily, hourly use of it I—that name, a witness for us
or against us, will be engraved on the door-plate of our
last earthly tenement whether
our coffin be of lordly oak
or pauper deal,

Companions with us through the varied scenes of our
whole lives, our Christian names become au:actual part of
ourselvo. M the sound of that name, breathed tenderly

by a mother's lips, we as babes stretch forth our dim-
pled arms all eager with delight. Ic is heard by the
maiden with crimsoned cheek and beating heart when it
is for the first time whispered by the voice she loves best ;
and it is thenceforth the only name she cares to keep.
Father, mother, brother, sister, friend; it is by them we aro
called by our Christian name, and, uttered by the lips of
our dearest ones, to it is given a peculiar music of its

own.
Ours inseparably I In absence or in death, at the familiar
sound of our names, a familiar form starts up before the
memories of all to whom we are known, clothed in the in-
dividuality of our words and deeds. Shall that undying
form, ;thus inseparably connected with our names, be
lovely or the reverse ?
Names are significant of many graces. Let us answer
to our names--so shall the answering remembrance of our-
selves be clothed with its fair characteristic graces.
The several [chapters of this work contain the
origin and meanings of most names of our acquaint-
ance, from the ancient Bible and classic denomina-
tions, down to the homely appellatives of 'modern
days. While some names are Nery significant of the
histories of their bearers, others are, again, equally
inappropriate. Here is an instance very beauti-
fully set forth—

MAGDALENE-MAGNIFICENT.
Magdalene (so called from the place of her birth), the
Magnificent.

Is there no lesson in her name F
In the pride of her beauty—for the power of beauty is
very great—Magdalene might once have gloried in her name
—Magnificent as a stately tower. But the tower whose foun-
dations are on the shifting sands of time, shall it not
crumble away ? The magnificence which is of earth, shall
it not yield to decay ?
It was in her other name that Magdalene's safety Wag
found—Mary, which in Hebrew means bitterness.
Mary, or Miriam, a name first given to the daughter of
Jochebed. The mother's name signified " whose glory ,s
Jehovah," but her child was born in the bitterness of
Egyptian bondage, and she thence derived her sorrowful
name—bitterness as of the sea, waters of affliction, of which
they drank from a full cup.
But the bondage of Mary Magdalene was the bondage °f
sin, and when once its bitterness was felt the hour of her
freedom was at hand : " loving much," to her " much Was
forgiven." Strangely still sounds the name of Magdalene,
the Magnificent, applied to the sorrowing daughters of
shame. •
How gloriously from her other name has its sorrowful
meaning been rolled away. In every Christian land ;Mary
is the name that most women love best to bear. 'Much
sorrow had the mother of our Lord, and the sweet Marys °f
Gospel history, like Miriam of old, were barn while their
countrymen were in bondage, but they lived to see a far
more glorious ransom accomplished. Of the waters of Mara?
they indeed also drank, but He of whom the tree was tYP'"
cal was himself with them, and by Him was the bitter mad°
sweet.

Many interesting fragments of history or romance
we might cull from these graceful pages, but we
have said enough to demonstrate the very excel
lent purpose of the work, and the very felicitous
manner in which that purpose has been fulfilled.

The Moors and the Fens. By F. G. Trafford,
author of " City and Suburb," with illustrations•

One Vol. Pp. 381. Smith and Elder.
This story principally relates to a dreary abode,
misnamed Paradise, situated " among the fens of
Lincolnshire—in the dreariest portion of that nai°er-
able county," and tenanted by Sir Ernest Ivrahlet
" the miser-descendant of along line of contemptible
ancestors." This delightful old gentleman has tWu
sons, whom ho maintains in the most penurious man"
ner till the younger Henry can endure it no longor9
but departs to seek his fortune in India. The elder
Ernest, fearful of losing his inheritance, continues
to drag on a miserable existence beneath 11,Ig
father's roof, and even brings a young wife'
a bright damsel from the Scottish moors, to share
the dismal monotony of the miser's abode. Mlt
constantly happens, in real life, the good and evil
influences struggle for the mastery in this dreary
"Paradise." Mina Fraser, however, has NO..
sufficient love and courage to enable her to over-
come the gloomy depression of her new home-
See 'lades and droops uncomplainingly, more espe"
cially when her evil genius, Cecilia Warmend,
" brews mischief," and infuses doubts into her hus-
band's heart. The story concludes, however, under
happier auspices. Henry returns from India with
his bright-hearted, peace-making wife, and sorrow
and trouble open the eyes and the hearts of Ernest
and Mina to a better appreciation of each other.
The tale is clever and ably written, and various
other interesting characters take their part on the
scene; but the influence of the fens is depressing,
and we are glad when occasionally we are indulged
with a fresh breath of the breeze from the moors.

Keeping Afloat ; or the Meeting at the Morgue-

A Novel. 1 Vol. Skeet.
This is a most wild and extravagant story about
a noble family—that of the Earl of Besso, and 111°'
son, Lord Uawkscurl, and his daughter, Ladr
Bertha—which endeavours by every means, fair o't
foul, to " keep afloat," and maintain appearanees
the eyes of the world. Suffice it to say, that Lcir'l
Hawkscurl does not hesitate to commit murder'
that Lady Bertha almost "proposes" to a wealtbi
plebian, and that the Earl connives at the duplicitl
of his interesting offspring—and all to " ke:P
afloat." The dead body of Lady Bertha who,
."(3;
graded and disgraced, commits suicide, is recognis6
at the Morgue by her brother and her lover, °ri
this incident gives its second title to the tale—'3 taie
of greater improbability than any yet irriagiae,d,
a supplement to the " Romance of the Peerage'

Knowledge for the lime. By John Timbs, F.SnO
author of " Curiosities of London," &c. °-

Vol. Pp. 288. Lockwood.
llfu/tum in parvo should be the motto of gr.
Timbs' marvellous treasures of compilation. 111
little volume now before us professes to be a roaet
of reading, reference, and conversation on subj2c"
of living interest, useful curiosity, and Lanesil3s
research :—Histories—political information-4--
„
gress of civilizstion—aignities and distillations f
change in laws—measure and value—progreeB
science—life and health—and, finally, rellgi°ll,o
thought. All these multitudinous and me ittorabi,
matters are illustrated from "the beat arid lates:
authorities," conspicuous among which are til,,
principal organs of the daily and weekly Pr°l.7
Turning over the pages at random, we glean infc";
mation on most various topics—" How 011°43
spoils enjoyment," from Arthur Helps' Ese3j2:,
" Expense of Baronetcy and Knighthood," "
See of London," " Irregular Marriages," " Tiel°
of-leave Men," " The Ancestors of Washingto3
&c.—subjects of all kinds and characterM

ranging--
'' From grave to gay, from lively to severe."

BOOKS RECEIVE
Sir Goodwin's Folly: A Story of theD. Year 1796. BY
Arthur Looker. 3 vols. Chapman and flail.
Very Hard Cash. By Charles Reade. 3 vols. SaillPS°s
Low, Son, and Marston.
The Old House in Crosby-square. By the author of The:
King's Mail. 2 vols. Sampson Low, Son, and
Marston.
Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile. 131
Captain Speke. William Blackwood
It. an
I‘l.
d the Rev. B Sons.:
Sport in Norway, and Where to
Find y
H. Barnard. Chapman and Hall.
The Wars of Wapsifurg. 33y the author of The Heir 01
Redcliffe. ,Groombridge and Sons.
IC'sle Life fay :
Essays. Sampson Los', s°l3' 31'4
irichandra, the Martyr of Truth : A Tamil Dramas rains'
lated into English. By Mute Comm Swaney.
Elder, an Bell.
Richard Henry Stoddard. Piekerial
The o.
The 6inengt
Helen. S. W. Partridge.
Marston.
Try and Try Again.
or, A flay at Upland. By
By Old Jonathan. W. Macintosh,
The Children's Party ;