 him to
stay till the weather should clear up, giving him, at the same time, a general
invitation to our mess. The man has certainly gathered a whole budget of shrewd
observations, but he brings them forth in such an ungracious manner as would be
extremely disgusting, if it was not marked by that characteristic oddity which
never fails to attract the attention - He and Mr. Bramble discoursed, and even
disputed, on different subjects in war, policy, the belles lettres, law, and
metaphysics; and sometimes they were warmed into such altercation as seemed to
threaten an abrupt dissolution of their society; but Mr. Bramble set a guard
over his own irascibility, the more vigilantly as the officer was his guest; and
when, in spite of all his efforts, he began to wax warm, the other prudently
cooled in the same proportion.
    Mrs. Tabitha chancing to accost her brother by the familiar diminutive of
Matt, »Pray, sir, (said the lieutenant) is your name Matthias?« You must know,
it is one of our uncle's foibles to be ashamed of his name Matthew, because it
is puritanical; and this question chagrined him so much, that he answered, »No,
by G-d!« in a very abrupt tone of displeasure. - The Scot took umbrage at the
manner of his reply, and bristling up, »If I had known (said he) that you did
not care to tell your name, I should not have asked the question - The leddy
called you Matt, and I naturally thought it was Matthias: - perhaps, it may be
Methuselah, or Metrodorus, or Metellus, or Mathurinus, or Malthinnus, or
Matamorus, or -« »No, (cried my uncle laughing) it is neither of those, captain;
- my name is Matthew Bramble, at your service. - The truth is, I have a foolish
pique at the name of Matthew, because it savours of those canting hypocrites,
who, in Cromwell's time, christened all their children by names taken from the
scripture.« - »A foolish pique indeed, (cried Mrs. Tabby) and even sinful, to
fall out with your name because it is taken from holy writ. - I would have you
to know, you was called after great-uncle Matthew ap Madoc ap Meredith, esquire,
of Llanwysthin, in Montgomeryshire, justice of the quorum, and crusty
ruttleorum, a gentleman of great worth and property, descended in a strait line,
by the female side, from Llewellyn, prince of Wales.
