xlix. 10.)
The objection, which might be urged, that so sacred a name would not
have been applied by an ancient Jew to his child, has not much
weight, when we recollect that some Christians have not shrunk from
the blasphemous imposition of the name _Emanuel_ ("God with us")
upon their offspring. St. Jerome manifestly reads SHILOACH, for he
translates it by _Qui mittendus est. (Lond. Encyc_. in voc.
"Shiloh.") Now the difference between _Shiloach_ and _Shylock_ is
very trivial indeed. I shall be very glad to have the opinion of
some of your numerous and able contributors on this point.
But, after all, Shylock may have been a _family name_ familiar to
the great dramatist. In all my researches on the subject of _English
surnames,_ however, I have but once met with it as a generic
distinction. In the _Battel Abbey Deeds_ (penes Sir T. Phillipps,
Bart.) occurs a power of attorney from John Pesemershe, Esq., to
_Richard Shylok_, of Hoo, co. Sussex, and others, to deliver seizin
of all his lands in Sussex to certain persons therein named. The
date of this document is July 4, 1435.
MARK ANTONY LOWER.
* * * * *
TRANSPOSITION OF LETTERS.
I should be obliged if any of your readers would give me the reason
for the transposition of certain letters, chiefly, but not
exclusively, in proper names, which has been effected in the course
of time.
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