This affection for the older Scriptures had its effect upon our nomenclature. No book, no story, especially if gloomy in its outline and melancholy in its issues, escaped the more morbid Puritan's notice. Every minister of the Lord's vengeance, every stern witness against natural abomination, the prophet that prophesied ill--these were the names that were in favour. And he that was least bitter in his maledictions was most at a discount. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in every-day request, Shadrach and Abednego being the favourites. Mordecai, too, was daily commemorated; while Jeremiah attained a popularity, as Jeremy, he can never altogether lose. "Lamentations" was so melancholy, that it must needs be personified, don a Puritanical habit, and stand at the font as godfather--I mean witness--to some wretched infant who had done nothing to merit such a fate. "Lamentations Chapman" appeared as defendant in a suit in Chancery about 1590. The exact date is not to be found, but the case was tried towards the close of Elizabeth's reign ("Chancery Suits, Elizabeth"). It is really hard to say why names of melancholy import became so common. Perhaps it was a spirit morbidly brooding on the religious oppressions of the times; perhaps it was bile. Any way, Camden says "Dust" and "Ashes" were names in use in the days of Elizabeth and James. These, no doubt, were translations of the Hebrew "Aphrah" into the "vulgar tongue," the name having become exceedingly common. Micah, in one of the most mournful prophecies of the Old Testament, says-- "Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust." Literally: "in the house of dust roll thyself in the dust." The name was quickly seized upon: "Sept., 1599. Baptized Affray, d. of Richard Manne of Lymehus."--Stepney. "May 15, 1576. Wedding of William Brickhead and Affera Lawrence."--St. Peter's, Cornhill. This last entry proves how early the name had arisen. In Kent it had become very common. The registers of Canterbury Cathedral teem with it: "1601, June 5. Christened Afra, the daughter of William Warriner. "1614, Oct. 30. Christened Aphora, the daughter of Mr. Merrewether. "1635, July 20. Robert Fuller maryed Apherie Pitt."