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as a precedent, and that no future indulgence of the same kind should be

permitted.

CHAPTER VIII.

Mr. Shandy's hypothesis of Christian names-Miscellaneous illustrations-Con

clusion.

I Think it is D'Aubigné who mentions a fact, wrought up by Sterne into a chapter, that the States of Switzerland proposed the name of Abednego to be given to one of the children of Henry II. of France. Sterne transferred the story, with his usual carelessness, to Francis I. Burton certainly should have added to the happiness of being well-born, that of being well-named; and this superstition has been so common among the learned, that I wonder how it escaped him.

In the general theory respecting Christian names, I am persuaded that Sterne had in view Montaigne's Essay des Noms. "Chaque nation," says Montaigne, "à quelques noms qui se prennent, je ne sçai comment, en mauvaise part; et a nous, Jean, Guillaume, Benoist." Mr. Shandy has passed a similar condemnation on some English names, to which vulgar prejudices are attached. I am surprised that Sterne should have withheld a story which Montaigne has told, in support of this fancy. He mentions a young man, who was reclaimed from a very dissolute course of life, by discovering that the name of a prostitute whom he went to visit, was Mary. His reformation was so exemplary, that a chapel was built on the spot where his house had stood, and on the same ground was afterwards erected the church of our lady of Poictiers. "Cette correction," says he, "voyelle et auriculaire, devotieuse, tira droit a l'ame:" it was indeed a palpable hit.

“A gentleman, my neighbour," pro ceeds the venerable Gascon, "preferring the manners of old times to ours, did not forget to boast of the proud and magnificent names of the ancient nobility, such as Don Grumedan, Don Quedragan, Don Agesilan, or to say that on hearing them pronounced, he felt that they must be a different kind of people from Peter, Giles, and Jacob.

Another passage contains, I suspect, a stroke of satire against the Huguenots, where he compliments them on their subduing the old names of Charles, Louis, and Francis, and peopling the world with Methusalems, Ezekiels, and Malachis.

It is curious enough, that St. Pierre, a late writer, should adopt, and treat largely of this hypothesis, without referring either to Montaigne or to Sterne.

Pasquier wrote a whole chapter, in his Recherches sur la France, on the

In the Etudes de la Nature, tom. iii.

fortune attendant on particular names, allottted to the French monarchs; but Morhoff, who treats gravely of the fatality of Christian Names, goes much farther, and asserts, that the evil influence of the original name may be corrected by assuming another. "Notarunt nonnulli infaustorum nominum impositione fortunam hominum labefactari, eorum immutatione quoque immutari.* This would have been a good quotation for Mr. Shandy, at the Visitation.

On one occasion, Sterne has pressed a name into this service to which he had no right.." But who the duce has got laid down here beside her? quoth my father, pointing with his cane to a large tomb-as he walked on-It is St. Optat, sir, answered the sacristan-And properly is St. Optat placed! said my father: and what is St. Optat's story? continued he. St. Optat, replied the

*Morhoff. Polyhistor. tom. i. p. 116, § 6.

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