d pope, died on the twentieth day of his pontificate, and this
confirmed this superstitious opinion. La Motte le Vayer gravely asserts
that all the queens of Naples of the name of _Joan_, and the kings of
Scotland of the name of _James_, have been unfortunate: and we have
formal treatises of the fatality of Christian names. It is a vulgar
notion that every female of the name of _Agnes_ is fated to become mad.
Every nation has some names labouring with this popular prejudice.

Herrera, the Spanish historian, records an anecdote in which the choice
of a queen entirely arose from her _name_. When two French ambassadors
negotiated a marriage between one of the Spanish princesses and Louis
VIII., the names of the Royal females were _Urraca_ and _Blanche_. The
former was the elder and the more beautiful, and intended by the Spanish
court for the French monarch; but they resolutely preferred _Blanche_,
observing that the _name_ of _Urraca_ would never do! and for the sake
of a more mellifluous sound, they carried off, exulting in their own
discerning ears, the happier named, but less beautiful princess.

There are _names_ indeed which are painful to the feelings, from the
associations of our passions.[22] I have seen the Christian _name_ of a
gentleman, the victim of the caprice of his godfather, who is called
_Blast us Godly_,--which, were he designed for a bishop, must irritate
religious feelings. I am not surprised that one of the Spanish monarchs
refused to employ a sound catholic for his secretary, because his name
(_Martin Lutero_) had an affinity to the _name_ of the reformer. Mr.
Rose has recently informed us that an architect called _Malacarne_, who,
I believe, had nothing against him but his _name_, was lately deprived
of his place as principal architect by the Austrian government,--let us
hope not for his unlucky _name_; though that government, according to
Mr. Rose, acts on capricious principles! The fondness which some have
felt to perpetuate their _names_, when their race has fallen extinct, is
well known; and a fortune has then been bestowed for a change of name.
But the affection for names has gone even farther. A _similitude of
names_, Camden observes, "dothe kindle sparkes of love and liking among
meere strangers." I have observed the great pleasure of persons with
uncommon names meeting with another of the same name; an instant
relationship appears to take place; and I have known that fortunes have
been bequ