The Sun.
London, England, 1822-09-17 00:00:00

NEOLOGY.

'Ov.r.
toptcipEco, xcavicrt OEOJ, avhiEs &!1E irayrEc
Aryaiwy.-Hom.
Celestials and the sons of Clod
Are rarely found in one key
What the Egyptians* call'd a God,
By Gods was call'd a Monkey !

In the present rapid progress of every depart-
ment of society, few circumstances are more re-
markable than the sudden' introduction of new
terms and phrases for very old transactions.—
This fashion, in which we are" more new Angled
than an ape," is probably, like many others,
imitated from our neighbours and rivals on the
Continent. So quick was the reception of novel

words, not only in science, but in the common
intercourse of life, that a work was there deemed
necessary, and actually appeared under the title
of a Dictionaire Neologique. This example,
though much worse have been followed from that
quarter, has not yet been imitated in this country
—the propriety of it, however, can scarcely be
questioned.

- To begin with Science :—'We are old enough
to remember the United Company of Barber-
Surgeons.---About 50 years ago, the Surgeons,
or, to do them all honour, the Chirurgeons,
spurned away- that most useful part of their
handicraft brethren, though some of them, if not
belied, continue very close shavers still. More

recently they have become a College, and can
boast of Knights" and Baronets amongst their
Members, so that for your money you may have
a Sir John. (quibble apart) to perform an opera-
tion, the absurdity of which RABELAIS has hap-
pily exposed.
But there is another College, whose advance-
ment is not less extraordinary. At no great dis-
tance of time, a boy who became a thief was con-
sidered as a disgrace to his parents and friends,
and he was well whipt, confined and fed on bread
and water—and, if an apprentice, sent to Bride-
well to enjoy the same fare and exercise.
Now, the thieving boys are designated Juvenile
Depredators—a very fine and sonorous denomi-
nation. So plunderer of the public purse are
delicately termed Defaulters—" ears polite"must
not be offended. " Convey" is now the word,
says Shakespeare, " the wise it call steal."—A
wish to become one of a society with so splendid
a title, doubtless tempts many a youth to make
his first attempt to pick a pocket,_in like manner
as the distant vista of becoming a Member of the
Royal Society induces many a juvenile votary of
the pestle and mortar to eviscerate living frogs,
and expose multitudinous cats, dogs, and birds,

to expire in the lingering convulsions occasioned
by hydro:gene or carbonic gas—new names, too,
to conceal old poisons.
A Thief-taker is now a Police-officer, while
the profits of his office are sufficient to enable
him to dress like a Gentleman (no mighty effort,
certainly—striped trowsers and a black neck-
cloth) : and the improved morality of the age
renders his presence necessary to give perfection
to the most polite assemblies. The head of this
society is, of course, a Knight—thus they 46 nick-
name God's creatures."

A w-, the proper and legitimate desigtut.
tion (according to HonNE TOOKE, from the
Anglo Saxon horan, to hire) is now converted
into that of an unfortunate zooman ; and a man
convicted-'of forgery, is an unfortunate criminal—
both, without doubt, very unfortunate in being
found out.•
The profusion with' which Titles are distri.

buted forms another part of this graceful sys-
tem. A title which gives publicity to the name
of an individual, of properly to be the guer-
don of. some service-rendered to the public.• No
man begrudges the distinction of Duke to a NEL..
SON or a AN ELLINGT.ON-they were, indeed, what
their appellation denotes, Duces,- leaders of the
people—" duo jabnina belli." But when some
officer of the mouth, some contractor for cheese
and biscuit, some Quack Doctor or what not, is.
complimented with a title, his quondam alehouse
companions are mortified, and the pride of their
spouses piqued at hearing Jack styled Sir John,-
and- his wife, My Ladly:• But " what," says
Juliet, " is in a ❑ame ? that we call a rose, by
any other name would smell as sweet"—so vice
versa, an onion,•though called a rose, still smells
the same. '

This prostitution of titles has a still further
evil consequence by being conferred on persom
incompetent to support the rank in society to
which they were intended to,elevate them. When
we read (as we have read) in the newspapers air a
account of " belted Knight" bringing a person,
who had sent him a challenge,' to Bow-street, to
give sureties for keeping. the peace, and compare
this chivalrous feeling with the conduct of Lord
HERBERT of Cherbury, who' considered the part
of the oath of Knighthood that binds the party to
succour Damsels in' distress,, so essential to his
character, as to makeit his duty to seek a com-
bat a Poutrance with a Gentleman who-by way
of frolic had snatched a knot of ribbon from the

hair of a young Lady, we cannot clime but ex-
claim the age of Chivalry is gone"—and that
to Knight a man, without a single quality of
Knighthood in his whole frame, is to place him
in that exalted degree of honour which attaches
to a hunch-back, when be is called My Lord!

But to come more, closely " et nos moutons."—
How far is this from being a " plain unvarnished"
age ? What would our unsophisticated fore-
fathers say on finding that the words " Holy
Alliance," so excellent in their true sense, were
a mere gilding to designate in practice a
treacherous conspiracy against the liberties of
mankind—that magnanimity in,war consists in
chaining the conquered to a rock +—that bail,
which they always understood to mean a secu-
rity for the forthcoming of the party on his trial,
was a sort of trifling fine to give him an opportu-
nity of running away, and defeating the ends of
justice—thaLeovernment, instituted, not for the
mere benefit of Kings and Ministers, but express-