260 CANADIAN NOMS-DE-PLUME IDENTIFIED. 



the Decretalists it is discovered now that, as the French say, '' It y 

 a fagots et fagots." When we buy the Glenfield starch, are we not 

 constantly told to see that we get it ? It is just so with Cyprian and 

 Athanasius, and many others of that class ; when you cite them, you 

 have to see to it that it is they. 



At later periods, pseudonyms have been used for purposes of con- 

 cealment, and the writings to which they were attached became 

 famous. The Abbe St. Cyran in 1635 wrote his famous defence of 

 the French hierarchy, under the title of Petrus Aurelius ; and 

 Paschal originally subscribed the name of Louis de Montalte to his 

 well-known Provincial Letters. There is in France a whole Diction-, 

 ary of " Auteurs Deguises sous les noms Etrangers, Empruntes, 

 Supposes, Feiats h> plaisir, Chiffres, Renverses, Retoui^nes, ou Changes' 

 d'un Langue en une autre." Baillet, the compiler of this work, has 

 also a department in his " Jugements des Savants " for " Auteurs 

 Deguises." The name by which Paul Sarpi was known as historian 

 of the Council of Trent was Pietro Soave Polano, an imperfect 

 anagram of Paolo Sarpi, Yenetiano. That Sarpi had some reason to 

 protect himself by a disguise, is shown by what befel him on the 

 Bridge of St. Mark's, where he was v/aylaid by assassins and stabbed 

 all but mortally. In Germany, Frederick von Hardenberg, author 

 of "Hymns to Night" and the mystic romance entitled ''Heinrich 

 von Ofterdingen," is visually known and quoted as Novalis. 



In Great Britain and Ireland, while yet open criticism of the 

 policy of Ministers was held to be seditious — when the publication 

 of parliamentary debates was forbidden, and the press generally was 

 gagged— a pseudonyraous literature of a wide range of course sprung 

 up. It was only under disguised names that enlightened men, in 

 many an instance, ventured to promulgate their doctrines which, 

 however salutary to mankind, were yet inacceptable to those in 

 power, and sometimes to the bulk of the community likewise. 

 Sometimes the mask assumed was so effectually retained that, in 

 spite of considerable curiosity on the point, posterity has been left* 

 in doubt. Whole shelves are filled with conjectural replies to the 

 queries. Who was Martin Marprelate? Who was Junius? But 

 Peter Pindar's secret was quickly discovered; as also was Peter 

 Porcupiae's and Peter Plimley's, no particular pains having been 

 taken in any of these cases to preserve it. The same may be said 

 of Eunnymede and Historicus. 



