The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-04-07
Westerly, April z, 1853.
"What's i'm n Name 2"

llHl NuilH VIC NdII a. iOEt
BY any other name would smell as sweet
Conveying the inference that, after all,
there is nothing in a name. We have
often heard it remarked that great and
good men would differ in their opinions
We therefore think we may be allowed
to differ from the great Poet, by enter
tanning the idea that there is much in a
name. We think much may be learned
of the character of Il people from study
ing the names bestowed upon children
during a given period. For instance,
our pilgrim ancestors landed on the
rock of Plymouth bearing the good old
gentlemanly English names, somewhat
savoring of Norman derivation - the
aristocratic branch of the English fami-
ly. There were Williams, Edwards,
Roberts, Rogers, Rufuses and Henrys
and their wives, Elizabeths, James,
Charlottes, Sarah., GATHERINGS, Annes
and Julias. But those names had too
strong worlds taint to suit the puri-
tanical taste of the bearers. They were
memorials of kingly state and lordly
halls-they were souvenirs of oppres-
sion and religious persecution. Those
stern devotees to religious liberty, as
they understood it, gave their children
names that indicated their faith in the
ovex-ruling of benifcent Providence.
Their names marked some signal mercy,
rescue from some impending calamity,
gracious interposition of Heaven. Our
progenitors started on their journey from
the cradle to the grave labelled, as it
were, with designations indicating the
strong religious tendency of their pa
rents. Thus, the child born on the
passage from England to Plymouth
rock, was called Seaborn, Deliverance,
or Preserved. Or, from the pious as
pirations of their parents they were call
ed Charity, Patience, Faith, Hope,
Mercy, Love, Temperance, Peace, Sub
init, Glory, &C., &c. But in process
of time the clothing of sackcloth and
ashes was thrown aside, or perhaps
Patience turned shrew, a Temperance
loved strong drink, a Love proved a
termagant, or Submit did not meekly
wear the conjugal yoke. At any rate, a
new era was commenced in the new type
of names which came in from the schools
with which our fathers fortified the free
dom of their new world home. Persian,
Roman and Grecian history was ran
sacked in search of classical names by
which to designate the solve branches !"
And thus in inverted order Christian
desi gnations were succeeded by those of
Pagan times, and the country was in
undated with Cyruses, Dariuses, Oran-
dateses, Casson Danes, ULYSSES, Hec-
tors, Solons, and Lycurguses-Virgils,
Sallusts, Luciuses, Marcuses, Ciceroes,
Caesars, Augustuses, Julians, &C., sc.
Who does not remember these name
sakes of the heroes of battle, song and
history, among the school-mates of our
Garlic days. Contemporary with these,
was an ;nundation of female names from
the fashionable novels of the times
Adelaides ard Angelinas, Clarrissas and
Clementinas-which shows that our i'm
: mediate ancestors were as partial to ro-
mantle prenomcns, as were theirs to
those indicating their 'rust in an over
ruling Power and love ,f moral recti.
tudc. These finally deterioated into the
pervading compounds of Abby-Ann,
Julia-Ann, Sarah-Ann, Jyli,-Maria,
Delia-Jane, Phebe-Esther, &c.
But one name there is which las
through each change and generation O.
r names, from the commencement of tht
r Christian era to the present day, main
: tanned its place-one perennial name
around which all the sweetest and love
liest associations have gathered-on
name sung in sacred hymns, in tn
d songs Of troubadours, in Saxon ballad
land Scotch lays--one name heard Wit