MOVEABLE FEASTS FROM "Tables, Calendars, &c. for the use of His- Corpus Christi, or Body of Christ, is a Easter Day. The Paschal Sabbath. The Eucharist, or Lord's Supper, is the seventh Sunday after Shrove Tuesday, and is always the first Sunday after the first full moon, which happens on or next after the 21st of March. Easter Monday are the Monday and The Eucharist. See Easter day. Holy Thursday. See Ascension day. Maunday Thursday, is the day before Midlent, or the fourth Sunday in Lent, is Palm Sunday, or the sixth Sunday in Paschal Sabbath. See Easter day. Pentecost or Whit Sunday, is the fif- Quinquagesima Sunday, is so from its being about the fiftieth day Relick Sunday, is the third Sunday after Rogation Sunday, is the fifth Sunday af- Rogation Days are the Monday, Tuesday, Shrove Sunday, is the Sunday next before Shrove Tuesday. It is also called Quinquagesima Sunday. Septuagesima Sunday, so called from its being about the seventieth day before Easter, is the third Sunday before Lent. Sexagesima Sunday, is the second Sun- Trinity Sunday, or the Feast of the Holy Whit Monday are the Monday and Tuesday following Whit Sunday. the three days above The Vigil or Eve of a feast, is the day The Octave or Utas of each feast, is al- In the Octaves, means within the eight days following any particular feast. Butler. Shepherd in his "Elucidation of the Book of Common Prayer" satisfactorily explains the origin of these days: "When the words Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima were first applied to denote these three Sundays, the season of Lent had generally been extended to a fast of six weeks, that is, thirty-six days, not reckoning the Sundays, which were always celebrated as festivals. At this time, likewise, the Sunday which we call the first Sunday in Lent, was styled simply Quadragesima, or the fortieth, meaning the fortieth day before Easter. Quadragesima was also the name given to Lent, and denoted the Quadragesimal, or forty days' fast, When the three weeks before Quadragesima ceased to be considered as weeks after the Epiphany, and were appointed to be observed as a time of preparation for Lent, it was perfectly conformable to the ordinary mode of computation to reckon backwards, and for the sake of even and round numbers to count by decades. The authors of this novel institution, and the compilers of the new proper offices, would naturally call the first Sunday before Quadragesima, Quinquagesima; the second, Sexagesima; and the third, Sep*uagesima. This reason corresponds with the account that seems to be at present most generally adopted." There is much difference of opinion as to whether the fast of Lent lasted anciently during forty days or forty hours, was Ribadeneira relates, that on the 1st of August 1216, the virgin Mary with a beautiful train of holy virgins appeared to this saint at midnight, and signified it was the divine pleasure that a new order should be instituted under the title of Our Blessed Lady of Mercy, for king James of Aragon had the same the redemption of captives, and that vision at the same time, and "this order, founded upon the 10th, or as others say, therefore, by divine revelation, Peter Nolasco begged for its support, upon the 23d of August." Then St. and thereby rendered himself offensive to the devil. For once taking up his lodging in private, some of the neighbours told him, that the master of the house, a man of evil report, had lately died, and the place had ever since been inhabited by "night spirits," wherein he commended himself to the virgin and other saints, and "instantly his admonitors vanished away like smoke, leaving an intolerable scent behind them." These of course were devils in disguise. Then he passed the sea in his cloak, angels and the virgin visited his monastery. sung before him in the habit of his order, One night he went into the church and found the angels singing the service instead of the monks; and at another time seven stars fell from heaven, and on digging the ground "there, they found a most devout image of our lady under a great bell," and so forth. FLORAL DIRECTORY. Hartstongue. Asplenium Scolopendium Dedicated to St. Marcella. of my legions on the Setingy Then came cold February, sitting In an old waggon, for he could not ride, Drawne of two fishes, for the season fitting, Which through the flood before did softly slyde And swim away; yet had he by his side His plough and harnesse fit to till the ground, And tooles to prune the trees, before the pride . Of hasting prime did make them burgeon round. This month has Pisoes or the fishes for its zodiacal sign. Numa, who was chosen by the Roman people to succeed Romulus as their king, and became their legislator, placed it the second in the year, as it remains with us, and dedicated it to Neptune, the lord of waters. Its name is from the Februa, or Feralia, sacrifices offered to the manes of the gods at this season. Ovid in his Fasti attests the derivation : In ancient times, purgations had the name A pliant branch cut from a lofty pine, Spenser. name Of this our month of February came; In which the priests of Pan processions made; came, But here adopted by another name; A bloody crime, or any sinful stain. Massey's Ovid. Our Saxon ancestors, according to Verstegan, "called February Sprout-kele, by kele meaning the kele-wurt, which we now call the colewurt, the greatest potwurt in time long past that our ancestors used, and the broth made therewith was thereof also called kele; for before we borrowed from the French the name of potage, and the name of herbe, the one in our owne language was called kele, and the other wurt; and as this kele-wurt, or potage-hearbe, was the chiefe winterwurt for the sustenance of the husbandman, so was it the first hearbe that in this moneth began to yeeld out wholesome yong sprouts, and consequently gave thereunto the name of Sprout-kele." The "kele "here mentioned, is the wellknown kale of the cabbage tribe. But the Saxons likewise called this month "Solmonath," which Dr. Frank Sayers in his, Disquisitions" says, is explained by Bede "mensis plancentarum," and rendered by Spelman in an unedited manuscript pan-cake month," because in the course of it, cakes were offered by the pagan Saxons to the sun; and "Sol," or "soul," signified "food," or cakes." 66 In "The Months," by Mr. Leigh Hunt, he remarks that "if February were not the precursor of spring, it would be the least pleasant season of the year, November not excepted. The thaws now take place; and a clammy mixture of moisture and cold succeeds, which is the most disagreeable of wintry sensations." Yet so variable is our climate, that the February of 1825 broke in upon the inhabitants of the metropolis with a day or two of piercing cold, and realized a delightful description of January sparkled from the same pen. "What can be more delicately beautiful than the spectacle which sometimes salutes the eye at the breakfastroom window, occasioned by the hoarfrost dew? If a jeweller had come to dress every plant over night, to surprise an Eastern sultan, he could not produce any thing like the 'pearly drops,' or the silvery plumage.' An ordinary bed of greens, to those who are not at the mercy of their own vulgar associations, will sometimes look crisp and corrugated emerald, powdered with diamonds." 6 THE SEASON. Sunk in the vale, whose concave depth receives With wondering stare and fruitless search they trace St. Bride, otherwise St. Bridget, confers her name upon the parish of St. Bride's, for to her its church in Fleetstreet is dedicated. Butler says she was born in Ulster, built herself a cell under a large oak, thence called Kill-dara, or cell of the oak, was joined by others of her own sex, formed several nunneries, and became patroness of Ireland. "But," says Butler, "a full account of her virtues has not been transmitted down to us, together with the veneration of her name;" yet he declares that "her five modern lives mention little else but wonderful miracles." According to the same author, she flourished in the beginning of the sixth century, her body was found in the twelfth century, and her head "is now kept in the church of the Jesuits at Lisbon." This writer does not favour us with any of her miracles, but bishop Patrick mentions, that wild ducks swimming in the water, or flying in the air, obeyed her call, came to her hand, let her embrace them, and then she let them fly away again. He also found in the breviary of Sarum, that when she was sent a-milking by her mother to make butter, she gave away au the milk to the poor; that when the rest of the maids brought 66 in their milk she prayed, and the butter multiplied; that the butter she gave away she divided into twelve parts, as if it were for the twelve apostles; and one part she made bigger than any of the rest, which stood for Christ's portion; though it is strange," says Patrick, "that she forget to make another inequality by ordering one portion more of the butter to be made bigger than the remaining ones in honour of St. Peter, the prince of the apostles." 66. BURIAL OF ALLELUIA. In Mr. Fosbroke's "British Monarch- FLORAL DIRECTORY. Arch This being the festival which catholics call the Purification of the virgin, they "Then comes the Day wherein the Virgin The Father chiefe, as Moyses law commaunded hir to do. Whose Candell burneth cleare and bright, at any time they light, Nor Nor or tempest dare abide, nor any Devil's spide, nor hurts of frost or haile." From catholic service-books, quoted in "Pagano Papismus," some particulars are collected concerning the blessing of the candles. Being at the altar, the priest says over them several prayers; one of which commences thus: "O Lord Jesu Christ, who enlightenest every one that cometh into the world, pour out thy benediction upon these Candles, and sanctifie them with the light of thy grace," &c. Another begins: "Holy Lord, Father Almighty, Everlasting God, who hast created all things of nothing, and by the labour of bees caused this liquor to come to the perfection of a wax candle; we humbly beseech thee, that by the invocation of thy most holy name, and by the intercession of the blessed virgin, ever a virgin, whose festivals are this day devoutly celebrated, and by the prayers of all thy saints, thou wouldst vouchsafe to bless and sanctifie these candles," &c. Then the priest sprinkles the candles thrice with holy water, saying 66 Sprinkle me with," &c. and perfumes them thrice with incense. One of the |