Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-09

each OF which cOBtaius whole chapter o
history in itself; to say nothing Of sgch cur
rent phrases as Hobson's choice, Pandora
box, and such pet pscudoSyms as Mothe
Carey's chickens
The most interesting class Of these per-
sonal words is that In which the name lie:
unsupported until driven from its covert. II
is easy to recognize Mesmer in timer
merism," sGalvani in "galvanism," Daeu
ere in "dsgueTeotype." We can readily
guess why those irreverent iron-smelters
should call mass of metal which will moi
yield to the hottest blast a ''shadrach."
| King Maus0lus affords US q convenient
term for our most sUmptuoJs tombs.
| The prince of Latin orators descends to
us in the modern Italian "cicerone." We
hear of GerrymanderiDg a district,
| Rareyfying horse, Dunning debtor, out
Hero1iDg q Herod. Such words carry their
origin in sight. But when we hear a
| '.'maudlin" speech, we get at first no hint OF
Mary Magdalen. A "dGEce" would never
remind us of the subtle DR.. Dun Scotus,
nor ''pander" of the Trojan genersl Pan
darius. A 'pasqUinade" tells US nothing
about the mutilated statue Of the gladiator
dug up three hundred years ago in Rome,
and the snsppish co5Oler Pasquino who
lived opposite.
To return to our language, but few ex-
amples will be required to show how large
ly it has assimilated this NEUROLOGICAL ele-
ment. The gods of Olympus have presid-
ed ovsr its growth, and sill live in such
common terms as '!jovial," "martial," ''satA
urnin >" "mrrcurial." This last named
deity served the alchemiss under the guise
of quicksilver, and with his Greek name has
furnished our theolcgues with their "herme-
nuatics." BAcchus does duty in our Christian
civ lzation as synonym for the pleasure
Of dissipa ion, just as much as he did among
the people who ;ersoHified the vice ard
then worsbipped i; and mas large follow
ing of "bacchanalians." The goddess who
presided over harvest names our cereals.
Another makes our maidens ''vestals," and
the ''mossic" pins they wear commem-
crate all the muses. together. Hymen and
Cupid are almost as familiar persOnages
in our literature as the events they inspire.
Vulcan is still at bis forge in our "go'ca-
noes," and We have so far underlined his
godshi as to SCI him to work ''vulcanizing"
rubber. We have been taught to sing
"Great Pan is Dead" but Ia can be only
cOnstructively deiulct, for an epiphany is
him occurs in every ''pSnic." Pallas Of
commemoIated in ''pallSdiRm." Even the
two great systems by which savsnts have
attempted TO map out the original cosmogo-
ny, are put forth christened in the name of
two pagan gods, as the Plutonian and the
NeptUnisn theories.
The demigods are as much at home in
our Christian literature as the gods. Curl
ously enough, modern conditions seem Of
tentimes to be more expressly prepared for
these Representations than the melodra-
ma in which they played their role before.
They affiliate with Christian cul ure wonder
fully. There are more "chimeras" in mod
ern thought than in ancient
myth. The tasks of the present
day are more "Herculean" than in the
time of Eurystheus. The modern
"Atlas" receives more universal homage
than the giant prototype ever dare to
claim. The civilization of our age sequip-
ped with more hands than B iareus and
more eyes than Argus; and in its facility Of
adaptation is more "protean" than Pro- Gus
himself. And we have still other and
equally vslu2bl9 Impressions from
the cloud land of classic myth.
Those fabulous monsters which peopled
the fancy, if not the forests and waters Of
ancient Greece, are at home with US also.
Part human, part bestial, part divine, they
stand among the enigmss of The past, and
doubtless embodied the fears, the fancies,
the hopes or the doubts Of the early gen
erations. We adopt them, and they serve
the new regime as willingly as the old.
They go noS grumbling to their tasks like
Caliban, but spring to it with cordial
alscrity like the genii Of Aladdin. 1t would
be difficult to compute the usefulness Of
these ignes fdtue of ancient poetry, dutifUli-
ly submissive as they are to the demands
of our material age: 'hydra," 'gOrson,"
''siren," sphinx" ''hsrpy," ''satyr," ship
pogriff," "dragon," s'phenix," ''centaur,"
'sylpb," 'fate," "faun," ''Dymph, the
simple mention o. these few will show how
largely modern language is indebted to the
gIotesque side of ancient religion for co.,
venienJ terms in which TO express some Of
its ideas.
The accidents in language can be Illus
trated also y observing the many instances
in which name seems to be present and is
not, The constellation Charles Vain, for
example, is not so entitled in behalf of any
Charles, royal, plebeisn, or mythical, but is
simply corruption Of "the churls VAIN"
Satan may possibly have
much to with making "lucifer Matches"
bat il is not his name, however,
which is attached to the patent. The
"muscovy duck" has no relation to Mos
cow, but is blunder for 'munk duck"
The "turkey" was misnamed for the c0uu-
try from which it did not come. The en-
bem Of cOnstancy, ''rosemary," is fragrant
with memories no. of Mary, but of the sea.
"JChn Dory" is highly satisfactory fish
and Of splendid hue, but of such extravags!t
fms wlthal that the savants have given
him the inefable title acanthroge rygious;
"John DOry" has the advantage i'll point of
euphony, and looks as if It were another
borrowing from the useful John-but in
stead is corruption of jaime deroe, g lden
yellow. "DemIjohn" is another word
which has an abusive sound, as though the
typical John were 50 addicted to containing
raw spirits tia. the name had come to be q
synonym for the original package; but delni-
john is cur modified pronunciation of the
French dame jeann, which is itselfa corrup-
ton of Dam2ghsn, Persian town, famous
for its glassware. Among our birds are
several which bear personal names. Be-
sides those which have been already men
toned, may be noticed the "magpie" and
the 'Tobin." The canary" bears the name
of its original home. But the familiar
"bob-o-link" is a song name; and Bryant
has only written out in full the title by
which this loquacious little sprite is forever
nicknamiDg himself, and which be should
be allowed 10 wear summa cum laude:
Merrily swinging on briar and weed,
Near to the nest of his little dame,
Der the mountain side or mead,
Robert OF Lincoln Is telling his name.
The whip-pOor-will bears another song
name, among insects the katy-did; and
Morris aud Holmes have tried to trsnsla
their dainty notes into the rougher sounds
of human verse.