Among the Greeks and the Romans, beautiful and significant names were studied. The sublime Plato himself has noticed the present topic; his visionary ear was sensible to the delicacy of a name; and his exalted fancy was delighted with _beautiful names_, as well as every other species of beauty. In his Cratylus he is solicitous that persons should have happy, harmonious, and attractive _names_. According to Aulus Gellius, the Athenians enacted by a public decree, that no slave should ever bear the consecrated names of their two youthful patriots, Harmodius and Aristogiton,--names which had been devoted to the liberties of their country, they considered would be contaminated by servitude. The ancient Romans decreed that the surnames of infamous patricians should not be borne by any other patrician of that family, that their very names might be degraded and expire with them. Eutropius gives a pleasing proof of national friendships being cemented by a _name_; by a treaty of peace between the Romans and the Sabines, they agreed to melt the two nations into one mass, that they should bear their _names_ conjointly; the Roman should add his to the Sabine, and the Sabine take a Roman name.[23] The ancients _named_ both persons and things from some event or other circumstance connected with the object they were to name. Chance, fancy, superstition, fondness, and piety, have invented _names_. It was a common and whimsical custom among the ancients, (observes Larcher) to give as _nicknames_ the _letters_ of the alphabet. Thus a lame girl was called _Lambda_, on account of the resemblance which her lameness made her bear to the letter λ, or _lambda_! Æsop was called _Theta_ by his master, from his superior acuteness. Another was called _Beta_, from his love of beet. It was thus Scarron, with infinite good temper, alluded to his zig-zag body, by comparing himself to the letter s or z. The learned Calmet also notices among the Hebrews _nicknames_ and names of raillery taken from defects of body or mind, &c. One is called Nabal, or _fool_; another Hamor, the _Ass_; Hagab, the _Grasshopper_, &c. Women had frequently the names of animals; as Deborah, the _Bee_; Rachel, the _Sheep_. Others from their nature or other qualifications; as Tamar, the _Palm-tree_; Hadassa, the _Myrtle_; Sarah, the _Princess_; Hannah, the _Gracious_. The Indians of North America employ sublime and picturesque _names_; such are the great Eagle--the Partridge--Dawn of the Day!--Great swift Arrow!--Path-opener!--Sun-bright! THE JEWS OF YORK.