that is, the father being called John, his son was called John's-son, or Johnson, &c.

"Also diminutives of some of these; as Dickin, Wilkin, Tomlin, Jenkin, &c. -son; that is, little Dick's son, &c.

"A few, probably bastards from women's names; as Ann, Elly, Matty, Nel, Patty, &c. -son.

"Some from other surnames; as Cook, Smith, Hodge, Dodge, Dod, Dob, Hood, &c. -son.

"2d. Another custom seems to have obtained in the south part of the kingdom, that is, using the genitive case of the father's name instead of the word 'son' at the end of it; thus we there meet with Stephens, Roberts, Philips, Edwards, Harrys or Harris, Jones (that is, Joan's or John's), &c., which in the north are more commonly Stephenson, Robertson, &c.

"From this it may be suspected the Harris families in the north were originally from the south, otherwise they would most likely have been called Harrisons.

"3d. Another source of surnames we have from ancient and trading towns; as York, Chester, Lancaster, Kendal, Carlisle, Derby, Wakefield, &c. Thus an inhabitant of Kendal called Tom, removing to a distant place, would be called Kendal Tom, to distinguish him from the other Toms of the place. Besides these, a great number from places of less note ending in ton (ie., town), thwaite (a place cleared of wood); as Braithwaite, Cros-thwaite, Lew-thwaite ; Dal-ton (a village in Lancashire meaning Dale-town), New-ton, Pennington, Pockling-ton, Nor-ton, Wes-ton, &c. To these may be added a few from the names of nations; as

English Surnames.

59

Scot, English, Ireland, French, Norman (ie., a follower of William the Conqueror from Normandy), Wales, &c.

"Also a number derived from the situation of their dwellings; as Fell, Gill, How, Hill, Bank, Bottom, Beck, Brook, Wall, Penn (ie., Hill), Mount, Slack, Cragg, Moor, Moss, Tarn, Pit, &c.

"4th. A vast number from trades, &c.; as Smith, Wright, Weaver, Webster, Waller, Mason, Fisher, Hunter, Fiddler, Piper, Harper, Walker, Cleaver, Slater, Sadler, Herd, Cook, Clark, Steward, Butler, Baker, Brewer, Gardener, Roper, Fletcher (one that makes bows and arrows), Glover, Barber, Ridler, Stamper, Shepherd, Turner, Forster (i.e., Forester), &c. Also from articles, &c., dealt in; as Hay, Stone, Steele, Bell, Wood, Peat, Lindsey, Wolsey, Cotton, &c.

"5th. From animals; as Fox, Tod (an old word for a fox), Stag, Hinde, Kid, Lamb, Drake, Duck, Cock, Peacock, Salmon, Pike, Trout, &c.

"6th. Some adjectives; as Black, Blake, Dun, White, Brown, Green, Grey, Petty, Wild, Swift, Smart, Sharp, Wise, Young, &c.

"7th. A few ending in man; as Bulman, Cow-man, Bow-man, Chap-man, Priest-man, Spel-man, Woolman, &c. Also several in ley; as Ains-ley, Bay-ley, Bew-ley, Brink-ley, Cow-ley, Hors-ley, Chalk-ley, Hay-ley, Hart-ley, Priest-ley, &c. Ley is an old word for scythe, also for ploughed land now resting for the scythe.

"8th. Compound names of pretty obvious origin; as Brock-bank, Sow-den, Lang-mire, Mire-house, Waterhouse, Salt-house, Cross-field, Swin-burn, Burn-yeat

(N.B. Bourn is Saxon, meaning a brook), Black-stock, Light-foot, Young-husband, Tod-hunter, Drink-water, &c.

"I might pursue the subject farther, as also of the origin of the names of places, &c., but I leave it to antiquarians.

"However, as I have explained my own name, I must do the same with thine. Alderson means undoubtedly older-son, old being pronounced ald in this county, where possibly the name originated; but it is not easily made appear how such a name rose.— Please to accept the best respects of thy friend,

"JOHN DALTON.

"WILLIAM ALderson, Eaglesfield."

CHAPTER IV.

"Nature is not an inert mass; and to him who can comprehend her vast sublimity, she reveals herself as the creative force of the universebefore all time, eternal, ever active, she calls to life all things, whether perishable or imperishable."-SCHELLING.

AND THAT OF MEDICINE CONTEMPLATED-HIS FATHER'S WILL
IN DISPUTE, AND NOVEL ARBITRATION-LEAVES KENDAL FOR
MANCHESTER.

N his hours of comparative relaxation, John Dalton took his constitutional walk, and on Saturdays extended his rambles o'er the

country side; admiring the grand panorama-the sweeping outline of mountain range and fertile valleys in the environs of Kendal; and meditating much on the geognosy of the district, its fauna, flora, and natural history in general. Like Goethe, Alexander von Humboldt, and others who paved their way to distinction by researches in the domain of natural science, Dalton early engaged in the study of botany, entomology, and more especially meteorology. The friendship of Mr Gough naturally exercised a beneficial influence over Dalton's scientific endeavours. In that day when Buffon, Goldsmith, and peripatetic herbalists held sway as naturalists, and Linnæus was only to be found in the hands of the learned, it is doubtful if any other library than that of the blind philosopher of Kendal was accessible

to him, from which he could even cull a knowledge of the descriptive forms of plants and the common kinds of insects. And this kind of information, little more than a systematic nomenclature in the hands of the renowned Swede, was but elementary and limited in scope compared with the needs of a true science. As far as the study of meteorology was concerned, Dalton could have no better guide than Mr Gough himself.

Dalton's love of nature did not find expression in the sentimental language of Rousseau; it was neither exalted nor demonstrative, and probably owed less to his emotional or pleasurable instincts than to his innate scientific ardour, ever aiming at the grasp of the unproclaimed and the unknown. Imbued with the faculty of originating fresh paths of inquiry, and possessing a genetic force to cope with difficulties whencesoever arising, he would seem to have anticipated Schelling's observation, that philosophy advances not so much by the answers to difficult problems, as by the starting of new problems, and by asking questions which no one else would think of asking.

In his endeavours to elucidate the phenomena included under the general term of meteorology-phenomena so fitful and protean in character on the shores of England, and markedly pluviose around Kendal -he fell upon an inquiry consonant with his untiring industry and careful methods of observation. The subject, comprehensive in itself, also involved many questions which had never been asked, and as many more equally worthy of solution. Meteorology had an historical basis as old as Aristotle himself, and though the theme of many minds in many countries, yet so little progress had been obtained since the