These extracts from the highest authorities will sufficiently show of how little use is an Act of Parliament, or the royal license, for effecting a change of name; indeed, the chief, perhaps I might almost say the only, advantage of these costly forms, except, of course, where they are required by the express terms of a will, is the facility they afford in case it should become necessary to prove that John White was ten years ago John Brown.
Arun.
QUERIES ANSWERED, NO. 6.
There is no class of books which it more behoves future compilers of glossaries to consult, than those which treat of geography, navigation, military and naval economy, and the science of warfare both on shore and afloat. As far as the technical terms have been used by poets and dramatists, much valuable illustration may be found in the annotated editions of their works, but much more is required for general purposes, and I could point out some fifty volumes which would enable an industrious student, possessing a competent acquaintance with those subjects in their modern state, to produce a most useful supplement to our existing glossaries.
With very small pretensions to the amount of information which Σ ascribes to me, I will at once answer his query on the meaning of grummett.
GRUMETE is pure Spanish. It also occurs as a Portuguese word. I shall transcribe the explanations of it as given by the best authorities on those languages:—
"GRVMETE.—El muchacho que sirue en el nauio, y sube por el mastil, o arbol, y por la antena, y haze todo lo demas que le mandan con gran presteza."—Sebastian de Couarruuias, 1611.
"GRUMETE.—El mozo que sirve en el navío para subir á la gavia y otros usos. Tirunculus nauticus."—La real academia Española.
"GRUMETE.—Grumete he o moço que serve como de criado aos marinheiros, sobindo pellos mastros atè à gavea, etc."—Raphael Bluteau.
We have a statement of the rank and ratings of the officers and men of a ship of war in the Sea grammar of captain Smith, 1627. 4to. The word in question, as a rating, had then become obsolete. The duties of the seamen are thus described:
"The sailers are the ancient men for hoising the sailes, getting the tacks aboord, haling the bowlings, and steering the ship.
"The younkers are the young men called fore-mast men, to take in the top-sailes, or top and yard, for furling the sailes, or slinging the yards, bousing or trising, and take their turnes at helme."