The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-01-14
Tho use of the word " Lady. >

also come out"
Tho use of the word Lady,"
1t will be recollected that Col. Ben
ton, on a late public occasion with all
the ardor of which he is capable, censur-
ed the use Of the word " lady in place
of the word "woman " and hoped the
practice would soon find an end He af-
forwards asserted that .ho word lady"
did not occur in any of the classics, nor
10 the Bible. Very soon however many
passages were found in the Good Book.
which show that the Colonel was not
fully advised of what ho spoke. Not
withstanding the old gentleman is CON
victed of error in this respect, we yet
most cordially endorse his sentiments.
Nothing is so common and nothing more
absurd among US, than tho indiScriminate
use Of the word lady to denote fo-
male. We have abolished lords, but la
dies are thicker than hops. Particular
ly is this word to be ceusurcd, where it
seeks to usurp the place of sCife "You
must not walk over those flowers 10 that
way, Madam" said the Gardener to the
wife of the Bishop Of London. "Do
you know to whom you speak am
the laIy of the Bishop" | cannot
help that, should not allow it, if you
were his aOifc," was the sturdy reply.
We append the following oommunica-
ton to the N. Y. Evcning Post, which,
in our judgment, sets the matter about
right =
MIR. Denton's English scholarship
seems to transcend his biblical learning
He dscoursed well on the word ladY.
until he sought to for:fy his position by
the negative testimony of the Bible. But
cultivated men are not the less obi ged
to him for setting the ball 'iady' in mo.
tior, even if he has given it one kick in
the wroHg direction.
The wori lady, as substitute for
wife, is one o. the mos, snobbish cock
neyisms or hunkoyisms of the day-yet
the instinct of imitation leads many men,
who ought to know bctter, to rccogiae
lady as the synonym of icye
The author of this innovation is not
positively known; but 1t is certain that
he was the ioyd Of hotel-0nglicc,
landlord-who very properly held his
lady-anghice, landlady-to be first a.
mong women ) and who, therefore, con.
sidSrcd it the tiptoppery Of grace to his
newly arriving guests to receive them
with How do you do Mr.. Spriggins
How is your lady p aforesaid arrived in
company with her aforesaid lord, he, tie
landlord, would direct his clerk to re-
cord in the register Of arrivals S. Pc.
terkin Sprigsins, Esq, and lady SO
much for the origin Of the cockuoyism.
The word wife as Caesar says of tie
Polar Star, has no fellow in the firma-
ment; it has neither Synonym nor sub,
stitute and any attempt to supply eth
er in sort of pathological afIront to the
original.
Lady, on the other hand is to Ger.
tain extent interchangcab with aoOman.
AS descriptive term, it serves to dis
criminate between the orders OF society,
and SO far forth indicates position, cul
tivation, refinement. Yet it is by no
means universally the superior word.
For example:
Oh, ,eoman, in our hours Of ease.
And, in Portia's reply to Brutus;
Brutus-You are my true and honorable wife;
As dear to inc are the rudy drops
That visit this sad heart
Portd-lf this were true then should know this
secret
grant am a woman Iut, withal,
n women that Lord Brutus took to wife
grant am woman ; but, wlal,
woman well rcputec-Catos daugh-
ter
Think you am no stronger than my sex,
Being so lathered and SO husbanded?
In cases like these, lady would make
but sorry figure. And then, again in
the case Of the other Portia, where Bias,
sanio says
Gentle lady,
When did first impart my love to you,
freely told you all the wealth had
Ran in my veins. | was gentleman;
And then told you true and yet, dear la
dy,
Rating myself ut nothing. you shall SEQ
How much am braggalt.